HomeWest VirginiaHancock County
Hancock County, West Virginia: commercial real estate data.
Hancock County, West Virginia has a population of 28,431 across 83 square miles, down 3.6 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $1.25 bn in 2024, 544 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 33 7(a) approvals worth $15.9 m.
120 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Hancock County
How many people live in Hancock County
- Population28,431
- Households12,824
- Average household size2.22
- Median household income$61,466
- Median age47.0
- Median gross rent$771 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$130,800
- Home value to household income2.1 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income15.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher19.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree5.7 percent
- Adults 25 and over21,225
- Population under 185,221
- Share under 1818.4 percent
- Population 65 and over7,001
- Share 65 and over24.6 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6416,209
- Civilian labor force13,757
- Unemployment rate8.4 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over59.3 percent
- Rank by population among West Virginia counties19th of 55
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents1526th
Hancock County is the 19th largest of 55 West Virginia counties by population. A median home costs 2.1 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 24.6 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.
Hancock County
Is Hancock County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base-3.59 percent
- Census 2020 base population29,098
- Births, 2024216
- Deaths, 2024397
- Natural change, 2024-181
- Net domestic migration, 202425
- Net international migration, 202419
- Total net migration, 202444
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 20248
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2837th
The county has lost 3.59 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.
Hancock County
Where people moving to Hancock County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving669
- People arriving, from those returns1,100
- Adjusted gross income arriving$30.8 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$46,061
- Largest single originHancock County Non-migrants (11,672 households)
- Largest single destination (11,672 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hancock County Non-migrants | 11,672 | 21,830 | $730.9 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 213 | 357 | $10.9 m |
| Brooke County | 145 | 251 | $5.4 m |
| Jefferson County | 79 | 131 | $3.0 m |
| Other flows - South | 75 | 128 | $3.7 m |
| Allegheny County | 69 | 101 | $4.2 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 63 | 105 | $2.6 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 54 | 76 | $2.9 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Hancock 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.
Hancock County
What the Hancock County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$1.25 bn
- County GDP, 2023$1.22 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20242.1 percent
- GDP change over five years27.4 percent
- Rank by GDP among West Virginia counties21st
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents1668th
- GDP per resident$43,916
Output grew 2.1 percent in the latest year and 27.4 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.
Hancock County
Who employs people in Hancock County
- Covered employment, annual average9,147
- Establishments reporting901
- Average annual pay$52,483
- Average weekly wage$1,009
- Sector 31-33, employment1,882
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$77,243
- Sector 72, employment1,349
- Sector 72, average annual pay$27,696
- Sector 62, employment1,054
- Sector 62, average annual pay$44,757
- Sector 44-45, employment788
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$29,171
- Sector 23, employment396
- Sector 52, employment358
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 31-33 | 1,882 | 27 | $77,243 |
| Sector 72 | 1,349 | 64 | $27,696 |
| Sector 62 | 1,054 | 128 | $44,757 |
| Sector 44-45 | 788 | 99 | $29,171 |
| Sector 23 | 396 | 51 | $67,926 |
| Sector 52 | 358 | 50 | $66,031 |
| Sector 54 | 326 | 132 | $63,165 |
| Sector 48-49 | 279 | 30 | $74,692 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 1,882 jobs, 20.6 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.
Hancock County
What businesses operate in Hancock County
- Establishments, all industries544
- Employment at those establishments7,481
- Annual payroll$344.7 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents19.1
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.
Hancock County
What is being built in Hancock County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 202415
- Declared construction value permitted$4.6 m
- Single family units authorised15
- Multifamily units authorised0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$304,933
- Units authorised per 1,000 households1.2
Multifamily is 0.0 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Hancock County
How much SBA lending happens in Hancock County
- 7(a) approvals recorded33
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$15.9 m
- Average 7(a) approval$482,748
- Median 7(a) approval$90,000
- 10th percentile approval$25,000
- 90th percentile approval$948,000
- Largest single approval$5,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)672
- Jobs per approval20.4
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active7
- Distinct industries receiving approvals15
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer21.2 percent
- Loans on real estate terms7
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter25
- Franchise loans2
- Franchise share of approvals6.1 percent
- Leading industry by approval countFull-Service Restaurants (6)
- Most active lenderThe Huntington National Bank (19)
- 504 approvals recorded2
- 504 gross approval dollars$2.1 m
- Average 504 approval$1,054,000
- Median 504 approval$1,446,000
- Distinct CDCs active1
- 504 jobs per approval15.5
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved14.7
- Most active CDCRegional Development Funding Corporation (2)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals94.3 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$18.0 m
The average approval of $482,748 sits well above the median of $90,000, 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 21.2 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.
Hancock County
Do SBA loans in Hancock County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded3
- Paid in full2
- Charged off1
- Status: Paid in full2
- Status: Exempt from disclosure19
- Status: Charged off1
- Status: Cancelled5
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed6
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 3 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.
Hancock County
Which parts of Hancock County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending4
- WEIRTON, approvals19
- CHESTER, approvals10
- Newell, approvals3
- West CHESTER, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| WEIRTON | 19 | $4,869,900 |
| CHESTER | 10 | $5,187,800 |
| Newell | 3 | $5,777,000 |
| West CHESTER | 1 | $96,000 |
WEIRTON accounts for 19 approvals against 10 in CHESTER. 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.
Hancock County
How big is Hancock County
- Land area83 sq mi
- Rank by land area among West Virginia counties55th of 55
- Width, east to west7.9 mi
- Height, north to south16.8 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary1
- Residents per square mile of land343
- Establishments per square mile6.55
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 Hancock 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 Hancock County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population28,431
- Households12,824
- Average household size2.22
- Median household income$61,466
- Median age47.0
Common questions
Hancock County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Hancock County, West Virginia?
28,431, in 12,824 households, ranking 19th of 55 West Virginia counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Hancock County growing?
The population has fallen 3.59 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 216 births against 397 deaths, with net migration of 44. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Hancock County?
$61,466. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $130,800, which is 2.1 times income, and median gross rent is $771 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Hancock County?
544 establishments, employing 7,481 people with an annual payroll of $344.7 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 Hancock County?
Average annual pay is $52,483, or $1,009 a week, across 9,147 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Hancock County?
33 7(a) approvals totalling $15.9 m since FY2020, across 7 lenders, with a median approval of $90,000, plus 2 504 approvals worth $2.1 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Hancock County?
15 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $4.6 m. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Hancock 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 Hancock County come from?
The largest single origin is Hancock County Non-migrants, with 11,672 households. Arriving households report an average income of $46,061 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 Hancock 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 Hancock 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.