Counties in West Virginia by unemployment rate (US five-year survey estimate)

McDowell County had the highest unemployment rate (US five-year survey estimate) of 55 counties in 2022, at 15.1%. Wirt County had the lowest, at 2.6%. The median was 6.4% and the figure for West Virginia was 6.1%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Keep it in a collection in your library.
Highest15.1McDowell County
Lowest2.6Wirt County
Median6.455 counties
West Virginia6.1History

Map of counties, 2022

Barbour County: 10.2 %Berkeley County: 4.6 %Boone County: 9.8 %Braxton County: 14.4 %Brooke County: 5.7 %Cabell County: 6.1 %Calhoun County: 12.3 %Clay County: 11.2 %Doddridge County: 4.3 %Fayette County: 7.5 %Gilmer County: 7.1 %Grant County: 5.3 %Greenbrier County: 4.3 %Hampshire County: 8.5 %Hancock County: 8.5 %Hardy County: 4.6 %Harrison County: 5.4 %Jackson County: 3.6 %Jefferson County: 4.9 %Kanawha County: 5.4 %Lewis County: 8.7 %Lincoln County: 6 %Logan County: 13.3 %McDowell County: 15.1 %Marion County: 6.4 %Marshall County: 4 %Mason County: 2.9 %Mercer County: 4.2 %Mineral County: 5.8 %Mingo County: 11.2 %Monongalia County: 5.7 %Monroe County: 10.6 %Morgan County: 5.1 %Nicholas County: 6.6 %Ohio County: 5.3 %Pendleton County: 7.3 %Pleasants County: 7.2 %Pocahontas County: 8.1 %Preston County: 7.2 %Putnam County: 3.8 %Raleigh County: 7.1 %Randolph County: 7.3 %Ritchie County: 3.6 %Roane County: 11.7 %Summers County: 7.6 %Taylor County: 9.3 %Tucker County: 6.6 %Tyler County: 4.9 %Upshur County: 5.8 %Wayne County: 5.1 %Webster County: 11.1 %Wetzel County: 6.1 %Wirt County: 2.6 %Wood County: 5.3 %Wyoming County: 6.4 %
  • Under 4.6
  • 4.6 to 5.3
  • 5.3 to 6.4
  • 6.4 to 7.3
  • 7.3 to 10
  • 10 and over
%, 2022. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundary files.

