There are three major races in America that come to most of our minds right away:
- White
- Hispanic
- African American
But those are only the major races, there’s a whole bunch of other races people are interested in knowing about.
And today, we are going to look at the percent of the population in West Virginia that are Native American.
Native Americans are not a major portion of the current American Population, but they are still very important.
There are now over 2 million people who identify as Native American living in America, making up .65% of the total population. According to the most recent American Community Survey, the Native American population in west virginia is 3,546 – at 0.2% of the total population of west virginia.
So, what how does the Native American population stratify across west virginia? Which cities and towns in west virginia have seen the greatest increase in their Native American population?
Here are the 10 cities in west virginia with the largest Native American population in 2020:
- Bluefield (Photos)
- Beckley (Photos)
- Buckhannon (Photos)
- Elkins (Photos)
- St. Albans (Photos)
- Morgantown (Photos)
- Dunbar
- Huntington (Photos)
- Princeton (Photos)
- Parkersburg (Photos)
Which city in west virginia had the largest Native American population?
Bluefield took the number one over all spot for the largest Native American population in west virginia for 2020. 0.75% of Bluefield identify as Native American.
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 Native American, check out the best places to live in west virginia or the most diverse places in west virginia.
For more West Virginia reading, check out:
- 10 Cheapest Places To Live In West Virginia
- These Are The 10 Richest Cities In West Virginia
- Best Places To Buy A House In West Virginia
Cities In West Virginia With The Largest Native American Population For 2020
/10
Population: 10,144
% Native American: 0.75%
# Of Native American Residents: 76
Percent Change Since 2010: inf%
More on Bluefield: Real Estate | Data | Photos
Bluefield is a city in Mercer County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 10,447 at the 2010 census. It is the core city of the Bluefield WV-VA micropolitan area, which has a population of 107,342.
/10
Population: 16,963
% Native American: 0.72%
# Of Native American Residents: 122
Percent Change Since 2010: -8.96%
More on Beckley: Real Estate | Data | Photos
Beckley is a city in and the county seat of Raleigh County, West Virginia, United States. It was founded on April 4, 1838. Beckley was named in honor of John James Beckley, who was the first Clerk of the House of Representatives and the first Librarian of Congress. It was founded by his son Alfred Beckley. The current mayor is Rob Rappold
/10
Population: 5,596
% Native American: 0.57%
# Of Native American Residents: 32
Percent Change Since 2010: 190.91%
More on Buckhannon: Real Estate | Data | Photos
Buckhannon is the only incorporated city in, and the county seat of, Upshur County, West Virginia, United States, and is located along the Buckhannon River. The population was 5,639 at the 2010 census. Buckhannon is home to West Virginia Wesleyan College and the West Virginia Strawberry Festival, held annually on the third week of May. The city is located 115 miles northeast from the capital city of Charleston and 140 miles south of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
/10
Population: 7,154
% Native American: 0.55%
# Of Native American Residents: 39
Percent Change Since 2010: 333.33%
More on Elkins: Real Estate | Data | Photos
Elkins is a city in Randolph County, West Virginia, USA. The community was incorporated in 1890 and named in honor of Stephen Benton Elkins, a U.S. Senator from West Virginia. The population was 7,094 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Randolph County. Elkins is home to Davis and Elkins College and to the Mountain State Forest Festival, held in early October every year.
/10
Population: 10,600
% Native American: 0.45%
# Of Native American Residents: 48
Percent Change Since 2010: 77.78%
More on St. Albans: Real Estate | Data | Photos
St. Albans is a city in Kanawha County, West Virginia, United States, at the confluence of the Kanawha and Coal Rivers. The population was 11,044 at the 2010 census.
/10
Population: 30,099
% Native American: 0.25%
# Of Native American Residents: 75
Percent Change Since 2010: 66.67%
More on Morgantown: Real Estate | Data | Photos
Morgantown is a city in and the county seat of Monongalia County, West Virginia, situated along the banks of the Monongahela River. With a permanent population of 31,073 per the 2015 U.S. Census estimates, Morgantown is the largest city in North-Central West Virginia. The Morgantown metropolitan area has a population of 138,176, and is the 3rd largest in West Virginia. West Virginia University adds several thousand seasonal residents to the city and surrounding area from September through May. Morgantown is best known as the home of West Virginia University and the Morgantown Personal Rapid Transit system.
