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
75.7
baseline 76.5
2Gilmer County
73.2
baseline 73.9
3Pendleton County
72.8
baseline 77.2
4Tucker County
72.3
baseline 70.5
5Wirt County
71.3
baseline 67.8

All 55 Retirement-Ranked Counties in West Virginia

RankCountyCounty Fit Scorebaseline CountyScoreDelta
1Pleasants County, WV75.776.5-0.8
2Gilmer County, WV73.273.9-0.7
3Pendleton County, WV72.877.2-4.4
4Tucker County, WV72.370.5+1.8
5Wirt County, WV71.367.8+3.5
6Grant County, WV70.670.7-0.1
7Monroe County, WV6973.1-4.1
8Brooke County, WV66.570.6-4.1
9Taylor County, WV66.363.9+2.4
10Clay County, WV66.269.5-3.3
11Lewis County, WV65.862.5+3.3
12Braxton County, WV65.568.4-2.9
13Webster County, WV65.369.4-4.1
14Hampshire County, WV6563.4+1.6
15Tyler County, WV64.769.3-4.6
16Hancock County, WV64.466.5-2.1
17Preston County, WV64.363.7+0.6
18Calhoun County, WV64.267.6-3.4
19Doddridge County, WV64.268.7-4.5
20Upshur County, WV64.261.9+2.3
21Putnam County, WV62.965.6-2.7
22Mason County, WV62.866.3-3.5
23Roane County, WV62.267.3-5.1
24Summers County, WV62.261.4+0.8
25Barbour County, WV6263.3-1.3
26Morgan County, WV61.959.4+2.5
27Jackson County, WV61.562.7-1.2
28Randolph County, WV61.362.7-1.4
29Ohio County, WV60.866.3-5.5
30Nicholas County, WV59.864.3-4.5
31Ritchie County, WV59.159.2-0.1
32Wetzel County, WV57.966.4-8.5
33Mineral County, WV57.661.2-3.6
34Mingo County, WV57.462.6-5.2
35Pocahontas County, WV5758.1-1.1
36Lincoln County, WV56.860.3-3.5
37Wyoming County, WV56.762.6-5.9
38Jefferson County, WV56.356.30
39Hardy County, WV55.156.4-1.3
40Boone County, WV54.558.1-3.6
41Logan County, WV54.458.6-4.2
42Wayne County, WV5455.4-1.4
43McDowell County, WV53.655.3-1.7
44Berkeley County, WV53.555.2-1.7
45Greenbrier County, WV5358.9-5.9
46Mercer County, WV5255.8-3.8
47Monongalia County, WV51.951.5+0.4
48Marshall County, WV51.256.5-5.3
49Fayette County, WV49.351.1-1.8
50Harrison County, WV4956-7
51Marion County, WV48.354.1-5.8
52Wood County, WV45.746.3-0.6
53Raleigh County, WV41.341.5-0.2
54Cabell County, WV39.341.3-2
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 75.7. 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.