West Virginians owe the least of any state, yet 16.2% were in poverty in 2024, 4th highest
Each state is shaded by how distressed its households are, from green (least) to red (most), with data through September 2026. West Virginia scores 68 out of 100.
Of West Virginians with a credit card, 17.3% were 90 or more days behind in early 2025, a share that ranks 6th highest nationally and is the state's highest since 2005. Among adults 25 to 54, 26.2% weren't working over 2020 to 2024, the highest share in the country. Rent is the lowest of any state: a typical $872 a month over 2020 to 2024. Webster, Mingo and McDowell counties, in the south, are the state's most distressed, and Jefferson County, in the Eastern Panhandle, is the least.
- Score
- 68/100
- Data through
- September 2026
- Edition
- October 2026
Next edition expected March 2027
How West Virginia ranks among the states
West Virginians owe less than people anywhere else, yet more of them are seriously behind. Household debt was $37,850 per person with a credit report at the end of 2025, the lowest of the 50 states and D.C., against $63,200 nationwide (Federal Reserve Bank of New York). But in early 2025, 17.3% of West Virginians with card debt were 90 or more days behind, the 6th highest share, against 13.5% nationwide, and mortgage borrowers were behind more often than in most states (Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia). Overall, West Virginia is the 17th most distressed of the 50 states and D.C.
What drives the score
The score combines four parts, each scored 0 to 100 against the other states.
- Late payments8117.3% of people with card debt and 1.6% with a mortgage are seriously behind, higher than in about 9 in 10 states
- Collections and bankruptcy5616% have a debt in collections; bankruptcy filings are lower than in most states
- Jobs544.1% unemployment, June to August 2026
- Renters’ housing costs7024% of renters pay half or more of their income in rent (2024)
Beside its neighbors
More distressed than Pennsylvania, Ohio and Virginia; less than Kentucky and Maryland.
- Kentucky 72
- Maryland 70
- West Virginia 68
- Pennsylvania 48
- Ohio 46
- Virginia 38
State Distress Index score, 0 to 100. West Virginia is the only one of the six where late payments score highest.
How its rank has changed
At its worst
3rd most distressed, all of 2019
By early 2025
Tied for 28th, after a sharp drop in 2024
Why it dropped
Mostly a dip in one Census survey of renters’ costs; job numbers improved too
West Virginia was among the most distressed states until 2024, when one survey figure dipped
State Distress Index score, 0 to 100, each quarter, third quarter of 2006 to first quarter of 2025. Shaded: the quarters after the Census Bureau’s 2023 renter estimate dipped (26% of renters paying half or more of their income in rent in 2022, 22% in 2023, 24% in 2024).
Where West Virginia ranks highest and lowest
Where West Virginia stands among the 50 states and D.C. on the measures people ask about most. “Highest” and “lowest” mean among all 51.
| Measure | W.Va. | U.S. | Rank | Latest data |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| State Distress Index score 17th highest · Aug 2026 | 68 | 17th highest | Aug 2026 | |
| Residents in poverty 4th highest · 2024 | 16.2% U.S. 12.1% | 12.1% | 4th highest | 2024 |
| Median household income 2nd lowest · 2024 | $60,662 U.S. $81,604 | $81,604 | 2nd lowest | 2024 |
| Adults 25 to 54 not working Highest · 2024* | 26.2% U.S. 19.5% | 19.5% | Highest | 2024* |
| People with a disability Highest · 2024* | 19.1% U.S. 13.3% | 13.3% | Highest | 2024* |
| Income from government benefits Highest · 2024 | 29.5% U.S. 18.3% | 18.3% | Highest | 2024 |
| Card borrowers 90+ days late 6th highest · Early 2025 | 17.3% U.S. 13.5% | 13.5% | 6th highest | Early 2025 |
| Mortgages 30 to 89 days late 3rd highest · Sept 2025 | 3.0% U.S. 1.6% | 1.6% | 3rd highest | Sept 2025 |
| Household debt per person with a credit report Lowest · End of 2025 | $37,850 U.S. $63,200 | $63,200 | Lowest | End of 2025 |
| Residents getting SNAP 4th highest · June 2026 | 14.2% U.S. 10.7% | 10.7% | 4th highest | June 2026 |
| Unemployment rate, three-month average 24th · June–August 2026 | 4.1% U.S. 4.1% | 4.1% | 24th | June–August 2026 |
| Median rent Lowest · 2024* | $872 U.S. $1,413 | $1,413 | Lowest | 2024* |
| Homes lived in by their owners Highest · 2024* | 74.9% U.S. 65.2% | 65.2% | Highest | 2024* |
| Population change since 2010 Largest drop · 2025 | −4.8% | Largest drop | 2025 | |
| Bankruptcy filings per 100,000 35th · 2025 | 100.8 U.S. 167.1 | 167.1 | 35th | 2025 |
* Census five-year survey, 2020 to 2024. Sources for each measure are in Sources and method. Adults not working is our calculation from U.S. Census Bureau county counts. Download this table: CSV.
