City · West Virginia
War, West Virginia
War, city, in McDowell County, West Virginia. War had 536 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 13.8% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 623 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 628 (±278). GEOID 5484484.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
536
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 623 · ACS 2020-2024: 628 ±278
Median household income
$29,500
±$17,485 (90% margin)
West Virginia: $59,608
Median home value
$32,600
±$15,134 (90% margin)
West Virginia: $162,600
Median gross rent
$703
±$135 (90% margin)
West Virginia: $872
Where is War and what county is it in?
War is a city in McDowell County, West Virginia. It covers 0.9 square miles of land, 699 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 War, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 536 people lived in War on July 1, 2025, down 13.8% since 2020, a steeper fall than West Virginia's (−1.5%). The 2020 Census counted 623 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 628 (±278).
| Measure | War | McDowell County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 628 ±278 | 17,943 | no clear change |
| Households | 282 ±125 | 6,467 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.23 ±0.49 | 2.44 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 378 ±137 | 9,336 | no clear change |
War's population since 2000
From 788 in 2000 to 536 in 2025: down 32.0%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for War 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 War?
The median resident of War is 45.0 years old; 19.7% are under 18 and 27.2% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 96.3%, then non-Hispanic residents of two or more races at 3.7%.
| Measure | War | McDowell County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 45.0 ±21.2 | 43.7 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 19.7% ±8.3 pts | 18.2% | – |
| 65 years and over | 27.2% ±14.8 pts | 21.9% | – |
| Male | 43.5% ±7.6 pts | 53.3% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 0.0% ±5.8 pts | 2.1% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 96.3% ±5.3 pts | 86.5% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±5.8 pts | 8.8% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±5.8 pts | 0.1% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±5.8 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±5.8 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 3.7% ±5.3 pts | 2.5% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±5.8 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 0.0% ±5.8 pts | 1.6% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 9.8% ±11.1 pts | 2.4% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 6.9% ±6.0 pts | 4.7% | – |
| With a disability | 28.8% ±14.7 pts | 29.8% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 14.5% ±10.9 pts | 8.8% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 71.6% ±14.3 pts | 75.5% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 8.0% ±11.8 pts | 6.8% | – |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 8.0% ±11.8 pts | 2.3% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 87.8% ±10.5 pts | 93.3% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 3.4% ±5.4 pts | 0.3% | – |
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 War earn?
Half of War's 282 households earn less than $29,500 a year (±$17,485), against $31,559 in McDowell County and $59,608 in West Virginia. 35.2% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | War | McDowell County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $29,500 ±$17,485 | $31,559 | – |
| Mean household income | $37,485 ±$10,386 | $43,863 | – |
| Per capita income | $17,601 ±$5,774 | $17,253 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 35.2% ±20.6 pts | 34.2% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 54.8% ±34.8 pts | 35.3% | no clear change |
| Households receiving SNAP | 39.0% ±19.3 pts | 36.5% | – |
| Households with a computer | 75.5% ±17.6 pts | 86.6% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 61.7% ±18.9 pts | 85.5% | – |
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 War?
Owners occupy 70.6% of War's occupied homes and renters 29.4%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $32,600 by its owner (±$15,134). The median renter pays $703 a month including utilities.
| Measure | War | McDowell County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $32,600 ±$15,134 | $50,000 | no clear change |
| Median gross rent | $703 ±$135 | $643 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 0.0% ±41.8 pts | 48.3% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $615 ±$104 | $906 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 70.6% ±17.9 pts | 77.3% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 29.4% ±17.9 pts | 22.7% | – |
| Housing units | 378 ±137 | 9,336 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±17.1 pts | 1.7% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0% ±34.5 pts | 3.6% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 85.7% ±9.5 pts | 71.3% | – |
| Mobile homes | 11.6% ±9.6 pts | 22.7% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±9.4 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 7.7% ±8.3 pts | 2.4% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 23.8% ±11.9 pts | 29.5% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 5.0% ±6.1 pts | 10.7% | – |
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 War work and get to work?
69.4% of War's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 36.9 minutes.
| Measure | War | McDowell County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 30.0% ±13.6 pts | 27.1% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 2.5% ±5.7 pts | 8.2% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 69.4% ±26.2 pts | 83.2% | – |
| Carpooled | 14.0% ±19.8 pts | 9.4% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±21.1 pts | 0.5% | – |
| Walked | 0.0% ±21.1 pts | 0.9% | – |
| Worked from home | 8.3% ±13.1 pts | 4.5% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 36.9 min ±16.1 | 36.0 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 War?
No census tract lies mostly in War; 2 tracts reach into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 9545.04McDowell County | 3,353 | $31,938 |
| Tract 9542McDowell County | 1,673 | $29,659 |
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 War) · Census block assignment files
How does War compare with other places in West Virginia?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, War is the 12,912th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 142nd-most populous of 230 in West Virginia.
War 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 | 142nd | 230 |
War's figures with every place in West Virginia (CSV)
Every place in West Virginia, sortable · Compare War 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 War?
26 of the 57 figures for War 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 War 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 War.