Counties in West Virginia by employer firms

Kanawha County had the highest employer firms of 55 counties in 2022, at 3,331. Wirt County had the lowest, at 55. The median was 268 and the figure for West Virginia was 23,447. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Highest3,331Kanawha County
Lowest55Wirt County
Median26855 counties
West Virginia23,447History

Map of counties, 2022

Barbour County: 181 countBerkeley County: 1,387 countBoone County: 185 countBraxton County: 195 countBrooke County: 334 countCabell County: 1,634 countCalhoun County: 69 countClay County: 58 countDoddridge County: 65 countFayette County: 564 countGilmer County: 88 countGrant County: 223 countGreenbrier County: 688 countHampshire County: 255 countHancock County: 407 countHardy County: 236 countHarrison County: 1,375 countJackson County: 385 countJefferson County: 789 countKanawha County: 3,331 countLewis County: 302 countLincoln County: 128 countLogan County: 446 countMcDowell County: 160 countMarion County: 890 countMarshall County: 371 countMason County: 268 countMercer County: 896 countMineral County: 362 countMingo County: 281 countMonongalia County: 1,882 countMonroe County: 145 countMorgan County: 193 countNicholas County: 461 countOhio County: 1,019 countPendleton County: 123 countPleasants County: 104 countPocahontas County: 186 countPreston County: 408 countPutnam County: 970 countRaleigh County: 1,265 countRandolph County: 534 countRitchie County: 156 countRoane County: 182 countSummers County: 142 countTaylor County: 182 countTucker County: 143 countTyler County: 98 countUpshur County: 433 countWayne County: 463 countWebster County: 98 countWetzel County: 267 countWirt County: 55 countWood County: 1,465 countWyoming County: 223 count
  • Under 130
  • 130 to 190
  • 190 to 270
  • 270 to 430
  • 430 to 900
  • 900 and over
count, 2022. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Business Dynamics Statistics: employer firms, all covered industries, nation, states and counties. Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundary files.

