Data / Rankings / Unemployment rate / Counties in West Virginia

Counties in West Virginia by unemployment rate

McDowell County had the highest unemployment rate of 55 counties in November 2025, at 10.8%. Pendleton County had the lowest, at 3.4%. The median was 4.8% and the figure for West Virginia was 4.6%. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Highest10.8McDowell County
Lowest3.4Pendleton County
Median4.855 counties
West Virginia4.6History

All counties, November 2025

CSVChart (SVG)

McDowell CountyMcDowell County: 10.8 %10.8Calhoun CountyCalhoun County: 7.8 %7.8Clay CountyClay County: 7.7 %7.7Mingo CountyMingo County: 7.1 %7.1Pocahontas CountyPocahontas County: 6.7 %6.7Roane CountyRoane County: 6.6 %6.6Webster CountyWebster County: 6.3 %6.3Wyoming CountyWyoming County: 6.1 %6.1Nicholas CountyNicholas County: 6 %6Wetzel CountyWetzel County: 5.9 %5.9Randolph CountyRandolph County: 5.7 %5.7Boone CountyBoone County: 5.5 %5.5Hancock CountyHancock County: 5.5 %5.5Jackson CountyJackson County: 5.5 %5.5Wirt CountyWirt County: 5.5 %5.5Fayette CountyFayette County: 5.4 %5.4Logan CountyLogan County: 5.4 %5.4Lewis CountyLewis County: 5.2 %5.2Ritchie CountyRitchie County: 5.2 %5.2Barbour CountyBarbour County: 5.1 %5.1Lincoln CountyLincoln County: 5.1 %5.1Tyler CountyTyler County: 5.1 %5.1Upshur CountyUpshur County: 5.1 %5.1Summers CountySummers County: 5 %5Brooke CountyBrooke County: 4.9 %4.9Wayne CountyWayne County: 4.9 %4.9Braxton CountyBraxton County: 4.8 %4.8Raleigh CountyRaleigh County: 4.8 %4.8Marion CountyMarion County: 4.6 %4.6Mercer CountyMercer County: 4.6 %4.6Greenbrier CountyGreenbrier County: 4.5 %4.5Mineral CountyMineral County: 4.5 %4.5Ohio CountyOhio County: 4.5 %4.5Preston CountyPreston County: 4.5 %4.5Kanawha CountyKanawha County: 4.4 %4.4Marshall CountyMarshall County: 4.4 %4.4Monroe CountyMonroe County: 4.4 %4.4Taylor CountyTaylor County: 4.4 %4.4Tucker CountyTucker County: 4.4 %4.4Pleasants CountyPleasants County: 4.3 %4.3Wood CountyWood County: 4.3 %4.3Cabell CountyCabell County: 4.2 %4.2Harrison CountyHarrison County: 4.1 %4.1Berkeley CountyBerkeley County: 3.9 %3.9Hampshire CountyHampshire County: 3.9 %3.9Hardy CountyHardy County: 3.9 %3.9Gilmer CountyGilmer County: 3.8 %3.8Grant CountyGrant County: 3.8 %3.8Mason CountyMason County: 3.8 %3.8Monongalia CountyMonongalia County: 3.8 %3.8Morgan CountyMorgan County: 3.7 %3.7Putnam CountyPutnam County: 3.7 %3.7Doddridge CountyDoddridge County: 3.5 %3.5Jefferson CountyJefferson County: 3.5 %3.5Pendleton CountyPendleton County: 3.4 %3.4
%. Source: BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCountiesNovember 2025 (%)Change on November 2024
1McDowell County10.8+3.6 pts
2Calhoun County7.8+0.8 pts
3Clay County7.7+2 pts
4Mingo County7.1+2 pts
5Pocahontas County6.7+1.5 pts
6Roane County6.6+0.8 pts
7Webster County6.3+2.1 pts
8Wyoming County6.1+2.4 pts
9Nicholas County6+2 pts
10Wetzel County5.9+0.5 pts
11Randolph County5.7+1 pts
12Boone County5.5+1.5 pts
12Hancock County5.5+0.6 pts
12Jackson County5.5+0.9 pts
12Wirt County5.5+1 pts
16Fayette County5.4+1.6 pts
16Logan County5.4+1.5 pts
18Lewis County5.2+1.2 pts
18Ritchie County5.2+0.6 pts
20Barbour County5.1+1 pts
20Lincoln County5.1+1.2 pts
20Tyler County5.1+0.2 pts
20Upshur County5.1+1.4 pts
24Summers County5+1.3 pts
25Brooke County4.9+0.2 pts
25Wayne County4.9+1.3 pts
27Braxton County4.8-0.4 pts
27Raleigh County4.8+1.4 pts
29Marion County4.6+1.2 pts
29Mercer County4.6+1.1 pts
31Greenbrier County4.5+1.5 pts
31Mineral County4.5+0.9 pts
31Ohio County4.5+1.2 pts
31Preston County4.5+1 pts
35Kanawha County4.4+1 pts
35Marshall County4.4+0.6 pts
35Monroe County4.4+1 pts
35Taylor County4.4+1.3 pts
35Tucker County4.4+1.6 pts
40Pleasants County4.30 pts
40Wood County4.3+0.8 pts
42Cabell County4.2+1 pts
43Harrison County4.1+0.8 pts
44Berkeley County3.9+1.1 pts
44Hampshire County3.9+1 pts
44Hardy County3.9+1.1 pts
47Gilmer County3.8-0.2 pts
47Grant County3.8+0.4 pts
47Mason County3.8+0.4 pts
47Monongalia County3.8+1 pts
51Morgan County3.7+0.8 pts
51Putnam County3.7+0.8 pts
53Doddridge County3.5-0.1 pts
53Jefferson County3.5+1.1 pts
55Pendleton County3.4+0.9 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 10.8% in November 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which county has the lowest unemployment rate?

Pendleton County, with 3.4% in November 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