RANKING · 2025 ESTIMATES · 55 SHOWN OF 55

Most sparsely populated, West Virginia counties

West Virginia counties with the fewest residents per square mile (2025). This list covers the 55 counties in West Virginia that qualify, ranked against each other statewide. The median across all 55 is 45.

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SAME RANKING BYCities States Metros

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%

07▲1Wirt County, WVWV4,87921−17%

08▼1Calhoun County, WVWV5,97821−21%

09▲1Clay County, WVWV7,53822−27%

10▼1Grant County, WVWV11,04123−2%

11Braxton County, WVWV11,88523−19%

12Doddridge County, WVWV7,63424+3%

13Hardy County, WVWV14,33725+13%

14▲1Randolph County, WVWV26,88226−5%

15▼1Monroe County, WVWV12,49126−14%

16Roane County, WVWV13,31728−14%

17▲1Tyler County, WVWV7,88131−18%

18▼1Greenbrier County, WVWV31,57831−8%

19▲1McDowell County, WVWV16,87832−38%

20▼1Summers County, WVWV11,53232−11%

21▲1Nicholas County, WVWV23,84837−10%

22▼1Hampshire County, WVWV24,10538+19%

23Wetzel County, WVWV13,73438−22%

24Wyoming County, WVWV19,80140−23%

25Boone County, WVWV20,25140−21%

26Lewis County, WVWV16,39442−3%

27▲1Lincoln County, WVWV19,17744−13%

28▼1Barbour County, WVWV15,41445−1%

29▲1Mingo County, WVWV21,45551−24%

30▼1Preston County, WVWV34,00452+16%

31Pleasants County, WVWV7,33856−2%

32Mason County, WVWV24,70757−5%

33▲1Fayette County, WVWV38,16558−20%

34▼1Jackson County, WVWV27,45059−2%

35Upshur County, WVWV23,75867+2%

36Logan County, WVWV30,37567−19%

37▲1Wayne County, WVWV37,30974−13%

38▼1Morgan 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%

50▲1Monongalia County, WVWV107,991300+32%

51▼1Jefferson County, WVWV63,102301+50%

52Cabell County, WVWV91,183324−6%

53Hancock County, WVWV27,729336−15%

54▲1Ohio County, WVWV40,496383−15%

55▼1Berkeley County, WVWV139,522434+84%

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UPDATED 2026-09-11 · DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU POPULATION ESTIMATES