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 December 2025, at 10.5%. Jefferson County had the lowest, at 3.3%. The median was 4.7% and the figure for West Virginia was 4.6%. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Highest10.5McDowell County
Lowest3.3Jefferson County
Median4.755 counties
West Virginia4.6History

All counties, December 2025

CSVChart (SVG)

McDowell CountyMcDowell County: 10.5 %10.5Clay CountyClay County: 8.9 %8.9Calhoun CountyCalhoun County: 8.6 %8.6Roane CountyRoane County: 7.2 %7.2Wirt CountyWirt County: 6.8 %6.8Mingo CountyMingo County: 6.5 %6.5Wetzel CountyWetzel County: 6.3 %6.3Nicholas CountyNicholas County: 6.1 %6.1Webster CountyWebster County: 6.1 %6.1Wyoming CountyWyoming County: 5.9 %5.9Fayette CountyFayette County: 5.7 %5.7Jackson CountyJackson County: 5.7 %5.7Randolph CountyRandolph County: 5.7 %5.7Lincoln CountyLincoln County: 5.6 %5.6Ritchie CountyRitchie County: 5.5 %5.5Boone CountyBoone County: 5.4 %5.4Upshur CountyUpshur County: 5.3 %5.3Barbour CountyBarbour County: 5.2 %5.2Logan CountyLogan County: 5.2 %5.2Tyler CountyTyler County: 5.2 %5.2Braxton CountyBraxton County: 5.1 %5.1Hancock CountyHancock County: 5.1 %5.1Lewis CountyLewis County: 5.1 %5.1Summers CountySummers County: 5.1 %5.1Wayne CountyWayne County: 5.1 %5.1Pocahontas CountyPocahontas County: 5 %5Greenbrier CountyGreenbrier County: 4.8 %4.8Brooke CountyBrooke County: 4.7 %4.7Raleigh CountyRaleigh County: 4.7 %4.7Marshall CountyMarshall County: 4.6 %4.6Mercer CountyMercer County: 4.6 %4.6Marion CountyMarion County: 4.5 %4.5Ohio CountyOhio County: 4.5 %4.5Pleasants CountyPleasants County: 4.5 %4.5Kanawha CountyKanawha County: 4.4 %4.4Mineral CountyMineral County: 4.4 %4.4Monroe CountyMonroe County: 4.4 %4.4Wood CountyWood County: 4.4 %4.4Gilmer CountyGilmer County: 4.2 %4.2Grant CountyGrant County: 4.2 %4.2Preston CountyPreston County: 4.2 %4.2Taylor CountyTaylor County: 4.2 %4.2Harrison CountyHarrison County: 4.1 %4.1Cabell CountyCabell County: 4 %4Hardy CountyHardy County: 3.9 %3.9Tucker CountyTucker County: 3.9 %3.9Mason CountyMason County: 3.8 %3.8Putnam CountyPutnam County: 3.8 %3.8Berkeley CountyBerkeley County: 3.7 %3.7Hampshire CountyHampshire County: 3.7 %3.7Monongalia CountyMonongalia County: 3.7 %3.7Doddridge CountyDoddridge County: 3.6 %3.6Morgan CountyMorgan County: 3.6 %3.6Pendleton CountyPendleton County: 3.5 %3.5Jefferson CountyJefferson County: 3.3 %3.3
%. Source: BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCountiesDecember 2025 (%)Change on December 2024
1McDowell County10.5+3.6 pts
2Clay County8.9+1.5 pts
3Calhoun County8.6-0.1 pts
4Roane County7.2+0.8 pts
5Wirt County6.8+1.1 pts
6Mingo County6.5+1.7 pts
7Wetzel County6.3+0.3 pts
8Nicholas County6.1+2 pts
8Webster County6.1+1.3 pts
10Wyoming County5.9+2.2 pts
11Fayette County5.7+1.8 pts
11Jackson County5.7+1 pts
11Randolph County5.7+0.7 pts
14Lincoln County5.6+1.6 pts
15Ritchie County5.5+0.8 pts
16Boone County5.4+1.6 pts
17Upshur County5.3+1.3 pts
18Barbour County5.2+0.6 pts
18Logan County5.2+1.6 pts
18Tyler County5.2+0.2 pts
21Braxton County5.1-0.8 pts
21Hancock County5.1+0.4 pts
21Lewis County5.1+1 pts
21Summers County5.1+1.3 pts
21Wayne County5.1+1.6 pts
26Pocahontas County5+1.5 pts
27Greenbrier County4.8+1.6 pts
28Brooke County4.7+0.3 pts
28Raleigh County4.7+1.4 pts
30Marshall County4.6+0.6 pts
30Mercer County4.6+1.2 pts
32Marion County4.5+1.1 pts
32Ohio County4.5+1.3 pts
32Pleasants County4.50 pts
35Kanawha County4.4+1.1 pts
35Mineral County4.4+0.6 pts
35Monroe County4.4+1.1 pts
35Wood County4.4+0.9 pts
39Gilmer County4.2-0.1 pts
39Grant County4.2+0.7 pts
39Preston County4.2+0.7 pts
39Taylor County4.2+0.7 pts
43Harrison County4.1+0.8 pts
44Cabell County4+0.9 pts
45Hardy County3.9+0.8 pts
45Tucker County3.9+0.5 pts
47Mason County3.8+0.4 pts
47Putnam County3.8+1 pts
49Berkeley County3.7+1 pts
49Hampshire County3.7+0.7 pts
49Monongalia County3.7+0.9 pts
52Doddridge County3.6-0.2 pts
52Morgan County3.6+1.1 pts
54Pendleton County3.5+0.8 pts
55Jefferson County3.3+1 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 10.5% in December 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which county has the lowest unemployment rate?

Jefferson County, with 3.3% in December 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