All counties, 2022

McDowell County: 15.1 %McDowell County15.1Braxton County: 14.4 %Braxton County14.4Logan County: 13.3 %Logan County13.3Calhoun County: 12.3 %Calhoun County12.3Roane County: 11.7 %Roane County11.7Clay County: 11.2 %Clay County11.2Mingo County: 11.2 %Mingo County11.2Webster County: 11.1 %Webster County11.1Monroe County: 10.6 %Monroe County10.6Barbour County: 10.2 %Barbour County10.2Boone County: 9.8 %Boone County9.8Taylor County: 9.3 %Taylor County9.3Lewis County: 8.7 %Lewis County8.7Hampshire County: 8.5 %Hampshire County8.5Hancock County: 8.5 %Hancock County8.5Pocahontas County: 8.1 %Pocahontas County8.1Summers County: 7.6 %Summers County7.6Fayette County: 7.5 %Fayette County7.5Pendleton County: 7.3 %Pendleton County7.3Randolph County: 7.3 %Randolph County7.3Pleasants County: 7.2 %Pleasants County7.2Preston County: 7.2 %Preston County7.2Raleigh County: 7.1 %Raleigh County7.1Gilmer County: 7.1 %Gilmer County7.1Nicholas County: 6.6 %Nicholas County6.6Tucker County: 6.6 %Tucker County6.6Marion County: 6.4 %Marion County6.4Wyoming County: 6.4 %Wyoming County6.4Wetzel County: 6.1 %Wetzel County6.1Cabell County: 6.1 %Cabell County6.1Lincoln County: 6 %Lincoln County6Upshur County: 5.8 %Upshur County5.8Mineral County: 5.8 %Mineral County5.8Brooke County: 5.7 %Brooke County5.7Monongalia County: 5.7 %Monongalia County5.7Kanawha County: 5.4 %Kanawha County5.4Harrison County: 5.4 %Harrison County5.4Grant County: 5.3 %Grant County5.3Ohio County: 5.3 %Ohio County5.3Wood County: 5.3 %Wood County5.3Morgan County: 5.1 %Morgan County5.1Wayne County: 5.1 %Wayne County5.1Tyler County: 4.9 %Tyler County4.9Jefferson County: 4.9 %Jefferson County4.9Berkeley County: 4.6 %Berkeley County4.6Hardy County: 4.6 %Hardy County4.6Doddridge County: 4.3 %Doddridge County4.3Greenbrier County: 4.3 %Greenbrier County4.3Mercer County: 4.2 %Mercer County4.2Marshall County: 4 %Marshall County4Putnam County: 3.8 %Putnam County3.8Jackson County: 3.6 %Jackson County3.6Ritchie County: 3.6 %Ritchie County3.6Mason County: 2.9 %Mason County2.9Wirt County: 2.6 %Wirt County2.6McDowell County: 15.1 %McDowell County15.1Braxton County: 14.4 %Braxton County14.4Logan County: 13.3 %Logan County13.3Calhoun County: 12.3 %Calhoun County12.3Roane County: 11.7 %Roane County11.7Clay County: 11.2 %Clay County11.2Mingo County: 11.2 %Mingo County11.2Webster County: 11.1 %Webster County11.1Monroe County: 10.6 %Monroe County10.6Barbour County: 10.2 %Barbour County10.2Boone County: 9.8 %Boone County9.8Taylor County: 9.3 %Taylor County9.3Lewis County: 8.7 %Lewis County8.7Hampshire County: 8.5 %Hampshire County8.5Hancock County: 8.5 %Hancock County8.5Pocahontas County: 8.1 %Pocahontas County8.1Summers County: 7.6 %Summers County7.6Fayette County: 7.5 %Fayette County7.5Pendleton County: 7.3 %Pendleton County7.3Randolph County: 7.3 %Randolph County7.3Pleasants County: 7.2 %Pleasants County7.2Preston County: 7.2 %Preston County7.2Raleigh County: 7.1 %Raleigh County7.1Gilmer County: 7.1 %Gilmer County7.1Nicholas County: 6.6 %Nicholas County6.6Tucker County: 6.6 %Tucker County6.6Marion County: 6.4 %Marion County6.4Wyoming County: 6.4 %Wyoming County6.4Wetzel County: 6.1 %Wetzel County6.1Cabell County: 6.1 %Cabell County6.1Lincoln County: 6 %Lincoln County6Upshur County: 5.8 %Upshur County5.8Mineral County: 5.8 %Mineral County5.8Brooke County: 5.7 %Brooke County5.7Monongalia County: 5.7 %Monongalia County5.7Kanawha County: 5.4 %Kanawha County5.4Harrison County: 5.4 %Harrison County5.4Grant County: 5.3 %Grant County5.3Ohio County: 5.3 %Ohio County5.3Wood County: 5.3 %Wood County5.3Morgan County: 5.1 %Morgan County5.1Wayne County: 5.1 %Wayne County5.1Tyler County: 4.9 %Tyler County4.9Jefferson County: 4.9 %Jefferson County4.9Berkeley County: 4.6 %Berkeley County4.6Hardy County: 4.6 %Hardy County4.6Doddridge County: 4.3 %Doddridge County4.3Greenbrier County: 4.3 %Greenbrier County4.3Mercer County: 4.2 %Mercer County4.2Marshall County: 4 %Marshall County4Putnam County: 3.8 %Putnam County3.8Jackson County: 3.6 %Jackson County3.6Ritchie County: 3.6 %Ritchie County3.6Mason County: 2.9 %Mason County2.9Wirt County: 2.6 %Wirt County2.6
%. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCounties2022 (%)Change on 2021
1McDowell County15.1+1.6 pts
2Braxton County14.4-1.4 pts
3Logan County13.3-2.5 pts
4Calhoun County12.3+1.1 pts
5Roane County11.7+1.1 pts
6Clay County11.2-3.4 pts
7Mingo County11.2-0.1 pts
8Webster County11.1-2.8 pts
9Monroe County10.6-0.8 pts
10Barbour County10.2+0.2 pts
11Boone County9.8-4.1 pts
12Taylor County9.3-1.5 pts
13Lewis County8.7+0.3 pts
14Hampshire County8.5+1.6 pts
15Hancock County8.5-1 pts
16Pocahontas County8.1-1.3 pts
17Summers County7.6+0.1 pts
18Fayette County7.5+0.2 pts
19Pendleton County7.3+1.7 pts
20Randolph County7.3-1.3 pts
21Pleasants County7.2+0.4 pts
22Preston County7.2-1.3 pts
23Raleigh County7.1-0.1 pts
24Gilmer County7.1-2.1 pts
25Nicholas County6.6-1.1 pts
26Tucker County6.6-0.4 pts
27Marion County6.4+0.8 pts
28Wyoming County6.4-1.6 pts
29Wetzel County6.1-0.3 pts
30Cabell County6.1+0.5 pts
31Lincoln County6-0.5 pts
32Upshur County5.8+0.2 pts
33Mineral County5.8-0.4 pts
34Brooke County5.7+0.8 pts
35Monongalia County5.7-0.6 pts
36Kanawha County5.4-0.5 pts
37Harrison County5.4-0.1 pts
38Grant County5.3-1.3 pts
39Ohio County5.3-0.1 pts
40Wood County5.3-0 pts
41Morgan County5.1-2.1 pts
42Wayne County5.1+0.3 pts
43Tyler County4.9-1.6 pts
44Jefferson County4.9-0.8 pts
45Berkeley County4.6-0.2 pts
46Hardy County4.6+2.1 pts
47Doddridge County4.3-0.6 pts
48Greenbrier County4.3-1.3 pts
49Mercer County4.2-0.5 pts
50Marshall County4-0.2 pts
51Putnam County3.8+0.1 pts
52Jackson County3.60 pts
52Ritchie County3.6-1.5 pts
54Mason County2.9+0.3 pts
55Wirt County2.6-0.4 pts

