Town · West Virginia
Cowen, West Virginia
Cowen, town, in Webster County, West Virginia. Cowen had 465 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 7.2% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 487 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 485 (±178). GEOID 5418412.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
465
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 487 · ACS 2020-2024: 485 ±178
Median household income
$27,708
±$10,438 (90% margin)
West Virginia: $59,608
Median home value
$52,100
±$16,250 (90% margin)
West Virginia: $162,600
Median gross rent
$675
±$153 (90% margin)
West Virginia: $872
Where is Cowen and what county is it in?
Cowen is a town in Webster County, West Virginia. It covers 0.6 square miles of land, 774 residents per square mile in 2020.
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Cowen, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 465 people lived in Cowen on July 1, 2025, down 7.2% since 2020, a steeper fall than West Virginia's (−1.5%). The 2020 Census counted 487 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 485 (±178).
| Measure | Cowen | Webster County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 485 ±178 | 8,144 | no clear change |
| Households | 191 ±72 | 2,899 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.54 ±0.59 | 2.79 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 233 ±73 | 4,388 | −99 |
Cowen's population since 2000
From 513 in 2000 to 465 in 2025: down 9.4%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Cowen as it was drawn that year: a place that annexed land, or a community that has since incorporated, covered a different area then. The 2005 figure is the Census Bureau's intercensal estimate, revised to fit the 2000 and 2010 counts and drawn on 2010 boundaries; 2015 and 2025 are July 1 estimates made from the census before them.
Source: The 2000, 2010 and 2020 Census counts and the Census Bureau's population estimates (intercensal 2000-2010, Vintage 2020, Vintage 2025) · Census population estimates
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Cowen?
The median resident of Cowen is 36.5 years old; 21.6% are under 18 and 17.7% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 85.2%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 10.1%.
| Measure | Cowen | Webster County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 36.5 ±3.8 | 47.7 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 21.6% ±10.8 pts | 20.1% | – |
| 65 years and over | 17.7% ±9.9 pts | 25.1% | – |
| Male | 60.6% ±10.2 pts | 51.0% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 10.1% ±13.0 pts | 0.8% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 85.2% ±13.9 pts | 93.2% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±7.4 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±7.4 pts | 0.0% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±7.4 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±7.4 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 4.7% ±5.8 pts | 5.8% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±7.4 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 0.0% ±7.4 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 2.0% ±2.8 pts | 0.4% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 2.9% ±4.3 pts | 8.6% | – |
| With a disability | 27.6% ±11.4 pts | 25.3% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 12.4% ±8.1 pts | 5.8% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 70.6% ±11.8 pts | 81.6% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 7.8% ±6.5 pts | 12.9% | – |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 1.0% ±2.3 pts | 3.0% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 85.9% ±11.1 pts | 93.9% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 0.0% ±7.7 pts | 1.1% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Cowen earn?
Half of Cowen's 191 households earn less than $27,708 a year (±$10,438), against $43,839 in Webster County and $59,608 in West Virginia. In 2015-2019 it was $34,998 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 35.9% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Cowen | Webster County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $27,708 ±$10,438 | $43,839 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $35,382 ±$9,742 | $58,888 | – |
| Per capita income | $15,351 ±$4,279 | $24,990 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 35.9% ±13.8 pts | 23.3% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 18.1% ±18.9 pts | 36.8% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 47.1% ±15.6 pts | 32.6% | – |
| Households with a computer | 85.9% ±13.8 pts | 87.7% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 81.7% ±14.8 pts | 80.6% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Cowen?
Owners occupy 56.5% of Cowen's occupied homes and renters 43.5%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $52,100 by its owner (±$16,250). The median renter pays $675 a month including utilities, and 68.7% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Cowen | Webster County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $52,100 ±$16,250 | $76,100 | no clear change |
| Median gross rent | $675 ±$153 | $709 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 68.7% ±27.7 pts | 59.9% | no clear change |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,272 ±$288 | $1,058 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 56.5% ±15.3 pts | 77.3% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 43.5% ±15.3 pts | 22.7% | – |
| Housing units | 233 ±73 | 4,388 | −99 |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±28.6 pts | 0.3% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0% ±34.5 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 51.1% ±14.1 pts | 73.5% | – |
| Mobile homes | 30.9% ±13.4 pts | 21.3% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±14.8 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 5.6% ±8.0 pts | 5.7% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 21.0% ±11.1 pts | 15.5% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 18.8% ±12.2 pts | 13.0% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How do people in Cowen work and get to work?
67.1% of Cowen's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 20.6 minutes. The unemployment rate in 2020-2024 averaged 44.0%.
| Measure | Cowen | Webster County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 36.2% ±11.8 pts | 44.0% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 44.0% ±22.3 pts | 9.2% | no clear change |
| Drove alone to work | 67.1% ±21.0 pts | 82.3% | – |
| Carpooled | 20.3% ±17.5 pts | 9.8% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±35.6 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Walked | 12.7% ±14.9 pts | 4.1% | – |
| Worked from home | 0.0% ±35.6 pts | 3.0% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 20.6 min ±8.7 | 29.6 min | no clear change |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What census tracts are in Cowen?
No census tract lies mostly in Cowen; 2 tracts reach into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 9703Webster County | 2,016 | $46,286 |
| Tract 9701.01Webster County | 2,717 | $39,338 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in Cowen) · Census block assignment files
How does Cowen compare with other places in West Virginia?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Cowen is the 13,502nd-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 153rd-most populous of 230 in West Virginia.
Cowen is not ranked by income or the other survey measures: those rankings include places of 1,000 or more residents (2020 Census) with a reliable estimate.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 153rd | 230 |
Cowen's figures with every place in West Virginia (CSV)
Every place in West Virginia, sortable · Compare Cowen with other places
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Cowen?
22 of the 57 figures for Cowen on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections
Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Cowen are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' public schools in Cowen.