What changed in West Virginia in the past year
What has hit household budgets since last fall, as of the October 2026 figures.
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Jan 1, 2027
Coming: Medicaid work rules
The state says federal work rules for expanded Medicaid start January 1. About 33,000 of roughly 156,000 people on expanded Medicaid don’t yet meet them, a number the state calls likely low. Coverage losses would begin in March.
West Virginia Bureau for Medical Services, as reported by West Virginia Watch
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Aug 3, 2026
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Mar–Aug 2026
Water and power bills
Three increases: West Virginia American Water (about $6 a month more for water and $7 for sewer, March 1), Appalachian Power (a 4% rise in base rates for homes, about $4.84 a month for a home using 1,000 kilowatt-hours, June 1) and Mon Power and Potomac Edison ($3.65 a month on August 1, with $4.01 more due next June).
Company filings (West Virginia American Water, SEC); Public Service Commission orders as reported by WVVA, MetroNews and WDTV
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Jan–Jul 2026
Coal jobs
Mettiki gave layoff notices to all 199 workers at its Tucker County mine in January, and Greenbrier Minerals filed notice of about 530 layoffs at seven Logan and Wyoming County operations in February. Greenbrier’s parent company, Coronado Global Resources, says it idled the Logan complex and sold it on July 31.
Alliance Resource Partners (Business Wire); WCHS; Coronado Global Resources filing with the SEC
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Jan 1, 2026
Health insurance
Larger federal tax credits for marketplace health plans expired. By early January, 55,127 West Virginians had signed up for healthcare.gov plans, down from 64,818 a year earlier.
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, via West Virginia Watch
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Nov 1, 2025
Food assistance
Stricter federal SNAP work rules took effect under the budget law Congress passed in July 2025: adults up to 64 must log 80 hours a month of work, training or volunteering. The state expected about 36,000 people to be affected. Enrollment fell from 270,722 in July 2025 to 256,385 in March 2026.
The poorest and most distressed counties in West Virginia
McDowell County is the poorest county in West Virginia: 38.4% of its residents lived in poverty in 2024, the Census Bureau estimates. On our County Distress Index, Webster and Mingo counties are the most financially distressed, and Jefferson County, near Washington, D.C., is the least.
West Virginia’s most distressed counties run through its south and center
County Distress Index score, 0 to 100, for West Virginia’s 55 counties, data through August 2026.
Loading the county map…
The county map could not be loaded. Every county is in the lists on this page.
Most distressed
| Rank | County | Score | Poverty |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Webster | 97 | 24.4% |
| 2 | Mingo | 96 | 25.7% |
| 3 | McDowell | 95 | 38.4% |
| 4 | Summers | 94 | 24.2% |
| 5 | Wyoming | 93 | 24.8% |
| 6 | Boone | 93 | 18.8% |
| 7 | Clay | 92 | 20.1% |
| 8 | Logan | 91 | 21.1% |
| 9 | Lincoln | 89 | 21.4% |
| 10 | Calhoun | 88 | 22.9% |
Least distressed
| Rank | County | Score | Poverty |
|---|---|---|---|
| 51 | Tucker | 37 | 14.7% |
| 52 | Putnam | 30 | 9.6% |
| 53 | Morgan | 26 | 11.2% |
| 54 | Pendleton | 25 | 12.2% |
| 55 | Jefferson | 17 | 8.7% |
Rank in West Virginia, 1 = most distressed; ranks use unrounded scores, so two counties showing the same score can rank differently. Poverty: share of residents in poverty, Census Bureau, 2024.
