HomeWest VirginiaBraxton County
Braxton County, West Virginia: commercial real estate data.
Braxton County, West Virginia has a population of 12,208 across 511 square miles, down 3.2 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $417.2 m in 2024, 232 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 9 7(a) approvals worth $9.6 m.
114 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Braxton County
How many people live in Braxton County
- Population12,208
- Households4,790
- Average household size2.55
- Median household income$50,331
- Median age46.6
- Median gross rent$606 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$117,900
- Home value to household income2.3 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income14.4 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher14.4 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree3.4 percent
- Adults 25 and over9,142
- Population under 182,245
- Share under 1818.4 percent
- Population 65 and over3,043
- Share 65 and over24.9 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 646,920
- Civilian labor force4,392
- Unemployment rate9.4 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over44.1 percent
- Rank by population among West Virginia counties41st of 55
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents2339th
Braxton County is the 41st largest of 55 West Virginia counties by population. A median home costs 2.3 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 24.9 percent against 18.4 percent, which points demand at health care, services and single storey product rather than schools.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Braxton County
Is Braxton County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base-3.17 percent
- Census 2020 base population12,446
- Births, 2024103
- Deaths, 2024192
- Natural change, 2024-89
- Net domestic migration, 20243
- Net international migration, 20240
- Total net migration, 20243
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 202450
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2769th
The county has lost 3.17 percent of its population since the 2020 census base. Deaths exceeded births in 2024, so all of the growth came from people moving in. A market held up by migration alone is more sensitive to a change in relative cost than one growing from household formation.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Braxton County
Where people moving to Braxton County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving162
- People arriving, from those returns291
- Adjusted gross income arriving$7.2 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$44,167
- Largest single originBraxton County Non-migrants (4,305 households)
- Largest single destination (4,305 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Braxton County Non-migrants | 4,305 | 8,949 | $227.6 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 108 | 193 | $4.7 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 29 | 48 | $1.5 m |
| Other flows - South | 29 | 48 | $1.5 m |
| Nicholas County | 25 | 50 | $974,000 |
The largest single source of arrivals is Braxton 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.
Braxton County
What the Braxton County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$417.2 m
- County GDP, 2023$396.9 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 20245.1 percent
- GDP change over five years20.9 percent
- Rank by GDP among West Virginia counties42nd
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents2521st
- GDP per resident$34,178
Output grew 5.1 percent in the latest year and 20.9 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.
Braxton County
Who employs people in Braxton County
- Covered employment, annual average3,738
- Establishments reporting380
- Average annual pay$45,932
- Average weekly wage$883
- Sector 44-45, employment685
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$38,545
- Sector 31-33, employment314
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$66,573
- Sector 23, employment130
- Sector 23, average annual pay$54,632
- Sector 81, employment113
- Sector 81, average annual pay$42,624
- Sector 54, employment107
- Sector 52, employment47
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 44-45 | 685 | 50 | $38,545 |
| Sector 31-33 | 314 | 10 | $66,573 |
| Sector 23 | 130 | 28 | $54,632 |
| Sector 81 | 113 | 22 | $42,624 |
| Sector 54 | 107 | 26 | $45,120 |
| Sector 52 | 47 | 10 | $49,610 |
| Sector 48-49 | 46 | 17 | $66,381 |
| Sector 22 | 43 | 5 | $153,569 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 685 jobs, 18.3 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.
Braxton County
What businesses operate in Braxton County
- Establishments, all industries232
- Employment at those establishments2,754
- Annual payroll$109.4 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents19.0
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.
Braxton County
What is being built in Braxton County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 202411
- Declared construction value permitted$3.3 m
- Single family units authorised11
- Multifamily units authorised0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$302,641
- Units authorised per 1,000 households2.3
Multifamily is 0.0 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Braxton County
How much SBA lending happens in Braxton County
- 7(a) approvals recorded9
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$9.6 m
- Average 7(a) approval$1,061,711
- Median 7(a) approval$400,000
- 10th percentile approval$135,000
- 90th percentile approval$5,000,000
- Largest single approval$5,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)116
- Jobs per approval12.9
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active5
- Distinct industries receiving approvals7
- Median 7(a) term240 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer66.7 percent
- Loans on real estate terms6
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter3
- Franchise loans2
- Franchise share of approvals22.2 percent
- Leading industry by approval countHotels (except Casino Hotels) and Motels (2)
- Most active lenderFirst Community Bank (4)
- 504 approvals recorded1
- 504 gross approval dollars$1.0 m
- Average 504 approval$1,020,000
- Median 504 approval$1,020,000
- Distinct CDCs active1
- 504 jobs per approval11.0
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved10.8
- Most active CDCRegional Development Funding Corporation (1)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals90.0 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$10.6 m
The average approval of $1,061,711 sits well above the median of $400,000, 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. 66.7 percent of approvals run on real estate terms of 240 months or more, so this is a market where SBA credit is buying buildings, not just funding operations.
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.
Braxton County
Do SBA loans in Braxton County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded0
- Paid in full0
- Charged off0
- Status: Exempt from disclosure9
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 0 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.
Braxton County
Which parts of Braxton County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending2
- GASSAWAY, approvals6
- SUTTON, approvals3
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| GASSAWAY | 6 | $3,910,400 |
| SUTTON | 3 | $5,645,000 |
GASSAWAY accounts for 6 approvals against 3 in SUTTON. 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.
Braxton County
How big is Braxton County
- Land area511 sq mi
- Rank by land area among West Virginia counties14th of 55
- Width, east to west31.6 mi
- Height, north to south27.4 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land24
- Establishments per square mile0.45
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 Braxton 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 Braxton County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population12,208
- Households4,790
- Average household size2.55
- Median household income$50,331
- Median age46.6
Common questions
Braxton County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Braxton County, West Virginia?
12,208, in 4,790 households, ranking 41st of 55 West Virginia counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Braxton County growing?
The population has fallen 3.17 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 103 births against 192 deaths, with net migration of 3. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Braxton County?
$50,331. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $117,900, which is 2.3 times income, and median gross rent is $606 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Braxton County?
232 establishments, employing 2,754 people with an annual payroll of $109.4 m. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is the average wage in Braxton County?
Average annual pay is $45,932, or $883 a week, across 3,738 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Braxton County?
9 7(a) approvals totalling $9.6 m since FY2020, across 5 lenders, with a median approval of $400,000, plus 1 504 approvals worth $1.0 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Braxton County?
11 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $3.3 m. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Braxton County?
Zone 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 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 Braxton County come from?
The largest single origin is Braxton County Non-migrants, with 4,305 households. Arriving households report an average income of $44,167 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 Braxton 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 Braxton 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.