HomeWest VirginiaMarion County
Marion County, West Virginia: commercial real estate data.
Marion County, West Virginia had an estimated 55,649 residents on July 1, 2024, down 1.0 percent since the 2020 census base of 56,210, across 309 square miles. County output reached $3.05 bn in 2024, 1,114 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 62 7(a) approvals worth $21.1 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Marion County
How many people live in Marion County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202455,909
- Households23,339
- Average household size2.40
- Median household income$67,370
- Median age40.3
- Median gross rent$932 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$166,700
- Home value to household income2.5 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income16.6 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher27.2 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree9.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over38,741
- Population under 1811,105
- Share under 1819.9 percent
- Population 65 and over11,236
- Share 65 and over20.1 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6433,568
- Civilian labor force27,150
- Unemployment rate4.8 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over60.6 percent
- Rank by population among West Virginia counties11th of 55
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included940th of 3,222
Marion County is the 11th largest of 55 West Virginia counties by population. A median home costs 2.5 times median household income, which is affordable by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 20.1 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.
Marion County
Is Marion County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 202455,649
- Census 2020 base population56,210
- Population change since the 2020 census base-1.00 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 2024-156
- Births, 2024519
- Deaths, 2024816
- Natural change, 2024-297
- Net domestic migration, 202474
- Net international migration, 202465
- Total net migration, 2024139
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024479
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2190th of 3,144
The county has lost 1.00 percent of its population since the 2020 census base. Deaths exceeded births in 2024 by more than net migration added, so the population fell even though more people moved in than left.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Marion County
Where are people moving to Marion County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving1,243
- People arriving, from those returns2,113
- Tax returns filed by households leaving1,228
- Net household movement15
- Adjusted gross income arriving$63.0 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$-1.7 m
- Average income of an arriving household$50,702
- Average income of a leaving household$52,704
- Largest single originMonongalia County (247 households)
- Largest single destinationMonongalia County (229 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monongalia County | 247 | 411 | $11.9 m |
| Harrison County | 210 | 373 | $10.0 m |
| Taylor County | 73 | 120 | $5.9 m |
| Preston County | 35 | 55 | $1.6 m |
| Allegheny County | 21 | 36 | $1.4 m |
Households arriving report $2,002 less average income than households leaving, which drains spending power even where headcount holds up. The largest single source of arrivals is Monongalia 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.
Marion County
What is the Marion County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$3.05 bn
- County GDP, 2023$2.85 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20247.1 percent
- GDP change over five years48.1 percent
- Rank by GDP among the West Virginia areas BEA publishes11th of 55
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes969th of 3,127
- GDP per resident$54,525
Output grew 7.1 percent in the latest year and 48.1 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.
Marion County
Employment by industry in Marion County
- Covered employment, annual average17,617
- Establishments reporting1,724
- Average annual pay$54,020
- Average weekly wage$1,039
- Health care and social assistance, employment2,692
- Health care and social assistance, average annual pay$50,777
- Retail trade, employment2,158
- Retail trade, average annual pay$35,711
- Accommodation and food services, employment1,762
- Accommodation and food services, average annual pay$20,636
- Administrative and support and waste management services, employment998
- Administrative and support and waste management services, average annual pay$52,303
- Professional, scientific and technical services, employment990
- Construction, employment837
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 2,692 | 327 | $50,777 |
| Retail trade | 2,158 | 203 | $35,711 |
| Accommodation and food services | 1,762 | 108 | $20,636 |
| Administrative and support and waste management services | 998 | 110 | $52,303 |
| Professional, scientific and technical services | 990 | 194 | $87,487 |
| Construction | 837 | 148 | $63,127 |
| Other services, except public administration | 704 | 114 | $35,062 |
| Utilities | 694 | 16 | $117,556 |
Health care and social assistance is the largest private sector at 2,692 jobs, 15.3 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Marion County
How many businesses are in Marion County?
- Establishments, all industries1,114
- Employment at those establishments14,249
- Annual payroll$717.6 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents19.9
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.
Marion County
Building permits in Marion County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 20246
- Declared construction value permitted$646,106
- Single family units authorized6
- Multifamily units authorized0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$107,684
- 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.
