RANKING · 2025 ACS · 55 SHOWN OF 55

Most sparsely populated, West Virginia counties

West Virginia counties with the fewest residents per square mile (2023). This list covers the 55 counties in West Virginia that qualify, ranked against each other statewide.

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YEAR1990 2000 2010 2020 2025

RANKPLACESTATEPOPPOPULATION DENSITYVS 2000

01Pocahontas County, WVWV7,6028−17%

02Pendleton County, WVWV5,8268−29%

03Webster County, WVWV7,76014−20%

04Tucker County, WVWV6,54016−11%

05Ritchie County, WVWV8,03418−22%

06Gilmer County, WVWV7,08521−1%

07Wirt County, WVWV4,87921−17%

08Calhoun County, WVWV5,97821−21%

09Clay County, WVWV7,53822−27%

10Grant County, WVWV11,04123−2%

11Braxton County, WVWV11,88523−19%

12Doddridge County, WVWV7,63424+3%

13Hardy County, WVWV14,33725+13%

14Randolph County, WVWV26,88226−5%

15Monroe County, WVWV12,49126−14%

16Roane County, WVWV13,31728−14%

17Tyler County, WVWV7,88131−18%

18Greenbrier County, WVWV31,57831−8%

19McDowell County, WVWV16,87832−38%

20Summers County, WVWV11,53232−11%

21Nicholas County, WVWV23,84837−10%

22Hampshire County, WVWV24,10538+19%

23Wetzel County, WVWV13,73438−22%

24Wyoming County, WVWV19,80140−23%

25Boone County, WVWV20,25140−21%

26Lewis County, WVWV16,39442−3%

27Lincoln County, WVWV19,17744−13%

28Barbour County, WVWV15,41445−1%

29Mingo County, WVWV21,45551−24%

30Preston County, WVWV34,00452+16%

31Pleasants County, WVWV7,33856−2%

32Mason County, WVWV24,70757−5%

33Fayette County, WVWV38,16558−20%

34Jackson County, WVWV27,45059−2%

35Upshur County, WVWV23,75867+2%

36Logan County, WVWV30,37567−19%

37Wayne County, WVWV37,30974−13%

38Morgan County, WVWV18,02779+21%

39Mineral County, WVWV26,79282−1%

40Taylor County, WVWV16,28794+1%

41Marshall County, WVWV29,15995−18%

42Raleigh County, WVWV71,775119−9%

43Mercer County, WVWV57,503137−9%

44Harrison County, WVWV64,221154−6%

45Putnam County, WVWV56,885165+10%

46Marion County, WVWV55,584180−2%

47Kanawha County, WVWV172,381191−14%

48Wood County, WVWV82,385225−6%

49Brooke County, WVWV21,142237−17%

50Monongalia County, WVWV107,991300+32%

51Jefferson County, WVWV63,102301+50%

52Cabell County, WVWV91,183324−6%

53Hancock County, WVWV27,729336−15%

54Ohio County, WVWV40,496383−15%

55Berkeley County, WVWV139,522434+84%

SHOWING 1–55 OF 55

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UPDATED 2026-06-02 · DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR ESTIMATES