County facts · Population · October 25, 2026
West Virginia Population by County, 2025 Census Estimates
West Virginia population by county: July 2025 Census estimates for all 55 counties, change since 2020, density, and a link to each official parcel map.
Looking for West Virginia population by county? The Census Bureau estimates that West Virginia had 1,766,147 residents on July 1, 2025, spread across 55 counties. Kanawha County is the most populous, with 172,381 people (10% of the state), and Wirt County is the least populous, with 4,879.
The table below lists every county with its 2025 estimate, its April 2020 starting point, the change, people per square mile, and a link to its official parcel viewer.
West Virginia population at a glance
- Counties: 55
- Statewide, July 1, 2025: 1,766,147 (April 1, 2020 estimates base: 1,793,759; change −27,612, −1.5%)
- Most populous: Kanawha County (172,381); least populous: Wirt County (4,879)
- Median county: about 21,142 residents (half of the counties are smaller)
- The 5 largest counties hold 34% of all West Virginia residents
- Counties with 1,000,000+ residents: 0 · 100,000+: 3 · under 10,000: 12
- Statewide density: about 73 people per square mile of land
West Virginia population by county, July 2025 (all 55)
Percent change runs from the April 1, 2020 estimates base to July 1, 2025. People per square mile is the July 2025 estimate divided by the county's land area in the Census Bureau's 2020 Gazetteer file, so lakes and bays are left out.
How West Virginia's population is spread out
Grouping the counties by size shows how concentrated the state is:
| Residents (July 2025) | Counties | Total residents | Share of state |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100,000 to 249,999 | 3 | 419,894 | 24% |
| 25,000 to 99,999 | 19 | 892,577 | 51% |
| 10,000 to 24,999 | 21 | 369,581 | 21% |
| Under 10,000 | 12 | 84,095 | 5% |
Most and least densely populated
The most crowded counties by people per square mile of land:
- Berkeley County: 434 per sq mi (139,522 people on 321 sq mi)
- Ohio County: 383 per sq mi (40,496 people on 106 sq mi)
- Hancock County: 336 per sq mi (27,729 people on 83 sq mi)
- Cabell County: 324 per sq mi (91,183 people on 281 sq mi)
- Jefferson County: 301 per sq mi (63,102 people on 209 sq mi)
The most thinly settled:
- Pocahontas County: 8.1 per sq mi (7,602 people on 940 sq mi)
- Pendleton County: 8.4 per sq mi (5,826 people on 696 sq mi)
- Webster County: 14 per sq mi (7,760 people on 553 sq mi)
- Tucker County: 16 per sq mi (6,540 people on 419 sq mi)
- Ritchie County: 18 per sq mi (8,034 people on 452 sq mi)
About these numbers
- They are estimates. Between censuses the Census Bureau's Population Estimates Program updates county totals each year from births, deaths and migration records. The next full count is the 2030 census.
- The base is April 1, 2020. The estimates start from an April 1, 2020 "estimates base" built from the 2020 census, which is why it is slightly different from the published census count.
- Each new release revises the past. A newer vintage can change earlier years as well, so compare numbers from the same release, as this page does.
- Statewide total. The counties add up exactly to the statewide figure of 1,766,147 in the same file.
Using population numbers in a land search
- Big counties, busy offices. In the most populous counties, parcel maps and deed records are usually online and searchable, but recording and permit offices are busier. Allow for that if you are on a deadline.
- Small counties, fewer sales. In counties with only a few thousand people, land changes hands less often, so there are fewer recent sales to compare a price with. Recorded deeds and the local assessor's sales records are the best source.
- Density hints at lot size. A low people-per-square-mile figure usually means farms, ranches and timber tracts; a high one means subdivided lots. The parcel viewer shows the actual parcel lines.
- Check the official map. Use the parcel viewer link in the table for boundaries, parcel numbers and owner names, then confirm anything important with the local assessor and the office that records deeds.
Related guides
- Fastest growing counties in West Virginia
- Largest counties in West Virginia
- West Virginia county GIS websites by viewer
- West Virginia landowner maps for hunting
- Most populous counties in the US
- Where people are moving in the US
More: All West Virginia counties on Platbookmapper
Sources
- U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, county totals, Vintage 2025 (April 1, 2020 estimates base and July 1, 2020–2025 estimates, with components of change). Statewide totals are the sum of the counties and match the file's state row.
- U.S. Census Bureau Gazetteer files, 2020 county land and water area (for people per square mile).
- Platbookmapper county GIS directory (live data file behind our county pages, pulled October 25, 2026) for each official parcel viewer.