Marion County
SBA loans in Marion County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded62
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$21.1 m
- Average 7(a) approval$341,026
- Median 7(a) approval$50,300
- 10th percentile approval$15,200
- 90th percentile approval$513,000
- Largest single approval$4,115,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)409
- Jobs per approval6.6
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active13
- Distinct industries receiving approvals31
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer14.5 percent
- Loans on real estate terms9
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter52
- Franchise loans7
- Franchise share of approvals11.3 percent
- Leading industry by approval countResidential Remodelers (8)
- Most active lenderThe Huntington National Bank (40)
- 504 approvals recorded2
- 504 gross approval dollars$1.7 m
- Average 504 approval$831,500
- Median 504 approval$831,500
- Distinct CDCs active1
- 504 jobs per approval49.0
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved58.9
- Combined SBA approval dollars, 7(a) FY2020 to FY2026 and 504 FY2010 to FY2026$22.8 m
The average approval of $341,026 sits well above the median of $50,300, pulled up by a few larger deals, so the median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here gets. Only 14.5 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.
Marion County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Marion County
Do SBA loans in Marion County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded22
- Paid in full20
- Charged off2
- Status: Paid in full20
- Status: Cancelled5
- Status: Exempt from disclosure32
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed3
- Status: Charged off2
Only 22 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.
Marion County
SBA lending by place in Marion County
- Borrower cities with recorded lending8
- Fairmont, approvals47
- Worthington, approvals6
- Mannington, approvals4
- White Hall, approvals1
- Farmington, approvals1
- Fairview, approvals1
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Fairmont | 47 | $20,288,000 |
| Worthington | 6 | $149,900 |
| Mannington | 4 | $170,700 |
| White Hall | 1 | $275,000 |
| Farmington | 1 | $100,000 |
| Fairview | 1 | $80,000 |
| Farimont | 1 | $40,000 |
| Rivesville | 1 | $40,000 |
Fairmont accounts for 47 approvals against 6 in Worthington. 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.
Marion County
How large is Marion County?
- Land area309 sq mi
- Rank by land area among West Virginia counties43rd of 55
- Width, east to west29.9 mi
- Height, north to south17.3 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary4
- Residents per square mile of land181
- Establishments per square mile3.61
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.
Marion County
Flood risk in Marion County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Marion County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 540097
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book12
- Of those, participating in the NFIP11
- NFIP participation rate91.7 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
- Radon levels in Marion 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 Marion County (community 540097), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries no Community Rating System class, so no CRS premium discount applies there. The EPA places Marion 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. 91.7 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 Marion 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 Marion County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202455,909
- Households23,339
- Average household size2.40
- Median household income$67,370
- Median age40.3
Common questions
Marion County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Marion County, West Virginia?
The Census Bureau estimates 55,649 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 55,909, in 23,339 households, ranking 11th of 55 West Virginia counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Marion County's population growing?
The population has fallen 1.00 percent since the 2020 census base of 56,210, to 55,649 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 519 births against 816 deaths, with net migration of 139. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Marion County?
$67,370. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $166,700, which is 2.5 times income, and median gross rent is $932 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Marion County?
1,114 establishments, employing 14,249 people with an annual payroll of $717.6 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 Marion County?
Health care and social assistance is the largest private sector at 2,692 jobs, 15.3 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 17,617 jobs at an average annual pay of $54,020, or $1,039 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Marion County?
62 7(a) approvals totaling $21.1 m since FY2020, across 13 lenders, with a median approval of $50,300, plus 2 504 approvals worth $1.7 m since FY2010. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in Marion County?
6 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $646,106. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Marion 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 Marion County come from?
The largest single origin is Monongalia County, with 247 households. Arriving households report an average income of $50,702 against $52,704 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Marion 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 Marion 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.
Marion County
Cities and places in Marion.
15 Census places lie wholly or partly in Marion County. All 15 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fairmont | city | 18,221 | 47 | Wholly in this county |
| Pleasant Valley | city | 3,482 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Mannington | city | 1,829 | 4 | Wholly in this county |
| Barrackville | town | 1,430 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| White Hall | town | 946 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Monongah | town | 837 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Rivesville | town | 627 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Idamay | CDP | 575 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Grant Town | town | 506 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Farmington | town | 390 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Fairview | town | 267 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Carolina | CDP | 261 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Baxter | CDP | 153 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Worthington | town | 102 | 6 | Wholly in this county |
| Rachel | CDP | 52 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
A further 1 of the county's 62 SBA 7(a) approvals are to borrowers in cities that match no Census place in Marion County, the largest being Farimont (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.