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 June 2026, at 10.9%. Pendleton County had the lowest, at 3.1%. The median was 4.5% and the figure for West Virginia was 4.2%. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Highest10.9McDowell County
Lowest3.1Pendleton County
Median4.555 counties
West Virginia4.2History

All counties, June 2026

CSVChart (SVG)

McDowell CountyMcDowell County: 10.9 %10.9Mingo CountyMingo County: 8.5 %8.5Clay CountyClay County: 7 %7Wyoming CountyWyoming County: 6.5 %6.5Logan CountyLogan County: 6.3 %6.3Calhoun CountyCalhoun County: 6 %6Roane CountyRoane County: 5.7 %5.7Lincoln CountyLincoln County: 5.6 %5.6Webster CountyWebster County: 5.6 %5.6Wetzel CountyWetzel County: 5.6 %5.6Boone CountyBoone County: 5.5 %5.5Jackson CountyJackson County: 5.4 %5.4Randolph CountyRandolph County: 5.3 %5.3Tyler CountyTyler County: 5.3 %5.3Wirt CountyWirt County: 5.3 %5.3Barbour CountyBarbour County: 5.2 %5.2Brooke CountyBrooke County: 5.2 %5.2Gilmer CountyGilmer County: 5.1 %5.1Nicholas CountyNicholas County: 5.1 %5.1Fayette CountyFayette County: 5 %5Ritchie CountyRitchie County: 5 %5Upshur CountyUpshur County: 4.9 %4.9Wayne CountyWayne County: 4.9 %4.9Hancock CountyHancock County: 4.8 %4.8Mercer CountyMercer County: 4.8 %4.8Marshall CountyMarshall County: 4.6 %4.6Mineral CountyMineral County: 4.6 %4.6Raleigh CountyRaleigh County: 4.5 %4.5Lewis CountyLewis County: 4.4 %4.4Ohio CountyOhio County: 4.4 %4.4Summers CountySummers County: 4.4 %4.4Cabell CountyCabell County: 4.3 %4.3Marion CountyMarion County: 4.3 %4.3Wood CountyWood County: 4.3 %4.3Grant CountyGrant County: 4.2 %4.2Kanawha CountyKanawha County: 4.2 %4.2Monroe CountyMonroe County: 4.2 %4.2Greenbrier CountyGreenbrier County: 4.1 %4.1Pleasants CountyPleasants County: 4.1 %4.1Pocahontas CountyPocahontas County: 4.1 %4.1Taylor CountyTaylor County: 4.1 %4.1Hampshire CountyHampshire County: 4 %4Preston CountyPreston County: 4 %4Monongalia CountyMonongalia 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 %3.7Braxton CountyBraxton County: 3.7 %3.7Hardy CountyHardy County: 3.7 %3.7Harrison CountyHarrison County: 3.7 %3.7Doddridge CountyDoddridge County: 3.4 %3.4Jefferson CountyJefferson County: 3.4 %3.4Morgan CountyMorgan County: 3.4 %3.4Pendleton CountyPendleton County: 3.1 %3.1
%. Source: BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCountiesJune 2026 (%)Change on June 2025
1McDowell County10.9+0.6 pts
2Mingo County8.5+1.7 pts
3Clay County7-0.2 pts
4Wyoming County6.5+1.6 pts
5Logan County6.3+1.4 pts
6Calhoun County6+0.5 pts
7Roane County5.7-0.4 pts
8Lincoln County5.6+0.6 pts
8Webster County5.6+0.1 pts
8Wetzel County5.6+0.2 pts
11Boone County5.50 pts
12Jackson County5.4-0.4 pts
13Randolph County5.3+0.1 pts
13Tyler County5.3+0.1 pts
13Wirt County5.3-0.5 pts
16Barbour County5.2+0.4 pts
16Brooke County5.20 pts
18Gilmer County5.1+0.3 pts
18Nicholas County5.1+0.1 pts
20Fayette County5+0.5 pts
20Ritchie County5-0.3 pts
22Upshur County4.90 pts
22Wayne County4.9+0.6 pts
24Hancock County4.8-0.7 pts
24Mercer County4.8+0.2 pts
26Marshall County4.6+0.4 pts
26Mineral County4.6+0.1 pts
28Raleigh County4.5+0.3 pts
29Lewis County4.40 pts
29Ohio County4.4+0.2 pts
29Summers County4.4+0.1 pts
32Cabell County4.3+0.3 pts
32Marion County4.30 pts
32Wood County4.3+0.1 pts
35Grant County4.2+0.4 pts
35Kanawha County4.2+0.2 pts
35Monroe County4.2-1.4 pts
38Greenbrier County4.1+0.3 pts
38Pleasants County4.1-0.5 pts
38Pocahontas County4.1+0.1 pts
38Taylor County4.1-0.1 pts
42Hampshire County4+0.5 pts
42Preston County40 pts
44Monongalia County3.9+0.3 pts
44Tucker County3.9+0.6 pts
46Mason County3.8+0.1 pts
46Putnam County3.8+0.2 pts
48Berkeley County3.70 pts
48Braxton County3.7-0.2 pts
48Hardy County3.7+0.3 pts
48Harrison County3.7+0.1 pts
52Doddridge County3.4-0.3 pts
52Jefferson County3.4+0.3 pts
52Morgan County3.4+0.1 pts
55Pendleton County3.10 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 10.9% in June 2026, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which county has the lowest unemployment rate?

Pendleton County, with 3.1% in June 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