What is the poverty rate in West Virginia?
Refreshed monthly
The poverty rate was about 16.7% of West Virginia’s population as of 2024. The poverty rate is the percentage of people whose household income falls below the poverty threshold set by the government. It measures the percentage of people in households that don’t earn enough to pay for basic needs like food, housing, and healthcare. In 2024, 286,737 people in West Virginia were considered in poverty.
16.7%
of the population (2024)
287K
people living under the poverty line (2024)
Based on data from the American Community Survey dating back to 2010, West Virginia's poverty rate hit a peak in 2017 of 19.1%. Its lowest point was in 2019 at 16%. The state's poverty rate was 16.7% in 2024, 0.1 percentage point higher than the previous year.
In 2024, 16.7% of West Virginia's population were living under the poverty line.
Poverty rate, 2010–2024
While the poverty rate shows the overall trend, the total number matters because many aid programs and funding decisions are based on how many people are in poverty, not just the percentage. In 2024, 286,737 people living in West Virginia were in poverty — down 14.7% from the 2017 peak of 336,301.
In 2024, 286,700 people in West Virginia were in poverty.
People living under poverty line, 2010–2024
Poverty doesn’t affect all groups equally. Rates vary widely by demographic group, family type and location.
What is the child poverty rate in West Virginia?
From 2014 to 2024, the poverty rate for children under 18 in West Virginia decreased from 24.7% to 21.6%. During the same period, the poverty rate for adults under 65 years decreased from 18.7% to 16.5%. For those older than 65, the poverty rate increased from 9.3% to 12.9%.
In 2024, 21.6% of children in West Virginia were living under the poverty line.
Poverty rate by age group, 2014–2024
How does poverty differ by race in West Virginia?
Among racial or ethnic groups in West Virginia during 2024, four had a higher poverty rate than the state’s overall rate: Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino origin (of any race), some other race, two or more races.
Four had a lower than average poverty rate: American Indian and Alaska Native, Asian, Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander, White alone, not Hispanic or Latino.
Over the previous ten years, the poverty rate for the some other race population shifted the most, decreasing from 54.1% in 2014 to 24.1% in 2024.
In West Virginia, the poverty rate for the some other race population decreased from 54.1% in 2014 to 24.1% in 2024.
Poverty rate by race or ethnicity, 2014–2024
What counties in West Virginia have the highest and lowest poverty rates?
In 2019-2023, the poverty rate among West Virginia counties ranged from 8% in Pleasants County to 33.4% in Calhoun County. The poverty rate in the state’s largest county — Kanawha County — was 16.1%.
In 2019-2023, the poverty rate among West Virginia counties ranged from 8.0% to 33.4%.
Poverty rate
Poverty rate, by county (2023)
| 1. | Calhoun County | 33.4% |
| 2. | McDowell County | 30.9% |
| 3. | Mingo County | 29.9% |
| 4. | Clay County | 24.9% |
| 5. | Wyoming County | 22.6% |
| 6. | Webster County | 22.1% |
| 7. | Ritchie County | 21.7% |
| 8. | Raleigh County | 21.6% |
| 9. | Logan County | 21.4% |
| 10. | Barbour County | 20.8% |
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Methodology
USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.
The analysis was generated with the help of AI and reviewed by USAFacts for accuracy.
Page sources
USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.
