Counties in West Virginia by unemployment rate

McDowell County had the highest unemployment rate of 55 counties in February 2026, at 12.4%. Jefferson County had the lowest, at 3.9%. The median was 6% and the figure for West Virginia was 4.7%. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Highest12.4McDowell County
Median655 counties
West Virginia4.7History

All counties, February 2026

CSVChart (SVG)

McDowell CountyMcDowell County: 12.4 %12.4Calhoun CountyCalhoun County: 11.2 %11.2Clay CountyClay County: 10.6 %10.6Wirt CountyWirt County: 9.2 %9.2Roane CountyRoane County: 9 %9Wetzel CountyWetzel County: 7.8 %7.8Mingo CountyMingo County: 7.7 %7.7Ritchie CountyRitchie County: 7.2 %7.2Webster CountyWebster County: 7 %7Lincoln CountyLincoln County: 6.9 %6.9Wyoming CountyWyoming County: 6.9 %6.9Jackson CountyJackson County: 6.8 %6.8Barbour CountyBarbour County: 6.7 %6.7Fayette CountyFayette County: 6.7 %6.7Nicholas CountyNicholas County: 6.7 %6.7Randolph CountyRandolph County: 6.6 %6.6Tyler CountyTyler County: 6.6 %6.6Boone CountyBoone County: 6.3 %6.3Marshall CountyMarshall County: 6.3 %6.3Pleasants CountyPleasants County: 6.3 %6.3Lewis CountyLewis County: 6.2 %6.2Upshur CountyUpshur County: 6.2 %6.2Braxton CountyBraxton County: 6.1 %6.1Greenbrier CountyGreenbrier County: 6.1 %6.1Hancock CountyHancock County: 6.1 %6.1Summers CountySummers County: 6.1 %6.1Tucker CountyTucker County: 6.1 %6.1Brooke CountyBrooke County: 6 %6Logan CountyLogan County: 6 %6Wayne CountyWayne County: 6 %6Grant CountyGrant County: 5.7 %5.7Mineral CountyMineral County: 5.7 %5.7Wood CountyWood County: 5.7 %5.7Gilmer CountyGilmer County: 5.6 %5.6Raleigh CountyRaleigh County: 5.6 %5.6Doddridge CountyDoddridge County: 5.5 %5.5Mercer CountyMercer County: 5.5 %5.5Monroe CountyMonroe County: 5.4 %5.4Ohio CountyOhio County: 5.4 %5.4Preston CountyPreston County: 5.4 %5.4Marion CountyMarion County: 5.3 %5.3Pocahontas CountyPocahontas County: 5.3 %5.3Taylor CountyTaylor County: 5.3 %5.3Kanawha CountyKanawha County: 5 %5Hampshire CountyHampshire County: 4.9 %4.9Hardy CountyHardy County: 4.9 %4.9Harrison CountyHarrison County: 4.9 %4.9Cabell CountyCabell County: 4.8 %4.8Morgan CountyMorgan County: 4.7 %4.7Berkeley CountyBerkeley County: 4.5 %4.5Putnam CountyPutnam County: 4.5 %4.5Mason CountyMason County: 4.4 %4.4Monongalia CountyMonongalia County: 4.3 %4.3Pendleton CountyPendleton County: 4 %4Jefferson CountyJefferson County: 3.9 %3.9
%. Source: BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCountiesFebruary 2026 (%)Change on February 2025
1McDowell County12.4+2.8 pts
2Calhoun County11.2+0.4 pts
3Clay County10.6+0.7 pts
4Wirt County9.2+1.5 pts
5Roane County90 pts
6Wetzel County7.8-0.1 pts
7Mingo County7.7+1.7 pts
8Ritchie County7.2+0.3 pts
9Webster County7+0.2 pts
10Lincoln County6.9+1.2 pts
10Wyoming County6.9+2.2 pts
12Jackson County6.8+0.4 pts
13Barbour County6.7+0.3 pts
13Fayette County6.7+1.6 pts
13Nicholas County6.7+1.2 pts
16Randolph County6.6+0.2 pts
16Tyler County6.6+0.2 pts
18Boone County6.3+1.1 pts
18Marshall County6.3+1.1 pts
18Pleasants County6.3+0.5 pts
21Lewis County6.2+0.6 pts
21Upshur County6.2+0.8 pts
23Braxton County6.1+0.4 pts
23Greenbrier County6.1+0.8 pts
23Hancock County6.1+0.3 pts
23Summers County6.1+1.1 pts
23Tucker County6.1+2.3 pts
28Brooke County6+0.8 pts
28Logan County6+1.5 pts
28Wayne County6+1.3 pts
31Grant County5.7+1.2 pts
31Mineral County5.7+1.1 pts
31Wood County5.7+0.8 pts
34Gilmer County5.6+0.2 pts
34Raleigh County5.6+1.2 pts
36Doddridge County5.5+1.1 pts
36Mercer County5.5+1 pts
38Monroe County5.4-0.3 pts
38Ohio County5.4+1 pts
38Preston County5.4+0.8 pts
41Marion County5.3+0.9 pts
41Pocahontas County5.3+1 pts
41Taylor County5.3+1 pts
44Kanawha County5+0.8 pts
45Hampshire County4.9+1.2 pts
45Hardy County4.9+1 pts
45Harrison County4.9+0.7 pts
48Cabell County4.8+0.8 pts
49Morgan County4.7+1.3 pts
50Berkeley County4.5+1.1 pts
50Putnam County4.5+0.8 pts
52Mason County4.4+0.1 pts
53Monongalia County4.3+0.8 pts
54Pendleton County4+0.5 pts
55Jefferson County3.9+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 12.4% in February 2026, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which county has the lowest unemployment rate?

Jefferson County, with 3.9% in February 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