All counties, 2022

Kanawha County: 3,331 countKanawha County3,331Monongalia County: 1,882 countMonongalia County1,882Cabell County: 1,634 countCabell County1,634Wood County: 1,465 countWood County1,465Berkeley County: 1,387 countBerkeley County1,387Harrison County: 1,375 countHarrison County1,375Raleigh County: 1,265 countRaleigh County1,265Ohio County: 1,019 countOhio County1,019Putnam County: 970 countPutnam County970Mercer County: 896 countMercer County896Marion County: 890 countMarion County890Jefferson County: 789 countJefferson County789Greenbrier County: 688 countGreenbrier County688Fayette County: 564 countFayette County564Randolph County: 534 countRandolph County534Wayne County: 463 countWayne County463Nicholas County: 461 countNicholas County461Logan County: 446 countLogan County446Upshur County: 433 countUpshur County433Preston County: 408 countPreston County408Hancock County: 407 countHancock County407Jackson County: 385 countJackson County385Marshall County: 371 countMarshall County371Mineral County: 362 countMineral County362Brooke County: 334 countBrooke County334Lewis County: 302 countLewis County302Mingo County: 281 countMingo County281Mason County: 268 countMason County268Wetzel County: 267 countWetzel County267Hampshire County: 255 countHampshire County255Hardy County: 236 countHardy County236Grant County: 223 countGrant County223Wyoming County: 223 countWyoming County223Braxton County: 195 countBraxton County195Morgan County: 193 countMorgan County193Pocahontas County: 186 countPocahontas County186Boone County: 185 countBoone County185Roane County: 182 countRoane County182Taylor County: 182 countTaylor County182Barbour County: 181 countBarbour County181McDowell County: 160 countMcDowell County160Ritchie County: 156 countRitchie County156Monroe County: 145 countMonroe County145Tucker County: 143 countTucker County143Summers County: 142 countSummers County142Lincoln County: 128 countLincoln County128Pendleton County: 123 countPendleton County123Pleasants County: 104 countPleasants County104Tyler County: 98 countTyler County98Webster County: 98 countWebster County98Gilmer County: 88 countGilmer County88Calhoun County: 69 countCalhoun County69Doddridge County: 65 countDoddridge County65Clay County: 58 countClay County58Wirt County: 55 countWirt County55Kanawha County: 3,331 countKanawha County3,331Monongalia County: 1,882 countMonongalia County1,882Cabell County: 1,634 countCabell County1,634Wood County: 1,465 countWood County1,465Berkeley County: 1,387 countBerkeley County1,387Harrison County: 1,375 countHarrison County1,375Raleigh County: 1,265 countRaleigh County1,265Ohio County: 1,019 countOhio County1,019Putnam County: 970 countPutnam County970Mercer County: 896 countMercer County896Marion County: 890 countMarion County890Jefferson County: 789 countJefferson County789Greenbrier County: 688 countGreenbrier County688Fayette County: 564 countFayette County564Randolph County: 534 countRandolph County534Wayne County: 463 countWayne County463Nicholas County: 461 countNicholas County461Logan County: 446 countLogan County446Upshur County: 433 countUpshur County433Preston County: 408 countPreston County408Hancock County: 407 countHancock County407Jackson County: 385 countJackson County385Marshall County: 371 countMarshall County371Mineral County: 362 countMineral County362Brooke County: 334 countBrooke County334Lewis County: 302 countLewis County302Mingo County: 281 countMingo County281Mason County: 268 countMason County268Wetzel County: 267 countWetzel County267Hampshire County: 255 countHampshire County255Hardy County: 236 countHardy County236Grant County: 223 countGrant County223Wyoming County: 223 countWyoming County223Braxton County: 195 countBraxton County195Morgan County: 193 countMorgan County193Pocahontas County: 186 countPocahontas County186Boone County: 185 countBoone County185Roane County: 182 countRoane County182Taylor County: 182 countTaylor County182Barbour County: 181 countBarbour County181McDowell County: 160 countMcDowell County160Ritchie County: 156 countRitchie County156Monroe County: 145 countMonroe County145Tucker County: 143 countTucker County143Summers County: 142 countSummers County142Lincoln County: 128 countLincoln County128Pendleton County: 123 countPendleton County123Pleasants County: 104 countPleasants County104Tyler County: 98 countTyler County98Webster County: 98 countWebster County98Gilmer County: 88 countGilmer County88Calhoun County: 69 countCalhoun County69Doddridge County: 65 countDoddridge County65Clay County: 58 countClay County58Wirt County: 55 countWirt County55
count. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Business Dynamics Statistics: employer firms, all covered industries, nation, states and counties. Retrieved 2026-10-11.

Full ranking

RankCounties2022
count
Change on 2021
1Kanawha County3,331+0.5%
2Monongalia County1,882+3%
3Cabell County1,634-0.7%
4Wood County1,465-0.2%
5Berkeley County1,387+4.9%
6Harrison County1,375+0.7%
7Raleigh County1,265+1.3%
8Ohio County1,019+0.3%
9Putnam County970+0.3%
10Mercer County896-0.3%
11Marion County890+0.5%
12Jefferson County789+0.6%
13Greenbrier County688+0.6%
14Fayette County564+1.8%
15Randolph County534-1.1%
16Wayne County463-0.6%
17Nicholas County461+2%
18Logan County4460%
19Upshur County433+3.3%
20Preston County408-1.9%
21Hancock County407-0.2%
22Jackson County385+3.5%
23Marshall County371+3.1%
24Mineral County362-0.5%
25Brooke County334+0.6%
26Lewis County302+2.7%
27Mingo County281+4.9%
28Mason County268+0.8%
29Wetzel County267+1.1%
30Hampshire County255+0.8%
31Hardy County236+7.3%
32Grant County223+5.7%
32Wyoming County223-0.4%
34Braxton County195-1.5%
35Morgan County193-2.5%
36Pocahontas County186+2.2%
37Boone County185-3.1%
38Roane County182+2.8%
38Taylor County182-2.2%
40Barbour County181+5.2%
41McDowell County160+1.3%
42Ritchie County156-0.6%
43Monroe County145+5.1%
44Tucker County143+2.9%
45Summers County142-0.7%
46Lincoln County128+6.7%
47Pendleton County123+7%
48Pleasants County104+2%
49Tyler County980%
49Webster County98+2.1%
51Gilmer County88-2.2%
52Calhoun County69+3%
53Doddridge County65-4.4%
54Clay County58+5.5%
55Wirt County55+7.8%

