RANKING · 1990 CENSUS · 55 SHOWN OF 55

Most sparsely populated, West Virginia counties · 1990

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, WVWV7,60210−1%

02Pendleton County, WVWV5,82612−2%

03Tucker County, WVWV6,54018+6%

04Hardy County, WVWV14,33719−13%

05Webster County, WVWV7,76019+10%

06Grant County, WVWV11,04122−8%

07Doddridge County, WVWV7,63422−6%

08Wirt County, WVWV4,87922−12%

09Ritchie County, WVWV8,03423−1%

10Gilmer County, WVWV7,08523+7%

11Braxton County, WVWV11,88525−12%

12Hampshire County, WVWV24,10526−18%

13Monroe County, WVWV12,49126−15%

14Randolph County, WVWV26,88227−2%

15Calhoun County, WVWV5,97828+4%

16Clay County, WVWV7,53829−3%

17Roane County, WVWV13,31731−2%

18Greenbrier County, WVWV31,57834+1%

19Tyler County, WVWV7,88138+2%

20Summers County, WVWV11,53239+9%

21Nicholas County, WVWV23,84841+1%

22Lewis County, WVWV16,39445+2%

23Preston County, WVWV34,00445−1%

24Barbour County, WVWV15,41446+1%

25Lincoln County, WVWV19,17749−3%

26Boone County, WVWV20,25151+1%

27Morgan County, WVWV18,02753−19%

28Wetzel County, WVWV13,73454+9%

29Jackson County, WVWV27,45056−7%

30Pleasants County, WVWV7,33858+0%

31Wyoming County, WVWV19,80158+13%

32Mason County, WVWV24,70758−3%

33Upshur County, WVWV23,75864−2%

34McDowell County, WVWV16,87866+29%

35Fayette County, WVWV38,16572+1%

36Mingo County, WVWV21,45580+19%

37Mineral County, WVWV26,79281−1%

38Wayne County, WVWV37,30982−3%

39Taylor County, WVWV16,28788−6%

40Logan County, WVWV30,37595+14%

41Marshall County, WVWV29,159122+5%

42Putnam County, WVWV56,885124−17%

43Raleigh County, WVWV71,775127−3%

44Mercer County, WVWV57,503155+3%

45Harrison County, WVWV64,221167+1%

46Jefferson County, WVWV63,102172−15%

47Berkeley County, WVWV139,522185−22%

48Marion County, WVWV55,584185+1%

49Monongalia County, WVWV107,991210−8%

50Kanawha County, WVWV172,381230+4%

51Wood County, WVWV82,385237−1%

52Brooke County, WVWV21,142303+6%

53Cabell County, WVWV91,183345+0%

54Hancock County, WVWV27,729426+8%

55Ohio County, WVWV40,496481+7%

SHOWING 1–55 OF 55

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