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Across most of America, the African American and Hispanic communities comprise "most of the minority". We're not totally sure that's a term, but it's an accurate reflection of the state of race in America.
Asians are a "minority of the minority", generally. But not everywhere.
There are now over 17 million people who identify as Asian living in America, making up 5.6% of the total population. According to the most recent American Community Survey, the Asian population in West Virginia is 13,763 - at 0.8% of the total population of West Virginia.
And, unlike African Americans that fall under one group in the Census, Asian Americans have many sub-groups -- Chinese, Filipino, and Indian being the three largest sub-groups.
So, what how does the Asian population stratify across West Virginia? Which cities and towns in West Virginia have seen the greatest increase in their Asian population?
Here are the cities in West Virginia with the largest Asian population in 2023:
Which city in West Virginia had the largest Asian population? Morgantown took the number one over all spot for the largest Asian in West Virginia for 2023. 3.38% of Morgantown identify as Asian.
Read on below to see how we crunched the numbers and how your town ranked.
To see where West Virginia ranked as a state on diversity, we have a ranking of the most diverse states in America.
And if you already knew these places were Asian, check out the best places to live in West Virginia or the most diverse places in West Virginia.
The 10 Most Asian Cities In West Virginia For 2023
/10
Population: 29,316
% Asian: 3.38%
# Of Asian Residents: 990
Percent Change Since 2010: 0.3%
More on Morgantown: Real Estate | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 17,261
% Asian: 2.71%
# Of Asian Residents: 468
Percent Change Since 2010: 10.38%
More on Beckley: Real Estate | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 6,373
% Asian: 2.67%
# Of Asian Residents: 170
Percent Change Since 2010: 2328.57%
More on Charles Town: Real Estate | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 49,055
% Asian: 2.45%
# Of Asian Residents: 1,200
Percent Change Since 2010: -10.65%
More on Charleston: Real Estate | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 13,595
% Asian: 2.28%
# Of Asian Residents: 310
Percent Change Since 2010: 16.54%
More on South Charleston: Real Estate | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 9,165
% Asian: 2.21%
# Of Asian Residents: 203
Percent Change Since 2010: 103.0%
More on Bridgeport: Real Estate | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 10,676
% Asian: 2.14%
# Of Asian Residents: 229
Percent Change Since 2010: 160.23%
More on Vienna: Real Estate | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 18,502
% Asian: 1.72%
# Of Asian Residents: 319
Percent Change Since 2010: 109.87%
More on Martinsburg: Real Estate | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 46,923
% Asian: 1.48%
# Of Asian Residents: 694
Percent Change Since 2010: 55.96%
More on Huntington: Real Estate | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 7,500
% Asian: 1.16%
# Of Asian Residents: 87
Percent Change Since 2010: 262.5%
More on Dunbar: Real Estate | Data
Methodology: How We Determined The Cities In West Virginia With The Largest Asian Population For 2023
We still believe in the accuracy of data -- especially from the census. So that's where we went to get the breakdown of race across West Virginia.
That lead us to the Census's most recently available data, the 2017-2021 American Community Survey data from the US Census.
Specifically, we looked at table B03002: Hispanic OR LATINO ORIGIN BY RACE. Here are the category names as defined by the Census:
- Hispanic or Latino
- White alone*
- Black or African American alone*
- American Indian and Alaska Native alone*
- Asian alone*
- Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone*
- Some other race alone*
- Two or more races*
Our particular column of interest here was the number of people who identified as Asian alone.
We limited our analysis to non-CDPs with a population greater than 5,000 people. That left us with 25 cities.
We then calculated the percent of residents that are Asian. The percentages ranked from 3.4% to 0.0%.
Finally, we ranked each city based on the percent of Asian population with a higher score being more Asian than a lower score. Morgantown took the distinction of being the most Asian, while Nitro was the least Asian city. You can download the data here.
Read on for more information on how the cities in West Virginia ranked by population of Asian residents or, for a more general take on diversity in America, head over to our ranking of the most diverse cities in America.
Summary: Asian Populations Across West Virginia
If you're looking for a breakdown of Asian populations across West Virginia according to the most recent data, this is an accurate list.
If you're curious enough, here are the least Asian places in West Virginia:
- Nitro
- Oak Hill
- New Martinsville
For more West Virginia reading, check out:
- Best Places To Raise A Family In West Virginia
- Richest Cities In West Virginia
- Best Places To Live In West Virginia
Table: Asian Population By City In West Virginia
| Rank | City | % Asian |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Morgantown | 3.38% |
| 2 | Beckley | 2.71% |
| 3 | Charles Town | 2.67% |
| 4 | Charleston | 2.45% |
| 5 | South Charleston | 2.28% |
| 6 | Bridgeport | 2.21% |
| 7 | Vienna | 2.14% |
| 8 | Martinsburg | 1.72% |
| 9 | Huntington | 1.48% |
| 10 | Dunbar | 1.16% |
| 11 | Weirton | 0.92% |
| 12 | Elkins | 0.57% |
| 13 | Fairmont | 0.57% |
| 14 | Wheeling | 0.54% |
| 15 | Clarksburg | 0.48% |
| 16 | Princeton | 0.44% |
| 17 | Buckhannon | 0.43% |
| 18 | Hurricane | 0.41% |
| 19 | Bluefield | 0.31% |
| 20 | St. Albans | 0.3% |
| 21 | Parkersburg | 0.26% |
| 22 | Moundsville | 0.06% |
| 23 | New Martinsville | 0.0% |
| 24 | Oak Hill | 0.0% |
| 25 | Nitro | 0.0% |
