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 2018, at 35.4%. Jefferson County had the lowest, at 9.7%. The median was 17.5% and the figure for West Virginia was 17.4%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest35.4McDowell County
Lowest9.7Jefferson County
Median17.555 counties
West Virginia17.4History

All counties, 2018

CSVChart (SVG)

McDowell CountyMcDowell County: 35.4 %35.4Mingo CountyMingo County: 27 %27Summers CountySummers County: 26.9 %26.9Clay CountyClay County: 25.1 %25.1Gilmer CountyGilmer County: 24.8 %24.8Logan CountyLogan County: 24.6 %24.6Wyoming CountyWyoming County: 24.1 %24.1Lincoln CountyLincoln County: 23.3 %23.3Webster CountyWebster County: 23 %23Calhoun CountyCalhoun County: 22.8 %22.8Mercer CountyMercer County: 22.7 %22.7Boone CountyBoone County: 22.5 %22.5Fayette CountyFayette County: 22.5 %22.5Roane CountyRoane County: 22.1 %22.1Braxton CountyBraxton County: 21.6 %21.6Wayne CountyWayne County: 20.9 %20.9Raleigh CountyRaleigh County: 20.7 %20.7Barbour CountyBarbour County: 20 %20Hampshire CountyHampshire County: 20 %20Randolph CountyRandolph County: 19.4 %19.4Cabell CountyCabell County: 19.3 %19.3Doddridge CountyDoddridge County: 19 %19Nicholas CountyNicholas County: 19 %19Upshur CountyUpshur County: 19 %19Wirt CountyWirt County: 18.7 %18.7Monongalia CountyMonongalia County: 18.3 %18.3Wetzel CountyWetzel County: 18.3 %18.3Pocahontas CountyPocahontas County: 17.5 %17.5Lewis CountyLewis County: 17.3 %17.3Ritchie CountyRitchie County: 17.2 %17.2Kanawha CountyKanawha County: 17.1 %17.1Mason CountyMason County: 16.9 %16.9Harrison CountyHarrison County: 16.7 %16.7Jackson CountyJackson County: 16.7 %16.7Marion CountyMarion County: 16.6 %16.6Preston CountyPreston County: 16.2 %16.2Taylor CountyTaylor County: 16.1 %16.1Greenbrier CountyGreenbrier County: 15.8 %15.8Tyler CountyTyler County: 15.5 %15.5Wood CountyWood County: 15 %15Grant CountyGrant County: 14.9 %14.9Monroe CountyMonroe County: 14.9 %14.9Pendleton CountyPendleton County: 14.6 %14.6Mineral CountyMineral County: 14.5 %14.5Marshall CountyMarshall County: 13.9 %13.9Brooke CountyBrooke County: 13.7 %13.7Pleasants CountyPleasants County: 13.6 %13.6Tucker CountyTucker County: 13.5 %13.5Hancock CountyHancock County: 13.2 %13.2Hardy CountyHardy County: 12.9 %12.9Ohio CountyOhio County: 12.5 %12.5Berkeley CountyBerkeley County: 11.5 %11.5Morgan CountyMorgan County: 10.8 %10.8Putnam CountyPutnam County: 10 %10Jefferson CountyJefferson County: 9.7 %9.7
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2018 (%)Change on 2017
1McDowell County35.4+3.7 pts
2Mingo County27-4 pts
3Summers County26.9-1.9 pts
4Clay County25.1-2.2 pts
5Gilmer County24.8-1.8 pts
6Logan County24.6-4.6 pts
7Wyoming County24.1-1.6 pts
8Lincoln County23.3-2.4 pts
9Webster County23-5.1 pts
10Calhoun County22.8-2 pts
11Mercer County22.7+1.7 pts
12Boone County22.5+1.1 pts
12Fayette County22.5+0.2 pts
14Roane County22.1+0.9 pts
15Braxton County21.6-0.9 pts
16Wayne County20.9+0.5 pts
17Raleigh County20.7+0.8 pts
18Barbour County20-1.2 pts
18Hampshire County20+3.1 pts
20Randolph County19.4-0.2 pts
21Cabell County19.3-6.8 pts
22Doddridge County19-1.1 pts
22Nicholas County19-1.1 pts
22Upshur County19-3.7 pts
25Wirt County18.7-0.5 pts
26Monongalia County18.3+1 pts
26Wetzel County18.3-2.3 pts
28Pocahontas County17.5-1.4 pts
29Lewis County17.3-1.1 pts
30Ritchie County17.2-1.3 pts
31Kanawha County17.1-1 pts
32Mason County16.9-3.3 pts
33Harrison County16.7-0.1 pts
33Jackson County16.7-0.3 pts
35Marion County16.6+0.4 pts
36Preston County16.2-1.3 pts
37Taylor County16.1+0.1 pts
38Greenbrier County15.8-2.7 pts
39Tyler County15.5-0.5 pts
40Wood County15-3.2 pts
41Grant County14.9+0.4 pts
41Monroe County14.9-1.6 pts
43Pendleton County14.6-0.7 pts
44Mineral County14.5+0.9 pts
45Marshall County13.9-5.2 pts
46Brooke County13.7+0.5 pts
47Pleasants County13.6+0.5 pts
48Tucker County13.5-2.7 pts
49Hancock County13.2-1.7 pts
50Hardy County12.9-1.5 pts
51Ohio County12.5-0.2 pts
52Berkeley County11.5-0.3 pts
53Morgan County10.8-2.2 pts
54Putnam County10-0.4 pts
55Jefferson County9.7-0.7 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/2018/2018-state-and-county/est18all.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 35.4% in 2018, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

Jefferson County, with 9.7% in 2018.

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