HomeWest VirginiaNicholas County
Nicholas County, West Virginia: commercial real estate data.
Nicholas County, West Virginia has a population of 24,277 across 647 square miles, down 2.4 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $883.2 m in 2024, 541 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 7 7(a) approvals worth $562,900.
109 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Nicholas County
How many people live in Nicholas County
- Population24,277
- Households9,466
- Average household size2.56
- Median household income$54,639
- Median age46.1
- Median gross rent$686 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$121,600
- Home value to household income2.2 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income15.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher23.3 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree9.3 percent
- Adults 25 and over17,687
- Population under 185,122
- Share under 1821.1 percent
- Population 65 and over5,809
- Share 65 and over23.9 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6413,346
- Civilian labor force9,378
- Unemployment rate5.9 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over49.0 percent
- Rank by population among West Virginia counties24th of 55
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents1689th
Nicholas County is the 24th largest of 55 West Virginia counties by population. A median home costs 2.2 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 23.9 percent against 21.1 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.
Nicholas County
Is Nicholas County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base-2.40 percent
- Census 2020 base population24,607
- Births, 2024199
- Deaths, 2024388
- Natural change, 2024-189
- Net domestic migration, 202439
- Net international migration, 202465
- Total net migration, 2024104
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024112
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2601st
The county has lost 2.40 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.
Nicholas County
Where people moving to Nicholas County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving360
- People arriving, from those returns664
- Adjusted gross income arriving$14.8 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$41,247
- Largest single originNicholas County Non-migrants (8,193 households)
- Largest single destination (8,193 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nicholas County Non-migrants | 8,193 | 17,247 | $474.2 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 153 | 264 | $6.7 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 142 | 283 | $5.3 m |
| Other flows - South | 96 | 178 | $3.9 m |
| Fayette County | 44 | 76 | $1.6 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 34 | 45 | $1.4 m |
| Other flows - West | 23 | 41 | $1.3 m |
| Kanawha County | 21 | 41 | $1.3 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Nicholas 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.
Nicholas County
What the Nicholas County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$883.2 m
- County GDP, 2023$880.3 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 20240.3 percent
- GDP change over five years29.3 percent
- Rank by GDP among West Virginia counties32nd
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents1944th
- GDP per resident$36,379
Output grew 0.3 percent in the latest year and 29.3 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.
Nicholas County
Who employs people in Nicholas County
- Covered employment, annual average7,321
- Establishments reporting827
- Average annual pay$50,930
- Average weekly wage$979
- Sector 44-45, employment1,258
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$34,944
- Sector 72, employment779
- Sector 72, average annual pay$21,016
- Sector 31-33, employment648
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$62,304
- Sector 21, employment354
- Sector 21, average annual pay$109,629
- Sector 23, employment260
- Sector 48-49, employment247
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 44-45 | 1,258 | 104 | $34,944 |
| Sector 72 | 779 | 61 | $21,016 |
| Sector 31-33 | 648 | 26 | $62,304 |
| Sector 21 | 354 | 13 | $109,629 |
| Sector 23 | 260 | 69 | $69,894 |
| Sector 48-49 | 247 | 35 | $60,725 |
| Sector 81 | 127 | 48 | $32,921 |
| Sector 52 | 122 | 35 | $50,295 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 1,258 jobs, 17.2 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.
Nicholas County
What businesses operate in Nicholas County
- Establishments, all industries541
- Employment at those establishments5,911
- Annual payroll$265.0 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents22.3
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.
Nicholas County
What is being built in Nicholas County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 20242
- Declared construction value permitted$307,244
- Single family units authorised2
- Multifamily units authorised0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$153,622
- Units authorised per 1,000 households0.2
Multifamily is 0.0 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Nicholas County
How much SBA lending happens in Nicholas County
- 7(a) approvals recorded7
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$562,900
- Average 7(a) approval$80,414
- Median 7(a) approval$75,000
- 10th percentile approval$25,000
- 90th percentile approval$136,400
- Largest single approval$136,400
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)16
- Jobs per approval2.3
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active5
- Distinct industries receiving approvals7
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer28.6 percent
- Loans on real estate terms2
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter5
- Franchise loans0
- Franchise share of approvals0.0 percent
- Leading industry by approval countGeneral Freight Trucking, Long-Distance, Truckload (1)
- Most active lenderFirst Community Bank (2)
The average approval of $80,414 sits close to the median of $75,000, so lending here is fairly evenly sized rather than driven by a few large deals. Only 28.6 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.
Nicholas County
Do SBA loans in Nicholas County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded2
- Paid in full2
- Charged off0
- Status: Paid in full2
- Status: Exempt from disclosure3
- Status: Cancelled2
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 2 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.
Nicholas County
Which parts of Nicholas County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending5
- SUMMERSVILLE, approvals3
- CANVAS, approvals1
- NETTIE, approvals1
- LEIVASY, approvals1
- RICHWOOD, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| SUMMERSVILLE | 3 | $210,000 |
| CANVAS | 1 | $25,000 |
| NETTIE | 1 | $116,500 |
| LEIVASY | 1 | $136,400 |
| RICHWOOD | 1 | $75,000 |
SUMMERSVILLE accounts for 3 approvals against 1 in CANVAS. 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.
Nicholas County
How big is Nicholas County
- Land area647 sq mi
- Rank by land area among West Virginia counties8th of 55
- Width, east to west43.1 mi
- Height, north to south33 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land38
- Establishments per square mile0.84
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 Nicholas 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 Nicholas County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population24,277
- Households9,466
- Average household size2.56
- Median household income$54,639
- Median age46.1
Common questions
Nicholas County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Nicholas County, West Virginia?
24,277, in 9,466 households, ranking 24th of 55 West Virginia counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Nicholas County growing?
The population has fallen 2.40 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 199 births against 388 deaths, with net migration of 104. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Nicholas County?
$54,639. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $121,600, which is 2.2 times income, and median gross rent is $686 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Nicholas County?
541 establishments, employing 5,911 people with an annual payroll of $265.0 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 Nicholas County?
Average annual pay is $50,930, or $979 a week, across 7,321 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Nicholas County?
7 7(a) approvals totalling $562,900 since FY2020, across 5 lenders, with a median approval of $75,000. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Nicholas County?
2 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $307,244. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Nicholas 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 Nicholas County come from?
The largest single origin is Nicholas County Non-migrants, with 8,193 households. Arriving households report an average income of $41,247 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 Nicholas 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 Nicholas 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.