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 2023, at 14.9%. Ritchie County had the lowest, at 1.7%. The median was 5.9% and the figure for West Virginia was 5.7%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Keep it in a collection in your library.
Highest14.9McDowell County
Median5.955 counties
West Virginia5.7History

Map of counties, 2023

Barbour County: 10.3 %Berkeley County: 4.8 %Boone County: 8.8 %Braxton County: 12.8 %Brooke County: 6 %Cabell County: 5.8 %Calhoun County: 10.9 %Clay County: 11.8 %Doddridge County: 4.7 %Fayette County: 7.1 %Gilmer County: 8.1 %Grant County: 4.9 %Greenbrier County: 4.2 %Hampshire County: 7.2 %Hancock County: 8.2 %Hardy County: 5.7 %Harrison County: 4.3 %Jackson County: 4.3 %Jefferson County: 4.1 %Kanawha County: 5.5 %Lewis County: 9.4 %Lincoln County: 6.1 %Logan County: 9.8 %McDowell County: 14.9 %Marion County: 5.3 %Marshall County: 4 %Mason County: 3 %Mercer County: 4 %Mineral County: 6 %Mingo County: 10.8 %Monongalia County: 5 %Monroe County: 10 %Morgan County: 3.4 %Nicholas County: 8.6 %Ohio County: 5.8 %Pendleton County: 6.3 %Pleasants County: 6.6 %Pocahontas County: 10.6 %Preston County: 6.2 %Putnam County: 3.3 %Raleigh County: 5.5 %Randolph County: 7 %Ritchie County: 1.7 %Roane County: 9.1 %Summers County: 5.7 %Taylor County: 9.6 %Tucker County: 6.2 %Tyler County: 5.9 %Upshur County: 5.8 %Wayne County: 5.4 %Webster County: 9.6 %Wetzel County: 5.8 %Wirt County: 3.3 %Wood County: 5.6 %Wyoming County: 5.6 %
  • Under 4.3
  • 4.3 to 5.5
  • 5.5 to 5.9
  • 5.9 to 7.1
  • 7.1 to 9.6
  • 9.6 and over
%, 2023. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundary files.