Every county, by score
Most of West Virginia’s 55 counties score in the middle or above. Only three score below 30.
13 score 80–100
Webster, Mingo, McDowell, Summers, Wyoming, Boone, Clay, Logan, Lincoln, Calhoun, Fayette, Raleigh, Cabell
Poorest isn’t the same as most distressed
Poverty counts only income. Our county score has five equal parts: late payments; collections and bankruptcy; jobs; housing costs; and a fifth built from poverty, income, health insurance and disability. Gilmer County is the state’s second poorest but ranks only 30th on distress. Monongalia County, home of West Virginia University, has an 18% poverty rate but ranks 50th of 55. College students living off campus count in poverty figures, and leaving them out lowers Monongalia’s poverty rate markedly (Census Bureau, 2012 to 2016 data).
The Coal House in Williamson, Mingo County’s seat, was built in 1933 from 65 tons of coal, the idea of the Norfolk and Western Railway’s superintendent of fuel mines.
Source: e-WV, The West Virginia Encyclopedia. Photo: Badagnani, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.
McDowell has the 3rd lowest household income of any U.S. county
Of all 3,143 U.S. counties, McDowell has the 3rd lowest typical household income ($35,721) and the 6th highest poverty rate, both in 2024, and the 6th highest unemployment rate (10.6% in August 2026).
Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, 2024; Bureau of Labor Statistics, August 2026.
49 of West Virginia’s 55 counties have fewer people than at their peak
Of West Virginia’s 55 counties, 49 had more people at an earlier census than in 2020. Only six reached their highest count in 2020: Berkeley, Hardy, Jefferson, Monongalia, Preston and Putnam. All six are in the less distressed half of the state. McDowell has a fifth of the people it had in 1950. Statewide, West Virginia lost 1.4% of its people from 2020 to 2025, the largest drop of any state.
Census Bureau, decennial census and annual estimates.
In 13 counties, government benefits are 40% or more of all income
In 13 counties, government benefits such as Social Security, Medicaid and SNAP make up 40% or more of all the income people there get, led by McDowell (52.2%), Webster (50.0%) and Mingo (46.1%).
Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2024.
Is West Virginia poor?
By the Census Bureau’s measures, yes. In 2024, 16.2% of West Virginians lived in poverty, against 12.1% nationwide, and the typical household earned $60,662 a year, against $81,604. Only Mississippi’s households earned less.
Residents in poverty
16.2%
U.S. 12.1%
4th highest of the 50 states and D.C., 2024
Median household income
$60,662
U.S. $81,604
2nd lowest of the 50 states and D.C., 2024
Children in poverty
20.1%
U.S. 15.5%
6th highest of the 50 states and D.C., 2024
West Virginia’s poverty rate has been above the nation’s in every year measured since 1989
Share of residents in poverty, West Virginia and the United States, 1989 to 2024
Why is West Virginia so poor?
Five things set West Virginia apart from other states.
Fewer adults work. Among West Virginians aged 25 to 54, 26.2% aren’t working, the highest share of any state, against 19.5% nationwide (Census Bureau, 2020 to 2024, our calculation).
More people live with a disability. The share, 19.1%, is the highest of any state, against 13.3% nationwide (Census Bureau, 2020 to 2024).
Benefits are a large part of income. Social Security, Medicaid and other government payments make up 29.5% of all the income West Virginians get, the highest share of any state, against 18.3% nationwide (Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2024).
An older, shrinking population. Residents 65 or older make up 21% of the state, the 4th highest share, and the state has 4.8% fewer people than in 2010, the largest drop of any state (Census Bureau).
Coal jobs fell away. Southern West Virginia lost nearly 7,000 coal jobs from 2011 to 2015, and coal employed fewer than 12,000 people in 2021, the fewest since 1890 (West Virginia Public Broadcasting).
