countyscore

Best Counties for Retirement in West Virginia 2026

55 counties ranked with the Retiree lens of the County Fit Score.

Top 5 Retirement Counties in West Virginia

1Pleasants County
74.9
baseline 76
2Pendleton County
72.9
baseline 77.1
3Gilmer County
72.7
baseline 73.7
4Tucker County
72.4
baseline 70.7
5Wirt County
71.1
baseline 68.2

All 55 Retirement-Ranked Counties in West Virginia

RankCountyCounty Fit Scorebaseline CountyScoreDelta
1Pleasants County, WV74.976-1.1
2Pendleton County, WV72.977.1-4.2
3Gilmer County, WV72.773.7-1
4Tucker County, WV72.470.7+1.7
5Wirt County, WV71.168.2+2.9
6Grant County, WV70.170.3-0.2
7Taylor County, WV69.567.8+1.7
8Monroe County, WV68.973-4.1
9Brooke County, WV66.670.7-4.1
10Clay County, WV66.569.9-3.4
11Braxton County, WV65.968.6-2.7
12Hampshire County, WV65.764.1+1.6
13Lewis County, WV65.762.2+3.5
14Tyler County, WV65.769.8-4.1
15Upshur County, WV65.763.7+2
16Webster County, WV65.569.7-4.2
17Doddridge County, WV65.470.6-5.2
18Hancock County, WV64.867-2.2
19Calhoun County, WV64.667.9-3.3
20Preston County, WV64.463.8+0.6
21Mason County, WV64.368-3.7
22Putnam County, WV62.665-2.4
23Roane County, WV62.467.5-5.1
24Summers County, WV61.860.9+0.9
25Barbour County, WV61.762.8-1.1
26Ohio County, WV61.166.6-5.5
27Randolph County, WV61.162.8-1.7
28Jackson County, WV60.961.8-0.9
29Morgan County, WV60.657+3.6
30Ritchie County, WV59.859.80
31Nicholas County, WV59.663.8-4.2
32Mineral County, WV59.463.6-4.2
33Wetzel County, WV58.666.6-8
34Mingo County, WV58.463.6-5.2
35Lincoln County, WV58.161.9-3.8
36Pocahontas County, WV5758.1-1.1
37Jefferson County, WV5655.9+0.1
38McDowell County, WV55.957-1.1
39Wyoming County, WV55.861.5-5.7
40Boone County, WV55.358.8-3.5
41Hardy County, WV5556.3-1.3
42Logan County, WV54.358.4-4.1
43Wayne County, WV54.355.5-1.2
44Berkeley County, WV53.154.7-1.6
45Greenbrier County, WV52.959-6.1
46Mercer County, WV52.855.9-3.1
47Monongalia County, WV51.951.4+0.5
48Marshall County, WV51.256.8-5.6
49Harrison County, WV49.556.3-6.8
50Fayette County, WV48.950.7-1.8
51Marion County, WV48.454.4-6
52Wood County, WV45.946.5-0.6
53Raleigh County, WV41.642.1-0.5
54Cabell County, WV39.541.6-2.1
55Kanawha County, WV38.841.5-2.7

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best county for retirement in West Virginia?

Based on the Retiree lens, Pleasants County ranks as the top retirement county in West Virginia with a County Fit Score of 74.9. The baseline CountyScore remains visible for context.

How many counties in West Virginia are ranked for retirement?

We rank 55 counties in West Virginia with the Retiree lens, using independent importance values for health, safety, taxes, cost, disaster risk, water, and weather.

Also Browse West Virginia Counties For

FamiliesRemote WorkersBest Overall

Retirement Rankings by State

AlabamaAlaskaArizonaArkansasCaliforniaColoradoConnecticutDelawareDistrict of ColumbiaFloridaGeorgiaHawaiiIdahoIllinoisIndianaIowaKansasKentuckyLouisianaMaineMarylandMassachusettsMichiganMinnesotaMississippiMissouriMontanaNebraskaNevadaNew HampshireNew JerseyNew MexicoNew YorkNorth CarolinaNorth DakotaOhioOklahomaOregonPennsylvaniaRhode IslandSouth CarolinaSouth DakotaTennesseeTexasUtahVermontVirginiaWashingtonWisconsinWyoming

Data: U.S. Census Bureau ACS, FBI UCR, CDC, FEMA NRI, NCES, EPA SDWIS, 2019-2023 ACS — Informational only. Not financial or legal advice.