HomeWest VirginiaJefferson County
Jefferson County, West Virginia: commercial real estate data.
Jefferson County, West Virginia had an estimated 61,264 residents on July 1, 2024, up 6.2 percent since the 2020 census base of 57,703, across 210 square miles. County output reached $3.04 bn in 2024, 976 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 43 7(a) approvals worth $25.9 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Jefferson County
How many people live in Jefferson County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202459,260
- Households22,804
- Average household size2.60
- Median household income$98,806
- Median age41.0
- Median gross rent$1,108 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$350,800
- Home value to household income3.6 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income13.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher33.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree12.6 percent
- Adults 25 and over41,599
- Population under 1812,512
- Share under 1821.1 percent
- Population 65 and over10,262
- Share 65 and over17.3 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6436,486
- Civilian labor force31,079
- Unemployment rate3.9 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over66.5 percent
- Rank by population among West Virginia counties8th of 55
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included904th of 3,222
Jefferson County is the 8th largest of 55 West Virginia counties by population. A median home costs 3.6 times median household income, which is moderately unaffordable by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 21.1 percent against 17.3 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Jefferson County
Is Jefferson County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 202461,264
- Census 2020 base population57,703
- Population change since the 2020 census base6.17 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 20241,520
- Births, 2024572
- Deaths, 2024580
- Natural change, 2024-8
- Net domestic migration, 20241,368
- Net international migration, 2024169
- Total net migration, 20241,537
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 20243,205
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents388th of 3,144
The county has grown 6.17 percent since the 2020 census base. Deaths exceeded births in 2024 and the population still grew, so all of the growth came from people moving in. A market held up by migration is more sensitive to a change in relative cost than one growing from household formation.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Jefferson County
Where are people moving to Jefferson County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving2,068
- People arriving, from those returns3,688
- Tax returns filed by households leaving1,746
- Net household movement322
- Adjusted gross income arriving$170.3 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$45.5 m
- Average income of an arriving household$82,352
- Average income of a leaving household$71,482
- Largest single originBerkeley County (385 households)
- Largest single destinationBerkeley County (575 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Berkeley County | 385 | 687 | $19.7 m |
| Loudoun County | 249 | 470 | $23.8 m |
| Frederick County | 133 | 234 | $10.4 m |
| Fairfax County | 119 | 193 | $11.0 m |
| Montgomery County | 70 | 140 | $9.4 m |
| Washington County | 65 | 104 | $4.7 m |
| Frederick County | 64 | 101 | $4.2 m |
| Prince William County | 61 | 105 | $5.5 m |
Households arriving report $10,870 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 Berkeley 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.
Jefferson County
What is the Jefferson County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$3.04 bn
- County GDP, 2023$2.64 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 202414.9 percent
- GDP change over five years61.4 percent
- Rank by GDP among the West Virginia areas BEA publishes12th of 55
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes972nd of 3,127
- GDP per resident$51,249
Output grew 14.9 percent in the latest year and 61.4 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.
Jefferson County
Employment by industry in Jefferson County
- Covered employment, annual average17,087
- Establishments reporting2,314
- Average annual pay$61,812
- Average weekly wage$1,189
- Accommodation and food services, employment3,216
- Accommodation and food services, average annual pay$30,210
- Retail trade, employment1,972
- Retail trade, average annual pay$32,561
- Health care and social assistance, employment1,595
- Health care and social assistance, average annual pay$72,702
- Professional, scientific and technical services, employment1,087
- Professional, scientific and technical services, average annual pay$93,090
- Educational services, employment678
- Administrative and support and waste management services, employment638
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accommodation and food services | 3,216 | 147 | $30,210 |
| Retail trade | 1,972 | 176 | $32,561 |
| Health care and social assistance | 1,595 | 226 | $72,702 |
| Professional, scientific and technical services | 1,087 | 590 | $93,090 |
| Educational services | 678 | 52 | $54,751 |
| Administrative and support and waste management services | 638 | 198 | $62,569 |
| Manufacturing | 615 | 44 | $58,320 |
| Construction | 557 | 133 | $66,813 |
Accommodation and food services is the largest private sector at 3,216 jobs, 18.8 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Jefferson County
How many businesses are in Jefferson County?
- Establishments, all industries976
- Employment at those establishments13,457
- Annual payroll$563.6 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents16.5
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.
