HomeWest VirginiaBarbour County
Barbour County, West Virginia: commercial real estate data.
Barbour County, West Virginia had an estimated 15,369 residents on July 1, 2024, down 0.6 percent since the 2020 census base of 15,459, across 341 square miles. County output reached $781.1 m in 2024, 217 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 11 7(a) approvals worth $1.6 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Barbour County
How many people live in Barbour County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202415,424
- Households6,152
- Average household size2.51
- Median household income$51,394
- Median age42.2
- Median gross rent$803 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$131,900
- Home value to household income2.6 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income18.7 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher12.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree4.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over10,596
- Population under 183,072
- Share under 1819.9 percent
- Population 65 and over3,256
- Share 65 and over21.1 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 649,096
- Civilian labor force6,146
- Unemployment rate8.5 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over49.8 percent
- Rank by population among West Virginia counties36th of 55
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included2132nd of 3,222
Barbour County is the 36th largest of 55 West Virginia counties by population. A median home costs 2.6 times median household income, which is affordable by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 21.1 percent against 19.9 percent, which points demand at health care, services and single story product rather than schools.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Barbour County
Is Barbour County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 202415,369
- Census 2020 base population15,459
- Population change since the 2020 census base-0.58 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 2024-74
- Births, 2024161
- Deaths, 2024214
- Natural change, 2024-53
- Net domestic migration, 2024-49
- Net international migration, 202428
- Total net migration, 2024-21
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024210
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2049th of 3,144
The county has lost 0.58 percent of its population since the 2020 census base. The population fell in 2024 from both sources: deaths exceeded births and more people left than moved in.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Barbour County
Where are people moving to Barbour County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving298
- People arriving, from those returns580
- Tax returns filed by households leaving251
- Net household movement47
- Adjusted gross income arriving$11.7 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$2.3 m
- Average income of an arriving household$39,339
- Average income of a leaving household$37,363
- Largest single originRandolph County (62 households)
- Largest single destinationRandolph County (52 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Randolph County | 62 | 121 | $2.2 m |
| Harrison County | 39 | 74 | $2.0 m |
Households arriving report $1,976 more average income than households leaving, so the migration is raising local spending power rather than just moving it around. The largest single source of arrivals is Randolph County, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Barbour County
What is the Barbour County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$781.1 m
- County GDP, 2023$718.0 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 20248.8 percent
- GDP change over five years95.4 percent
- Rank by GDP among the West Virginia areas BEA publishes34th of 55
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes2044th of 3,127
- GDP per resident$50,643
Output grew 8.8 percent in the latest year and 95.4 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Barbour County
Employment by industry in Barbour County
- Covered employment, annual average3,995
- Establishments reporting394
- Average annual pay$58,157
- Average weekly wage$1,118
- Health care and social assistance, employment1,083
- Health care and social assistance, average annual pay$34,231
- Retail trade, employment322
- Retail trade, average annual pay$32,956
- Accommodation and food services, employment227
- Accommodation and food services, average annual pay$14,952
- Manufacturing, employment160
- Manufacturing, average annual pay$38,213
- Administrative and support and waste management services, employment102
- Finance and insurance, employment77
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 1,083 | 118 | $34,231 |
| Retail trade | 322 | 37 | $32,956 |
| Accommodation and food services | 227 | 25 | $14,952 |
| Manufacturing | 160 | 11 | $38,213 |
| Administrative and support and waste management services | 102 | 16 | $67,708 |
| Finance and insurance | 77 | 10 | $52,311 |
| Wholesale trade | 36 | 13 | $67,751 |
| Arts, entertainment and recreation | 20 | 6 | $14,644 |
Health care and social assistance is the largest private sector at 1,083 jobs, 27.1 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Barbour County
How many businesses are in Barbour County?
