Data / Rankings / Establishment exit rate / Counties in West Virginia

Counties in West Virginia by establishment exit rate

McDowell County had the highest establishment exit rate of 55 counties in 2020, at 15.938%. Ritchie County had the lowest, at 5.325%. The median was 8.409% and the figure for West Virginia was 8.371%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Highest15.938McDowell County
Lowest5.325Ritchie County
Median8.40955 counties
West Virginia8.371History

Map of counties, 2020

Barbour County: 11.282 %Berkeley County: 9.212 %Boone County: 15.251 %Braxton County: 7.473 %Brooke County: 5.44 %Cabell County: 6.684 %Calhoun County: 5.988 %Clay County: 9.79 %Doddridge County: 11.348 %Fayette County: 8.955 %Gilmer County: 15.686 %Grant County: 7.852 %Greenbrier County: 7.182 %Hampshire County: 7.679 %Hancock County: 7.892 %Hardy County: 6.362 %Harrison County: 9.419 %Jackson County: 8.409 %Jefferson County: 7.822 %Kanawha County: 7.744 %Lewis County: 7.256 %Lincoln County: 9.091 %Logan County: 8.95 %McDowell County: 15.938 %Marion County: 7.931 %Marshall County: 7.229 %Mason County: 6.579 %Mercer County: 7.896 %Mineral County: 7.683 %Mingo County: 10.104 %Monongalia County: 8.912 %Monroe County: 8.027 %Morgan County: 9.135 %Nicholas County: 9.143 %Ohio County: 7.705 %Pendleton County: 8.032 %Pleasants County: 5.578 %Pocahontas County: 9.794 %Preston County: 9.444 %Putnam County: 8.684 %Raleigh County: 9.811 %Randolph County: 9.267 %Ritchie County: 5.325 %Roane County: 10.909 %Summers County: 10.429 %Taylor County: 7.862 %Tucker County: 9.756 %Tyler County: 7.229 %Upshur County: 9.269 %Wayne County: 7.692 %Webster County: 7.24 %Wetzel County: 9.077 %Wirt County: 9.709 %Wood County: 7.948 %Wyoming County: 9.736 %
  • Under 7.2
  • 7.2 to 7.8
  • 7.8 to 8.4
  • 8.4 to 9.2
  • 9.2 to 9.8
  • 9.8 and over
%, 2020. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Business Dynamics Statistics: establishment exit rate, all covered industries, nation and states from 1978, counties from 2010. Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundary files.