Other periods

About this ranking

Unemployed civilians aged 16 and over as a percentage of the civilian labor force aged 16 and over. United States: American Community Survey five-year estimate, where the period shown is the last year of the five-year span.

An average over five years of survey responses, so it moves slowly. The official monthly and annual rates for states and counties are unemployment_rate, from BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics.

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. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B23025: unemployed as a percentage of the civilian labor force aged 16 and over, calculated with stored inputs. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2022/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2022-b23025.dat. 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. (2026). American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B23025: unemployed as a percentage of the civilian labor force aged 16 and over, calculated with stored inputs (Counties in West Virginia by unemployment rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2022) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2022/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2022-b23025.dat

MLA 9

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B23025: unemployed as a percentage of the civilian labor force aged 16 and over, calculated with stored inputs, Counties in West Virginia by unemployment rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2022. U.S. Census Bureau, 29 Jan. 2026, https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2022/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2022-b23025.dat. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/unemployment-rate-acs/west-virginia-counties?period=2022. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

U.S. Census Bureau. 2026. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B23025: unemployed as a percentage of the civilian labor force aged 16 and over, calculated with stored inputs. Counties in West Virginia by unemployment rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2022. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2022/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2022-b23025.dat. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/unemployment-rate-acs/west-virginia-counties?period=2022.

Harvard

U.S. Census Bureau (2026) American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B23025: unemployed as a percentage of the civilian labor force aged 16 and over, calculated with stored inputs, Counties in West Virginia by unemployment rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2022 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2022/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2022-b23025.dat, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/unemployment-rate-acs/west-virginia-counties?period=2022 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_counties_in_west_virginia_2022,
  author = {{U.S. Census Bureau}},
  title = {{American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B23025: unemployed as a percentage of the civilian labor force aged 16 and over, calculated with stored inputs: Counties in West Virginia by unemployment rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2022}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2022/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2022-b23025.dat},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/unemployment-rate-acs/west-virginia-counties?period=2022. Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B23025: unemployed as a percentage of the civilian labor force aged 16 and over, calculated with stored inputs. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary\_file/2022/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2022-b23025.dat. Retrieved 2026-10-12.},
}
RIS
TY  - DATA
AU  - U.S. Census Bureau
TI  - American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B23025: unemployed as a percentage of the civilian labor force aged 16 and over, calculated with stored inputs: Counties in West Virginia by unemployment rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2022
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/01/29
PB  - U.S. Census Bureau
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2022/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2022-b23025.dat
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/unemployment-rate-acs/west-virginia-counties?period=2022
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/unemployment-rate-acs/west-virginia-counties?period=2022.
N1  - Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B23025: unemployed as a percentage of the civilian labor force aged 16 and over, calculated with stored inputs. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2022/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2022-b23025.dat. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  - 
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Questions

Which county has the highest unemployment rate (US five-year survey estimate)?

McDowell County, with 15.1% in 2022, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest unemployment rate (US five-year survey estimate)?

Wirt County, with 2.6% 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, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B23025: unemployed as a percentage of the civilian labor force aged 16 and over, calculated with stored inputs. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Unemployment rate (US five-year survey estimate): other rankings

Counties in West Virginia: more rankings