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 2022, at 37.6%. Jefferson County had the lowest, at 9.3%. The median was 18.5% and the figure for West Virginia was 17.4%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest37.6McDowell County
Lowest9.3Jefferson County
Median18.555 counties
West Virginia17.4History

All counties, 2022

CSVChart (SVG)

McDowell CountyMcDowell County: 37.6 %37.6Mingo CountyMingo County: 30.7 %30.7Logan CountyLogan County: 25.5 %25.5Wyoming CountyWyoming County: 25.3 %25.3Lincoln CountyLincoln County: 24 %24Clay CountyClay County: 23.8 %23.8Webster CountyWebster County: 23.7 %23.7Gilmer CountyGilmer County: 23.2 %23.2Summers CountySummers County: 23.1 %23.1Calhoun CountyCalhoun County: 22.2 %22.2Mercer CountyMercer County: 21.2 %21.2Braxton CountyBraxton County: 21 %21Wetzel CountyWetzel County: 20.8 %20.8Doddridge CountyDoddridge County: 20.2 %20.2Fayette CountyFayette County: 20.2 %20.2Barbour CountyBarbour County: 19.6 %19.6Pocahontas CountyPocahontas County: 19.6 %19.6Raleigh CountyRaleigh County: 19.6 %19.6Ritchie CountyRitchie County: 19.6 %19.6Cabell CountyCabell County: 19.4 %19.4Roane CountyRoane County: 18.8 %18.8Mason CountyMason County: 18.7 %18.7Nicholas CountyNicholas County: 18.7 %18.7Wirt CountyWirt County: 18.7 %18.7Wood CountyWood County: 18.7 %18.7Monongalia CountyMonongalia County: 18.6 %18.6Boone CountyBoone County: 18.5 %18.5Upshur CountyUpshur County: 18.5 %18.5Jackson CountyJackson County: 18.2 %18.2Greenbrier CountyGreenbrier County: 18.1 %18.1Lewis CountyLewis County: 17.9 %17.9Wayne CountyWayne County: 17.9 %17.9Kanawha CountyKanawha County: 17.7 %17.7Marshall CountyMarshall County: 17.6 %17.6Randolph CountyRandolph County: 16.9 %16.9Taylor CountyTaylor County: 16.4 %16.4Tucker CountyTucker County: 16.2 %16.2Mineral CountyMineral County: 15.8 %15.8Morgan CountyMorgan County: 15.7 %15.7Hampshire CountyHampshire County: 15.5 %15.5Marion CountyMarion County: 15.4 %15.4Tyler CountyTyler County: 15.3 %15.3Pendleton CountyPendleton County: 15.2 %15.2Harrison CountyHarrison County: 15 %15Monroe CountyMonroe County: 15 %15Ohio CountyOhio County: 14.8 %14.8Pleasants CountyPleasants County: 14.5 %14.5Grant CountyGrant County: 14.3 %14.3Preston CountyPreston County: 14 %14Hardy CountyHardy County: 12.7 %12.7Brooke CountyBrooke County: 12.6 %12.6Hancock CountyHancock County: 11.9 %11.9Berkeley CountyBerkeley County: 11.1 %11.1Putnam CountyPutnam County: 10.4 %10.4Jefferson CountyJefferson County: 9.3 %9.3
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2022 (%)Change on 2021
1McDowell County37.6+5.9 pts
2Mingo County30.7-0.4 pts
3Logan County25.5+2 pts
4Wyoming County25.3+0.3 pts
5Lincoln County24+3.7 pts
6Clay County23.8+1.5 pts
7Webster County23.7-1.5 pts
8Gilmer County23.2-2.1 pts
9Summers County23.1-1.7 pts
10Calhoun County22.2-1.6 pts
11Mercer County21.2+3.1 pts
12Braxton County21-0.3 pts
13Wetzel County20.8+4.4 pts
14Doddridge County20.2+2.1 pts
14Fayette County20.2+0.3 pts
16Barbour County19.6-0.1 pts
16Pocahontas County19.6+3.4 pts
16Raleigh County19.6-2.4 pts
16Ritchie County19.6+0.4 pts
20Cabell County19.4+0.4 pts
21Roane County18.8+0.6 pts
22Mason County18.7+0.1 pts
22Nicholas County18.7-1.1 pts
22Wirt County18.7+1 pts
22Wood County18.7+4 pts
26Monongalia County18.6+0.3 pts
27Boone County18.5-6.2 pts
27Upshur County18.5-0.1 pts
29Jackson County18.2+2.8 pts
30Greenbrier County18.1-0.8 pts
31Lewis County17.90 pts
31Wayne County17.9+1.7 pts
33Kanawha County17.7+1.8 pts
34Marshall County17.6+1.2 pts
35Randolph County16.9-0.7 pts
36Taylor County16.4+0.4 pts
37Tucker County16.2+1.5 pts
38Mineral County15.8+2.3 pts
39Morgan County15.7+2.9 pts
40Hampshire County15.5-0.4 pts
41Marion County15.4+0.3 pts
42Tyler County15.3+1.3 pts
43Pendleton County15.2-0.8 pts
44Harrison County15+0.4 pts
44Monroe County15-0.3 pts
46Ohio County14.8+0.1 pts
47Pleasants County14.5+0.2 pts
48Grant County14.3-0.9 pts
49Preston County14-0.3 pts
50Hardy County12.7-4.8 pts
51Brooke County12.6-0.4 pts
52Hancock County11.9-3 pts
53Berkeley County11.1+1.2 pts
54Putnam County10.4+0.3 pts
55Jefferson County9.3-0.4 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/2022/2022-state-and-county/est22all.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 37.6% in 2022, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

Jefferson County, with 9.3% in 2022.

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