MORGANTOWN, WV (WVNS) – The latest U.S. Census showed that West Virginia was one of three states, along with Puerto Rico, that lost population between 2010 and 2020.
Federal statistics show that the number of people living in West Virginia has decreased 3.2 percent since 2010, making West Virginia the 12th least populated state in the country.
But Emily Huguenin, director of Ascend West Virginia, a program that offers up to $20,000 in incentives to recruit people to move to the state, said Thursday, June 6, 2024, that the program has had no problems attracting applicants since its 2021 debut. , when West Virginia natives Brad and Alys Smith, along with West Virginia University and Governor Jim Justice, launched the program.
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“We’ve received 50,000 applications to move to West Virginia,” Huguenin said. “They are from all 50 states and more than 104 countries. I just looked at this data. We currently have 42 states and seven countries represented. “They are all American citizens, but often people are digital nomads.”
Huguenin said more than 700 people, in total, now live in the state thanks to Ascend WV.
When asked about the lack of affordable and available child care in West Virginia and what some economic development experts have said is a regressive, growth-stifling legislative climate, Huguenin said many Ascend WV applicants have children or plan to form a family.
“We’ve had nine babies since people moved in, so we have a lot of those families, young or middle-aged, expressing to us that they’re looking for child care,” Huguenin said. “Those are the concerns they have.”
However, he said the rural space in most of West Virginia means real estate is affordable, which is a draw, especially for those looking to leave overcrowded urban areas.
According to Huguenin, about 40 percent of those who moved to the state through Ascend WV are now first-time homeowners.
As for the shrinking population, Huguenin said his program actively recruits people who are involved in their own communities and will likely become involved once they move to West Virginia.
“They are concerned about looking at the legislative climate and seeing if it matches their values,” Huguenin said. “Usually what people say is that when they move to West Virginia because of the small population, they feel like they have a more powerful voice.”
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