Counties in West Virginia by business establishments (QCEW)

Kanawha County had the highest business establishments (QCEW) of 55 counties in 2022, at 5,858. Wirt County had the lowest, at 94. The median was 462 and the figure for West Virginia was 55,711. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

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Highest5,858Kanawha County
Lowest94Wirt County
Median46255 counties
West Virginia55,711History

Map of counties, 2022

Barbour County: 338 countBerkeley County: 2,466 countBoone County: 383 countBraxton County: 352 countBrooke County: 509 countCabell County: 2,855 countCalhoun County: 136 countClay County: 173 countDoddridge County: 116 countFayette County: 1,030 countGilmer County: 157 countGrant County: 307 countGreenbrier County: 1,207 countHampshire County: 462 countHancock County: 699 countHardy County: 375 countHarrison County: 2,120 countJackson County: 631 countJefferson County: 1,404 countKanawha County: 5,858 countLewis County: 488 countLincoln County: 283 countLogan County: 876 countMcDowell County: 343 countMarion County: 1,455 countMarshall County: 587 countMason County: 407 countMercer County: 1,439 countMineral County: 559 countMingo County: 513 countMonongalia County: 3,100 countMonroe County: 264 countMorgan County: 293 countNicholas County: 757 countOhio County: 1,491 countPendleton County: 202 countPleasants County: 177 countPocahontas County: 303 countPreston County: 729 countPutnam County: 1,573 countRaleigh County: 2,267 countRandolph County: 877 countRitchie County: 247 countRoane County: 319 countSummers County: 229 countTaylor County: 286 countTucker County: 243 countTyler County: 155 countUpshur County: 729 countWayne County: 609 countWebster County: 208 countWetzel County: 407 countWirt County: 94 countWood County: 2,250 countWyoming County: 413 count
  • Under 230
  • 230 to 320
  • 320 to 460
  • 460 to 730
  • 730 to 1,500
  • 1,500 and over
count, 2022. 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, 2022

Kanawha County: 5,858 countKanawha County5,858Monongalia County: 3,100 countMonongalia County3,100Cabell County: 2,855 countCabell County2,855Berkeley County: 2,466 countBerkeley County2,466Raleigh County: 2,267 countRaleigh County2,267Wood County: 2,250 countWood County2,250Harrison County: 2,120 countHarrison County2,120Putnam County: 1,573 countPutnam County1,573Ohio County: 1,491 countOhio County1,491Marion County: 1,455 countMarion County1,455Mercer County: 1,439 countMercer County1,439Jefferson County: 1,404 countJefferson County1,404Greenbrier County: 1,207 countGreenbrier County1,207Fayette County: 1,030 countFayette County1,030Randolph County: 877 countRandolph County877Logan County: 876 countLogan County876Nicholas County: 757 countNicholas County757Preston County: 729 countPreston County729Upshur County: 729 countUpshur County729Hancock County: 699 countHancock County699Jackson County: 631 countJackson County631Wayne County: 609 countWayne County609Marshall County: 587 countMarshall County587Mineral County: 559 countMineral County559Mingo County: 513 countMingo County513Brooke County: 509 countBrooke County509Lewis County: 488 countLewis County488Hampshire County: 462 countHampshire County462Wyoming County: 413 countWyoming County413Mason County: 407 countMason County407Wetzel County: 407 countWetzel County407Boone County: 383 countBoone County383Hardy County: 375 countHardy County375Braxton County: 352 countBraxton County352McDowell County: 343 countMcDowell County343Barbour County: 338 countBarbour County338Roane County: 319 countRoane County319Grant County: 307 countGrant County307Pocahontas County: 303 countPocahontas County303Morgan County: 293 countMorgan County293Taylor County: 286 countTaylor County286Lincoln County: 283 countLincoln County283Monroe County: 264 countMonroe County264Ritchie County: 247 countRitchie County247Tucker County: 243 countTucker County243Summers County: 229 countSummers County229Webster County: 208 countWebster County208Pendleton County: 202 countPendleton County202Pleasants County: 177 countPleasants County177Clay County: 173 countClay County173Gilmer County: 157 countGilmer County157Tyler County: 155 countTyler County155Calhoun County: 136 countCalhoun County136Doddridge County: 116 countDoddridge County116Wirt County: 94 countWirt County94Kanawha County: 5,858 countKanawha County5,858Monongalia County: 3,100 countMonongalia County3,100Cabell County: 2,855 countCabell County2,855Berkeley County: 2,466 countBerkeley County2,466Raleigh County: 2,267 countRaleigh County2,267Wood County: 2,250 countWood County2,250Harrison County: 2,120 countHarrison County2,120Putnam County: 1,573 countPutnam County1,573Ohio County: 1,491 countOhio County1,491Marion County: 1,455 countMarion County1,455Mercer County: 1,439 countMercer County1,439Jefferson County: 1,404 countJefferson County1,404Greenbrier County: 1,207 countGreenbrier County1,207Fayette County: 1,030 countFayette County1,030Randolph County: 877 countRandolph County877Logan County: 876 countLogan County876Nicholas County: 757 countNicholas County757Preston County: 729 countPreston County729Upshur County: 729 countUpshur County729Hancock County: 699 countHancock County699Jackson County: 631 countJackson County631Wayne County: 609 countWayne County609Marshall County: 587 countMarshall County587Mineral County: 559 countMineral County559Mingo County: 513 countMingo County513Brooke County: 509 countBrooke County509Lewis County: 488 countLewis County488Hampshire County: 462 countHampshire County462Wyoming County: 413 countWyoming County413Mason County: 407 countMason County407Wetzel County: 407 countWetzel County407Boone County: 383 countBoone County383Hardy County: 375 countHardy County375Braxton County: 352 countBraxton County352McDowell County: 343 countMcDowell County343Barbour County: 338 countBarbour County338Roane County: 319 countRoane County319Grant County: 307 countGrant County307Pocahontas County: 303 countPocahontas County303Morgan County: 293 countMorgan County293Taylor County: 286 countTaylor County286Lincoln County: 283 countLincoln County283Monroe County: 264 countMonroe County264Ritchie County: 247 countRitchie County247Tucker County: 243 countTucker County243Summers County: 229 countSummers County229Webster County: 208 countWebster County208Pendleton County: 202 countPendleton County202Pleasants County: 177 countPleasants County177Clay County: 173 countClay County173Gilmer County: 157 countGilmer County157Tyler County: 155 countTyler County155Calhoun County: 136 countCalhoun County136Doddridge County: 116 countDoddridge County116Wirt County: 94 countWirt County94
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