Other periods

About this ranking

Number of firms in the private nonfarm sectors covered by the US Census Bureau Business Dynamics Statistics. Establishments under common ownership form one firm.

Excludes nonemployer businesses. Differs from active_companies, the INE DIRCE count, which includes businesses without employees.

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. Census Bureau. Business Dynamics Statistics: employer firms, all covered industries, nation, states and counties. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/bds/tables/time-series/2023/bds2023_st_cty.csv. Retrieved 2026-10-11.

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. Census Bureau. (2025). Business Dynamics Statistics: employer firms, all covered industries, nation, states and counties (Counties in West Virginia by employer firms, 2022) [Data set]. Retrieved October 11, 2026, from https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/bds/tables/time-series/2023/bds2023_st_cty.csv

MLA 9

Business Dynamics Statistics: employer firms, all covered industries, nation, states and counties, Counties in West Virginia by employer firms, 2022. U.S. Census Bureau, 25 Sept. 2025, https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/bds/tables/time-series/2023/bds2023_st_cty.csv. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/employer-firms/west-virginia-counties?period=2022. Accessed 11 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

U.S. Census Bureau. 2025. Business Dynamics Statistics: employer firms, all covered industries, nation, states and counties. Counties in West Virginia by employer firms, 2022. Dataset. Accessed October 11, 2026. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/bds/tables/time-series/2023/bds2023_st_cty.csv. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/employer-firms/west-virginia-counties?period=2022.

Harvard

U.S. Census Bureau (2025) Business Dynamics Statistics: employer firms, all covered industries, nation, states and counties, Counties in West Virginia by employer firms, 2022 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/bds/tables/time-series/2023/bds2023_st_cty.csv, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/employer-firms/west-virginia-counties?period=2022 (Accessed: 11 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_counties_in_west_virginia_2022,
  author = {{U.S. Census Bureau}},
  title = {{Business Dynamics Statistics: employer firms, all covered industries, nation, states and counties: Counties in West Virginia by employer firms, 2022}},
  year = {2025},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/bds/tables/time-series/2023/bds2023_st_cty.csv},
  urldate = {2026-10-11},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/employer-firms/west-virginia-counties?period=2022. Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. Business Dynamics Statistics: employer firms, all covered industries, nation, states and counties. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/bds/tables/time-series/2023/bds2023\_st\_cty.csv. Retrieved 2026-10-11.},
}
RIS
TY  - DATA
AU  - U.S. Census Bureau
TI  - Business Dynamics Statistics: employer firms, all covered industries, nation, states and counties: Counties in West Virginia by employer firms, 2022
PY  - 2025
DA  - 2025/09/25
PB  - U.S. Census Bureau
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/bds/tables/time-series/2023/bds2023_st_cty.csv
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/employer-firms/west-virginia-counties?period=2022
Y2  - 2026/10/11
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/employer-firms/west-virginia-counties?period=2022.
N1  - Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. Business Dynamics Statistics: employer firms, all covered industries, nation, states and counties. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/bds/tables/time-series/2023/bds2023_st_cty.csv. Retrieved 2026-10-11.
ER  - 
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Questions

Which county has the highest employer firms?

Kanawha County, with 3,331 in 2022, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest employer firms?

Wirt County, with 55 in 2022.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: U.S. Census Bureau, Business Dynamics Statistics: employer firms, all covered industries, nation, states and counties. Retrieved 2026-10-11.

Employer firms: other rankings

Counties in West Virginia: more rankings