- Establishments, all industries217
- Employment at those establishments3,120
- Annual payroll$171.7 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents14.1
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against. County Business Patterns counts private establishments with paid employees in March 2023, while the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages above counts every unemployment-insured employer, public ones included, as a 2024 annual average, so the two establishment and employment counts differ.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Barbour County
Building permits in Barbour County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 20242
- Declared construction value permitted$418,152
- Single family units authorized2
- Multifamily units authorized0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$209,076
- Units authorized per 1,000 households0.3
Single-family homes are 100.0 percent of units authorized, so the pipeline is predominantly single-family.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Barbour County
SBA loans in Barbour County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded11
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$1.6 m
- Average 7(a) approval$141,655
- Median 7(a) approval$110,000
- Largest single approval$350,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)28
- Jobs per approval2.5
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active4
- Distinct industries receiving approvals9
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer36.4 percent
- Loans on real estate terms4
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter6
- Franchise loans0
- Franchise share of approvals0.0 percent
- Most active lenderCitizens Bank of West Virginia, Inc (5)
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Barbour County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Barbour County
Do SBA loans in Barbour County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded2
- Paid in full2
- Charged off0
- Status: Exempt from disclosure9
- Status: Paid in full2
Only 2 loans have reached a final outcome, fewer than the 30 a charge-off rate needs, so no rate is published.
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.
Barbour County
SBA lending by place in Barbour County
- Borrower cities with recorded lending2
- Belington, approvals6
- Philippi, approvals5
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Belington | 6 | $767,700 |
| Philippi | 5 | $790,500 |
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Barbour County
How large is Barbour County?
- Land area341 sq mi
- Rank by land area among West Virginia counties38th of 55
- Width, east to west22.4 mi
- Height, north to south24.3 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land45
- Establishments per square mile0.64
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. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Barbour County
Flood risk in Barbour County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Barbour County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 540001
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book4
- Of those, participating in the NFIP4
- NFIP participation rate100.0 percent
- Best Community Rating System class in the county A lower CRS class is a larger flood insurance premium discount.Class 8
- Communities carrying a CRS class1
- Radon levels in Barbour County, EPA zone predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/LZone 2
The county's own community in the status book, unincorporated Barbour County (community 540001), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries no Community Rating System class, so no CRS premium discount applies there. The EPA places Barbour County in radon zone 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/L. The zone is a screening prediction for the county and does not substitute for a test at an address. The best Community Rating System class among the county's communities is 8, which carries a flood insurance premium discount for policies written in that community. 100.0 percent of the county's listed communities participate in the National Flood Insurance Program, per Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26.
Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26. US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Traffic counts, zoning and the flood zone at an address are not on this page; they resolve at the address in the platform. How this page was built →
Feasibility studies
When a Barbour County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Barbour County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202415,424
- Households6,152
- Average household size2.51
- Median household income$51,394
- Median age42.2
Common questions
Barbour County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Barbour County, West Virginia?
The Census Bureau estimates 15,369 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 15,424, in 6,152 households, ranking 36th of 55 West Virginia counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Barbour County's population growing?
The population has fallen 0.58 percent since the 2020 census base of 15,459, to 15,369 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 161 births against 214 deaths, with net migration of -21. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Barbour County?
$51,394. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $131,900, which is 2.6 times income, and median gross rent is $803 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Barbour County?
217 establishments, employing 3,120 people with an annual payroll of $171.7 m. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is employment by industry in Barbour County?
Health care and social assistance is the largest private sector at 1,083 jobs, 27.1 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 3,995 jobs at an average annual pay of $58,157, or $1,118 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Barbour County?
11 7(a) approvals totaling $1.6 m since FY2020, across 4 lenders, with a median approval of $110,000. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in Barbour County?
2 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $418,152. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Barbour County?
Zone 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Barbour County come from?
The largest single origin is Randolph County, with 62 households. Arriving households report an average income of $39,339 against $37,363 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Barbour County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Barbour County?
No. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame, to be confirmed locally.
Barbour County
Cities and places in Barbour.
5 Census places lie wholly or partly in Barbour County. All 5 carry enough published place level data for a page of their own and are linked.
| Place | Type | Population | SBA 7(a) approvals, projects in this county | Lies in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philippi | city | 2,861 | 5 | Wholly in this county |
| Belington | town | 1,781 | 6 | Wholly in this county |
| Junior | town | 281 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Century | CDP | 110 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Galloway | CDP | 71 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |