HomeWest VirginiaBerkeley County
Berkeley County, West Virginia: commercial real estate data.
Berkeley County, West Virginia has a population of 129,514 across 321 square miles, up 11.7 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $6.09 bn in 2024, 1,859 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 47 7(a) approvals worth $28.0 m.
121 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Berkeley County
How many people live in Berkeley County
- Population129,514
- Households51,021
- Average household size2.54
- Median household income$80,815
- Median age38.5
- Median gross rent$1,233 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$266,300
- Home value to household income3.3 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income18.3 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher25.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree8.7 percent
- Adults 25 and over90,016
- Population under 1829,910
- Share under 1823.1 percent
- Population 65 and over19,771
- Share 65 and over15.3 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6479,833
- Civilian labor force67,869
- Unemployment rate4.7 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over68.1 percent
- Rank by population among West Virginia counties2nd of 55
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents509th
Berkeley County is the 2nd largest of 55 West Virginia counties by population. A median home costs 3.3 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 23.1 percent against 15.3 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Berkeley County
Is Berkeley County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base11.65 percent
- Census 2020 base population122,070
- Births, 20241,651
- Deaths, 20241,240
- Natural change, 2024411
- Net domestic migration, 20242,788
- Net international migration, 2024232
- Total net migration, 20243,020
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 202412,106
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents116th
The county has grown 11.65 percent since the 2020 census base. Migration contributed more to 2024 change than births over deaths, so demand here follows people arriving rather than families forming.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Berkeley County
Where people moving to Berkeley County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving4,472
- People arriving, from those returns8,248
- Adjusted gross income arriving$271.9 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$60,792
- Largest single originBerkeley County Non-migrants (49,038 households)
- Largest single destination (49,038 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Berkeley County Non-migrants | 49,038 | 98,269 | $3.39 bn |
| Other flows - Different State | 1,400 | 2,572 | $88.1 m |
| Other flows - South | 755 | 1,412 | $47.5 m |
| Jefferson County | 575 | 1,091 | $30.4 m |
| Washington County | 455 | 852 | $24.4 m |
| Frederick County | 354 | 663 | $21.6 m |
| Other flows - Northeast | 322 | 554 | $19.3 m |
| Frederick County | 221 | 411 | $15.6 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Berkeley County Non-migrants, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Berkeley County
What the Berkeley County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$6.09 bn
- County GDP, 2023$5.60 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20248.7 percent
- GDP change over five years41.9 percent
- Rank by GDP among West Virginia counties4th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents644th
- GDP per resident$46,997
Output grew 8.7 percent in the latest year and 41.9 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Berkeley County
Who employs people in Berkeley County
- Covered employment, annual average38,427
- Establishments reporting3,687
- Average annual pay$57,976
- Average weekly wage$1,115
- Sector 62, employment5,226
- Sector 62, average annual pay$56,267
- Sector 44-45, employment4,619
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$32,946
- Sector 31-33, employment3,757
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$78,058
- Sector 72, employment3,386
- Sector 72, average annual pay$22,498
- Sector 48-49, employment2,497
- Sector 54, employment1,907
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 62 | 5,226 | 502 | $56,267 |
| Sector 44-45 | 4,619 | 291 | $32,946 |
| Sector 31-33 | 3,757 | 79 | $78,058 |
| Sector 72 | 3,386 | 226 | $22,498 |
| Sector 48-49 | 2,497 | 95 | $48,838 |
| Sector 54 | 1,907 | 733 | $77,275 |
| Sector 56 | 1,432 | 332 | $50,018 |
| Sector 23 | 1,378 | 302 | $62,144 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 5,226 jobs, 13.6 percent of covered employment. Average pay per job sits below median household income, so households here typically need more than one earner.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Berkeley County
What businesses operate in Berkeley County
- Establishments, all industries1,859
- Employment at those establishments29,303
- Annual payroll$1.51 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents14.4
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Berkeley County
What is being built in Berkeley County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 20241,460
- Declared construction value permitted$320.6 m
- Single family units authorised1,433
- Multifamily units authorised27
- Multifamily share of units1.8 percent
- Average declared value per unit$219,571
- Units authorised per 1,000 households28.6
Multifamily is 1.8 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Berkeley County
How much SBA lending happens in Berkeley County
- 7(a) approvals recorded47
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$28.0 m
- Average 7(a) approval$596,013
- Median 7(a) approval$250,000
- 10th percentile approval$27,000
- 90th percentile approval$1,125,000
- Largest single approval$5,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)822
- Jobs per approval17.5
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active23
- Distinct industries receiving approvals31
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer17.0 percent
- Loans on real estate terms8
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter35
- Franchise loans10
- Franchise share of approvals21.3 percent
- Leading industry by approval countChild Care Services (4)
- Most active lenderPotomac Bank (11)
- 504 approvals recorded8
- 504 gross approval dollars$4.8 m
- Average 504 approval$595,000
- Median 504 approval$336,000
- Distinct CDCs active2
- 504 jobs per approval9.8
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved16.4
- Most active CDCBusiness Finance Group, Inc. (7)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals85.5 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$32.8 m
The average approval of $596,013 sits well above the median of $250,000, so a small number of large deals is pulling the mean up. The median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here actually gets. Only 17.0 percent of approvals run on real estate terms, so SBA credit here is mostly working capital and equipment rather than property acquisition.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Berkeley County
Do SBA loans in Berkeley County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded4
- Paid in full4
- Charged off0
- Status: Paid in full4
- Status: Exempt from disclosure35
- Status: Cancelled6
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed2
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 4 resolved loans, too few to publish a rate. A rate computed on a handful of loans is noise, so none is shown.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Berkeley County
Which parts of Berkeley County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending6
- MARTINSBURG, approvals25
- Inwood, approvals11
- GERRARDSTOWN, approvals4
- BUNKER HILL, approvals3
- HEDGESVILLE, approvals2
- FALLING WATERS, approvals2
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| MARTINSBURG | 25 | $23,140,700 |
| Inwood | 11 | $2,874,000 |
| GERRARDSTOWN | 4 | $180,000 |
| BUNKER HILL | 3 | $1,374,000 |
| HEDGESVILLE | 2 | $288,700 |
| FALLING WATERS | 2 | $155,200 |
MARTINSBURG accounts for 25 approvals against 11 in Inwood. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Berkeley County
How big is Berkeley County
- Land area321 sq mi
- Rank by land area among West Virginia counties41st of 55
- Width, east to west21.5 mi
- Height, north to south24.5 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary2
- Residents per square mile of land403
- Establishments per square mile5.79
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Every item below could be filled with a plausible figure. None of them is. On a page a lender may read, a number that cannot be traced is worse than an absence, so the absences are named.
- No NFIP communities are listed for this county in the FEMA Community Status Book.
- Flood zone record counts are not held. The flood coverage export has not landed, so no count is shown rather than an estimated one.
- Traffic counts resolve in the platform, not in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here.
- Zoning is in build. Parcel level zoning is not published on this page.
Feasibility studies
When a Berkeley County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Berkeley County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population129,514
- Households51,021
- Average household size2.54
- Median household income$80,815
- Median age38.5
Common questions
Berkeley County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Berkeley County, West Virginia?
129,514, in 51,021 households, ranking 2nd of 55 West Virginia counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Berkeley County growing?
The population has grown 11.65 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 1,651 births against 1,240 deaths, with net migration of 3,020. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Berkeley County?
$80,815. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $266,300, which is 3.3 times income, and median gross rent is $1,233 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Berkeley County?
1,859 establishments, employing 29,303 people with an annual payroll of $1.51 bn. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is the average wage in Berkeley County?
Average annual pay is $57,976, or $1,115 a week, across 38,427 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Berkeley County?
47 7(a) approvals totalling $28.0 m since FY2020, across 23 lenders, with a median approval of $250,000, plus 8 504 approvals worth $4.8 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Berkeley County?
1,460 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $320.6 m. Multifamily was 1.8 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Berkeley County?
Zone 1, a predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 4 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Berkeley County come from?
The largest single origin is Berkeley County Non-migrants, with 49,038 households. Arriving households report an average income of $60,792 against null for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Berkeley County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Berkeley County?
Not yet. The zoning layer is in build. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame with confirm locally attached.