Jefferson County
Building permits in Jefferson County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 2024990
- Declared construction value permitted$233.7 m
- Single family units authorized776
- Multifamily units authorized214
- Multifamily share of units21.6 percent
- Average declared value per unit$236,033
- Units authorized per 1,000 households43.4
Single-family homes are 78.4 percent of units authorized, so the pipeline is predominantly single-family.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Jefferson County
SBA loans in Jefferson County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded43
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$25.9 m
- Average 7(a) approval$601,758
- Median 7(a) approval$150,000
- 10th percentile approval$26,000
- 90th percentile approval$1,206,300
- Largest single approval$5,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)540
- Jobs per approval12.6
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active22
- Distinct industries receiving approvals27
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer16.3 percent
- Loans on real estate terms7
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter35
- Franchise loans6
- Franchise share of approvals14.0 percent
- Leading industry by approval countExterminating and Pest Control Services (5)
- Most active lenderPotomac Bank (12)
- 504 approvals recorded7
- 504 gross approval dollars$2.0 m
- Average 504 approval$283,286
- Median 504 approval$280,000
- Distinct CDCs active1
- 504 jobs per approval7.1
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved25.2
- Most active CDCBusiness Finance Group, Inc. (7)
- Combined SBA approval dollars, 7(a) FY2020 to FY2026 and 504 FY2010 to FY2026$27.9 m
The average approval of $601,758 sits well above the median of $150,000, pulled up by a few larger deals, so the median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here gets. Only 16.3 percent of approvals run on real estate terms, so SBA credit here is mostly working capital and equipment rather than property acquisition.
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.
Jefferson County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Jefferson County
Do SBA loans in Jefferson County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded6
- Paid in full6
- Charged off0
- Status: Cancelled8
- Status: Paid in full6
- Status: Exempt from disclosure25
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed4
Only 6 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.
Jefferson County
SBA lending by place in Jefferson County
- Borrower cities with recorded lending7
- Charles Town, approvals16
- Kearneysville, approvals10
- Harpers Ferry, approvals6
- Shepherdstown, approvals5
- Ranson corporation, approvals4
- Bluemont, approvals1
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Charles Town | 16 | $10,735,500 |
| Kearneysville | 10 | $1,253,000 |
| Harpers Ferry | 6 | $10,013,200 |
| Shepherdstown | 5 | $2,760,000 |
| Ranson corporation | 4 | $818,900 |
| Bluemont | 1 | $270,000 |
| Shenandoah Junction | 1 | $25,000 |
Charles Town accounts for 16 approvals against 10 in Kearneysville. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Jefferson County
How large is Jefferson County?
- Land area210 sq mi
- Rank by land area among West Virginia counties50th of 55
- Width, east to west16.8 mi
- Height, north to south25 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary5
- Residents per square mile of land282
- Establishments per square mile4.65
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.
Jefferson County
Flood risk in Jefferson County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Jefferson County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 540065
- Community Rating System class of the county's own communityClass 7
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book6
- Of those, participating in the NFIP6
- 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 7
- Communities carrying a CRS class1
- Radon levels in Jefferson County, EPA zone predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 4 pCi/LZone 1
The county's own community in the status book, unincorporated Jefferson County (community 540065), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries Community Rating System class 7, a flood insurance premium discount for policies written there. The EPA places Jefferson County in radon zone 1, a predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 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 7, 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 Jefferson 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 Jefferson County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202459,260
- Households22,804
- Average household size2.60
- Median household income$98,806
- Median age41.0
Common questions
Jefferson County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Jefferson County, West Virginia?
The Census Bureau estimates 61,264 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 59,260, in 22,804 households, ranking 8th of 55 West Virginia counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Jefferson County's population growing?
The population has grown 6.17 percent since the 2020 census base of 57,703, to 61,264 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 572 births against 580 deaths, with net migration of 1,537. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Jefferson County?
$98,806. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $350,800, which is 3.6 times income, and median gross rent is $1,108 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Jefferson County?
976 establishments, employing 13,457 people with an annual payroll of $563.6 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 Jefferson County?
Accommodation and food services is the largest private sector at 3,216 jobs, 18.8 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 17,087 jobs at an average annual pay of $61,812, or $1,189 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Jefferson County?
43 7(a) approvals totaling $25.9 m since FY2020, across 22 lenders, with a median approval of $150,000, plus 7 504 approvals worth $2.0 m since FY2010. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in Jefferson County?
990 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $233.7 m. Multifamily was 21.6 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Jefferson County?
Zone 1, a predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 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 Jefferson County come from?
The largest single origin is Berkeley County, with 385 households. Arriving households report an average income of $82,352 against $71,482 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Jefferson 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 Jefferson 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.
Jefferson County
Cities and places in Jefferson.
8 Census places lie wholly or partly in Jefferson County. All 8 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charles Town | city | 7,337 | 16 | Wholly in this county |
| Ranson corporation | place | 5,729 | 4 | Wholly in this county |
| Shannondale | CDP | 3,465 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Shepherdstown | town | 1,460 | 5 | Wholly in this county |
| Bolivar | town | 1,215 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Shenandoah Junction | CDP | 1,141 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Middleway | CDP | 479 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Harpers Ferry | town | 350 | 6 | Wholly in this county |
A further 11 of the county's 43 SBA 7(a) approvals are to borrowers in cities that match no Census place in Jefferson County, the largest being Kearneysville (10), Bluemont (1). Those are postal cities, unincorporated areas and cities outside the county, so no place row claims them; they are counted in the county total above.