Counties in West Virginia by business establishments (QCEW)

Kanawha County had the highest business establishments (QCEW) of 55 counties in 2015, at 5,931. Wirt County had the lowest, at 81. The median was 437 and the figure for West Virginia was 50,156. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

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Highest5,931Kanawha County
Lowest81Wirt County
Median43755 counties
West Virginia50,156History

Map of counties, 2015

Barbour County: 280 countBerkeley County: 1,920 countBoone County: 437 countBraxton County: 349 countBrooke County: 488 countCabell County: 2,782 countCalhoun County: 142 countClay County: 140 countDoddridge County: 124 countFayette County: 974 countGilmer County: 171 countGrant County: 303 countGreenbrier County: 1,104 countHampshire County: 427 countHancock County: 659 countHardy County: 331 countHarrison County: 2,100 countJackson County: 613 countJefferson County: 1,080 countKanawha County: 5,931 countLewis County: 464 countLincoln County: 288 countLogan County: 885 countMcDowell County: 392 countMarion County: 1,368 countMarshall County: 579 countMason County: 407 countMercer County: 1,410 countMineral County: 556 countMingo County: 547 countMonongalia County: 2,623 countMonroe County: 242 countMorgan County: 256 countNicholas County: 721 countOhio County: 1,537 countPendleton County: 183 countPleasants County: 164 countPocahontas County: 259 countPreston County: 661 countPutnam County: 1,465 countRaleigh County: 2,244 countRandolph County: 835 countRitchie County: 246 countRoane County: 307 countSummers County: 204 countTaylor County: 266 countTucker County: 215 countTyler County: 150 countUpshur County: 669 countWayne County: 605 countWebster County: 216 countWetzel County: 421 countWirt County: 81 countWood County: 2,265 countWyoming County: 390 count
  • Under 220
  • 220 to 300
  • 300 to 440
  • 440 to 660
  • 660 to 1,400
  • 1,400 and over
count, 2015. Source: BLS, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average establishments, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties. Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundary files.

All counties, 2015

Kanawha County: 5,931 countKanawha County5,931Cabell County: 2,782 countCabell County2,782Monongalia County: 2,623 countMonongalia County2,623Wood County: 2,265 countWood County2,265Raleigh County: 2,244 countRaleigh County2,244Harrison County: 2,100 countHarrison County2,100Berkeley County: 1,920 countBerkeley County1,920Ohio County: 1,537 countOhio County1,537Putnam County: 1,465 countPutnam County1,465Mercer County: 1,410 countMercer County1,410Marion County: 1,368 countMarion County1,368Greenbrier County: 1,104 countGreenbrier County1,104Jefferson County: 1,080 countJefferson County1,080Fayette County: 974 countFayette County974Logan County: 885 countLogan County885Randolph County: 835 countRandolph County835Nicholas County: 721 countNicholas County721Upshur County: 669 countUpshur County669Preston County: 661 countPreston County661Hancock County: 659 countHancock County659Jackson County: 613 countJackson County613Wayne County: 605 countWayne County605Marshall County: 579 countMarshall County579Mineral County: 556 countMineral County556Mingo County: 547 countMingo County547Brooke County: 488 countBrooke County488Lewis County: 464 countLewis County464Boone County: 437 countBoone County437Hampshire County: 427 countHampshire County427Wetzel County: 421 countWetzel County421Mason County: 407 countMason County407McDowell County: 392 countMcDowell County392Wyoming County: 390 countWyoming County390Braxton County: 349 countBraxton County349Hardy County: 331 countHardy County331Roane County: 307 countRoane County307Grant County: 303 countGrant County303Lincoln County: 288 countLincoln County288Barbour County: 280 countBarbour County280Taylor County: 266 countTaylor County266Pocahontas County: 259 countPocahontas County259Morgan County: 256 countMorgan County256Ritchie County: 246 countRitchie County246Monroe County: 242 countMonroe County242Webster County: 216 countWebster County216Tucker County: 215 countTucker County215Summers County: 204 countSummers County204Pendleton County: 183 countPendleton County183Gilmer County: 171 countGilmer County171Pleasants County: 164 countPleasants County164Tyler County: 150 countTyler County150Calhoun County: 142 countCalhoun County142Clay County: 140 countClay County140Doddridge County: 124 countDoddridge County124Wirt County: 81 countWirt County81Kanawha County: 5,931 countKanawha County5,931Cabell County: 2,782 countCabell County2,782Monongalia County: 2,623 countMonongalia County2,623Wood County: 2,265 countWood County2,265Raleigh County: 2,244 countRaleigh County2,244Harrison County: 2,100 countHarrison County2,100Berkeley County: 1,920 countBerkeley County1,920Ohio County: 1,537 countOhio County1,537Putnam County: 1,465 countPutnam County1,465Mercer County: 1,410 countMercer County1,410Marion County: 1,368 countMarion County1,368Greenbrier County: 1,104 countGreenbrier County1,104Jefferson County: 1,080 countJefferson County1,080Fayette County: 974 countFayette County974Logan County: 885 countLogan County885Randolph County: 835 countRandolph County835Nicholas County: 721 countNicholas County721Upshur County: 669 countUpshur County669Preston County: 661 countPreston County661Hancock County: 659 countHancock County659Jackson County: 613 countJackson County613Wayne County: 605 countWayne County605Marshall County: 579 countMarshall County579Mineral County: 556 countMineral County556Mingo County: 547 countMingo County547Brooke County: 488 countBrooke County488Lewis County: 464 countLewis County464Boone County: 437 countBoone County437Hampshire County: 427 countHampshire County427Wetzel County: 421 countWetzel County421Mason County: 407 countMason County407McDowell County: 392 countMcDowell County392Wyoming County: 390 countWyoming County390Braxton County: 349 countBraxton County349Hardy County: 331 countHardy County331Roane County: 307 countRoane County307Grant County: 303 countGrant County303Lincoln County: 288 countLincoln County288Barbour County: 280 countBarbour County280Taylor County: 266 countTaylor County266Pocahontas County: 259 countPocahontas County259Morgan County: 256 countMorgan County256Ritchie County: 246 countRitchie County246Monroe County: 242 countMonroe County242Webster County: 216 countWebster County216Tucker County: 215 countTucker County215Summers County: 204 countSummers County204Pendleton County: 183 countPendleton County183Gilmer County: 171 countGilmer County171Pleasants County: 164 countPleasants County164Tyler County: 150 countTyler County150Calhoun County: 142 countCalhoun County142Clay County: 140 countClay County140Doddridge County: 124 countDoddridge County124Wirt County: 81 countWirt County81
count. Source: BLS, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average establishments, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCounties2015
count
Change on 2014
1Kanawha County5,931-0.4%
2Cabell County2,782-0.8%
3Monongalia County2,623+2.1%
4Wood County2,265-1%
5Raleigh County2,244+0.4%
6Harrison County2,1000%
7Berkeley County1,920+1.3%
8Ohio County1,537-0.7%
9Putnam County1,465+1%
10Mercer County1,410-0.1%
11Marion County1,368-0.7%
12Greenbrier County1,104-0.1%
13Jefferson County1,080+1.7%
14Fayette County974-1.2%
15Logan County885-1%
16Randolph County835-0.8%
17Nicholas County7210%
18Upshur County669-0.1%
19Preston County661-1%
20Hancock County659-0.3%
21Jackson County613+0.8%
22Wayne County605-1.8%
23Marshall County579+0.9%
24Mineral County556-1.2%
25Mingo County547-0.5%
26Brooke County488-0.6%
27Lewis County464-2.5%
28Boone County437-1.6%
29Hampshire County427+0.7%
30Wetzel County421+1.7%
31Mason County407+1%
32McDowell County392-3.2%
33Wyoming County390-2.5%
34Braxton County349+1.2%
35Hardy County3310%
36Roane County307-1%
37Grant County303+1%
38Lincoln County2880%
39Barbour County280-2.1%
40Taylor County266-0.7%
41Pocahontas County259-1.1%
42Morgan County256+0.4%
43Ritchie County246+0.8%
44Monroe County242+1.7%
45Webster County216+1.4%
46Tucker County215+1.9%
47Summers County204+1%
48Pendleton County183+5.8%
49Gilmer County1710%
50Pleasants County164+0.6%
51Tyler County150-3.2%
52Calhoun County142+0.7%
53Clay County140-4.8%
54Doddridge County124-2.4%
55Wirt County81-5.8%

