West Virginia Counties by Population (2026)

2026 Pop.

20K

40K

60K

80K

100K

120K

140K

160K

Top 5 Most Populous Counties

55 Counties

County
2026 Pop. ↓
Area (mi²)
Density
Change (2020)
Kanawha County172,514902191-4.27%
Berkeley County143,15932144616.67%
Monongalia County110,5933603074.42%
Cabell County90,395281322-4.09%
Wood County82,377367224-2.1%
Raleigh County72,085605119-3.12%
Harrison County64,390416155-2.21%
Jefferson County64,30420930811.28%
Putnam County57,317346166-0.22%
Mercer County56,556419135-4.98%
Marion County55,337309179-1.6%
Ohio County40,828106385-3.5%
Fayette County37,64266257-6.93%
Wayne County37,20950674-4.26%
Preston County34,06564952-0.37%
Greenbrier County31,3071K31-4.85%
Logan County29,86045366-8.17%
Marshall County29,02830595-4.92%
Jackson County27,818464600.33%
Hancock County27,78083335-4.35%
Randolph County26,8521K26-3.73%
Mineral County26,72232881-0.67%
Mason County24,68043157-2.88%
Hampshire County24,115640384.46%
Nicholas County23,84364737-2.93%
Upshur County23,818355670%
Mingo County21,08642350-10.22%
Brooke County20,97989236-6.69%
Boone County20,28850240-6.7%
Wyoming County19,36849939-9.15%
Lincoln County18,73343743-8.03%
Morgan County18,180229796.4%
McDowell County16,59153331-12.4%
Taylor County16,54417396-0.89%
Lewis County16,22138742-4.69%
Barbour County15,22134145-1.56%
Hardy County14,419582251.25%
Wetzel County13,35435837-7.34%
Roane County13,26448427-5.15%
Monroe County12,634473272%
Braxton County11,87551123-4.2%
Summers County11,47036132-3.94%
Grant County10,94347723-0.47%
Ritchie County8,13645218-3.4%
Webster County7,79155314-6.72%
Tyler County7,74125630-6.64%
Clay County7,58734222-5.32%
Pocahontas County7,4819408-4.87%
Doddridge County7,47532023-4.04%
Pleasants County7,23413056-5.47%
Gilmer County6,90633920-6.66%
Tucker County6,48341915-4.01%
Pendleton County5,8366968-4.78%
Calhoun County5,72927921-7.54%
Wirt County4,78423321-7.77%

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 172,514. 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 4,784. 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 143,159, has shown the largest population growth, with an increase of 0.2% since the last census.

On the other hand, McDowell County has had the largest decrease in population, with its 16,591 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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