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  3. West Virginia

WEST VIRGINIA

Charleston . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 669

Huntington . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 681

West Virginia

The State in Brief

Nickname: Mountain State

Motto: Montani semper liberi (Mountaineers are always free)

Flower: Big rhododendron

Bird: Cardinal

Area: 24,230 square miles (2000; U.S. rank: 41st)

Elevation: Ranges from 240 feet to 4,861 feet above sea level

Climate: Continental; humid, with hot summers and cool winters, colder in mountains

Admitted to Union: June 20, 1863

Capital: Charleston

Head Official: Governor Joe Manchin (D) (until 2009)

Population

1980: 1,950,000

1990: 1,793,477

2000: 1,808,344

2004 estimate: 1,815,354

Percent change, 1990–2000: 0.8%

U.S. rank in 2004: 37th

Percent of residents born in state: 74.2% (2000)

Density: 75.1 people per square mile (2000)

2002 FBI Crime Index Total: 45,320

Racial and Ethnic Characteristics (2000)

White: 1,718,777

Black or African American: 57,232

American Indian and Alaska Native: 3,606

Asian: 9,434

Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander: 400

Hispanic or Latino (may be of any race): 12,279

Other: 3,107

Age Characteristics (2000)

Population under 5 years old: 101,805

Population 5 to 19 years old: 352,910

Percent of population 65 years and over: 15.3%

Median age: 38.9 years (2000)

Vital Statistics

Total number of births (2003): 20,817

Total number of deaths (2003): 21,102 (infant deaths, 153)

AIDS cases reported through 2003: 645

Economy

Major industries: Chemicals, mining, metals, timber, oil, coal, tourism

Unemployment rate: 4.9% (December 2004)

Per capita income: $24,672 (2003; U.S. rank: 49th)

Median household income: $31,210 (3-year average, 2001-2003)

Percentage of persons below poverty level: 16.9% (3-year average, 2001-2003)

Income tax rate: Ranges from 3.0% to 6.5%

Sales tax rate: 6.0%