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State Guide35th StateEst. 1863
West Virginia WV
"The Mountain State"
The only American state created by seceding from a Confederate state, West Virginia was forged in the Civil War by Unionist mountaineers who refused to leave the Union. From the deepest gorges east of the Mississippi to the bloodiest labor uprising in American history, the Mountain State has lived a history as dramatic as its landscape.
West Virginia state finances at a glance
State Debt - FY2024
$15.1 billion
Total state government debt outstanding at the close of fiscal 2024, including long-term bonds and short-term borrowing across state agencies and public universities.
Tax Revenue - FY2024
$7.0 billion
Total West Virginia state tax collections in fiscal 2024, led by the individual income tax ($2.3B) and the general sales tax ($1.8B).
Borrowing
West Virginia issues general obligation bonds only after statewide voter approval, including a $1.6 billion road bond program approved in 2017, plus revenue bonds for specific projects. All are sold to investors in the tax-exempt municipal market. The state reported about $288 million in interest on its debt in fiscal 2024.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Annual Survey of State Government Finances.
1.8M
Population
35th
State (1863)
63rd
National Park (2020)
79%
Forested Land