All counties, 2023

McDowell County: 14.9 %McDowell County14.9Braxton County: 12.8 %Braxton County12.8Clay County: 11.8 %Clay County11.8Calhoun County: 10.9 %Calhoun County10.9Mingo County: 10.8 %Mingo County10.8Pocahontas County: 10.6 %Pocahontas County10.6Barbour County: 10.3 %Barbour County10.3Monroe County: 10 %Monroe County10Logan County: 9.8 %Logan County9.8Taylor County: 9.6 %Taylor County9.6Webster County: 9.6 %Webster County9.6Lewis County: 9.4 %Lewis County9.4Roane County: 9.1 %Roane County9.1Boone County: 8.8 %Boone County8.8Nicholas County: 8.6 %Nicholas County8.6Hancock County: 8.2 %Hancock County8.2Gilmer County: 8.1 %Gilmer County8.1Hampshire County: 7.2 %Hampshire County7.2Fayette County: 7.1 %Fayette County7.1Randolph County: 7 %Randolph County7Pleasants County: 6.6 %Pleasants County6.6Pendleton County: 6.3 %Pendleton County6.3Preston County: 6.2 %Preston County6.2Tucker County: 6.2 %Tucker County6.2Lincoln County: 6.1 %Lincoln County6.1Brooke County: 6 %Brooke County6Mineral County: 6 %Mineral County6Tyler County: 5.9 %Tyler County5.9Upshur County: 5.8 %Upshur County5.8Wetzel County: 5.8 %Wetzel County5.8Cabell County: 5.8 %Cabell County5.8Ohio County: 5.8 %Ohio County5.8Summers County: 5.7 %Summers County5.7Hardy County: 5.7 %Hardy County5.7Wood County: 5.6 %Wood County5.6Wyoming County: 5.6 %Wyoming County5.6Kanawha County: 5.5 %Kanawha County5.5Raleigh County: 5.5 %Raleigh County5.5Wayne County: 5.4 %Wayne County5.4Marion County: 5.3 %Marion County5.3Monongalia County: 5 %Monongalia County5Grant County: 4.9 %Grant County4.9Berkeley County: 4.8 %Berkeley County4.8Doddridge County: 4.7 %Doddridge County4.7Jackson County: 4.3 %Jackson County4.3Harrison County: 4.3 %Harrison County4.3Greenbrier County: 4.2 %Greenbrier County4.2Jefferson County: 4.1 %Jefferson County4.1Marshall County: 4 %Marshall County4Mercer County: 4 %Mercer County4Morgan County: 3.4 %Morgan County3.4Wirt County: 3.3 %Wirt County3.3Putnam County: 3.3 %Putnam County3.3Mason County: 3 %Mason County3Ritchie County: 1.7 %Ritchie County1.7McDowell County: 14.9 %McDowell County14.9Braxton County: 12.8 %Braxton County12.8Clay County: 11.8 %Clay County11.8Calhoun County: 10.9 %Calhoun County10.9Mingo County: 10.8 %Mingo County10.8Pocahontas County: 10.6 %Pocahontas County10.6Barbour County: 10.3 %Barbour County10.3Monroe County: 10 %Monroe County10Logan County: 9.8 %Logan County9.8Taylor County: 9.6 %Taylor County9.6Webster County: 9.6 %Webster County9.6Lewis County: 9.4 %Lewis County9.4Roane County: 9.1 %Roane County9.1Boone County: 8.8 %Boone County8.8Nicholas County: 8.6 %Nicholas County8.6Hancock County: 8.2 %Hancock County8.2Gilmer County: 8.1 %Gilmer County8.1Hampshire County: 7.2 %Hampshire County7.2Fayette County: 7.1 %Fayette County7.1Randolph County: 7 %Randolph County7Pleasants County: 6.6 %Pleasants County6.6Pendleton County: 6.3 %Pendleton County6.3Preston County: 6.2 %Preston County6.2Tucker County: 6.2 %Tucker County6.2Lincoln County: 6.1 %Lincoln County6.1Brooke County: 6 %Brooke County6Mineral County: 6 %Mineral County6Tyler County: 5.9 %Tyler County5.9Upshur County: 5.8 %Upshur County5.8Wetzel County: 5.8 %Wetzel County5.8Cabell County: 5.8 %Cabell County5.8Ohio County: 5.8 %Ohio County5.8Summers County: 5.7 %Summers County5.7Hardy County: 5.7 %Hardy County5.7Wood County: 5.6 %Wood County5.6Wyoming County: 5.6 %Wyoming County5.6Kanawha County: 5.5 %Kanawha County5.5Raleigh County: 5.5 %Raleigh County5.5Wayne County: 5.4 %Wayne County5.4Marion County: 5.3 %Marion County5.3Monongalia County: 5 %Monongalia County5Grant County: 4.9 %Grant County4.9Berkeley County: 4.8 %Berkeley County4.8Doddridge County: 4.7 %Doddridge County4.7Jackson County: 4.3 %Jackson County4.3Harrison County: 4.3 %Harrison County4.3Greenbrier County: 4.2 %Greenbrier County4.2Jefferson County: 4.1 %Jefferson County4.1Marshall County: 4 %Marshall County4Mercer County: 4 %Mercer County4Morgan County: 3.4 %Morgan County3.4Wirt County: 3.3 %Wirt County3.3Putnam County: 3.3 %Putnam County3.3Mason County: 3 %Mason County3Ritchie County: 1.7 %Ritchie County1.7
%. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCounties2023 (%)Change on 2022
1McDowell County14.9-0.2 pts
2Braxton County12.8-1.6 pts
3Clay County11.8+0.5 pts
4Calhoun County10.9-1.4 pts
5Mingo County10.8-0.4 pts
6Pocahontas County10.6+2.6 pts
7Barbour County10.3+0.2 pts
8Monroe County10-0.6 pts
9Logan County9.8-3.5 pts
10Taylor County9.6+0.3 pts
11Webster County9.6-1.5 pts
12Lewis County9.4+0.8 pts
13Roane County9.1-2.7 pts
14Boone County8.8-1 pts
15Nicholas County8.6+2 pts
16Hancock County8.2-0.3 pts
17Gilmer County8.1+1 pts
18Hampshire County7.2-1.3 pts
19Fayette County7.1-0.3 pts
20Randolph County7-0.3 pts
21Pleasants County6.6-0.7 pts
22Pendleton County6.3-1 pts
23Preston County6.2-0.9 pts
24Tucker County6.2-0.4 pts
25Lincoln County6.1+0.2 pts
26Brooke County6+0.3 pts
27Mineral County6+0.2 pts
28Tyler County5.9+1 pts
29Upshur County5.80 pts
30Wetzel County5.8-0.3 pts
31Cabell County5.8-0.3 pts
32Ohio County5.8+0.5 pts
33Summers County5.7-1.9 pts
34Hardy County5.7+1.1 pts
35Wood County5.6+0.4 pts
36Wyoming County5.6-0.8 pts
37Kanawha County5.5+0.1 pts
38Raleigh County5.5-1.7 pts
39Wayne County5.4+0.3 pts
40Marion County5.3-1.1 pts
41Monongalia County5-0.7 pts
42Grant County4.9-0.4 pts
43Berkeley County4.8+0.1 pts
44Doddridge County4.7+0.4 pts
45Jackson County4.3+0.8 pts
46Harrison County4.3-1.1 pts
47Greenbrier County4.2-0.1 pts
48Jefferson County4.1-0.7 pts
49Marshall County4+0.1 pts
49Mercer County4-0.2 pts
51Morgan County3.4-1.7 pts
52Wirt County3.3+0.7 pts
53Putnam County3.3-0.5 pts
54Mason County30 pts
55Ritchie County1.7-1.9 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/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-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), 2023) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-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), 2023. U.S. Census Bureau, 29 Jan. 2026, https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-b23025.dat. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/unemployment-rate-acs/west-virginia-counties?period=2023. 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), 2023. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-b23025.dat. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/unemployment-rate-acs/west-virginia-counties?period=2023.

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), 2023 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-b23025.dat, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/unemployment-rate-acs/west-virginia-counties?period=2023 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_counties_in_west_virginia_2023,
  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), 2023}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-b23025.dat},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/unemployment-rate-acs/west-virginia-counties?period=2023. 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/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-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), 2023
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/01/29
PB  - U.S. Census Bureau
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-b23025.dat
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/unemployment-rate-acs/west-virginia-counties?period=2023
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/unemployment-rate-acs/west-virginia-counties?period=2023.
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/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-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 14.9% in 2023, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

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

Ritchie County, with 1.7% in 2023.

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