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 2019, at 33.8%. Putnam County had the lowest, at 8.9%. The median was 16.8% and the figure for West Virginia was 16.2%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest33.8McDowell County
Lowest8.9Putnam County
Median16.855 counties
West Virginia16.2History

All counties, 2019

CSVChart (SVG)

McDowell CountyMcDowell County: 33.8 %33.8Mingo CountyMingo County: 27.3 %27.3Gilmer CountyGilmer County: 25.5 %25.5Summers CountySummers County: 23.5 %23.5Wyoming CountyWyoming County: 22.9 %22.9Clay CountyClay County: 22.5 %22.5Logan CountyLogan County: 21.9 %21.9Webster CountyWebster County: 21.8 %21.8Calhoun CountyCalhoun County: 21.6 %21.6Fayette CountyFayette County: 20.6 %20.6Lincoln CountyLincoln County: 19.7 %19.7Wayne CountyWayne County: 19.6 %19.6Lewis CountyLewis County: 19.5 %19.5Roane CountyRoane County: 19.4 %19.4Monongalia CountyMonongalia County: 19.1 %19.1Boone CountyBoone County: 18.9 %18.9Doddridge CountyDoddridge County: 18.8 %18.8Nicholas CountyNicholas County: 18.8 %18.8Mercer CountyMercer County: 18.7 %18.7Cabell CountyCabell County: 18.5 %18.5Barbour CountyBarbour County: 18.4 %18.4Braxton CountyBraxton County: 18.3 %18.3Ritchie CountyRitchie County: 17.9 %17.9Upshur CountyUpshur County: 17.5 %17.5Wirt CountyWirt County: 17.5 %17.5Raleigh CountyRaleigh County: 17.4 %17.4Greenbrier CountyGreenbrier County: 17.2 %17.2Randolph CountyRandolph County: 16.8 %16.8Jackson CountyJackson County: 16.7 %16.7Taylor CountyTaylor County: 16.7 %16.7Kanawha CountyKanawha County: 16.3 %16.3Wetzel CountyWetzel County: 16.3 %16.3Pocahontas CountyPocahontas County: 16.1 %16.1Monroe CountyMonroe County: 15.7 %15.7Mason CountyMason County: 15.5 %15.5Tyler CountyTyler County: 15.4 %15.4Tucker CountyTucker County: 15.3 %15.3Hampshire CountyHampshire County: 14.6 %14.6Marion CountyMarion County: 14.6 %14.6Preston CountyPreston County: 14.3 %14.3Hardy CountyHardy County: 14.2 %14.2Ohio CountyOhio County: 14.1 %14.1Wood CountyWood County: 14.1 %14.1Marshall CountyMarshall County: 13.7 %13.7Pendleton CountyPendleton County: 13.5 %13.5Grant CountyGrant County: 13.2 %13.2Pleasants CountyPleasants County: 13 %13Hancock CountyHancock County: 12.5 %12.5Mineral CountyMineral County: 12.5 %12.5Brooke CountyBrooke County: 12 %12Harrison CountyHarrison County: 11.1 %11.1Berkeley CountyBerkeley County: 11 %11Morgan CountyMorgan County: 10.5 %10.5Jefferson CountyJefferson County: 9.9 %9.9Putnam CountyPutnam County: 8.9 %8.9
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2019 (%)Change on 2018
1McDowell County33.8-1.6 pts
2Mingo County27.3+0.3 pts
3Gilmer County25.5+0.7 pts
4Summers County23.5-3.4 pts
5Wyoming County22.9-1.2 pts
6Clay County22.5-2.6 pts
7Logan County21.9-2.7 pts
8Webster County21.8-1.2 pts
9Calhoun County21.6-1.2 pts
10Fayette County20.6-1.9 pts
11Lincoln County19.7-3.6 pts
12Wayne County19.6-1.3 pts
13Lewis County19.5+2.2 pts
14Roane County19.4-2.7 pts
15Monongalia County19.1+0.8 pts
16Boone County18.9-3.6 pts
17Doddridge County18.8-0.2 pts
17Nicholas County18.8-0.2 pts
19Mercer County18.7-4 pts
20Cabell County18.5-0.8 pts
21Barbour County18.4-1.6 pts
22Braxton County18.3-3.3 pts
23Ritchie County17.9+0.7 pts
24Upshur County17.5-1.5 pts
24Wirt County17.5-1.2 pts
26Raleigh County17.4-3.3 pts
27Greenbrier County17.2+1.4 pts
28Randolph County16.8-2.6 pts
29Jackson County16.70 pts
29Taylor County16.7+0.6 pts
31Kanawha County16.3-0.8 pts
31Wetzel County16.3-2 pts
33Pocahontas County16.1-1.4 pts
34Monroe County15.7+0.8 pts
35Mason County15.5-1.4 pts
36Tyler County15.4-0.1 pts
37Tucker County15.3+1.8 pts
38Hampshire County14.6-5.4 pts
38Marion County14.6-2 pts
40Preston County14.3-1.9 pts
41Hardy County14.2+1.3 pts
42Ohio County14.1+1.6 pts
42Wood County14.1-0.9 pts
44Marshall County13.7-0.2 pts
45Pendleton County13.5-1.1 pts
46Grant County13.2-1.7 pts
47Pleasants County13-0.6 pts
48Hancock County12.5-0.7 pts
48Mineral County12.5-2 pts
50Brooke County12-1.7 pts
51Harrison County11.1-5.6 pts
52Berkeley County11-0.5 pts
53Morgan County10.5-0.3 pts
54Jefferson County9.9+0.2 pts
55Putnam County8.9-1.1 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/2019/2019-state-and-county/est19all.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

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Questions

Which county has the highest poverty rate?

McDowell County, with 33.8% in 2019, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

Putnam County, with 8.9% in 2019.

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