BECKLEY, WV (WVNS) – From 2010 to 2020, West Virginia lost residents at a higher rate than any other state in the country, according to U.S. Census Bureau data.
During that time, the state lost about 59,000 people, or 3.2 percent of its population. The Mountain State’s population continues to decline, although the rate of decline has slowed, according to the bureau’s latest data.
From April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023, the population decreased by 1.3 percent to 1.77 million people as of the last day.
Dr. Price, an assistant professor in the Department of Economics in the School of Social Sciences at WVU College of Engineering, said West Virginia’s trend is a natural decline.
“It’s more of a natural decline. So the death rate is higher than the birth rate, and that’s what I see happening in West Virginia.”
According to the latest census data, 19.8 percent of West Virginia’s population is under the age of 18, while 21.2 percent of the population is 65 and older. This will have an impact on the services provided by governments, with health services requiring more funding and spending on schools and education likely to fall. However, the biggest challenge that population decline poses to state and local governments is that a decline in population means a decrease in tax revenue.
“Because as the population declines, and as the population declines and ages, the tax base becomes smaller. It means we won’t have as much tax revenue,” Dr Price said.
And for businesses, that means fewer customers and less sales revenue.
Dr. Price also added how this pattern could be broken. And there needs to be some incentive for people to come here. That is possible if the governor pushes ahead with eliminating the income tax. But I don’t think eliminating the income tax will be enough to attract people from out of state if there are no other attractions for downtown residents.
You can somehow encourage more births. It’s going to have a late effect on everything, because these are the people I grew up with. But this is another way that could reverse the trend, and it could mean a decade or so of tighter budgets. But some of the economic impacts could also be reversed as new generations enter the workforce. ”
Anecdotal based on some conversations with WVU Tech alumni, we found some good news for West Virginia locals.
Brock Arthur is a WVU Tech senior from Palestine, West Virginia, who graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering and minors in Mathematics and Adventure Recreation Management. With a degree in some of the nation’s most sought-after skills, he could easily leave the state. But he’s primarily looking to stay close to his family and the “wild and wonderful” outdoors he loves, even if jobs in other states pay better, he said. Told.
“While appealing, there are other factors at play, especially for Gen Z. I think the focus has shifted to having the opportunity to have a work-life balance and really enjoying the time off that they get. “And in my opinion, time and how you spend your time outside of work is just as important, if not more so, than the money aspect,” Block said.
My seniors also felt the same way. Mackenzie Holley is from Beckley and plans to graduate with a degree in accounting, another of his in-demand skill sets. She has already found her job to stay in Beckley. When asked why, her classmates gave similar answers.
“There’s a lot of family here. Most of my mom lives here. She’s my sister. So it’s a very close-knit family feeling and I have a lot of friends. . I grew up here. I like doing adventurous things and West Virginia is perfect for that,” Holly said.
While West Virginia’s population has been on the decline for the past few decades, Gen Z appears to be prioritizing family and quality of life above all else, which will continue to drive the Mountain State’s population trends for generations to come. It can change slowly. .