All counties, 2020

McDowell County: 15.938 %McDowell County15.938Gilmer County: 15.686 %Gilmer County15.686Boone County: 15.251 %Boone County15.251Doddridge County: 11.348 %Doddridge County11.348Barbour County: 11.282 %Barbour County11.282Roane County: 10.909 %Roane County10.909Summers County: 10.429 %Summers County10.429Mingo County: 10.104 %Mingo County10.104Raleigh County: 9.811 %Raleigh County9.811Pocahontas County: 9.794 %Pocahontas County9.794Clay County: 9.79 %Clay County9.79Tucker County: 9.756 %Tucker County9.756Wyoming County: 9.736 %Wyoming County9.736Wirt County: 9.709 %Wirt County9.709Preston County: 9.444 %Preston County9.444Harrison County: 9.419 %Harrison County9.419Upshur County: 9.269 %Upshur County9.269Randolph County: 9.267 %Randolph County9.267Berkeley County: 9.212 %Berkeley County9.212Nicholas County: 9.143 %Nicholas County9.143Morgan County: 9.135 %Morgan County9.135Lincoln County: 9.091 %Lincoln County9.091Wetzel County: 9.077 %Wetzel County9.077Fayette County: 8.955 %Fayette County8.955Logan County: 8.95 %Logan County8.95Monongalia County: 8.912 %Monongalia County8.912Putnam County: 8.684 %Putnam County8.684Jackson County: 8.409 %Jackson County8.409Pendleton County: 8.032 %Pendleton County8.032Monroe County: 8.027 %Monroe County8.027Wood County: 7.948 %Wood County7.948Marion County: 7.931 %Marion County7.931Mercer County: 7.896 %Mercer County7.896Hancock County: 7.892 %Hancock County7.892Taylor County: 7.862 %Taylor County7.862Grant County: 7.852 %Grant County7.852Jefferson County: 7.822 %Jefferson County7.822Kanawha County: 7.744 %Kanawha County7.744Ohio County: 7.705 %Ohio County7.705Wayne County: 7.692 %Wayne County7.692Mineral County: 7.683 %Mineral County7.683Hampshire County: 7.679 %Hampshire County7.679Braxton County: 7.473 %Braxton County7.473Lewis County: 7.256 %Lewis County7.256Webster County: 7.24 %Webster County7.24Marshall County: 7.229 %Marshall County7.229Tyler County: 7.229 %Tyler County7.229Greenbrier County: 7.182 %Greenbrier County7.182Cabell County: 6.684 %Cabell County6.684Mason County: 6.579 %Mason County6.579Hardy County: 6.362 %Hardy County6.362Calhoun County: 5.988 %Calhoun County5.988Pleasants County: 5.578 %Pleasants County5.578Brooke County: 5.44 %Brooke County5.44Ritchie County: 5.325 %Ritchie County5.325McDowell County: 15.938 %McDowell County15.938Gilmer County: 15.686 %Gilmer County15.686Boone County: 15.251 %Boone County15.251Doddridge County: 11.348 %Doddridge County11.348Barbour County: 11.282 %Barbour County11.282Roane County: 10.909 %Roane County10.909Summers County: 10.429 %Summers County10.429Mingo County: 10.104 %Mingo County10.104Raleigh County: 9.811 %Raleigh County9.811Pocahontas County: 9.794 %Pocahontas County9.794Clay County: 9.79 %Clay County9.79Tucker County: 9.756 %Tucker County9.756Wyoming County: 9.736 %Wyoming County9.736Wirt County: 9.709 %Wirt County9.709Preston County: 9.444 %Preston County9.444Harrison County: 9.419 %Harrison County9.419Upshur County: 9.269 %Upshur County9.269Randolph County: 9.267 %Randolph County9.267Berkeley County: 9.212 %Berkeley County9.212Nicholas County: 9.143 %Nicholas County9.143Morgan County: 9.135 %Morgan County9.135Lincoln County: 9.091 %Lincoln County9.091Wetzel County: 9.077 %Wetzel County9.077Fayette County: 8.955 %Fayette County8.955Logan County: 8.95 %Logan County8.95Monongalia County: 8.912 %Monongalia County8.912Putnam County: 8.684 %Putnam County8.684Jackson County: 8.409 %Jackson County8.409Pendleton County: 8.032 %Pendleton County8.032Monroe County: 8.027 %Monroe County8.027Wood County: 7.948 %Wood County7.948Marion County: 7.931 %Marion County7.931Mercer County: 7.896 %Mercer County7.896Hancock County: 7.892 %Hancock County7.892Taylor County: 7.862 %Taylor County7.862Grant County: 7.852 %Grant County7.852Jefferson County: 7.822 %Jefferson County7.822Kanawha County: 7.744 %Kanawha County7.744Ohio County: 7.705 %Ohio County7.705Wayne County: 7.692 %Wayne County7.692Mineral County: 7.683 %Mineral County7.683Hampshire County: 7.679 %Hampshire County7.679Braxton County: 7.473 %Braxton County7.473Lewis County: 7.256 %Lewis County7.256Webster County: 7.24 %Webster County7.24Marshall County: 7.229 %Marshall County7.229Tyler County: 7.229 %Tyler County7.229Greenbrier County: 7.182 %Greenbrier County7.182Cabell County: 6.684 %Cabell County6.684Mason County: 6.579 %Mason County6.579Hardy County: 6.362 %Hardy County6.362Calhoun County: 5.988 %Calhoun County5.988Pleasants County: 5.578 %Pleasants County5.578Brooke County: 5.44 %Brooke County5.44Ritchie County: 5.325 %Ritchie County5.325
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Business Dynamics Statistics: establishment exit rate, all covered industries, nation and states from 1978, counties from 2010. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCounties2020 (%)Change on 2019
1McDowell County15.938+6.76 pts
2Gilmer County15.686+9.14 pts
3Boone County15.251+8.17 pts
4Doddridge County11.348+7 pts
5Barbour County11.282+3.8 pts
6Roane County10.909+5.28 pts
7Summers County10.429+5.37 pts
8Mingo County10.104+0.19 pts
9Raleigh County9.811+1.41 pts
10Pocahontas County9.794+1.42 pts
11Clay County9.79+5.53 pts
12Tucker County9.756+2.12 pts
13Wyoming County9.736-0.24 pts
14Wirt County9.709n/a
15Preston County9.444+1.79 pts
16Harrison County9.419+2.38 pts
17Upshur County9.269+1.36 pts
18Randolph County9.267+2.84 pts
19Berkeley County9.212+1.23 pts
20Nicholas County9.143+2.7 pts
21Morgan County9.135+2.87 pts
22Lincoln County9.091+2.08 pts
23Wetzel County9.077+2.54 pts
24Fayette County8.955+2.03 pts
25Logan County8.95+2.66 pts
26Monongalia County8.912+0.43 pts
27Putnam County8.684+0.2 pts
28Jackson County8.409-0.4 pts
29Pendleton County8.032-0.06 pts
30Monroe County8.027-0.16 pts
31Wood County7.948+2.27 pts
32Marion County7.931+1.11 pts
33Mercer County7.896+0.9 pts
34Hancock County7.892+2.29 pts
35Taylor County7.862+1.95 pts
36Grant County7.852+3.21 pts
37Jefferson County7.822+0.64 pts
38Kanawha County7.744+0.61 pts
39Ohio County7.705+0.83 pts
40Wayne County7.692-0.08 pts
41Mineral County7.683+0.08 pts
42Hampshire County7.679+0.12 pts
43Braxton County7.473+1.7 pts
44Lewis County7.256-0.69 pts
45Webster County7.24-1.49 pts
46Marshall County7.229+2.57 pts
46Tyler County7.229+2.19 pts
48Greenbrier County7.182-2.62 pts
49Cabell County6.684-0.28 pts
50Mason County6.579-1.34 pts
51Hardy County6.362+0.77 pts
52Calhoun County5.988-6.21 pts
53Pleasants County5.578-1.03 pts
54Brooke County5.44+0.17 pts
55Ritchie County5.325-1.71 pts

