HomeWest VirginiaBrooke County
Brooke County, West Virginia: commercial real estate data.
Brooke County, West Virginia has a population of 21,805 across 89 square miles, down 5.6 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $1.32 bn in 2024, 366 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 4 7(a) approvals worth $490,400.
102 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Brooke County
How many people live in Brooke County
- Population21,805
- Households9,675
- Average household size2.25
- Median household income$54,316
- Median age46.6
- Median gross rent$645 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$141,500
- Home value to household income2.6 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income14.2 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher23.4 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree8.7 percent
- Adults 25 and over16,045
- Population under 183,741
- Share under 1817.2 percent
- Population 65 and over5,493
- Share 65 and over25.2 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6412,571
- Civilian labor force10,234
- Unemployment rate6.3 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over56.7 percent
- Rank by population among West Virginia counties28th of 55
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents1783rd
Brooke County is the 28th largest of 55 West Virginia counties by population. A median home costs 2.6 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 25.2 percent against 17.2 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.
Brooke County
Is Brooke County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base-5.64 percent
- Census 2020 base population22,558
- Births, 2024143
- Deaths, 2024340
- Natural change, 2024-197
- Net domestic migration, 202413
- Net international migration, 202432
- Total net migration, 202445
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-333
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents3025th
The county has lost 5.64 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.
Brooke County
Where people moving to Brooke County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving516
- People arriving, from those returns878
- Adjusted gross income arriving$22.6 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$43,880
- Largest single originBrooke County Non-migrants (8,710 households)
- Largest single destination (8,710 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brooke County Non-migrants | 8,710 | 16,313 | $554.7 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 181 | 309 | $7.6 m |
| Hancock County | 149 | 254 | $6.6 m |
| Other flows - South | 64 | 111 | $2.7 m |
| Jefferson County | 59 | 97 | $2.3 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 52 | 92 | $2.1 m |
| Allegheny County | 40 | 65 | $2.6 m |
| Other flows - Northeast | 38 | 68 | $1.6 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Brooke 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.
Brooke County
What the Brooke County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$1.32 bn
- County GDP, 2023$1.32 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 2024-0.4 percent
- GDP change over five years43.5 percent
- Rank by GDP among West Virginia counties20th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents1619th
- GDP per resident$60,392
Output grew -0.4 percent in the latest year and 43.5 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.
Brooke County
Who employs people in Brooke County
- Covered employment, annual average7,062
- Establishments reporting618
- Average annual pay$52,534
- Average weekly wage$1,010
- Sector 31-33, employment950
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$76,919
- Sector 44-45, employment916
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$33,185
- Sector 72, employment683
- Sector 72, average annual pay$21,148
- Sector 71, employment154
- Sector 71, average annual pay$19,157
- Sector 56, employment127
- Sector 42, employment125
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 31-33 | 950 | 26 | $76,919 |
| Sector 44-45 | 916 | 55 | $33,185 |
| Sector 72 | 683 | 48 | $21,148 |
| Sector 71 | 154 | 27 | $19,157 |
| Sector 56 | 127 | 42 | $45,856 |
| Sector 42 | 125 | 31 | $78,637 |
| Sector 52 | 125 | 26 | $65,857 |
| Sector 81 | 125 | 42 | $23,191 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 950 jobs, 13.5 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.
Brooke County
What businesses operate in Brooke County
- Establishments, all industries366
- Employment at those establishments6,041
- Annual payroll$273.0 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents16.8
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.
Brooke County
What is being built in Brooke County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 20240
- Declared construction value permitted$0
- Single family units authorised0
- Multifamily units authorised0
No residential units were authorised by permit in 2024. In a small county this is common and is not by itself a sign of distress, but it does mean there is no recent residential pipeline to read demand from.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Brooke County
How much SBA lending happens in Brooke County
- 7(a) approvals recorded4
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$490,400
- Average 7(a) approval$122,600
- Median 7(a) approval$205,500
- 10th percentile approval$9,900
- 90th percentile approval$255,000
- Largest single approval$255,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)10
- Jobs per approval2.5
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active3
- Distinct industries receiving approvals4
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer0.0 percent
- Loans on real estate terms0
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter4
- Franchise loans1
- Franchise share of approvals25.0 percent
- Leading industry by approval countElectrical Contractors and Other Wiring Installation Contractors (1)
- Most active lenderThe Huntington National Bank (2)
The average approval of $122,600 sits close to the median of $205,500, so lending here is fairly evenly sized rather than driven by a few large deals. Only 0.0 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.
Brooke County
Do SBA loans in Brooke County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded1
- Paid in full1
- Charged off0
- Status: Paid in full1
- Status: Exempt from disclosure3
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 1 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.
Brooke County
Which parts of Brooke County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending2
- Colliers, approvals3
- WEIRTON, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Colliers | 3 | $284,900 |
| WEIRTON | 1 | $205,500 |
Colliers accounts for 3 approvals against 1 in WEIRTON. 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.
Brooke County
How big is Brooke County
- Land area89 sq mi
- Rank by land area among West Virginia counties54th of 55
- Width, east to west8.8 mi
- Height, north to south16.6 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary2
- Residents per square mile of land245
- Establishments per square mile4.11
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 504 approvals recorded in this county in the FOIA release covering FY2010 onward.
- 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 Brooke 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 Brooke County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population21,805
- Households9,675
- Average household size2.25
- Median household income$54,316
- Median age46.6
Common questions
Brooke County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Brooke County, West Virginia?
21,805, in 9,675 households, ranking 28th of 55 West Virginia counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Brooke County growing?
The population has fallen 5.64 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 143 births against 340 deaths, with net migration of 45. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Brooke County?
$54,316. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $141,500, which is 2.6 times income, and median gross rent is $645 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Brooke County?
366 establishments, employing 6,041 people with an annual payroll of $273.0 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 Brooke County?
Average annual pay is $52,534, or $1,010 a week, across 7,062 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Brooke County?
4 7(a) approvals totalling $490,400 since FY2020, across 3 lenders, with a median approval of $205,500. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Brooke County?
No residential units were authorised by permit in 2024. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Brooke 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 Brooke County come from?
The largest single origin is Brooke County Non-migrants, with 8,710 households. Arriving households report an average income of $43,880 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 Brooke 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 Brooke 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.