HomeWest VirginiaKanawha County
Kanawha County, West Virginia: commercial real estate data.
Kanawha County, West Virginia has a population of 176,537 across 902 square miles, down 3.8 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $14.45 bn in 2024, 4,396 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 128 7(a) approvals worth $53.2 m.
123 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Kanawha County
How many people live in Kanawha County
- Population176,537
- Households76,459
- Average household size2.31
- Median household income$60,943
- Median age43.8
- Median gross rent$906 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$147,300
- Home value to household income2.4 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income17.8 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher29.7 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree12.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over128,199
- Population under 1834,925
- Share under 1819.8 percent
- Population 65 and over39,054
- Share 65 and over22.1 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 64102,558
- Civilian labor force81,053
- Unemployment rate5.6 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over57.2 percent
- Rank by population among West Virginia counties1st of 55
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents388th
Kanawha County is the 1st largest of 55 West Virginia counties by population. A median home costs 2.4 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 22.1 percent against 19.8 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.
Kanawha County
Is Kanawha County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base-3.77 percent
- Census 2020 base population180,721
- Births, 20241,584
- Deaths, 20242,406
- Natural change, 2024-822
- Net domestic migration, 2024-173
- Net international migration, 2024302
- Total net migration, 2024129
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-2,487
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2867th
The county has lost 3.77 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.
Kanawha County
Where people moving to Kanawha County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving3,229
- People arriving, from those returns5,484
- Adjusted gross income arriving$155.3 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$48,097
- Largest single originKanawha County Non-migrants (66,918 households)
- Largest single destination (66,918 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kanawha County Non-migrants | 66,918 | 127,882 | $4.75 bn |
| Other flows - Different State | 1,395 | 2,375 | $73.4 m |
| Other flows - South | 780 | 1,320 | $39.0 m |
| Putnam County | 503 | 899 | $22.0 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 266 | 451 | $13.3 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 206 | 334 | $7.6 m |
| Cabell County | 189 | 293 | $7.2 m |
| Other flows - West | 185 | 317 | $11.9 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Kanawha 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.
Kanawha County
What the Kanawha County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$14.45 bn
- County GDP, 2023$13.76 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20245.0 percent
- GDP change over five years32.0 percent
- Rank by GDP among West Virginia counties1st
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents334th
- GDP per resident$81,839
Output grew 5.0 percent in the latest year and 32.0 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.
Kanawha County
Who employs people in Kanawha County
- Covered employment, annual average97,845
- Establishments reporting6,860
- Average annual pay$61,997
- Average weekly wage$1,192
- Sector 62, employment20,799
- Sector 62, average annual pay$70,712
- Sector 44-45, employment9,647
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$39,075
- Sector 72, employment7,738
- Sector 72, average annual pay$24,657
- Sector 54, employment5,636
- Sector 54, average annual pay$86,611
- Sector 56, employment5,345
- Sector 23, employment4,097
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 62 | 20,799 | 1,196 | $70,712 |
| Sector 44-45 | 9,647 | 692 | $39,075 |
| Sector 72 | 7,738 | 439 | $24,657 |
| Sector 54 | 5,636 | 904 | $86,611 |
| Sector 56 | 5,345 | 493 | $45,410 |
| Sector 23 | 4,097 | 464 | $77,307 |
| Sector 52 | 3,629 | 402 | $89,984 |
| Sector 31-33 | 3,294 | 139 | $77,115 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 20,799 jobs, 21.3 percent of covered employment. Average pay per job exceeds median household income, which usually means single earner households and a wage base that can carry rent.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Kanawha County
What businesses operate in Kanawha County
- Establishments, all industries4,396
- Employment at those establishments74,799
- Annual payroll$4.20 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents24.9
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.