Help with food and health care
About one in seven West Virginians get food help through SNAP. Fewer get SNAP than before the pandemic, though the poverty rate is the same as in 2019. Stricter federal work rules took effect in November 2025 (see what changed). The country’s first food stamps went to a McDowell County family on May 29, 1961 (Robert C. Byrd Center).
| Measure | W.Va. | U.S. | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Residents getting SNAP, June 2026 4th highest | 14.2% U.S. 10.7% | 10.7% | 4th highest |
| People getting SNAP, June 2026 | 250,742 | ||
| People getting SNAP before the pandemic | 305,521 | ||
| Residents without health insurance, 2020 to 2024 Tied 36th | 6.0% U.S. 8.4% | 8.4% | Tied 36th |
Ranks among the 50 states and D.C. (1 = highest). SNAP: U.S. Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Administration; health insurance: Census Bureau. June 2026 was the fewest people on SNAP since 2004. In 2008 to 2012, 14.4% of West Virginians had no health insurance. To apply for either: West Virginia Department of Human Services →
How many West Virginians are behind on their bills?
More than in most states, even though they owe less than people anywhere else. In early 2025, 17.3% of West Virginians with a credit card had one 90 or more days past due, against 13.5% nationwide. That’s the 6th highest share, and the highest for West Virginia since records began in 2005 (Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia). Household debt is $37,850 per person with a credit report, against $63,200 nationwide (Federal Reserve Bank of New York, end of 2025). This is household debt, not state government debt.
Ranks among the 50 states and D.C., highest first: card 6th, collections 12th, mortgage tied for 3rd, auto tied for 16th. The U.S. figure is the population-weighted average of the states, our calculation.
Fewer West Virginians have a debt in collections than in 2019 (27.2% then). The drop came as the credit bureaus removed most medical debts from credit reports in 2022 and 2023 (Consumer Financial Protection Bureau), so much of it reflects what credit reports count, not fewer people struggling.
Other signs of strain
| Measure | W.Va. | U.S. | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| People with any debt 90+ days late, early 2025 10th highest | 20.2% U.S. 17.2% | 17.2% | 10th highest |
| Mortgages 30 to 89 days late, Sept 2025 3rd highest | 3.0% U.S. 1.6% | 1.6% | 3rd highest |
| Student-loan borrowers 90+ days late, early 2025 13th highest | 13.1% | 13th highest |
Any debt and student loans: Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia (a record high for West Virginia on any debt; student loans returned to credit reports in 2025). Mortgages 30 to 89 days late, an early stage of falling behind: Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, rising from 2.2% in 2023.
Dollars behind, a second measure
The New York Fed counts something different: the share of what West Virginians owe that is 90 or more days late. Card debt is where West Virginia moved most: level with the country in 2019, above it now.
| Loan type | W.Va. | U.S. | W.Va. 2019 | U.S. 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Credit card | 13.7% End of 2025 U.S. 12.4% W.Va. 2019 8.1% · U.S. 2019 8.1% | 12.4% | 8.1% | 8.1% |
| Auto loan | 5.3% End of 2025 U.S. 5.2% W.Va. 2019 5.4% · U.S. 2019 4.9% | 5.2% | 5.4% | 4.9% |
| Mortgage | 1.2% End of 2025 U.S. 0.9% W.Va. 2019 1.2% · U.S. 2019 1.0% | 0.9% | 1.2% | 1.0% |
Share of balances 90 or more days past due, end of 2025 and end of 2019. Source: Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Consumer Credit Panel / Equifax. Not comparable with the Philadelphia Fed figures above, which count people, not dollars.
Bankruptcy
In 2025, 1,785 bankruptcy cases were filed in West Virginia: 100.8 for every 100,000 residents, against 167.1 nationwide, the 35th highest rate. Filings are up from 2022 but still below 2018 (U.S. Courts). Filing costs money, so a low rate can also mean people can’t afford to file.
How is West Virginia’s economy doing?
Unemployment is low, but fewer adults work than anywhere else. West Virginia’s unemployment rate averaged 4.1% from June to August 2026, level with the country and far below its record of 18.3% in February 1983 (Bureau of Labor Statistics).
