RANKING · 2020 CENSUS · 55 SHOWN OF 55

Most sparsely populated, West Virginia counties · 2020

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, WVWV7,6028−14%

02Pendleton County, WVWV5,8269−25%

03Webster County, WVWV7,76015−14%

04Tucker County, WVWV6,54016−8%

05Ritchie County, WVWV8,03419−18%

06Gilmer County, WVWV7,08522+3%

07Calhoun County, WVWV5,97822−18%

08Wirt County, WVWV4,87922−12%

09Grant County, WVWV11,04123−3%

10Clay County, WVWV7,53824−22%

11Braxton County, WVWV11,88524−15%

12Doddridge County, WVWV7,63424+5%

13Hardy County, WVWV14,33725+13%

14Monroe County, WVWV12,49126−15%

15Randolph County, WVWV26,88227−1%

16Roane County, WVWV13,31729−9%

17Greenbrier County, WVWV31,57832−4%

18Tyler County, WVWV7,88132−13%

19Summers County, WVWV11,53233−8%

20McDowell County, WVWV16,87836−30%

21Hampshire County, WVWV24,10536+14%

22Nicholas County, WVWV23,84838−7%

23Wetzel County, WVWV13,73440−18%

24Wyoming County, WVWV19,80143−17%

25Boone County, WVWV20,25143−15%

26Lewis County, WVWV16,39444+1%

27Barbour County, WVWV15,41445−1%

28Lincoln County, WVWV19,17747−7%

29Preston County, WVWV34,00453+17%

30Mingo County, WVWV21,45556−17%

31Pleasants County, WVWV7,33859+2%

32Mason County, WVWV24,70759−2%

33Jackson County, WVWV27,45060−1%

34Fayette County, WVWV38,16561−15%

35Upshur County, WVWV23,75867+2%

36Logan County, WVWV30,37572−14%

37Morgan County, WVWV18,02774+14%

38Wayne County, WVWV37,30977−9%

39Mineral County, WVWV26,79282−1%

40Taylor County, WVWV16,28797+4%

41Marshall County, WVWV29,159100−14%

42Raleigh County, WVWV71,775123−6%

43Mercer County, WVWV57,503142−5%

44Harrison County, WVWV64,221158−4%

45Putnam County, WVWV56,885166+11%

46Marion County, WVWV55,584182−1%

47Kanawha County, WVWV172,381200−10%

48Wood County, WVWV82,385230−4%

49Brooke County, WVWV21,142253−11%

50Jefferson County, WVWV63,102276+37%

51Monongalia County, WVWV107,991294+29%

52Cabell County, WVWV91,183336−3%

53Hancock County, WVWV27,729352−11%

54Berkeley County, WVWV139,522380+61%

55Ohio County, WVWV40,496401−11%

SHOWING 1–55 OF 55

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