Population Declines

Population declines in West Virginia’s southern coal-producing counties led to an overall drop in the state’s population last year. U.S. Census figures released Thursday show 47 of the state’s 55 counties lost population from 2015 to 2016. Nine of the 10 counties that lost the most population were in southern West Virginia, which has seen a downturn in the coal industry in recent years. Overall, West Virginia’s population fell by 9,951.