Skip to content
Beacon CRE

What are the fastest-growing counties in West Virginia?

Berkeley County (+13.7%), Jefferson County (+9.2%) and Morgan County (+5.5%) grew fastest in West Virginia between 2020 and 2025.

West Virginia as a whole shrank 1.4% between 2020 and 2025, to 1,766,147 residents.

Data as of 2025 · updated

See every county rankedEvery state

Map, parcel and listing layers cover North and South Carolina only for now.

Want Pro for West Virginia? Get notified

All 55 West Virginia counties ranked

West Virginia counties by population growth
RankCountyResidents 2025Change 2020–25Net migration per 1,000, 2025New homes per 1,000, 2025
1Berkeley County139,522+13.7%22.88.2
2Jefferson County63,102+9.2%27.421.0
3Morgan County18,027+5.5%17.67.2
4Hampshire County24,105+4.4%18.25.4
5Monongalia County107,991+2.0%−2.40.2
6Monroe County12,491+0.8%2.10.2
7Hardy County14,337+0.7%−5.34.6
8Grant County11,041+0.4%11.32.1
9Upshur County23,758−0.3%6.01.3
10Barbour County15,414−0.3%10.00.1
11Mineral County26,792−0.4%5.51.6
12Preston County34,004−0.6%5.20.2
13Putnam County56,885−1.0%2.32.1
14Jackson County27,450−1.0%2.50.0
15Marion County55,584−1.2%2.10.2
16Doddridge County7,634−1.9%1.4–
17Wood County82,385−2.1%0.91.1
18Taylor County16,287−2.4%−8.70.0
19Harrison County64,221−2.5%2.23.0
20Mason County24,707−2.7%2.10.3
21Nicholas County23,848−2.9%3.00.1
22Tucker County6,540−3.2%8.60.2
23Cabell County91,183−3.2%1.30.8
24Pocahontas County7,602−3.3%5.70.9
25Summers County11,532−3.3%4.31.0
26Mercer County57,503−3.4%6.30.1
27Raleigh County71,775−3.5%0.20.7
28Randolph County26,882−3.6%−1.50.0
29Calhoun County5,978−3.6%15.11.0
30Lewis County16,394−3.7%1.50.3
31Wayne County37,309−4.0%0.11.6
32Greenbrier County31,578−4.0%0.13.4
33Pleasants County7,338−4.1%5.70.4
34Braxton County11,885−4.2%−6.10.9
35Gilmer County7,085−4.2%1.60.8
36Kanawha County172,381−4.3%−0.70.6
37Ohio County40,496−4.4%−4.40.1
38Marshall County29,159−4.4%0.20.0
39Hancock County27,729−4.5%−1.00.5
40Ritchie County8,034−4.6%−3.74.0
41Wetzel County13,734−4.7%−2.00.1
42Roane County13,317−4.8%−3.51.6
43Pendleton County5,826−4.9%0.23.9
44Tyler County7,881−5.0%3.60.0
45Fayette County38,165−5.6%−1.50.7
46Lincoln County19,177−5.9%−0.70.6
47Clay County7,538−5.9%−8.51.5
48Wirt County4,879−5.9%0.62.5
49Brooke County21,142−6.0%−0.60.0
50Logan County30,375−6.6%−1.40.0
51Boone County20,251−6.9%−0.80.3
52Webster County7,760−7.1%−11.00.0
53Wyoming County19,801−7.1%−2.51.0
54Mingo County21,455−8.7%−4.00.0
55McDowell County16,878−10.9%−6.60.0

Ranked by the change in Census Bureau population estimates, 2020–2025.

Statewide totals

More county rankings for West Virginia

Metro areas

Fastest-growing metro areas in West Virginia · Fastest-growing metro areas in the U.S. · Largest metro areas in West Virginia

Every U.S. metro and micro area

Get the report for any West Virginia county — $99

The County Growth and Demographics Report for any county as a PDF, from federal data: population and migration, housing and rents, permits, private employers and jobs, unemployment, ranks in the state and the country, and neighbouring counties, with a source next to every number. Pay once, no subscription.

Choose a county — $99

Every purchase also includes a CSV of every table in the report, ready for a spreadsheet.

Refund terms: Terms. · How we compute every number

Questions

Is West Virginia growing?

West Virginia as a whole shrank 1.4% between 2020 and 2025, to 1,766,147 residents. Statewide figures add up its counties.

What is the fastest-growing county in West Virginia?

Berkeley County, which grew 13.7% between 2020 and 2025 to 139,522 residents (Census Bureau population estimates). Jefferson County (+9.2%) and Morgan County (+5.5%) came next.

Which West Virginia counties are losing population?

47 of the 55 ranked counties had fewer residents in 2025 than in 2020. The steepest declines: McDowell County (−10.9%), Mingo County (−8.7%), Wyoming County (−7.1%).

Where are people moving in West Virginia?

For their size, Jefferson County (27.4 per 1,000 residents), Berkeley County (22.8 per 1,000 residents) and Hampshire County (18.2 per 1,000 residents) drew the most net domestic migration (people moving in from other U.S. counties minus people moving out) in 2025.

Fastest-growing counties in other states

Across the U.S.

Sources and method

Each number shows its own period. Changes compare the latest period with five years earlier (or the earliest period available). Beacon CRE last refreshed these figures on 2026-11-05. Figures come from public federal statistics and are informational only, not investment advice. Check the source before relying on a number. Methodology: how we compute every number. More on every layer: data sources and licences.