West Virginia Counties by Population (2025)

Top 5 Most Populous Counties

West Virginia flag Kanawha County

172,687
West Virginia flag Berkeley County

138,562
West Virginia flag Monongalia County

109,198
West Virginia flag Cabell County

91,276
West Virginia flag Wood County

82,380

55 Counties

County
2025 Pop. ↓
Area (mi²)
Density
Change (2020)
Kanawha County172,687902191-4.19%
Berkeley County138,56232143212.93%
Monongalia County109,1983603033.1%
Cabell County91,276281325-3.15%
Wood County82,380367224-2.09%
Raleigh County71,466605118-3.94%
Harrison County64,413416155-2.16%
Jefferson County61,3592092946.18%
Mercer County56,947419136-4.32%
Putnam County56,760346164-1.19%
Marion County55,853309181-0.69%
Ohio County40,656106384-3.98%
Fayette County38,44066258-4.92%
Wayne County37,09850673-4.57%
Preston County33,85364952-0.98%
Greenbrier County31,6971,02031-3.63%
Logan County30,06945366-7.52%
Marshall County28,88130595-5.29%
Hancock County27,92783336-3.83%
Jackson County27,44546459-1%
Randolph County26,9461,04026-3.39%
Mineral County26,79732882-0.34%
Mason County24,47343157-3.66%
Hampshire County24,033640384.03%
Nicholas County23,88964737-2.72%
Upshur County23,17735565-2.67%
Mingo County21,17942350-9.83%
Brooke County20,73189233-7.76%
Boone County19,91450240-8.42%
Wyoming County19,68749939-7.67%
Lincoln County19,40143744-4.72%
Morgan County18,077229795.79%
McDowell County16,70553331-11.78%
Taylor County16,34417394-2.08%
Lewis County16,15238742-5.1%
Barbour County15,35234145-0.74%
Hardy County14,417582251.25%
Wetzel County13,68235838-5.02%
Roane County13,56348428-3.03%
Monroe County12,502473260.95%
Braxton County12,14651124-2.03%
Summers County11,33936131-5.03%
Grant County10,88747723-0.94%
Ritchie County8,04145218-4.54%
Webster County7,85355314-6.02%
Pocahontas County7,7019408-2.02%
Clay County7,66934222-4.2%
Doddridge County7,61632024-2.18%
Tyler County7,57725630-8.61%
Pleasants County7,14413055-6.61%
Gilmer County7,10233921-3.98%
Tucker County6,57241916-2.59%
Pendleton County5,9536969-2.92%
Calhoun County5,73927921-7.42%
Wirt County4,81623321-7.17%

Overview of West Virginia Counties

There are 55 counties in West Virginia.

Kanawha County is the largest county in the state, with a population of 172,687. The most recent census shows that its population has decreased by 0.04% since the previous census.

A number of other West Virginia counties also boast relatively large populations for their state, though not able to match the density of Kanawha County:

West Virginia Counties with the Fewest Residents

The smallest county in West Virginia is Wirt County, with a population of just 4,816. This total represents a decrease of 0.1% since the last census count was performed.

Other small counties include:

West Virginia Counties with Rapid Growth

Berkeley County, with its sizeable population of 138,562, has shown the largest population growth, with an increase of 0.1% since the last census.

On the other hand, McDowell County has had the largest decrease in population, with its 16,705 current residents totalling 0.1% less than the previous census.

Sources

  1. US Census State Population Estimates - Most recent state estimates from the Census Bureau's Population Estimates Program
  2. US Census County Population Estimates - Most recent county estimates from the Census Bureau's Population Estimates Program
  3. American Community Survey (2009 - 2013)
  4. Census QuickFacts
  5. Historical Populations of States and Counties (1790 - 1990)

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