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West Virginia: county data, all 55 of them.

1,778,373 residents across 55 county-equivalents, 35,413 business establishments, and 1,282 SBA approvals worth $502.4 m. Every figure on this page is those counties summed, and every county has its own page.

32 state-level values · 55 county pages · underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency

How many people live in West Virginia?

  • Population1,778,373
  • Households728,655
  • Average household size2.44
  • County-equivalents55
  • People per square mile74

West Virginia has 1,778,373 residents in 728,655 households across 55 county-equivalents, every one of which has its own data page below.

US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.

What is the West Virginia economy?

  • Combined county product, 2024$106.48 bn
  • County product per resident$59,872
  • Covered employment668,494
  • Average annual pay$57,450

The average annual pay of $57,450 is weighted by each county's covered employment, not averaged across counties, so a large labour market counts for more than a small one.

US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024. US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.

How many businesses are in West Virginia?

  • Business establishments35,413
  • Establishments per 1,000 residents19.9
  • Employment at those establishments539,899
  • Annual payroll$27.69 bn

US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.

Building permits in West Virginia

  • Housing units permitted4,192
  • Permitted construction value$924.1 m
  • Units permitted per 1,000 households5.8

US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.

SBA loans in West Virginia (7(a) and 504)

  • 7(a) approvals recorded1,217
  • 7(a) approval dollars$452.4 m
  • Average 7(a) approval$371,738
  • 504 approvals recorded65
  • 504 approval dollars$50.0 m
  • Average 504 approval$769,662
  • Counties with a 7(a) record52 of 55

US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.

SBA loan default and charge-off rates in West Virginia

  • 7(a) charge-off rate over resolved loans4.70 percent
  • Resolved 7(a) loans behind that rate276
  • 7(a) loans charged off13
  • 504 charge-off rate over resolved loans6.30 percent
  • Resolved 504 loans behind that rate16
  • 504 loans charged off1

Of the 276 West Virginia 7(a) loans that have reached a final outcome, 4.70 percent were charged off. The rate is taken over resolved loans only, because a loan still running has not yet succeeded or failed.

Compare against the national and state SBA charge-off rates, computed the same way over resolved loans only.

US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.

How large is West Virginia?

  • Land area24,040 sq mi
  • County-equivalents55
  • People per square mile74

US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.

The largest counties in West Virginia.

West Virginia county-equivalents by population, with the figures a site search compares them on
GeographyPopulationMedian incomeEstablishmentsCounty GDPSBA approvals
Kanawha County176,537$60,9434,396$14.45 bn131
Berkeley County129,514$80,8151,859$6.09 bn55
Monongalia County107,163$65,3462,481$9.41 bn193
Cabell County92,739$55,8322,331$6.66 bn83
Wood County83,407$57,8101,901$4.74 bn47
Raleigh County73,195$52,1501,713$4.53 bn31
Harrison County64,984$60,3771,781$6.05 bn87
Jefferson County59,260$98,806976$3.04 bn50
Mercer County58,563$53,2101,154$2.34 bn24
Putnam County57,177$79,5271,248$3.83 bn61

Counties

All 55 West Virginia county-equivalents.

West Virginia counties: population, income, establishments and SBA activity
GeographyPopulationMedian incomeEstablishmentsCounty GDPSBA approvalsLand area, sq mi
Barbour County15,424$51,394217$781.1 m11341
Berkeley County129,514$80,8151,859$6.09 bn55321
Boone County21,026$57,093241$1.09 bn7502
Braxton County12,208$50,331232$417.2 m10511
Brooke County21,805$54,316366$1.32 bn489
Cabell County92,739$55,8322,331$6.66 bn83281
Calhoun County6,048$43,98086$148.6 mNone recorded279
Clay County7,835$42,31882$213.3 m2342
Doddridge County7,711$57,40169$665.2 m1320
Fayette County39,519$53,194710$1.58 bn15662
Gilmer County7,288$47,981102$230.3 m1339
Grant County10,983$62,361241$618.8 m4477
Greenbrier County32,386$48,218888$1.45 bn131,020
Hampshire County23,465$63,116310$562.6 m11640
Hancock County28,431$61,466544$1.25 bn3583
Hardy County14,243$49,272294$1.03 bn8582
Harrison County64,984$60,3771,781$6.05 bn87416
Jackson County27,705$58,845472$1.07 bn13464
Jefferson County59,260$98,806976$3.04 bn50210
Kanawha County176,537$60,9434,396$14.45 bn131902
Lewis County16,740$56,477363$724.1 m25385
Lincoln County19,902$46,205172$333.4 m5437
Logan County31,418$49,723595$2.10 bn8454
Marion County55,909$67,3701,114$3.05 bn64309
Marshall County29,865$59,169481$3.68 bn10305
Mason County25,043$49,761324$1.09 bn4431
McDowell County17,943$31,559213$727.8 m2533
Mercer County58,563$53,2101,154$2.34 bn24419
Mineral County26,854$69,375456$1.07 bn21328
Mingo County22,542$38,119326$967.9 m20423
Monongalia County107,163$65,3462,481$9.41 bn193360
Monroe County12,386$56,750171$309.4 m8473
Morgan County17,426$72,179232$412.7 m16229
Nicholas County24,277$54,639541$883.2 m7647
Ohio County41,582$57,0941,320$5.06 bn42106
Pendleton County6,043$64,931140$232.6 m4696
Pleasants County7,521$60,932125$574.9 m2130
Pocahontas County7,784$42,119231$352.5 m5940
Preston County34,160$61,880509$1.01 bn29649
Putnam County57,177$79,5271,248$3.83 bn61346
Raleigh County73,195$52,1501,713$4.53 bn31605
Randolph County27,576$52,757650$1.14 bn481,040
Ritchie County8,286$50,582188$715.8 m4452
Roane County13,786$45,778215$366.5 m2484
Summers County11,729$40,699162$271.2 m3360
Taylor County16,487$57,795223$853.9 m11173
Tucker County6,654$53,358159$405.9 m2419
Tyler County8,064$63,693122$1.45 bnNone recorded256
Upshur County23,712$54,338513$1.05 bn19355
Wayne County38,164$58,878434$1.35 bn9506
Webster County8,144$43,839113$179.2 m2553
Wetzel County14,078$56,836308$1.37 bn8358
Wirt County5,053$49,86752$92.8 mNone recorded233
Wood County83,407$57,8101,901$4.74 bn47366
Wyoming County20,629$48,440267$1.09 bn5499

The register

Every source behind these 55 pages.

SourcePeriod coveredLicence
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates2020-2024 5-yearUS Census Bureau, public domain
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024US Census Bureau, public domain
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2CAGDP2, through 2024US Bureau of Economic Analysis, public domain
US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001US EPA, public domain
FEMA OpenFEMA, NFIP Community Status BookCommunity Status Book, as retrievedFEMA OpenFEMA, public domain
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA releaseFY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30FOIA release, public domain
US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA releaseFY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30FOIA release, public domain
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary verticesTIGER county boundariesUS Census Bureau, public domain
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns2023US Census Bureau, public domain
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages2024 annual averagesUS BLS, public domain
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey2024 annualUS Census Bureau, public domain
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows2021 to 2022 filing yearsIRS SOI, public domain

A West Virginia statutory guide is in preparation.

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