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 2021, at 31.7%. Jefferson County had the lowest, at 9.7%. The median was 17.6% and the figure for West Virginia was 16.8%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest31.7McDowell County
Lowest9.7Jefferson County
Median17.655 counties
West Virginia16.8History

All counties, 2021

CSVChart (SVG)

McDowell CountyMcDowell County: 31.7 %31.7Mingo CountyMingo County: 31.1 %31.1Gilmer CountyGilmer County: 25.3 %25.3Webster CountyWebster County: 25.2 %25.2Wyoming CountyWyoming County: 25 %25Summers CountySummers County: 24.8 %24.8Boone CountyBoone County: 24.7 %24.7Calhoun CountyCalhoun County: 23.8 %23.8Logan CountyLogan County: 23.5 %23.5Clay CountyClay County: 22.3 %22.3Raleigh CountyRaleigh County: 22 %22Braxton CountyBraxton County: 21.3 %21.3Lincoln CountyLincoln County: 20.3 %20.3Fayette CountyFayette County: 19.9 %19.9Nicholas CountyNicholas County: 19.8 %19.8Barbour CountyBarbour County: 19.7 %19.7Ritchie CountyRitchie County: 19.2 %19.2Cabell CountyCabell County: 19 %19Greenbrier CountyGreenbrier County: 18.9 %18.9Mason CountyMason County: 18.6 %18.6Upshur CountyUpshur County: 18.6 %18.6Monongalia CountyMonongalia County: 18.3 %18.3Roane CountyRoane County: 18.2 %18.2Doddridge CountyDoddridge County: 18.1 %18.1Mercer CountyMercer County: 18.1 %18.1Lewis CountyLewis County: 17.9 %17.9Wirt CountyWirt County: 17.7 %17.7Randolph CountyRandolph County: 17.6 %17.6Hardy CountyHardy County: 17.5 %17.5Marshall CountyMarshall County: 16.4 %16.4Wetzel CountyWetzel County: 16.4 %16.4Pocahontas CountyPocahontas County: 16.2 %16.2Wayne CountyWayne County: 16.2 %16.2Pendleton CountyPendleton County: 16 %16Taylor CountyTaylor County: 16 %16Hampshire CountyHampshire County: 15.9 %15.9Kanawha CountyKanawha County: 15.9 %15.9Jackson CountyJackson County: 15.4 %15.4Monroe CountyMonroe County: 15.3 %15.3Grant CountyGrant County: 15.2 %15.2Marion CountyMarion County: 15.1 %15.1Hancock CountyHancock County: 14.9 %14.9Ohio CountyOhio County: 14.7 %14.7Tucker CountyTucker County: 14.7 %14.7Wood CountyWood County: 14.7 %14.7Harrison CountyHarrison County: 14.6 %14.6Pleasants CountyPleasants County: 14.3 %14.3Preston CountyPreston County: 14.3 %14.3Tyler CountyTyler County: 14 %14Mineral CountyMineral County: 13.5 %13.5Brooke CountyBrooke County: 13 %13Morgan CountyMorgan County: 12.8 %12.8Putnam CountyPutnam County: 10.1 %10.1Berkeley CountyBerkeley County: 9.9 %9.9Jefferson CountyJefferson County: 9.7 %9.7
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2021 (%)Change on 2020
1McDowell County31.7-0.1 pts
2Mingo County31.1+6.2 pts
3Gilmer County25.3+2.3 pts
4Webster County25.2+1.5 pts
5Wyoming County25+3.7 pts
6Summers County24.8+3.7 pts
7Boone County24.7+6.9 pts
8Calhoun County23.8+3.8 pts
9Logan County23.5+1.2 pts
10Clay County22.3-1 pts
11Raleigh County22+0.2 pts
12Braxton County21.3+3.5 pts
13Lincoln County20.3-0.3 pts
14Fayette County19.9-0.9 pts
15Nicholas County19.8+0.8 pts
16Barbour County19.7-1.1 pts
17Ritchie County19.2+2.8 pts
18Cabell County19-0.9 pts
19Greenbrier County18.9+1.1 pts
20Mason County18.6+1.5 pts
20Upshur County18.6+1.5 pts
22Monongalia County18.3+3.1 pts
23Roane County18.2-2.5 pts
24Doddridge County18.1+1.1 pts
24Mercer County18.1+3 pts
26Lewis County17.9+4 pts
27Wirt County17.7-0.3 pts
28Randolph County17.6+2.4 pts
29Hardy County17.5+4 pts
30Marshall County16.4+2.7 pts
30Wetzel County16.4+0.5 pts
32Pocahontas County16.2-1.9 pts
32Wayne County16.2-0.9 pts
34Pendleton County16+4.5 pts
34Taylor County16+2.3 pts
36Hampshire County15.9+2.2 pts
36Kanawha County15.9+0.2 pts
38Jackson County15.4+1.2 pts
39Monroe County15.30 pts
40Grant County15.2+1.9 pts
41Marion County15.1+1.9 pts
42Hancock County14.9+2.9 pts
43Ohio County14.7-3.4 pts
43Tucker County14.7+0.9 pts
43Wood County14.7+0.3 pts
46Harrison County14.6+1 pts
47Pleasants County14.3+1.3 pts
47Preston County14.3-1.4 pts
49Tyler County14-0.4 pts
50Mineral County13.5-0.3 pts
51Brooke County13+1.1 pts
52Morgan County12.8+1.8 pts
53Putnam County10.1+0.2 pts
54Berkeley County9.9-0.1 pts
55Jefferson County9.7+1.9 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/2021/2021-state-and-county/est21all.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

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Questions

Which county has the highest poverty rate?

McDowell County, with 31.7% in 2021, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

Jefferson County, with 9.7% in 2021.

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