Counties in West Virginia by unemployment rate

McDowell County had the highest unemployment rate of 55 counties in January 2026, at 11.3%. Jefferson County had the lowest, at 3.5%. The median was 5.5% and the figure for West Virginia was 4.6%. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Highest11.3McDowell County
Median5.555 counties
West Virginia4.6History

All counties, January 2026

CSVChart (SVG)

McDowell CountyMcDowell County: 11.3 %11.3Calhoun CountyCalhoun County: 10.3 %10.3Clay CountyClay County: 9.6 %9.6Wirt CountyWirt County: 8.9 %8.9Roane CountyRoane County: 8.1 %8.1Wetzel CountyWetzel County: 7.4 %7.4Mingo CountyMingo County: 6.9 %6.9Tyler CountyTyler County: 6.5 %6.5Fayette CountyFayette County: 6.2 %6.2Jackson CountyJackson County: 6.2 %6.2Nicholas CountyNicholas County: 6.2 %6.2Ritchie CountyRitchie County: 6.2 %6.2Webster CountyWebster County: 6.2 %6.2Wyoming CountyWyoming County: 6.2 %6.2Randolph CountyRandolph County: 6 %6Barbour CountyBarbour County: 5.9 %5.9Lincoln CountyLincoln County: 5.9 %5.9Braxton CountyBraxton County: 5.8 %5.8Upshur CountyUpshur County: 5.8 %5.8Wood CountyWood County: 5.8 %5.8Gilmer CountyGilmer County: 5.7 %5.7Hancock CountyHancock County: 5.7 %5.7Logan CountyLogan County: 5.6 %5.6Pleasants CountyPleasants County: 5.6 %5.6Summers CountySummers County: 5.6 %5.6Boone CountyBoone County: 5.5 %5.5Greenbrier CountyGreenbrier County: 5.5 %5.5Marshall CountyMarshall County: 5.5 %5.5Wayne CountyWayne County: 5.5 %5.5Lewis CountyLewis County: 5.4 %5.4Brooke CountyBrooke County: 5.2 %5.2Mineral CountyMineral County: 5.1 %5.1Ohio CountyOhio County: 5 %5Raleigh CountyRaleigh County: 5 %5Tucker CountyTucker County: 5 %5Grant CountyGrant County: 4.9 %4.9Marion CountyMarion County: 4.9 %4.9Mercer CountyMercer County: 4.9 %4.9Monroe CountyMonroe County: 4.8 %4.8Preston CountyPreston County: 4.8 %4.8Taylor CountyTaylor County: 4.8 %4.8Pocahontas CountyPocahontas County: 4.7 %4.7Kanawha CountyKanawha County: 4.6 %4.6Doddridge CountyDoddridge County: 4.4 %4.4Harrison CountyHarrison County: 4.4 %4.4Cabell CountyCabell County: 4.3 %4.3Hardy CountyHardy County: 4.3 %4.3Hampshire CountyHampshire County: 4.1 %4.1Mason CountyMason County: 4.1 %4.1Morgan CountyMorgan County: 4.1 %4.1Berkeley CountyBerkeley County: 4 %4Putnam CountyPutnam County: 4 %4Monongalia CountyMonongalia County: 3.9 %3.9Pendleton CountyPendleton County: 3.6 %3.6Jefferson CountyJefferson County: 3.5 %3.5
%. Source: BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCountiesJanuary 2026 (%)Change on January 2025
1McDowell County11.3+3.2 pts
2Calhoun County10.3-1.5 pts
3Clay County9.60 pts
4Wirt County8.9+1 pts
5Roane County8.1-1 pts
6Wetzel County7.4-0.1 pts
7Mingo County6.9+1.2 pts
8Tyler County6.5+0.3 pts
9Fayette County6.2+1.1 pts
9Jackson County6.2-0.1 pts
9Nicholas County6.2+0.9 pts
9Ritchie County6.2-0.9 pts
9Webster County6.2+0.2 pts
9Wyoming County6.2+1.6 pts
15Randolph County6-0.2 pts
16Barbour County5.9+0.1 pts
16Lincoln County5.9+0.3 pts
18Braxton County5.8-0.4 pts
18Upshur County5.8+0.5 pts
18Wood County5.8+0.9 pts
21Gilmer County5.7-0.1 pts
21Hancock County5.7+0.2 pts
23Logan County5.6+1.2 pts
23Pleasants County5.6-0.4 pts
23Summers County5.6+0.6 pts
26Boone County5.5+0.5 pts
26Greenbrier County5.5+0.7 pts
26Marshall County5.5+0.4 pts
26Wayne County5.5+0.8 pts
30Lewis County5.4-0.3 pts
31Brooke County5.2+0.1 pts
32Mineral County5.1+0.5 pts
33Ohio County5+0.8 pts
33Raleigh County5+0.7 pts
33Tucker County5+0.9 pts
36Grant County4.9-0.2 pts
36Marion County4.9+0.6 pts
36Mercer County4.9+0.6 pts
39Monroe County4.8+0.3 pts
39Preston County4.8+0.1 pts
39Taylor County4.8+0.3 pts
42Pocahontas County4.7+0.5 pts
43Kanawha County4.6+0.4 pts
44Doddridge County4.4-0.8 pts
44Harrison County4.4+0.2 pts
46Cabell County4.3+0.4 pts
46Hardy County4.3+0.3 pts
48Hampshire County4.1+0.3 pts
48Mason County4.1-0.3 pts
48Morgan County4.1+0.8 pts
51Berkeley County4+0.8 pts
51Putnam County4+0.3 pts
53Monongalia County3.9+0.6 pts
54Pendleton County3.6+0.2 pts
55Jefferson County3.5+0.8 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 11.3% in January 2026, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which county has the lowest unemployment rate?

Jefferson County, with 3.5% in January 2026.

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