Unemployment rate
4.1%
U.S. 4.1%
24th, June to August 2026
Income per person
$55,351
U.S. $73,204
2nd lowest, 2024
Population since 2010
−4.8%
Largest drop of any state
2010 to 2025
West Virginia’s unemployment rate is less than a quarter of its 1983 peak
Unemployment rate, West Virginia, yearly average, 1976 to 2025, and June to August 2026
Unemployment misses most of the story
The unemployment rate counts only people looking for work. Among all adults aged 25 to 54, more than half aren’t working in McDowell County (53.9%) and Mingo (50.3%). Statewide the share is the highest of any state (see why West Virginia is poor).
Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2020 to 2024; people living in prisons and nursing homes aren’t counted. Our calculation from county counts.
Where the jobs went
West Virginia had 717,100 jobs in August 2026, 0.3% fewer than a year earlier; mining and logging lost 4.4% (Bureau of Labor Statistics, preliminary). In the coalfields the fall is far older: Mingo County has half the jobs it had in 1993.
| County | Jobs then | Jobs in 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mingo (1993) | 9,992 Jobs then Jobs in 2024 4,951 Change −50% | 4,951 | −50% |
| Boone (2008) | 8,743 Jobs then Jobs in 2024 4,753 Change −46% | 4,753 | −46% |
| McDowell (2011) | 6,333 Jobs then Jobs in 2024 3,934 Change −38% | 3,934 | −38% |
Jobs located in the county, yearly average. Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages.
Is West Virginia cheap to live in?
For housing, yes. The typical rent is $872 a month, the lowest of any state, against $1,413 nationwide, and 74.9% of homes are lived in by their owners, the highest share (Census Bureau, 2020 to 2024). We don’t measure food or water prices; energy bills are below.
Median rent
$872
U.S. $1,413
Lowest of the 50 states and D.C.
Homes lived in by their owners
74.9%
U.S. 65.2%
Highest
Homeowners spending 30%+ of income on housing
14.5%
U.S. 22.5%
Lowest
Cheap housing isn’t cheap for everyone: about one renter in four (24.4%) still spends half or more of their income on rent and utilities, close to the U.S. figure of 26.1% (Census Bureau, 2024).
Power and heating bills take a bigger bite
A typical home’s energy bill, $2,419 a year, is close to the U.S. average. Because incomes are lower, it takes 3.25% of household income, the 5th highest share (U.S. 2.41%). In McDowell County it takes 6.99%. Bills rose again this year (see what changed).
U.S. Department of Energy, Low-Income Energy Affordability Data, 2022; state figure our calculation from county data.
What it takes to get by
By MIT’s count, a single adult with no children needs about $40,600 a year to cover basic costs in West Virginia, the least of any state. Two working parents with two children need about $101,300.
MIT Living Wage Calculator, 2025 dollars.
Cheaper than its neighbors?
Yes. Rent is the lowest of the six, and even against lower incomes it takes the same share as in Ohio and less than in Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia.
| State | Rent | Income | Rent share | Owners |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Virginia | $872 Rent Income $60,662 Rent share 17.2% · Owners 74.9% | $60,662 | 17.2% | 74.9% |
| Kentucky | $967 Rent Income $64,481 Rent share 18.0% · Owners 68.3% | $64,481 | 18.0% | 68.3% |
| Ohio | $1,034 Rent Income $72,259 Rent share 17.2% · Owners 67.2% | $72,259 | 17.2% | 67.2% |
| Pennsylvania | $1,209 Rent Income $77,532 Rent share 18.7% · Owners 69.3% | $77,532 | 18.7% | 69.3% |
| Virginia | $1,579 Rent Income $92,116 Rent share 20.6% · Owners 67.3% | $92,116 | 20.6% | 67.3% |
| Maryland | $1,705 Rent Income $102,835 Rent share 19.9% · Owners 67.6% | $102,835 | 19.9% | 67.6% |
Median monthly rent and share of homes lived in by their owners: Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2020 to 2024. Median household income: Census Bureau, 2024. Rent share: a year’s median rent against median income, our calculation.
How does foreclosure work in West Virginia?
Most West Virginia foreclosures don’t go through a court: a trustee sells the home at a public auction under the deed of trust, the paper that secures the loan. Foreclosures completed in the second quarter of 2026 took 196 days from start to finish, about a third of the 563-day U.S. average (ATTOM, a property data company).
