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

Counties in West Virginia by poverty rate

McDowell County had the highest poverty rate of 55 counties in 2015, at 34.5%. Putnam County had the lowest, at 10.4%. The median was 18.5% and the figure for West Virginia was 18%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest34.5McDowell County
Lowest10.4Putnam County
Median18.555 counties
West Virginia18History

All counties, 2015

CSVChart (SVG)

McDowell CountyMcDowell County: 34.5 %34.5Webster CountyWebster County: 29.6 %29.6Mingo CountyMingo County: 29 %29Lincoln CountyLincoln County: 28.3 %28.3Clay CountyClay County: 27.7 %27.7Summers CountySummers County: 26.4 %26.4Gilmer CountyGilmer County: 25.8 %25.8Braxton CountyBraxton County: 23.7 %23.7Boone CountyBoone County: 23.4 %23.4Wayne CountyWayne County: 22.5 %22.5Wyoming CountyWyoming County: 22.5 %22.5Logan CountyLogan County: 22.4 %22.4Mason CountyMason County: 22.3 %22.3Mercer CountyMercer County: 21.1 %21.1Roane CountyRoane County: 21.1 %21.1Lewis CountyLewis County: 20.6 %20.6Cabell CountyCabell County: 20.2 %20.2Barbour CountyBarbour County: 20.1 %20.1Calhoun CountyCalhoun County: 20 %20Wetzel CountyWetzel County: 20 %20Fayette CountyFayette County: 19.9 %19.9Raleigh CountyRaleigh County: 19.9 %19.9Randolph CountyRandolph County: 19.8 %19.8Monongalia CountyMonongalia County: 19.6 %19.6Greenbrier CountyGreenbrier County: 19 %19Pocahontas CountyPocahontas County: 18.9 %18.9Hampshire CountyHampshire County: 18.6 %18.6Monroe CountyMonroe County: 18.5 %18.5Nicholas CountyNicholas County: 18.5 %18.5Ritchie CountyRitchie County: 18.5 %18.5Doddridge CountyDoddridge County: 18.1 %18.1Wirt CountyWirt County: 17.9 %17.9Upshur CountyUpshur County: 17.3 %17.3Wood CountyWood County: 17.3 %17.3Tucker CountyTucker County: 17.1 %17.1Preston CountyPreston County: 17 %17Kanawha CountyKanawha County: 16.5 %16.5Pendleton CountyPendleton County: 16.4 %16.4Tyler CountyTyler County: 16.3 %16.3Taylor CountyTaylor County: 16.2 %16.2Harrison CountyHarrison County: 16 %16Marion CountyMarion County: 16 %16Grant CountyGrant County: 15.9 %15.9Jackson CountyJackson County: 15.4 %15.4Mineral CountyMineral County: 15.4 %15.4Pleasants CountyPleasants County: 15.4 %15.4Brooke CountyBrooke County: 14.9 %14.9Hardy CountyHardy County: 14.4 %14.4Morgan CountyMorgan County: 14.1 %14.1Ohio CountyOhio County: 14 %14Hancock CountyHancock County: 13.7 %13.7Marshall CountyMarshall County: 12.6 %12.6Berkeley CountyBerkeley County: 12.5 %12.5Jefferson CountyJefferson County: 10.6 %10.6Putnam CountyPutnam County: 10.4 %10.4
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2015 (%)
1McDowell County34.5
2Webster County29.6
3Mingo County29
4Lincoln County28.3
5Clay County27.7
6Summers County26.4
7Gilmer County25.8
8Braxton County23.7
9Boone County23.4
10Wayne County22.5
10Wyoming County22.5
12Logan County22.4
13Mason County22.3
14Mercer County21.1
14Roane County21.1
16Lewis County20.6
17Cabell County20.2
18Barbour County20.1
19Calhoun County20
19Wetzel County20
21Fayette County19.9
21Raleigh County19.9
23Randolph County19.8
24Monongalia County19.6
25Greenbrier County19
26Pocahontas County18.9
27Hampshire County18.6
28Monroe County18.5
28Nicholas County18.5
28Ritchie County18.5
31Doddridge County18.1
32Wirt County17.9
33Upshur County17.3
33Wood County17.3
35Tucker County17.1
36Preston County17
37Kanawha County16.5
38Pendleton County16.4
39Tyler County16.3
40Taylor County16.2
41Harrison County16
41Marion County16
43Grant County15.9
44Jackson County15.4
44Mineral County15.4
44Pleasants County15.4
47Brooke County14.9
48Hardy County14.4
49Morgan County14.1
50Ohio County14
51Hancock County13.7
52Marshall County12.6
53Berkeley County12.5
54Jefferson County10.6
55Putnam County10.4

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/2015/2015-state-and-county/est15all.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

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Questions

Which county has the highest poverty rate?

McDowell County, with 34.5% in 2015, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

Putnam County, with 10.4% in 2015.

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