Census tract · McDowell County
Census Tract 9538, McDowell County, West Virginia
Census Tract 9538, GEOID 54047953800, in McDowell County, West Virginia, partly within Welch, Davy, Roderfield, Big Sandy and Iaeger. 1,871 residents in the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (±518); the 2020 Census counted 2,495.
Residents, 2020-2024
1,871
±518 (90% margin)
2020 Census count: 2,495
Median household income
$27,450
±$3,145 (90% margin)
McDowell County: $31,559
Median home value
$59,300
±$11,811 (90% margin)
McDowell County: $50,000
Median gross rent
$827
±$127 (90% margin)
McDowell County: $643
Where is Census Tract 9538?
Census Tract 9538 is one of 8 census tracts in McDowell County, West Virginia. It covers 59.39 square miles of land, 42 residents per square mile in 2020. Its GEOID, 54047953800, names it uniquely (how tract numbers and GEOIDs work).
| Place | Share of the tract |
|---|---|
| Welch | 15% |
| Davy | 9% |
| Roderfield | 6% |
| Big Sandy | 5% |
| Iaeger | 4% |
5 census tracts border Census Tract 9538: Tract 9539 ($30,190), Tract 9545.03 ($31,948), Tract 9545.04 ($31,938), Tract 30 in Wyoming County ($41,726) and Tract 31 in Wyoming County ($49,824). The figure in brackets is each tract's median household income.
Whether a tract counts as low- or moderate-income for bank lending (the Community Reinvestment Act) is set by the FFIEC against its metro area's family income: look it up in the FFIEC census geocoder.
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 block assignment files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Census Tract 9538?
The 2020-2024 American Community Survey puts Census Tract 9538's population at 1,871 (±518) in 750 households; the 2020 Census counted 2,495 residents and 1,255 housing units.
| Measure | Tract 9538 | McDowell County |
|---|---|---|
| Total population | 1,871 ±518 | 17,943 |
| Households | 750 ±194 | 6,467 |
| Average household size | 2.43 ±0.48 | 2.44 |
| Housing units | 1,091 ±178 | 9,336 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Census Tract 9538?
The median resident of Census Tract 9538 is 40.8 years old; 28.2% are under 18 and 27.7% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 94.8%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 3.5%.
| Measure | Tract 9538 | McDowell County |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 40.8 ±15.1 | 43.7 |
| Under 18 years | 28.2% ±9.4 pts | 18.2% |
| 65 years and over | 27.7% ±10.0 pts | 21.9% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 3.5% ±3.4 pts | 2.1% |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 94.8% ±3.7 pts | 86.5% |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.9% ±1.5 pts | 8.8% |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±2.0 pts | 0.1% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.5% ±0.6 pts | 0.1% |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±2.0 pts | 0.0% |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 0.4% ±0.6 pts | 2.5% |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±2.0 pts | 0.0% |
| Born outside the United States | 0.0% ±2.0 pts | 1.6% |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 0.0% ±2.3 pts | 2.4% |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 2.2% ±1.7 pts | 4.7% |
| With a disability | 29.0% ±9.3 pts | 29.8% |
| No health insurance coverage | 7.3% ±5.3 pts | 8.8% |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 77.1% ±9.2 pts | 75.5% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 8.2% ±8.0 pts | 6.8% |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 2.9% ±3.9 pts | 2.3% |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 99.3% ±1.1 pts | 93.3% |
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 Census Tract 9538 earn?
Half of the 750 households in Census Tract 9538 earn less than $27,450 a year (±$3,145), against $31,559 across McDowell County: 7th highest of the county's 7 tracts with a reliable estimate. 28.2% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Tract 9538 | McDowell County |
|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $27,450 ±$3,145 | $31,559 |
| Mean household income | $42,802 ±$14,666 | $43,863 |
| Per capita income | $17,819 ±$5,880 | $17,253 |
| People below the poverty line | 28.2% ±12.4 pts | 34.2% |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 16.7% ±15.3 pts | 35.3% |
| Households receiving SNAP | 42.1% ±15.0 pts | 36.5% |
| Households with a computer | 77.3% ±13.6 pts | 86.6% |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 75.6% ±12.8 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 Census Tract 9538?
Owners occupy 85.3% of Census Tract 9538's occupied homes and renters 14.7%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $59,300 by its owner (±$11,811). The median renter pays $827 a month including utilities.
| Measure | Tract 9538 | McDowell County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $59,300 ±$11,811 | $50,000 |
| Median gross rent | $827 ±$127 | $643 |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 50.0% ±46.0 pts | 48.3% |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $959 ±$340 | $906 |
| Owner-occupied homes | 85.3% ±12.7 pts | 77.3% |
| Renter-occupied homes | 14.7% ±12.7 pts | 22.7% |
| Housing units | 1,091 ±178 | 9,336 |
| Single-family detached homes | 61.4% ±11.1 pts | 71.3% |
| Mobile homes | 36.8% ±10.7 pts | 22.7% |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±3.4 pts | 0.1% |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 1.1% ±1.2 pts | 2.4% |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 22.5% ±10.1 pts | 29.5% |
| Households with no vehicle | 9.3% ±6.5 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 Census Tract 9538 get to work?
97.7% of Census Tract 9538's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 28.2 minutes.
| Measure | Tract 9538 | McDowell County |
|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 33.3% ±11.6 pts | 27.1% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.1% ±5.1 pts | 8.2% |
| Drove alone to work | 97.7% ±3.7 pts | 83.2% |
| Carpooled | 2.3% ±3.7 pts | 9.4% |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±8.3 pts | 0.5% |
| Walked | 0.0% ±8.3 pts | 0.9% |
| Worked from home | 0.0% ±8.3 pts | 4.5% |
| Mean travel time to work | 28.2 min ±5.7 | 36.0 min |
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
How does Census Tract 9538 compare with the other tracts in McDowell County?
Among McDowell County's tracts with a reliable estimate, Census Tract 9538 ranks as shown below (1 = highest).
| Measure | In McDowell County |
|---|---|
| Population | 3rd of 8 |
| Residents per square mile | 3rd of 8 |
| Median household income | 7th of 7 |
| Per capita income | 5th of 8 |
| Median home value | 2nd of 7 |
| Median gross rent | 1st of 5 |
| Poverty rate | 6th of 7 |
| Median age | 7th of 8 |
| Owner-occupied share | 2nd of 8 |
The tracts next to it on McDowell County's income ladder
| Tract | Rank | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 9545.04 | 4th | $31,938±$4,704 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 9539 | 5th | $30,190±$12,710 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 9542 | 6th | $29,659±$15,037 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 9538 | 7th | $27,450±$3,145 |
"Within the margin": the two incomes differ by less than their combined 90% margins, so the survey cannot say which is higher and the ranks between them are not firm.
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Census Tract 9538?
5 of the 18 figures for Census Tract 9538 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.
A census tract's figures rest on a few hundred sampled households over five years, so its margins are wider than a city's. Two tracts differ only when the gap between them is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins). 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 · Check it at data.census.gov
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections