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Over 1.8 million people help to make West Virginia the 37th most populous state in the U.S. Major
cities and towns in the Mountain State include the capital city Charleston, Huntington,
Parkersburg, Wheeling, Morgantown,
Weirton, Fairmont, Beckley, Clarksburg, and Martinsburg.
While West Virginia is predominantly rural, its land is generally rugged and therefore not favorable
for being extensively farmed. However, the Mountain State does produce several agricultural
commodities. Important crops include apples, peaches, hay, corn, wheat, and tobacco. Valuable
livestock commodities include broiler chickens, chicken eggs, cattle, turkeys, and dairy products, as
well as sheep and lambs, wool, farmed fish, and honey.
West Virginia is known for its valuable natural resources. Chief among these is bituminous coal;
the Mountain Sate is one of the country’s top producers. Other important mineral resources include
natural gas, stone, cement, salt, and oil. Another major natural resource is timber, particularly
valuable hardwoods, as well as softwoods such as red spruce and pine.
Major manufactures originating in the Mountain State include glass products, chemical products,
primary and fabricated metals, and machinery. High technology industries have become increasingly
important.
The services industry contributes greatly to West Virginia’s economy. Important service industries
include government service, community, business, and personal services, information technology,
wholesale and retail trade, and tourism.
In 2006 West Virginia had a per capita personal income (PCPI) of $28,067. The 1996-2006 average
annual growth rate of PCPI was 4.3 percent. The average annual growth rate for the nation was 4.2
percent. West Virginia boasts a homeownership rate of 81.3 percent and an annual unemployment rate of
4.9 percent. The median household income in 2005 was $33,452 and the cost of living index was lower
than the national average. West Virginia levies a sales tax of 6 percent, with prescription drugs
exempt, and a 5 percent food tax. West Virginia’s personal income tax is 6.5 percent in the highest
income bracket.
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