- Lenders can sue for the balance left after the sale
- Yes
- Right to buy the home back after the sale
- No
- Home equity protected from creditors (homestead exemption)
- $5,000
- Statewide foreclosure mediation
- No
What the law says. Source: West Virginia Code. How foreclosure works in West Virginia →
West Virginia’s share of the federal Homeowner Assistance Fund helped 7,673 households with mortgage costs, 43 for every 10,000 residents, the 3rd highest rate of any state (U.S. Treasury, through early 2026). It closed to new applications in 2024.
Mortgage complaints
West Virginians have sent 1,010 mortgage complaints to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau since 2012. The most common were trouble during the payment process (283), loan modification, collection or foreclosure (192), and struggling to pay (162).
- Sep 25, 2026 JPMorgan Chase Escrow, taxes or insurance Closed with relief
- Sep 24, 2026 Ocwen / Onity Group Escrow, taxes or insurance In progress
- Sep 22, 2026 Freedom Mortgage Payment process Closed with explanation
- Aug 29, 2026 Fifth Third Bank Private mortgage insurance Closed with explanation
- Aug 24, 2026 Guild Mortgage Struggling to pay: help with a modification, forbearance or foreclosure In progress
- Aug 23, 2026 Rocket Mortgage Struggling to pay: foreclosure Closed with explanation
- Aug 15, 2026 Rocket Mortgage Struggling to pay: help with a modification, forbearance or foreclosure Closed with explanation
- Jul 8, 2026 Rocket Mortgage Escrow, taxes or insurance Closed with explanation
- Jul 6, 2026 Rocket Mortgage Trouble fixing a problem with the loan Closed with explanation
- Jul 1, 2026 Rocket Mortgage An existing modification or forbearance plan Closed with explanation
The latest ten West Virginia complaints about paying a mortgage or getting help with one (not about getting a new loan), newest first, from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s public complaint record, as of October 9, 2026. A complaint is one person’s account; the bureau doesn’t verify it. Show all 1,010 →
What to watch before the next edition
The first two bring new figures for this page: household debt and jobless rates.
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Nov 10, 2026
New figures on household debt
The Federal Reserve Bank of New York publishes its quarterly report on household debt and late payments nationwide, covering July to September. This page’s debt figures run through the end of 2025, when West Virginians owed $37,850 per person with a credit report.
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Nov 20 and Dec 18, 2026
New state jobless rates
The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes state unemployment rates for October on Nov 20 and for November on Dec 18. West Virginia’s rate averaged 4.1% from June to August 2026.
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Jan 1, 2027
Medicaid work rules begin
Some Medicaid members aged 19 to 64 must show at least 80 hours a month of work or approved community activities to keep coverage, unless exempt. People applying in January may have to meet the rule in December; current members don’t have to until their regular renewal in 2027 (see what changed).
West Virginia Bureau for Medical Services, June 24, 2026 and rules page
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June 1, 2027
Mon Power and Potomac Edison bills set to rise again
The second step of the rate increase the Public Service Commission approved in July is set to add $4.01 a month to the average home’s bill, after $3.65 on August 1, 2026.
Questions about West Virginia
Is West Virginia the poorest state?
Not quite, but it’s close. In 2024, 16.2% of West Virginians lived in poverty, the 4th highest share among the 50 states and D.C., and the typical household earned $60,662, the 2nd lowest; only Mississippi’s households earned less (U.S. Census Bureau).
What is the poorest county in West Virginia?
McDowell County. In 2024, 38.4% of its residents lived in poverty, the highest share of West Virginia’s 55 counties (U.S. Census Bureau). On our County Distress Index it ranks 3rd most distressed, behind Webster and Mingo.
What are the three poorest states?
By the share of residents in poverty in 2024: Louisiana (18.6%), Mississippi (17.8%) and West Virginia (16.2%). Washington, D.C. (16.4%) is higher than West Virginia but isn’t a state. By typical household income, the lowest are Mississippi ($59,301), West Virginia ($60,662) and Louisiana ($61,038) (U.S. Census Bureau).
What is the richest county in West Virginia?
Jefferson County, in the Eastern Panhandle. Its typical household earned $92,550 in 2024, the most of any West Virginia county, and 8.7% of residents lived in poverty, the lowest share in the state (U.S. Census Bureau). It’s also the least distressed of the 55 counties on our County Distress Index.
