RANKING · 2010 CENSUS · 55 SHOWN OF 55

Most sparsely populated, West Virginia counties · 2010

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, WVWV7,6029−5%

02Pendleton County, WVWV5,82611−6%

03Webster County, WVWV7,76017−6%

04Tucker County, WVWV6,54017−2%

05Ritchie County, WVWV8,03423+1%

06Hardy County, WVWV14,33724+11%

07Wirt County, WVWV4,87925−3%

08Grant County, WVWV11,04125+6%

09Doddridge County, WVWV7,63426+11%

10Gilmer County, WVWV7,08526+21%

11Calhoun County, WVWV5,97827+1%

12Clay County, WVWV7,53827−9%

13Randolph County, WVWV26,88228+4%

14Braxton County, WVWV11,88528−1%

15Monroe County, WVWV12,49129−7%

16Roane County, WVWV13,31731−3%

17Greenbrier County, WVWV31,57835+3%

18Tyler County, WVWV7,88136−4%

19Hampshire County, WVWV24,10537+19%

20Summers County, WVWV11,53239+7%

21Nicholas County, WVWV23,84841−1%

22McDowell County, WVWV16,87841−19%

23Lewis County, WVWV16,39442−3%

24Wetzel County, WVWV13,73446−6%

25Wyoming County, WVWV19,80148−7%

26Barbour County, WVWV15,41449+7%

27Boone County, WVWV20,25149−4%

28Lincoln County, WVWV19,17750−2%

29Preston County, WVWV34,00452+14%

30Pleasants County, WVWV7,33858+1%

31Jackson County, WVWV27,45063+4%

32Mingo County, WVWV21,45563−5%

33Mason County, WVWV24,70763+5%

34Upshur County, WVWV23,75868+4%

35Fayette County, WVWV38,16570−3%

36Morgan County, WVWV18,02777+17%

37Logan County, WVWV30,37581−3%

38Wayne County, WVWV37,30984−1%

39Mineral County, WVWV26,79286+4%

40Taylor County, WVWV16,28798+5%

41Marshall County, WVWV29,159108−7%

42Raleigh County, WVWV71,775130−0%

43Mercer County, WVWV57,503149−1%

44Putnam County, WVWV56,885161+8%

45Harrison County, WVWV64,221166+1%

46Marion County, WVWV55,584183−0%

47Kanawha County, WVWV172,381214−4%

48Wood County, WVWV82,385237−1%

49Jefferson County, WVWV63,102256+27%

50Monongalia County, WVWV107,991267+17%

51Brooke County, WVWV21,142270−5%

52Berkeley County, WVWV139,522324+37%

53Cabell County, WVWV91,183343−0%

54Hancock County, WVWV27,729371−6%

55Ohio County, WVWV40,496420−6%

SHOWING 1–55 OF 55

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