Kanawha County
What is being built in Kanawha County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 202498
- Declared construction value permitted$12.2 m
- Single family units authorised98
- Multifamily units authorised0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$124,450
- Units authorised per 1,000 households1.3
Multifamily is 0.0 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Kanawha County
How much SBA lending happens in Kanawha County
- 7(a) approvals recorded128
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$53.2 m
- Average 7(a) approval$415,728
- Median 7(a) approval$100,000
- 10th percentile approval$20,000
- 90th percentile approval$1,240,000
- Largest single approval$4,352,300
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)1,198
- Jobs per approval9.4
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active23
- Distinct industries receiving approvals66
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer10.9 percent
- Loans on real estate terms14
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter107
- Franchise loans11
- Franchise share of approvals8.6 percent
- Leading industry by approval countPlumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors (9)
- Most active lenderThe Huntington National Bank (68)
- 504 approvals recorded3
- 504 gross approval dollars$6.0 m
- Average 504 approval$1,994,333
- Median 504 approval$2,754,000
- Distinct CDCs active2
- 504 jobs per approval27.0
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved13.5
- Most active CDCBusiness Finance Group, Inc. (2)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals97.7 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$59.2 m
The average approval of $415,728 sits well above the median of $100,000, 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 10.9 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.
Kanawha County
Do SBA loans in Kanawha County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded24
- Paid in full22
- Charged off2
- Charge off rate on resolved loans8.3 percent
- Status: Paid in full22
- Status: Charged off2
- Status: Exempt from disclosure78
- Status: Cancelled19
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed7
Of the 24 loans that have reached a final outcome, 8.3 percent were charged off. This is computed only over resolved loans, because a loan still running has not yet succeeded or failed and counting it either way would be wrong.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Kanawha County
Which parts of Kanawha County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending10
- CHARLESTON, approvals70
- South Charleston, approvals22
- Saint Albans, approvals13
- Nitro, approvals8
- Dunbar, approvals6
- Cross Lanes, approvals3
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| CHARLESTON | 70 | $32,170,200 |
| South Charleston | 22 | $5,660,600 |
| Saint Albans | 13 | $6,150,500 |
| Nitro | 8 | $3,690,300 |
| Dunbar | 6 | $3,730,800 |
| Cross Lanes | 3 | $214,400 |
| MONTGOMERY | 2 | $1,296,000 |
| S CHARLESTON | 2 | $115,000 |
CHARLESTON accounts for 70 approvals against 22 in South Charleston. 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.
Kanawha County
How big is Kanawha County
- Land area902 sq mi
- Rank by land area among West Virginia counties4th of 55
- Width, east to west39.1 mi
- Height, north to south45.5 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary9
- Residents per square mile of land196
- Establishments per square mile4.87
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 Kanawha 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 Kanawha County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population176,537
- Households76,459
- Average household size2.31
- Median household income$60,943
- Median age43.8
Common questions
Kanawha County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Kanawha County, West Virginia?
176,537, in 76,459 households, ranking 1st of 55 West Virginia counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Kanawha County growing?
The population has fallen 3.77 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 1,584 births against 2,406 deaths, with net migration of 129. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Kanawha County?
$60,943. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $147,300, which is 2.4 times income, and median gross rent is $906 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Kanawha County?
4,396 establishments, employing 74,799 people with an annual payroll of $4.20 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 Kanawha County?
Average annual pay is $61,997, or $1,192 a week, across 97,845 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Kanawha County?
128 7(a) approvals totalling $53.2 m since FY2020, across 23 lenders, with a median approval of $100,000, plus 3 504 approvals worth $6.0 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Kanawha County get paid back?
Of the 24 loans that have reached a final outcome, 22 were paid in full and 2 charged off, a charge off rate of 8.3 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
What is being built in Kanawha County?
98 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $12.2 m. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Kanawha County?
Zone 3, a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Kanawha County come from?
The largest single origin is Kanawha County Non-migrants, with 66,918 households. Arriving households report an average income of $48,097 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 Kanawha 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 Kanawha 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.