Data / Rankings / Poverty rate (US official measure) / Counties in West Virginia

Counties in West Virginia by poverty rate, 2024

McDowell County had the highest poverty rate of 55 counties in 2024, at 38.4%. Jefferson County had the lowest, at 8.7%. The median was 16.6% and the figure for West Virginia was 16.2%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest38.4McDowell County
Lowest8.7Jefferson County
Median16.655 counties
West Virginia16.2History

All counties, 2024

CSVChart (SVG)

McDowell CountyMcDowell County: 38.4 %38.4Gilmer CountyGilmer County: 26.8 %26.8Mingo CountyMingo County: 25.7 %25.7Wyoming CountyWyoming County: 24.8 %24.8Webster CountyWebster County: 24.4 %24.4Summers CountySummers County: 24.2 %24.2Calhoun CountyCalhoun County: 22.9 %22.9Lincoln CountyLincoln County: 21.4 %21.4Logan CountyLogan County: 21.1 %21.1Fayette CountyFayette County: 20.8 %20.8Clay CountyClay County: 20.1 %20.1Braxton CountyBraxton County: 19.9 %19.9Barbour CountyBarbour County: 19.3 %19.3Doddridge CountyDoddridge County: 19.2 %19.2Ohio CountyOhio County: 19.2 %19.2Roane CountyRoane County: 19.2 %19.2Boone CountyBoone County: 18.8 %18.8Raleigh CountyRaleigh County: 18.7 %18.7Upshur CountyUpshur County: 18.5 %18.5Monongalia CountyMonongalia County: 18.1 %18.1Mercer CountyMercer County: 17.9 %17.9Marshall CountyMarshall County: 17.6 %17.6Jackson CountyJackson County: 17.5 %17.5Pocahontas CountyPocahontas County: 17.4 %17.4Randolph CountyRandolph County: 17.3 %17.3Cabell CountyCabell County: 17.2 %17.2Taylor CountyTaylor County: 16.8 %16.8Tyler CountyTyler County: 16.6 %16.6Wirt CountyWirt County: 16.6 %16.6Wetzel CountyWetzel County: 16.5 %16.5Nicholas CountyNicholas County: 16.4 %16.4Mason CountyMason County: 16.3 %16.3Greenbrier CountyGreenbrier County: 16.2 %16.2Lewis CountyLewis County: 16.2 %16.2Pleasants CountyPleasants County: 15.9 %15.9Wood CountyWood County: 15.5 %15.5Preston CountyPreston County: 15.4 %15.4Kanawha CountyKanawha County: 15.3 %15.3Wayne CountyWayne County: 14.9 %14.9Ritchie CountyRitchie County: 14.8 %14.8Marion CountyMarion County: 14.7 %14.7Tucker CountyTucker County: 14.7 %14.7Grant CountyGrant County: 14.5 %14.5Harrison CountyHarrison County: 14.2 %14.2Hampshire CountyHampshire County: 14.1 %14.1Hardy CountyHardy County: 14.1 %14.1Monroe CountyMonroe County: 13.9 %13.9Brooke CountyBrooke County: 13.6 %13.6Hancock CountyHancock County: 13.6 %13.6Mineral CountyMineral County: 13.2 %13.2Pendleton CountyPendleton County: 12.2 %12.2Morgan CountyMorgan County: 11.2 %11.2Berkeley CountyBerkeley County: 11 %11Putnam CountyPutnam County: 9.6 %9.6Jefferson CountyJefferson County: 8.7 %8.7
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2024 (%)Change on 2023
1McDowell County38.4+2.2 pts
2Gilmer County26.8+0.4 pts
3Mingo County25.7-3.1 pts
4Wyoming County24.8+3.3 pts
5Webster County24.4-1.9 pts
6Summers County24.2+1.6 pts
7Calhoun County22.9+1.6 pts
8Lincoln County21.4-0.3 pts
9Logan County21.1+1.7 pts
10Fayette County20.8+4.1 pts
11Clay County20.1-3.4 pts
12Braxton County19.9+0.2 pts
13Barbour County19.3-0.7 pts
14Doddridge County19.2+0.3 pts
14Ohio County19.2+4.7 pts
14Roane County19.2-0.4 pts
17Boone County18.8-2 pts
18Raleigh County18.7+0.5 pts
19Upshur County18.5+0.2 pts
20Monongalia County18.1-0.2 pts
21Mercer County17.9-1.8 pts
22Marshall County17.6+2.5 pts
23Jackson County17.5+2.7 pts
24Pocahontas County17.4-1.8 pts
25Randolph County17.3-1.6 pts
26Cabell County17.2-2.6 pts
27Taylor County16.8+2.7 pts
28Tyler County16.6-2.4 pts
28Wirt County16.6-1.1 pts
30Wetzel County16.5-0.9 pts
31Nicholas County16.4-2.9 pts
32Mason County16.3-1.7 pts
33Greenbrier County16.2-2 pts
33Lewis County16.2-0.2 pts
35Pleasants County15.9+1.4 pts
36Wood County15.5+1.8 pts
37Preston County15.4-1.9 pts
38Kanawha County15.3-0.3 pts
39Wayne County14.9-3.3 pts
40Ritchie County14.8-2.9 pts
41Marion County14.70 pts
41Tucker County14.7-2.9 pts
43Grant County14.5-2.1 pts
44Harrison County14.2-0.2 pts
45Hampshire County14.1-0.1 pts
45Hardy County14.1+0.3 pts
47Monroe County13.9-2.5 pts
48Brooke County13.6-0.5 pts
48Hancock County13.6-0.5 pts
50Mineral County13.2-0.7 pts
51Pendleton County12.2-1.7 pts
52Morgan County11.2+0.5 pts
53Berkeley County11-0.3 pts
54Putnam County9.6-0.7 pts
55Jefferson County8.7-0.3 pts

Other periods

About this ranking

People living in families or alone with income below the official US poverty thresholds, as a percentage of people whose poverty status can be determined. United States: Census Bureau Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE), all ages.

Absolute thresholds set by the US government, so not comparable with the EU at_risk_of_poverty_rate.

Every value in the ranking comes from the same publisher and the same period, so the counties are compared on one definition. Equal values share a rank.

How to cite

U.S. Census Bureau. Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE): percent of people of all ages in poverty, states and counties. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2024/2024-state-and-county/est24all.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

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Questions

Which county has the highest poverty rate?

McDowell County, with 38.4% in 2024, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

Jefferson County, with 8.7% in 2024.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE): percent of people of all ages in poverty, states and counties. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Poverty rate (US official measure): other rankings

Counties in West Virginia: more rankings