RankCounties2022
count
Change on 2021
1Kanawha County5,858+3.3%
2Monongalia County3,100+9.2%
3Cabell County2,855+2.8%
4Berkeley County2,466+12.1%
5Raleigh County2,267+1.8%
6Wood County2,250+2.1%
7Harrison County2,120+1.7%
8Putnam County1,573+4.2%
9Ohio County1,491+2.8%
10Marion County1,455+4.6%
11Mercer County1,439+0.4%
12Jefferson County1,404+11.5%
13Greenbrier County1,207+3%
14Fayette County1,030+2.2%
15Randolph County877+2.2%
16Logan County876+2.3%
17Nicholas County757+0.5%
18Preston County729+1.7%
18Upshur County729+1.1%
20Hancock County699+5.9%
21Jackson County631+1.8%
22Wayne County609+4.6%
23Marshall County587+1.6%
24Mineral County559+3.9%
25Mingo County513+1.2%
26Brooke County509+4.1%
27Lewis County488+0.2%
28Hampshire County462+2%
29Wyoming County413-0.5%
30Mason County407-1.2%
30Wetzel County407-0.2%
32Boone County383-0.8%
33Hardy County375+4.5%
34Braxton County352+1.1%
35McDowell County343-3.9%
36Barbour County338+5.6%
37Roane County319+2.6%
38Grant County307+2.3%
39Pocahontas County303+3.8%
40Morgan County293+5%
41Taylor County286-2.1%
42Lincoln County283+0.7%
43Monroe County264+4.3%
44Ritchie County247+1.2%
45Tucker County243+3%
46Summers County229+0.9%
47Webster County208-3.3%
48Pendleton County202-0.5%
49Pleasants County177-1.1%
50Clay County173+10.9%
51Gilmer County157-0.6%
52Tyler County155+4.7%
53Calhoun County136-3.5%
54Doddridge County116-3.3%
55Wirt County940%

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/2022/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), 2022) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2022/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), 2022. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 21 Aug. 2026, https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2022/a/industry/10.csv. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/business-establishments/west-virginia-counties?period=2022. 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), 2022. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2022/a/industry/10.csv. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/business-establishments/west-virginia-counties?period=2022.

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), 2022 [Dataset]. Available at: https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2022/a/industry/10.csv, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/business-establishments/west-virginia-counties?period=2022 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{bureau_counties_in_west_virginia_2022,
  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), 2022}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2022/a/industry/10.csv},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/business-establishments/west-virginia-counties?period=2022. 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/2022/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), 2022
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/08/21
PB  - U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2022/a/industry/10.csv
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/business-establishments/west-virginia-counties?period=2022
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/business-establishments/west-virginia-counties?period=2022.
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/2022/a/industry/10.csv. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  - 
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Questions

Which county has the highest business establishments (QCEW)?

Kanawha County, with 5,858 in 2022, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which county has the lowest business establishments (QCEW)?

Wirt County, with 94 in 2022.

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