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1 / 20#20. Marion County and Harrison County
- Marion County population: 55,807
- Harrison County population: 64,639
- Social connectedness index: 2,677,358
Most socially connected counties in West Virginia
In today's digital age, social media platforms enable people to bridge geographic distances and connect with their friends, family, and community, no matter where they are. According to a 2022 Gallup and Meta study, at least 1 in 3 people across seven countries, including the U.S., said they used social media to interact with others at least once a day in the past week.
While social media has its drawbacks—such as pulling attention away from other tasks or fostering a problematic comparison culture—it remains a vital tool for helping people stay connected.
A majority of students in grades 3 to 12 said social media helped them develop relationships, learn social skills, and make a positive impact in their community, according to a 2024 report from The Social Institute.
Spokeo compiled a ranking of the most socially connected counties in West Virginia using 2021 data from Facebook, based on a national analysis. County pairs were ranked by their social connectedness index, which measures the relative probability that two individuals across two locations are friends with each other on Facebook. The social connectedness index is a scaled value up to a billion. Larger indexes indicate a greater share of Facebook friends between county pairs.
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2 / 20#19. Kanawha County and Putnam County
- Kanawha County population: 174,805
- Putnam County population: 56,962
- Social connectedness index: 2,769,320
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3 / 20#18. Raleigh County and Fayette County
- Raleigh County population: 72,356
- Fayette County population: 39,072
- Social connectedness index: 3,255,354
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4 / 20#17. Roane County and Jackson County
- Roane County population: 13,743
- Jackson County population: 27,593
- Social connectedness index: 3,501,563
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5 / 20#16. Wayne County and Cabell County
- Wayne County population: 37,686
- Cabell County population: 92,082
- Social connectedness index: 3,695,427
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6 / 20#15. Summers County and Greenbrier County
- Summers County population: 11,581
- Greenbrier County population: 32,149
- Social connectedness index: 3,919,660
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7 / 20#14. Barbour County and Taylor County
- Barbour County population: 15,378
- Taylor County population: 16,388
- Social connectedness index: 4,673,400
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8 / 20#13. Wood County and Wirt County
- Wood County population: 83,052
- Wirt County population: 5,000
- Social connectedness index: 5,343,668
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9 / 20#12. McDowell County and Wyoming County
- McDowell County population: 17,439
- Wyoming County population: 20,277
- Social connectedness index: 5,595,567
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10 / 20#11. Clay County and Braxton County
- Clay County population: 7,783
- Braxton County population: 12,162
- Social connectedness index: 5,874,029
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11 / 20#10. Lewis County and Upshur County
- Lewis County population: 16,500
- Upshur County population: 23,529
- Social connectedness index: 6,305,006
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12 / 20#9. Boone County and Logan County
- Boone County population: 20,576
- Logan County population: 30,827
- Social connectedness index: 6,308,025
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13 / 20#8. Marshall County and Ohio County
- Marshall County population: 29,405
- Ohio County population: 41,194
- Social connectedness index: 7,183,760
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14 / 20#7. Brooke County and Hancock County
- Brooke County population: 21,373
- Hancock County population: 28,145
- Social connectedness index: 7,330,023
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15 / 20#6. Tucker County and Randolph County
- Tucker County population: 6,604
- Randolph County population: 27,350
- Social connectedness index: 9,681,085
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16 / 20#5. Nicholas County and Webster County
- Nicholas County population: 24,169
- Webster County population: 8,045
- Social connectedness index: 12,044,810
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17 / 20#4. Doddridge County and Ritchie County
- Doddridge County population: 7,680
- Ritchie County population: 8,167
- Social connectedness index: 13,125,903
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18 / 20#3. Calhoun County and Gilmer County
- Calhoun County population: 5,959
- Gilmer County population: 7,254
- Social connectedness index: 14,023,394
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19 / 20#2. Tyler County and Wetzel County
- Tyler County population: 7,919
- Wetzel County population: 13,890
- Social connectedness index: 18,737,831
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20 / 20#1. Hardy County and Grant County
- Hardy County population: 14,251
- Grant County population: 10,921
- Social connectedness index: 23,936,716
This story features data reporting by Karim Noorani, writing by Kayla Zhu, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 46 states.
