Benwood, West Virginia

Geography Benwood is located at 40°0'46" North, 80°44'2" West (40.012748, -80.734008)¹.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 4.8 km² (1.8 mi²). 3.2 km² (1.2 mi²) of it is land and 1.5 km² (0.6 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 32.07% water.

Demographics As of the census of 2000, there are 1,585 people, 706 households, and 429 families residing in the city. The population density is 489.6/km² (1,268.7/mi²). There are 811 housing units at an average density of 250.5/km² (649.2/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 98.23% White, 1.14% African American, 0.06% Native American, 0.06% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 0.00% from other races, and 0.44% from two or more races. 0.19% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There are 706 households out of which 25.9% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.7% are married couples living together, 17.3% have a female householder with no husband present, and 39.1% are non-families. 34.6% of all households are made up of individuals and 17.7% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.25 and the average family size is 2.90.

In the city the population is spread out with 22.0% under the age of 18, 8.6% from 18 to 24, 26.3% from 25 to 44, 22.0% from 45 to 64, and 21.0% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 40 years. For every 100 females there are 81.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 78.9 males.

The median income for a household in the city is $20,478, and the median income for a family is $27,232. Males have a median income of $23,906 versus $16,827 for females. The per capita income for the city is $15,543. 21.5% of the population and 19.5% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 30.6% are under the age of 18 and 16.2% are 65 or older.