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 2016, at 36.3%. Jefferson County had the lowest, at 10.1%. The median was 18.1% and the figure for West Virginia was 17.9%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest36.3McDowell County
Lowest10.1Jefferson County
Median18.155 counties
West Virginia17.9History

All counties, 2016

CSVChart (SVG)

McDowell CountyMcDowell County: 36.3 %36.3Webster CountyWebster County: 30 %30Clay CountyClay County: 29 %29Mingo CountyMingo County: 28.2 %28.2Gilmer CountyGilmer County: 27.1 %27.1Summers CountySummers County: 24.7 %24.7Logan CountyLogan County: 24.4 %24.4Boone CountyBoone County: 24.2 %24.2Lincoln CountyLincoln County: 24.2 %24.2Wyoming CountyWyoming County: 23.9 %23.9Barbour CountyBarbour County: 22.4 %22.4Roane CountyRoane County: 22.1 %22.1Cabell CountyCabell County: 21.9 %21.9Calhoun CountyCalhoun County: 21.8 %21.8Wayne CountyWayne County: 21.5 %21.5Nicholas CountyNicholas County: 21.4 %21.4Braxton CountyBraxton County: 21.3 %21.3Mercer CountyMercer County: 20.2 %20.2Upshur CountyUpshur County: 20.2 %20.2Doddridge CountyDoddridge County: 19.7 %19.7Fayette CountyFayette County: 19.7 %19.7Wetzel CountyWetzel County: 19.5 %19.5Randolph CountyRandolph County: 18.7 %18.7Monongalia CountyMonongalia County: 18.5 %18.5Lewis CountyLewis County: 18.4 %18.4Pocahontas CountyPocahontas County: 18.3 %18.3Ritchie CountyRitchie County: 18.2 %18.2Wirt CountyWirt County: 18.1 %18.1Mason CountyMason County: 17.9 %17.9Marion CountyMarion County: 17.6 %17.6Marshall CountyMarshall County: 17.5 %17.5Preston CountyPreston County: 17.4 %17.4Raleigh CountyRaleigh County: 17.4 %17.4Monroe CountyMonroe County: 17.3 %17.3Wood CountyWood County: 17.2 %17.2Kanawha CountyKanawha County: 16.8 %16.8Taylor CountyTaylor County: 16.4 %16.4Pendleton CountyPendleton County: 16.2 %16.2Tyler CountyTyler County: 16.1 %16.1Greenbrier CountyGreenbrier County: 16 %16Ohio CountyOhio County: 15.8 %15.8Tucker CountyTucker County: 15.8 %15.8Hampshire CountyHampshire County: 15.7 %15.7Jackson CountyJackson County: 15.7 %15.7Mineral CountyMineral County: 15.6 %15.6Hardy CountyHardy County: 15.2 %15.2Grant CountyGrant County: 15 %15Harrison CountyHarrison County: 14.6 %14.6Pleasants CountyPleasants County: 14.3 %14.3Brooke CountyBrooke County: 13.4 %13.4Hancock CountyHancock County: 13.2 %13.2Berkeley CountyBerkeley County: 12.9 %12.9Morgan CountyMorgan County: 11.9 %11.9Putnam CountyPutnam County: 10.8 %10.8Jefferson CountyJefferson County: 10.1 %10.1
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2016 (%)Change on 2015
1McDowell County36.3+1.8 pts
2Webster County30+0.4 pts
3Clay County29+1.3 pts
4Mingo County28.2-0.8 pts
5Gilmer County27.1+1.3 pts
6Summers County24.7-1.7 pts
7Logan County24.4+2 pts
8Boone County24.2+0.8 pts
8Lincoln County24.2-4.1 pts
10Wyoming County23.9+1.4 pts
11Barbour County22.4+2.3 pts
12Roane County22.1+1 pts
13Cabell County21.9+1.7 pts
14Calhoun County21.8+1.8 pts
15Wayne County21.5-1 pts
16Nicholas County21.4+2.9 pts
17Braxton County21.3-2.4 pts
18Mercer County20.2-0.9 pts
18Upshur County20.2+2.9 pts
20Doddridge County19.7+1.6 pts
20Fayette County19.7-0.2 pts
22Wetzel County19.5-0.5 pts
23Randolph County18.7-1.1 pts
24Monongalia County18.5-1.1 pts
25Lewis County18.4-2.2 pts
26Pocahontas County18.3-0.6 pts
27Ritchie County18.2-0.3 pts
28Wirt County18.1+0.2 pts
29Mason County17.9-4.4 pts
30Marion County17.6+1.6 pts
31Marshall County17.5+4.9 pts
32Preston County17.4+0.4 pts
32Raleigh County17.4-2.5 pts
34Monroe County17.3-1.2 pts
35Wood County17.2-0.1 pts
36Kanawha County16.8+0.3 pts
37Taylor County16.4+0.2 pts
38Pendleton County16.2-0.2 pts
39Tyler County16.1-0.2 pts
40Greenbrier County16-3 pts
41Ohio County15.8+1.8 pts
41Tucker County15.8-1.3 pts
43Hampshire County15.7-2.9 pts
43Jackson County15.7+0.3 pts
45Mineral County15.6+0.2 pts
46Hardy County15.2+0.8 pts
47Grant County15-0.9 pts
48Harrison County14.6-1.4 pts
49Pleasants County14.3-1.1 pts
50Brooke County13.4-1.5 pts
51Hancock County13.2-0.5 pts
52Berkeley County12.9+0.4 pts
53Morgan County11.9-2.2 pts
54Putnam County10.8+0.4 pts
55Jefferson County10.1-0.5 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/2016/2016-state-and-county/est16all.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

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Rank Counties in West Virginia by poverty rate using official data, and cite the source.
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Questions

Which county has the highest poverty rate?

McDowell County, with 36.3% in 2016, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

Jefferson County, with 10.1% in 2016.

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