Is West Virginia’s population shrinking?
Yes. West Virginia had 4.8% fewer people in 2025 than in 2010, the largest drop of any state, and it lost 1.4% of its people from 2020 to 2025, also the largest drop of any state (U.S. Census Bureau).
Where does West Virginia rank economically?
Near the bottom on income. Income per person was $55,351 in 2024, the 2nd lowest of the 50 states and D.C. (Bureau of Economic Analysis), and the typical household earned $60,662, also the 2nd lowest (U.S. Census Bureau). On household financial distress it ranks 17th most distressed, with a State Distress Index score of 68.
Does West Virginia have a high unemployment rate?
No. It averaged 4.1% from June to August 2026, level with the country (Bureau of Labor Statistics). What sets West Virginia apart is how few adults work: 26.2% of those aged 25 to 54 aren’t working, the highest share of any state (Census Bureau, 2020 to 2024, our calculation).
How many counties are in West Virginia?
West Virginia has 55 counties. Our County Distress Index ranks every one: see all 55, ranked.
Cite or reuse West Virginia’s data
For grant applications, legislative memos and news stories.
State Distress Index
West Virginia
17thmost distressed state
of the 50 states and D.C.
More distressed than 68% of the other states and D.C.
West Virginia is the 17th most distressed of the 50 states and D.C. on the State Distress Index, American Default Research’s measure of household financial distress. In 2024, 16.2% of West Virginians lived in poverty, against 12.1% nationwide, and the typical household earned $60,662 (U.S. Census Bureau). In early 2025, 17.3% of West Virginians with a credit card had one 90 or more days past due, against 13.5% nationwide (Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia).
Questions, interviews or a custom cut of the data: press@americandefault.org
Sources and method
We gather the data, run the numbers and research each state ourselves.
This edition: October 2026 · Next edition expected March 2027
- Late payments, collections, student loansFederal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia, Consumer Credit Explorerearly 2025
- Debt and dollars behindFederal Reserve Bank of New York, Consumer Credit Panel / Equifaxend of 2025
- Mortgages 30 to 89 days late; mortgage complaintsConsumer Financial Protection Bureau, Mortgage Performance Trends (from the National Mortgage Database it runs with the Federal Housing Finance Agency) and Consumer Complaint DatabaseSept 2025; Oct 9, 2026
- Bankruptcy filingsAdministrative Office of the U.S. Courts, Table F-22025
- Unemployment and jobsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: state and county unemployment, state jobs, county employment and wagesAug 2026; 2024
- Poverty and incomeCensus Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates2024
- Rent, homeownership, housing costs, disability, health insurance, adults not workingCensus Bureau, American Community Survey (adults not working: our calculation)2020 to 2024; renters: 2024
- PopulationCensus Bureau, census and annual estimates2010 to 2025
- Income per person, government benefitsU.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis2024
- Energy billsU.S. Department of Energy, Low-Income Energy Affordability Data (state figure: our calculation)2022
- Cost of getting byMIT Living Wage Calculator2025 dollars
- SNAPU.S. Department of Agriculture, SNAP dataJune 2026
- Mortgage help fundU.S. Treasury, Homeowner Assistance Fundthrough early 2026
- Foreclosure timeline; foreclosure lawATTOM, mid-year 2026 foreclosure report; West Virginia Code, chapter 38, article 1 and §38-9-1second quarter of 2026
- What changed in the past yearWest Virginia Public Broadcasting; West Virginia Watch on SNAP, health plans and Medicaid; WVVA; MetroNews; WDTV; WCHS; Business Wire; SEC filings by West Virginia American Water and Coronado Global Resources; FEMANov 2025 to Aug 2026
- What to watchCensus Bureau, Federal Reserve Bank of New York and Bureau of Labor Statistics release schedules; West Virginia Bureau for Medical Services on Medicaid work rules; Public Service Commission of West VirginiaJune to Oct 2026
The score has four equal parts: late payments; collections and bankruptcy; jobs; and renters’ housing costs. Each measure is ranked against the 50 states and D.C., and the score is the share of the other 50 that West Virginia is more distressed than. The full method →
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Thanks, that helps.