Other periods

About this ranking

Average number of establishments with jobs covered by unemployment insurance during the year, all industries, private and government, from the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. An establishment is a single place of business, such as a factory, store or office; a company with several locations has several.

Counts places of business, not firms: for firms use employer_firms. Changes in how large employers report their locations can move the count without any change in activity.

Every value in the ranking comes from the same publisher and the same period, so the counties are compared on one definition. Equal values share a rank.

How to cite

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average establishments, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties. https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2015/a/industry/10.csv. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Citation styles

The publisher is the author. Invokely is named only as the place the figures were read, where a style asks for it.

APA 7

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2026). Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average establishments, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties (Counties in West Virginia by business establishments (QCEW), 2015) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2015/a/industry/10.csv

MLA 9

Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average establishments, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties, Counties in West Virginia by business establishments (QCEW), 2015. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 21 Aug. 2026, https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2015/a/industry/10.csv. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/business-establishments/west-virginia-counties?period=2015. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. 2026. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average establishments, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties. Counties in West Virginia by business establishments (QCEW), 2015. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2015/a/industry/10.csv. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/business-establishments/west-virginia-counties?period=2015.

Harvard

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2026) Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average establishments, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties, Counties in West Virginia by business establishments (QCEW), 2015 [Dataset]. Available at: https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2015/a/industry/10.csv, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/business-establishments/west-virginia-counties?period=2015 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{bureau_counties_in_west_virginia_2015,
  author = {{U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics}},
  title = {{Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average establishments, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties: Counties in West Virginia by business establishments (QCEW), 2015}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2015/a/industry/10.csv},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/business-establishments/west-virginia-counties?period=2015. Publisher attribution: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average establishments, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties. https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2015/a/industry/10.csv. Retrieved 2026-10-12.},
}
RIS
TY  - DATA
AU  - U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
TI  - Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average establishments, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties: Counties in West Virginia by business establishments (QCEW), 2015
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/08/21
PB  - U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2015/a/industry/10.csv
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/business-establishments/west-virginia-counties?period=2015
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/business-establishments/west-virginia-counties?period=2015.
N1  - Publisher attribution: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average establishments, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties. https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2015/a/industry/10.csv. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  - 
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Rank Counties in West Virginia by business establishments (QCEW) using official data, and cite the source.
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Questions

Which county has the highest business establishments (QCEW)?

Kanawha County, with 5,931 in 2015, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which county has the lowest business establishments (QCEW)?

Wirt County, with 81 in 2015.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average establishments, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Business establishments (QCEW): other rankings

Counties in West Virginia: more rankings