/10
Population: 7,571
% Native American: 0.24%
# Of Native American Residents: 18
Percent Change Since 2010: 800.0%
More on Dunbar: Real Estate | Data
Dunbar is a city in Kanawha County, West Virginia, along the Kanawha River. The population was 7,907 at the 2010 census.
/10
Population: 48,034
% Native American: 0.21%
# Of Native American Residents: 102
Percent Change Since 2010: -12.07%
More on Huntington: Real Estate | Data | Photos
Huntington is a city in Cabell County and Wayne County in the U.S. state of West Virginia. It is the county seat of Cabell County, and largest city in the Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH Metropolitan Statistical Area, sometimes referred to as the Tri-State Area. A historic and bustling city of commerce and heavy industry, Huntington has long-flourished due to its ideal location on the Ohio River at the mouth of the Guyandotte River. It is home to the Port of Huntington Tri-State, the busiest inland port in the United States.
/10
Population: 5,967
% Native American: 0.2%
# Of Native American Residents: 12
Percent Change Since 2010: inf%
More on Princeton: Real Estate | Data | Photos
Princeton, often referred to as the “Jewel of the South,” is a city in and the county seat of Mercer County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 6,432 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Bluefield, WV-VA micropolitan area which has a population of 107,342. The town hosts the Princeton Rays baseball club of the Appalachian League.

Horrible I got stabbed last time I was visiting
Bedsides the knife in my stomach is the drug problem
/10
Population: 30,596
% Native American: 0.17%
# Of Native American Residents: 51
Percent Change Since 2010: 30.77%
More on Parkersburg: Real Estate | Data | Photos
Parkersburg is a city in and the county seat of Wood County, West Virginia, United States. Located at the confluence of the Ohio and Little Kanawha rivers, it is the state’s third-largest city and the largest city in the Parkersburg-Marietta-Vienna metropolitan area. The population was 31,492 at the 2010 census. Its peak of population was more than 44,000 in 1960. The city is about 14 miles south of Marietta, Ohio.


I live in Parkersburg. This is interesting because the h****n is over coming our city. It’s getting worse every year. I moved here from Youngstown Ohio so I could have a family and raise them in a safer place. But this is how it all starts. It’s a sad reality but unless we take our city back it’s going to end up just like my home town. Trust me you don’t want that.
How We Determined The Cities In west virginia With The Largest Native American Population For 2020
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 2014-2018 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 American Indian and Alaska Native alone.
We limited our analysis to places with a population greater than 5,000 people. That left us with 27 cities.
We then calculated the percent of residents that are American Indian and Alaska Native. The percentages ranked from 0.75% to 0.0%.
Finally, we ranked each city based on the percent of American Indian and Alaska Native population with a higher score being more American Indian and Alaska Native than a lower score. Bluefield took the distinction of being the most American Indian and Alaska Native, while Keyser was the least Native American city.
Read on for more information on how the cities in west virginia ranked by population of American Indian and Alaska Native residents or, for a more general take on diversity in America, head over to our ranking of the most diverse cities in America.
There You Have It – Native American Populations Across West Virginia
If you’re looking for a breakdown of Native American populations across West Virginia according to the most recent data, this is an accurate list.
If you’re curious enough, here are the least Native American places in West Virginia:
- Keyser
- Weirton
- Vienna
For more West Virginia reading, check out:
What Are The Most Native American Places In West Virginia?
Rank | City | % Native American |
---|---|---|
1 | Bluefield | 0.75% |
2 | Beckley | 0.72% |
3 | Buckhannon | 0.57% |
4 | Elkins | 0.55% |
5 | St. Albans | 0.45% |
6 | Morgantown | 0.25% |
7 | Dunbar | 0.24% |
8 | Huntington | 0.21% |
9 | Princeton | 0.2% |
10 | Parkersburg | 0.17% |
11 | Wheeling | 0.14% |
12 | South Charleston | 0.12% |
13 | Fairmont | 0.08% |
14 | Charleston | 0.06% |
15 | Clarksburg | 0.04% |
16 | Martinsburg | 0.03% |
17 | Grafton | 0.0% |
18 | Hurricane | 0.0% |
19 | Moundsville | 0.0% |
20 | New Martinsville | 0.0% |
21 | Nitro | 0.0% |
22 | Oak Hill | 0.0% |
23 | Charles Town | 0.0% |
24 | Bridgeport | 0.0% |
25 | Vienna | 0.0% |
26 | Weirton | 0.0% |
27 | Keyser | 0.0% |