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 2023, at 36.2%. Jefferson County had the lowest, at 9%. The median was 17.7% and the figure for West Virginia was 16.4%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest36.2McDowell County
Lowest9Jefferson County
Median17.755 counties
West Virginia16.4History

All counties, 2023

CSVChart (SVG)

McDowell CountyMcDowell County: 36.2 %36.2Mingo CountyMingo County: 28.8 %28.8Gilmer CountyGilmer County: 26.4 %26.4Webster CountyWebster County: 26.3 %26.3Clay CountyClay County: 23.5 %23.5Summers CountySummers County: 22.6 %22.6Lincoln CountyLincoln County: 21.7 %21.7Wyoming CountyWyoming County: 21.5 %21.5Calhoun CountyCalhoun County: 21.3 %21.3Boone CountyBoone County: 20.8 %20.8Barbour CountyBarbour County: 20 %20Cabell CountyCabell County: 19.8 %19.8Braxton CountyBraxton County: 19.7 %19.7Mercer CountyMercer County: 19.7 %19.7Roane CountyRoane County: 19.6 %19.6Logan CountyLogan County: 19.4 %19.4Nicholas CountyNicholas County: 19.3 %19.3Pocahontas CountyPocahontas County: 19.2 %19.2Tyler CountyTyler County: 19 %19Doddridge CountyDoddridge County: 18.9 %18.9Randolph CountyRandolph County: 18.9 %18.9Monongalia CountyMonongalia County: 18.3 %18.3Upshur CountyUpshur County: 18.3 %18.3Greenbrier CountyGreenbrier County: 18.2 %18.2Raleigh CountyRaleigh County: 18.2 %18.2Wayne CountyWayne County: 18.2 %18.2Mason CountyMason County: 18 %18Ritchie CountyRitchie County: 17.7 %17.7Wirt CountyWirt County: 17.7 %17.7Tucker CountyTucker County: 17.6 %17.6Wetzel CountyWetzel County: 17.4 %17.4Preston CountyPreston County: 17.3 %17.3Fayette CountyFayette County: 16.7 %16.7Grant CountyGrant County: 16.6 %16.6Lewis CountyLewis County: 16.4 %16.4Monroe CountyMonroe County: 16.4 %16.4Kanawha CountyKanawha County: 15.6 %15.6Marshall CountyMarshall County: 15.1 %15.1Jackson CountyJackson County: 14.8 %14.8Marion CountyMarion County: 14.7 %14.7Ohio CountyOhio County: 14.5 %14.5Pleasants CountyPleasants County: 14.5 %14.5Harrison CountyHarrison County: 14.4 %14.4Hampshire CountyHampshire County: 14.2 %14.2Brooke CountyBrooke County: 14.1 %14.1Hancock CountyHancock County: 14.1 %14.1Taylor CountyTaylor County: 14.1 %14.1Mineral CountyMineral County: 13.9 %13.9Pendleton CountyPendleton County: 13.9 %13.9Hardy CountyHardy County: 13.8 %13.8Wood CountyWood County: 13.7 %13.7Berkeley CountyBerkeley County: 11.3 %11.3Morgan CountyMorgan County: 10.7 %10.7Putnam CountyPutnam County: 10.3 %10.3Jefferson CountyJefferson County: 9 %9
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2023 (%)Change on 2022
1McDowell County36.2-1.4 pts
2Mingo County28.8-1.9 pts
3Gilmer County26.4+3.2 pts
4Webster County26.3+2.6 pts
5Clay County23.5-0.3 pts
6Summers County22.6-0.5 pts
7Lincoln County21.7-2.3 pts
8Wyoming County21.5-3.8 pts
9Calhoun County21.3-0.9 pts
10Boone County20.8+2.3 pts
11Barbour County20+0.4 pts
12Cabell County19.8+0.4 pts
13Braxton County19.7-1.3 pts
13Mercer County19.7-1.5 pts
15Roane County19.6+0.8 pts
16Logan County19.4-6.1 pts
17Nicholas County19.3+0.6 pts
18Pocahontas County19.2-0.4 pts
19Tyler County19+3.7 pts
20Doddridge County18.9-1.3 pts
20Randolph County18.9+2 pts
22Monongalia County18.3-0.3 pts
22Upshur County18.3-0.2 pts
24Greenbrier County18.2+0.1 pts
24Raleigh County18.2-1.4 pts
24Wayne County18.2+0.3 pts
27Mason County18-0.7 pts
28Ritchie County17.7-1.9 pts
28Wirt County17.7-1 pts
30Tucker County17.6+1.4 pts
31Wetzel County17.4-3.4 pts
32Preston County17.3+3.3 pts
33Fayette County16.7-3.5 pts
34Grant County16.6+2.3 pts
35Lewis County16.4-1.5 pts
35Monroe County16.4+1.4 pts
37Kanawha County15.6-2.1 pts
38Marshall County15.1-2.5 pts
39Jackson County14.8-3.4 pts
40Marion County14.7-0.7 pts
41Ohio County14.5-0.3 pts
41Pleasants County14.50 pts
43Harrison County14.4-0.6 pts
44Hampshire County14.2-1.3 pts
45Brooke County14.1+1.5 pts
45Hancock County14.1+2.2 pts
45Taylor County14.1-2.3 pts
48Mineral County13.9-1.9 pts
48Pendleton County13.9-1.3 pts
50Hardy County13.8+1.1 pts
51Wood County13.7-5 pts
52Berkeley County11.3+0.2 pts
53Morgan County10.7-5 pts
54Putnam County10.3-0.1 pts
55Jefferson County9-0.3 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/2023/2023-state-and-county/est23all.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

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Questions

Which county has the highest poverty rate?

McDowell County, with 36.2% in 2023, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

Jefferson County, with 9% in 2023.

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