Counties in West Virginia by unemployment rate

McDowell County had the highest unemployment rate of 55 counties in September 2025, at 10.7%. Pendleton County had the lowest, at 3.1%. The median was 4.3% and the figure for West Virginia was 4.5%. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Highest10.7McDowell County
Median4.355 counties
West Virginia4.5History

All counties, September 2025

CSVChart (SVG)

McDowell CountyMcDowell County: 10.7 %10.7Clay CountyClay County: 6.7 %6.7Mingo CountyMingo County: 6.5 %6.5Roane CountyRoane County: 5.8 %5.8Wyoming CountyWyoming County: 5.8 %5.8Webster CountyWebster County: 5.5 %5.5Nicholas CountyNicholas County: 5.4 %5.4Calhoun CountyCalhoun County: 5.3 %5.3Boone CountyBoone County: 5.2 %5.2Monroe CountyMonroe County: 5.2 %5.2Logan CountyLogan County: 5.1 %5.1Tyler CountyTyler County: 5.1 %5.1Hancock CountyHancock County: 5 %5Jackson CountyJackson County: 5 %5Wetzel CountyWetzel County: 5 %5Lincoln CountyLincoln County: 4.9 %4.9Randolph CountyRandolph County: 4.8 %4.8Summers CountySummers County: 4.8 %4.8Wirt CountyWirt County: 4.8 %4.8Barbour CountyBarbour County: 4.7 %4.7Brooke CountyBrooke County: 4.7 %4.7Ritchie CountyRitchie County: 4.7 %4.7Lewis CountyLewis County: 4.6 %4.6Upshur CountyUpshur County: 4.6 %4.6Raleigh CountyRaleigh County: 4.4 %4.4Wayne CountyWayne County: 4.4 %4.4Fayette CountyFayette County: 4.3 %4.3Mercer CountyMercer County: 4.3 %4.3Mineral CountyMineral County: 4.3 %4.3Pocahontas CountyPocahontas County: 4.3 %4.3Greenbrier CountyGreenbrier County: 4.2 %4.2Kanawha CountyKanawha County: 4.2 %4.2Marion CountyMarion County: 4.2 %4.2Braxton CountyBraxton County: 4.1 %4.1Marshall CountyMarshall County: 4.1 %4.1Ohio CountyOhio County: 4.1 %4.1Taylor CountyTaylor County: 4 %4Wood CountyWood County: 4 %4Cabell CountyCabell County: 3.9 %3.9Pleasants CountyPleasants County: 3.9 %3.9Preston CountyPreston County: 3.9 %3.9Berkeley CountyBerkeley County: 3.7 %3.7Hampshire CountyHampshire County: 3.7 %3.7Tucker CountyTucker County: 3.7 %3.7Gilmer CountyGilmer County: 3.6 %3.6Harrison CountyHarrison County: 3.6 %3.6Monongalia CountyMonongalia County: 3.5 %3.5Morgan CountyMorgan County: 3.5 %3.5Grant CountyGrant County: 3.4 %3.4Hardy CountyHardy County: 3.4 %3.4Mason CountyMason County: 3.4 %3.4Putnam CountyPutnam County: 3.4 %3.4Doddridge CountyDoddridge County: 3.3 %3.3Jefferson CountyJefferson County: 3.2 %3.2Pendleton CountyPendleton County: 3.1 %3.1
%. Source: BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCountiesSeptember 2025 (%)Change on September 2024
1McDowell County10.7+3.5 pts
2Clay County6.7+1 pts
3Mingo County6.5+1.1 pts
4Roane County5.8+0.2 pts
4Wyoming County5.8+1.7 pts
6Webster County5.5+0.6 pts
7Nicholas County5.4+1.2 pts
8Calhoun County5.3+0.6 pts
9Boone County5.2+0.8 pts
9Monroe County5.2+1.8 pts
11Logan County5.1+1.1 pts
11Tyler County5.1+0.4 pts
13Hancock County5-0.4 pts
13Jackson County5+0.4 pts
13Wetzel County5-0.1 pts
16Lincoln County4.9+0.9 pts
17Randolph County4.8+0.6 pts
17Summers County4.8+0.9 pts
17Wirt County4.8-0.2 pts
20Barbour County4.7+0.5 pts
20Brooke County4.7-0.4 pts
20Ritchie County4.7+0.3 pts
23Lewis County4.6+0.5 pts
23Upshur County4.6+0.9 pts
25Raleigh County4.4+1 pts
25Wayne County4.4+0.6 pts
27Fayette County4.3+0.7 pts
27Mercer County4.3+0.7 pts
27Mineral County4.3+0.6 pts
27Pocahontas County4.3+0.3 pts
31Greenbrier County4.2+1 pts
31Kanawha County4.2+0.7 pts
31Marion County4.2+0.7 pts
34Braxton County4.1-0.8 pts
34Marshall County4.10 pts
34Ohio County4.1+0.6 pts
37Taylor County4+0.8 pts
37Wood County4+0.4 pts
39Cabell County3.9+0.6 pts
39Pleasants County3.9-0.1 pts
39Preston County3.9+0.3 pts
42Berkeley County3.7+0.7 pts
42Hampshire County3.7+0.8 pts
42Tucker County3.7+0.6 pts
45Gilmer County3.6-0.2 pts
45Harrison County3.6+0.3 pts
47Monongalia County3.5+0.7 pts
47Morgan County3.5+0.6 pts
49Grant County3.4+0.2 pts
49Hardy County3.4+0.5 pts
49Mason County3.4-0.3 pts
49Putnam County3.4+0.3 pts
53Doddridge County3.3+0.2 pts
54Jefferson County3.2+0.7 pts
55Pendleton County3.1+0.7 pts

Other periods

About this ranking

Unemployed people as a percentage of the labour force, using the survey definition of unemployment: without work, available and looking for work. Spain: EPA, aged 16 and over. EU: Labour Force Survey, aged 15 to 74. United States: civilian labour force aged 16 and over, from the Current Population Survey for the nation and from BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics models, consistent with that survey, for states and counties. Other countries and the World: ILO modelled estimates published by the World Bank, aged 15 and over.

Survey-based. Available for Spain, regions, provinces, EU countries, US states and US counties, not Spanish municipalities. For municipalities use registered_unemployment_rate. US national and state rates are seasonally adjusted; county rates are not. Countries without a national or Eurostat series get the annual ILO modelled estimate, a model output rather than a survey result.

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. Local Area Unemployment Statistics: unemployment rate by county, not seasonally adjusted. https://download.bls.gov/pub/time.series/la/la.data.0.CurrentU25-29. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

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Questions

Which county has the highest unemployment rate?

McDowell County, with 10.7% in September 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which county has the lowest unemployment rate?

Pendleton County, with 3.1% in September 2025.

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, Local Area Unemployment Statistics: unemployment rate by county, not seasonally adjusted. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Unemployment rate: other rankings

Counties in West Virginia: more rankings