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 May 2026, at 9.1%. Pendleton County had the lowest, at 2.4%. The median was 3.8% and the figure for West Virginia was 4.3%. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Highest9.1McDowell County
Lowest2.4Pendleton County
Median3.855 counties
West Virginia4.3History

All counties, May 2026

CSVChart (SVG)

McDowell CountyMcDowell County: 9.1 %9.1Mingo CountyMingo County: 6.8 %6.8Pocahontas CountyPocahontas County: 6.1 %6.1Clay CountyClay County: 5.7 %5.7Logan CountyLogan County: 5.4 %5.4Wyoming CountyWyoming County: 5.1 %5.1Roane CountyRoane County: 4.9 %4.9Wirt CountyWirt County: 4.9 %4.9Wetzel CountyWetzel County: 4.6 %4.6Boone CountyBoone County: 4.5 %4.5Calhoun CountyCalhoun County: 4.5 %4.5Randolph CountyRandolph County: 4.5 %4.5Lincoln CountyLincoln County: 4.4 %4.4Brooke CountyBrooke County: 4.3 %4.3Jackson CountyJackson County: 4.3 %4.3Webster CountyWebster County: 4.3 %4.3Barbour CountyBarbour County: 4.2 %4.2Tyler CountyTyler County: 4.2 %4.2Fayette CountyFayette County: 4.1 %4.1Hancock CountyHancock County: 4.1 %4.1Nicholas CountyNicholas County: 4.1 %4.1Ritchie CountyRitchie County: 4.1 %4.1Marshall CountyMarshall County: 3.9 %3.9Mercer CountyMercer County: 3.9 %3.9Wayne CountyWayne County: 3.9 %3.9Wood CountyWood County: 3.9 %3.9Tucker CountyTucker County: 3.8 %3.8Upshur CountyUpshur County: 3.8 %3.8Lewis CountyLewis County: 3.7 %3.7Mineral CountyMineral County: 3.7 %3.7Pleasants CountyPleasants County: 3.7 %3.7Raleigh CountyRaleigh County: 3.7 %3.7Summers CountySummers County: 3.7 %3.7Gilmer CountyGilmer County: 3.6 %3.6Ohio CountyOhio County: 3.6 %3.6Greenbrier CountyGreenbrier County: 3.5 %3.5Kanawha CountyKanawha County: 3.5 %3.5Marion CountyMarion County: 3.5 %3.5Monroe CountyMonroe County: 3.5 %3.5Cabell CountyCabell County: 3.4 %3.4Braxton CountyBraxton County: 3.3 %3.3Grant CountyGrant County: 3.3 %3.3Preston CountyPreston County: 3.3 %3.3Hampshire CountyHampshire County: 3.2 %3.2Harrison CountyHarrison County: 3.2 %3.2Taylor CountyTaylor County: 3.2 %3.2Berkeley CountyBerkeley County: 3.1 %3.1Monongalia CountyMonongalia County: 3.1 %3.1Putnam CountyPutnam County: 3 %3Hardy CountyHardy County: 2.9 %2.9Jefferson CountyJefferson County: 2.9 %2.9Morgan CountyMorgan County: 2.9 %2.9Doddridge CountyDoddridge County: 2.8 %2.8Mason CountyMason County: 2.7 %2.7Pendleton CountyPendleton County: 2.4 %2.4
%. Source: BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCountiesMay 2026 (%)Change on May 2025
1McDowell County9.1+0.5 pts
2Mingo County6.8+1.1 pts
3Pocahontas County6.1-0.4 pts
4Clay County5.7-0.7 pts
5Logan County5.4+1.1 pts
6Wyoming County5.1+0.9 pts
7Roane County4.9-1 pts
7Wirt County4.9-0.1 pts
9Wetzel County4.6-0.1 pts
10Boone County4.5-0.3 pts
10Calhoun County4.5-0.2 pts
10Randolph County4.5-0.6 pts
13Lincoln County4.40 pts
14Brooke County4.3-0.2 pts
14Jackson County4.3-0.6 pts
14Webster County4.3-0.9 pts
17Barbour County4.2-0.2 pts
17Tyler County4.2-0.3 pts
19Fayette County4.1+0.1 pts
19Hancock County4.1-0.8 pts
19Nicholas County4.1-0.3 pts
19Ritchie County4.1-0.3 pts
23Marshall County3.90 pts
23Mercer County3.90 pts
23Wayne County3.9+0.1 pts
23Wood County3.9+0.2 pts
27Tucker County3.8+0.3 pts
27Upshur County3.8-0.2 pts
29Lewis County3.7-0.2 pts
29Mineral County3.7-0.1 pts
29Pleasants County3.7-0.1 pts
29Raleigh County3.70 pts
29Summers County3.70 pts
34Gilmer County3.6-0.1 pts
34Ohio County3.6-0.1 pts
36Greenbrier County3.50 pts
36Kanawha County3.5-0.1 pts
36Marion County3.5-0.1 pts
36Monroe County3.5-0.7 pts
40Cabell County3.4-0.1 pts
41Braxton County3.3-0.3 pts
41Grant County3.3+0.3 pts
41Preston County3.3-0.1 pts
44Hampshire County3.2-0.1 pts
44Harrison County3.20 pts
44Taylor County3.2-0.1 pts
47Berkeley County3.1-0.2 pts
47Monongalia County3.10 pts
49Putnam County30 pts
50Hardy County2.90 pts
50Jefferson County2.9+0.1 pts
50Morgan County2.9-0.2 pts
53Doddridge County2.8-0.2 pts
54Mason County2.7-0.6 pts
55Pendleton County2.4-0.1 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 9.1% in May 2026, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which county has the lowest unemployment rate?

Pendleton County, with 2.4% in May 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