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 2020, at 31.8%. Jefferson County had the lowest, at 7.8%. The median was 15.9% and the figure for West Virginia was 15.8%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest31.8McDowell County
Lowest7.8Jefferson County
Median15.955 counties
West Virginia15.8History

All counties, 2020

CSVChart (SVG)

McDowell CountyMcDowell County: 31.8 %31.8Mingo CountyMingo County: 24.9 %24.9Webster CountyWebster County: 23.7 %23.7Clay CountyClay County: 23.3 %23.3Gilmer CountyGilmer County: 23 %23Logan CountyLogan County: 22.3 %22.3Raleigh CountyRaleigh County: 21.8 %21.8Wyoming CountyWyoming County: 21.3 %21.3Summers CountySummers County: 21.1 %21.1Barbour CountyBarbour County: 20.8 %20.8Fayette CountyFayette County: 20.8 %20.8Roane CountyRoane County: 20.7 %20.7Lincoln CountyLincoln County: 20.6 %20.6Calhoun CountyCalhoun County: 20 %20Cabell CountyCabell County: 19.9 %19.9Nicholas CountyNicholas County: 19 %19Ohio CountyOhio County: 18.1 %18.1Pocahontas CountyPocahontas County: 18.1 %18.1Wirt CountyWirt County: 18 %18Boone CountyBoone County: 17.8 %17.8Braxton CountyBraxton County: 17.8 %17.8Greenbrier CountyGreenbrier County: 17.8 %17.8Mason CountyMason County: 17.1 %17.1Upshur CountyUpshur County: 17.1 %17.1Wayne CountyWayne County: 17.1 %17.1Doddridge CountyDoddridge County: 17 %17Ritchie CountyRitchie County: 16.4 %16.4Wetzel CountyWetzel County: 15.9 %15.9Kanawha CountyKanawha County: 15.7 %15.7Preston CountyPreston County: 15.7 %15.7Monroe CountyMonroe County: 15.3 %15.3Monongalia CountyMonongalia County: 15.2 %15.2Randolph CountyRandolph County: 15.2 %15.2Mercer CountyMercer County: 15.1 %15.1Tyler CountyTyler County: 14.4 %14.4Wood CountyWood County: 14.4 %14.4Jackson CountyJackson County: 14.2 %14.2Lewis CountyLewis County: 13.9 %13.9Mineral CountyMineral County: 13.8 %13.8Tucker CountyTucker County: 13.8 %13.8Hampshire CountyHampshire County: 13.7 %13.7Marshall CountyMarshall County: 13.7 %13.7Taylor CountyTaylor County: 13.7 %13.7Harrison CountyHarrison County: 13.6 %13.6Hardy CountyHardy County: 13.5 %13.5Grant CountyGrant County: 13.3 %13.3Marion CountyMarion County: 13.2 %13.2Pleasants CountyPleasants County: 13 %13Hancock CountyHancock County: 12 %12Brooke CountyBrooke County: 11.9 %11.9Pendleton CountyPendleton County: 11.5 %11.5Morgan CountyMorgan County: 11 %11Berkeley CountyBerkeley County: 10 %10Putnam CountyPutnam County: 9.9 %9.9Jefferson CountyJefferson County: 7.8 %7.8
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2020 (%)Change on 2019
1McDowell County31.8-2 pts
2Mingo County24.9-2.4 pts
3Webster County23.7+1.9 pts
4Clay County23.3+0.8 pts
5Gilmer County23-2.5 pts
6Logan County22.3+0.4 pts
7Raleigh County21.8+4.4 pts
8Wyoming County21.3-1.6 pts
9Summers County21.1-2.4 pts
10Barbour County20.8+2.4 pts
10Fayette County20.8+0.2 pts
12Roane County20.7+1.3 pts
13Lincoln County20.6+0.9 pts
14Calhoun County20-1.6 pts
15Cabell County19.9+1.4 pts
16Nicholas County19+0.2 pts
17Ohio County18.1+4 pts
17Pocahontas County18.1+2 pts
19Wirt County18+0.5 pts
20Boone County17.8-1.1 pts
20Braxton County17.8-0.5 pts
20Greenbrier County17.8+0.6 pts
23Mason County17.1+1.6 pts
23Upshur County17.1-0.4 pts
23Wayne County17.1-2.5 pts
26Doddridge County17-1.8 pts
27Ritchie County16.4-1.5 pts
28Wetzel County15.9-0.4 pts
29Kanawha County15.7-0.6 pts
29Preston County15.7+1.4 pts
31Monroe County15.3-0.4 pts
32Monongalia County15.2-3.9 pts
32Randolph County15.2-1.6 pts
34Mercer County15.1-3.6 pts
35Tyler County14.4-1 pts
35Wood County14.4+0.3 pts
37Jackson County14.2-2.5 pts
38Lewis County13.9-5.6 pts
39Mineral County13.8+1.3 pts
39Tucker County13.8-1.5 pts
41Hampshire County13.7-0.9 pts
41Marshall County13.70 pts
41Taylor County13.7-3 pts
44Harrison County13.6+2.5 pts
45Hardy County13.5-0.7 pts
46Grant County13.3+0.1 pts
47Marion County13.2-1.4 pts
48Pleasants County130 pts
49Hancock County12-0.5 pts
50Brooke County11.9-0.1 pts
51Pendleton County11.5-2 pts
52Morgan County11+0.5 pts
53Berkeley County10-1 pts
54Putnam County9.9+1 pts
55Jefferson County7.8-2.1 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/2020/2020-state-and-county/est20all.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 31.8% in 2020, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

Jefferson County, with 7.8% in 2020.

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