Other periods

About this ranking

Establishments that closed during the year (employees a year earlier and none in March of the year), as a percentage of the average number of establishments in the two years. United States: Census Bureau Business Dynamics Statistics.

Counts closed locations, including branches of firms that keep operating elsewhere, so it is not a firm failure rate. Not comparable with enterprise_death_rate, which counts enterprise deaths in Europe. The year is the twelve months to March: 2023 compares March 2022 with March 2023.

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: establishment exit rate, all covered industries, nation and states from 1978, counties from 2010. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/bds/tables/time-series/2023/bds2023_st_cty.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. Census Bureau. (2025). Business Dynamics Statistics: establishment exit rate, all covered industries, nation and states from 1978, counties from 2010 (Counties in West Virginia by establishment exit rate, 2020) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/bds/tables/time-series/2023/bds2023_st_cty.csv

MLA 9

Business Dynamics Statistics: establishment exit rate, all covered industries, nation and states from 1978, counties from 2010, Counties in West Virginia by establishment exit rate, 2020. 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/establishment-exit-rate/west-virginia-counties?period=2020. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

U.S. Census Bureau. 2025. Business Dynamics Statistics: establishment exit rate, all covered industries, nation and states from 1978, counties from 2010. Counties in West Virginia by establishment exit rate, 2020. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/bds/tables/time-series/2023/bds2023_st_cty.csv. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/establishment-exit-rate/west-virginia-counties?period=2020.

Harvard

U.S. Census Bureau (2025) Business Dynamics Statistics: establishment exit rate, all covered industries, nation and states from 1978, counties from 2010, Counties in West Virginia by establishment exit rate, 2020 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/bds/tables/time-series/2023/bds2023_st_cty.csv, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/establishment-exit-rate/west-virginia-counties?period=2020 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_counties_in_west_virginia_2020,
  author = {{U.S. Census Bureau}},
  title = {{Business Dynamics Statistics: establishment exit rate, all covered industries, nation and states from 1978, counties from 2010: Counties in West Virginia by establishment exit rate, 2020}},
  year = {2025},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/bds/tables/time-series/2023/bds2023_st_cty.csv},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/establishment-exit-rate/west-virginia-counties?period=2020. Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. Business Dynamics Statistics: establishment exit rate, all covered industries, nation and states from 1978, counties from 2010. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/bds/tables/time-series/2023/bds2023\_st\_cty.csv. Retrieved 2026-10-12.},
}
RIS
TY  - DATA
AU  - U.S. Census Bureau
TI  - Business Dynamics Statistics: establishment exit rate, all covered industries, nation and states from 1978, counties from 2010: Counties in West Virginia by establishment exit rate, 2020
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/establishment-exit-rate/west-virginia-counties?period=2020
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/establishment-exit-rate/west-virginia-counties?period=2020.
N1  - Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. Business Dynamics Statistics: establishment exit rate, all covered industries, nation and states from 1978, counties from 2010. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/bds/tables/time-series/2023/bds2023_st_cty.csv. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  -
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Questions

Which county has the highest establishment exit rate?

McDowell County, with 15.938% in 2020, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest establishment exit rate?

Ritchie County, with 5.325% in 2020.

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: establishment exit rate, all covered industries, nation and states from 1978, counties from 2010. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Establishment exit rate: other rankings

Counties in West Virginia: more rankings