Kanawha County, WV
Get paid to care for your family member in Kanawha County, West Virginia
About 40,100 people in Kanawha County are 65 or older — 23% of everyone who lives here. That tracks with West Virginia as a whole. Roughly 4,100 are 85 or older, the age when daily help usually starts. Agencies operate in Kanawha County, though families still run into gaps: no weekend coverage, a new aide every few weeks, hours that don't match real life.
Who needs care in Kanawha
- People 65 and older
- 40,100
- People 85 and older
- 4,100
- Median age
- 43.8
- Rank in West Virginia
- 1st
23% of Kanawha residents
the age daily help usually starts
older than the country as a whole
of 55 counties, by residents 65+
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Population Estimates (Vintage 2024). Kanawha County is a metro county (USDA Rural-Urban Continuum Code 3). West Virginia as a whole is 22% aged 65 or older.
What West Virginia pays family caregivers
Rates vary — check with the program.
Your exact pay is set by the program and your care plan. We'll tell you your real number before you enroll.
Source: West Virginia Medicaid program data · Updated September 2026
West Virginia's programs at a glance
- Aged & Disabled Waiver — Personal Options
- Spouse paid?
- Not right now
- Parent paid for a child?
- Not right now
- Waitlist
- There may be a waitlist — apply early.
These rules are set by the state, so they are the same in every county. Read the full West Virginia guide →
Towns and cities in Kanawha County
West Virginia sets eligibility, not your town — so a family in Charleston and a family at the far edge of the county apply the same way. The largest communities in Kanawha County:
- Charleston46,482
- South Charleston13,177
- St. Albans10,301
- Dunbar7,111
- Nitro5,279
- Marmet1,423
- Chesapeake1,281
- Belle1,097
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Subcounty Population Estimates.
How families in Kanawha apply
You do not need a county office to start. Families in Kanawha County start with West Virginia's program:
Doctor completes a Medical Necessity Evaluation Request (MNER) and submits it to Acentra Health-ADW; financial eligibility application goes through the county DoHS (DHHR) office first.
Or skip the phone tag — our free 2-minute check tells you which West Virginia program fits your family, then we help with the forms.
See if you qualify →Kanawha questions, answered honestly
Can I get paid to care for a family member in Kanawha County?
Yes. West Virginia runs real Medicaid programs — like Aged & Disabled Waiver — Personal Options — that pay family caregivers, and they cover families in Kanawha County. We help you enroll, and applying costs you nothing.
How much do family caregivers earn in Kanawha County?
West Virginia doesn't publish one flat rate. The program sets your exact pay. We'll tell you your real number before you enroll.
Where do families in Kanawha County apply?
Families in Kanawha County start with the state, not the county. Doctor completes a Medical Necessity Evaluation Request (MNER) and submits it to Acentra Health-ADW; financial eligibility application goes through the county DoHS (DHHR) office first.
Can I get paid to care for my spouse in Kanawha County?
Not right now — but other family members often can be. The fine print for West Virginia: no — 'a spouse or legal guardian is excluded' (ex-spouses allowed)
How many people in Kanawha County might need this?
40,100 residents of Kanawha County are 65 or older and about 4,100 are 85 or older, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2024 population estimates. Most of them are cared for at home by a relative rather than in a facility. West Virginia's programs exist to pay for exactly that care.
Which towns in Kanawha do you cover?
All of Kanawha County — including Charleston, South Charleston, St. Albans, Dunbar and Nitro. Eligibility is set by West Virginia, not by your town, so where you live inside the county does not change whether you qualify.
Program facts come from West Virginia's published Medicaid program rules · Population figures from the U.S. Census Bureau · Updated September 2026. Rules change — always confirm with the program.
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