Rank

1832of 3,144

McDowell, West Virginia

Score 6.13 / 10· population 17,439

About 17,400 people live in McDowell, West Virginia. It ranks #1,832 of 3,144 counties for liberty, and #41 of 55 in West Virginia. The combined sales tax is 6%, lower than in 62% of counties. Property tax takes about 0.4% of a home's value each year, less than in 90% of counties. Local government employs a smaller share of working residents than in almost every other county. The homicide rate is higher than in 83% of counties. Life expectancy is 70 years or less, shorter than in 94% of counties. Air quality is better than in 72% of counties (a typical day's air quality index is 37), and flood and hurricane risk is higher than in 77% of counties. On this site's state scores, West Virginia gets 5.5 of 10 for economic freedom, based on the Fraser Institute's ranking, and 10 of 10 for gun rights.

v4 — beta, 30 October 2026, sourced values