HomeWest VirginiaPreston County
Preston County, West Virginia: commercial real estate data.
Preston County, West Virginia has a population of 34,160 across 649 square miles, down 0.5 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $1.01 bn in 2024, 509 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 29 7(a) approvals worth $8.0 m.
112 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Preston County
How many people live in Preston County
- Population34,160
- Households12,809
- Average household size2.67
- Median household income$61,880
- Median age43.3
- Median gross rent$750 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$162,800
- Home value to household income2.6 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income14.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher17.6 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree6.4 percent
- Adults 25 and over25,831
- Population under 186,104
- Share under 1817.9 percent
- Population 65 and over6,986
- Share 65 and over20.5 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6421,070
- Civilian labor force14,306
- Unemployment rate5.3 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over51.0 percent
- Rank by population among West Virginia counties15th of 55
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents1361st
Preston County is the 15th 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 20.5 percent against 17.9 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.
Preston County
Is Preston County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base-0.47 percent
- Census 2020 base population34,215
- Births, 2024289
- Deaths, 2024416
- Natural change, 2024-127
- Net domestic migration, 202490
- Net international migration, 202441
- Total net migration, 2024131
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024415
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2014th
The county has lost 0.47 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.
Preston County
Where people moving to Preston County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving587
- People arriving, from those returns1,035
- Adjusted gross income arriving$32.8 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$55,925
- Largest single originPreston County Non-migrants (11,780 households)
- Largest single destination (11,780 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Preston County Non-migrants | 11,780 | 23,952 | $695.2 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 253 | 426 | $16.9 m |
| Monongalia County | 158 | 293 | $8.4 m |
| Other flows - South | 117 | 209 | $8.4 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 112 | 196 | $4.8 m |
| Other flows - Northeast | 70 | 117 | $4.7 m |
| Garrett County | 44 | 80 | $1.9 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 35 | 51 | $1.7 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Preston 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.
Preston County
What the Preston County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$1.01 bn
- County GDP, 2023$954.8 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 20246.0 percent
- GDP change over five years24.7 percent
- Rank by GDP among West Virginia counties30th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents1832nd
- GDP per resident$29,626
Output grew 6.0 percent in the latest year and 24.7 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.
Preston County
Who employs people in Preston County
- Covered employment, annual average7,208
- Establishments reporting884
- Average annual pay$55,402
- Average weekly wage$1,065
- Sector 62, employment1,062
- Sector 62, average annual pay$44,639
- Sector 23, employment1,020
- Sector 23, average annual pay$68,050
- Sector 44-45, employment782
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$31,322
- Sector 31-33, employment534
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$60,604
- Sector 72, employment448
- Sector 54, employment187
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 62 | 1,062 | 199 | $44,639 |
| Sector 23 | 1,020 | 110 | $68,050 |
| Sector 44-45 | 782 | 84 | $31,322 |
| Sector 31-33 | 534 | 27 | $60,604 |
| Sector 72 | 448 | 40 | $21,152 |
| Sector 54 | 187 | 70 | $65,162 |
| Sector 81 | 185 | 47 | $34,269 |
| Sector 48-49 | 162 | 35 | $61,087 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 1,062 jobs, 14.7 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.
Preston County
What businesses operate in Preston County
- Establishments, all industries509
- Employment at those establishments5,012
- Annual payroll$227.6 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents14.9
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.
Preston County
What is being built in Preston County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 20241
- Declared construction value permitted$305,000
- Single family units authorised1
- Multifamily units authorised0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$305,000
- Units authorised per 1,000 households0.1
Multifamily is 0.0 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Preston County
How much SBA lending happens in Preston County
- 7(a) approvals recorded29
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$8.0 m
- Average 7(a) approval$276,803
- Median 7(a) approval$128,100
- 10th percentile approval$25,000
- 90th percentile approval$660,000
- Largest single approval$2,045,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)157
- Jobs per approval5.4
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active3
- Distinct industries receiving approvals25
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer13.8 percent
- Loans on real estate terms4
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter20
- Franchise loans2
- Franchise share of approvals6.9 percent
- Leading industry by approval countOffices of Mental Health Practitioners (except Physicians) (3)
- Most active lenderClear Mountain Bank, Inc. (22)
The average approval of $276,803 sits well above the median of $128,100, 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 13.8 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.
Preston County
Do SBA loans in Preston County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded8
- Paid in full7
- Charged off1
- Status: Exempt from disclosure14
- Status: Paid in full7
- Status: Charged off1
- Status: Cancelled6
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed1
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 8 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.
Preston County
Which parts of Preston County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending9
- Kingwood, approvals8
- Bruceton Mills, approvals7
- Reedsville, approvals5
- Masontown, approvals3
- Arthurdale, approvals2
- Tunnelton, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Kingwood | 8 | $3,003,300 |
| Bruceton Mills | 7 | $2,796,700 |
| Reedsville | 5 | $421,300 |
| Masontown | 3 | $1,410,000 |
| Arthurdale | 2 | $143,100 |
| Tunnelton | 1 | $46,000 |
| Albright | 1 | $49,400 |
| TERRA ALTA | 1 | $112,500 |
Kingwood accounts for 8 approvals against 7 in Bruceton Mills. 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.
Preston County
How big is Preston County
- Land area649 sq mi
- Rank by land area among West Virginia counties7th of 55
- Width, east to west22.6 mi
- Height, north to south36.3 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary5
- Residents per square mile of land53
- Establishments per square mile0.78
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 Preston 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 Preston County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population34,160
- Households12,809
- Average household size2.67
- Median household income$61,880
- Median age43.3
Common questions
Preston County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Preston County, West Virginia?
34,160, in 12,809 households, ranking 15th of 55 West Virginia counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Preston County growing?
The population has fallen 0.47 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 289 births against 416 deaths, with net migration of 131. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Preston County?
$61,880. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $162,800, which is 2.6 times income, and median gross rent is $750 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Preston County?
509 establishments, employing 5,012 people with an annual payroll of $227.6 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 Preston County?
Average annual pay is $55,402, or $1,065 a week, across 7,208 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Preston County?
29 7(a) approvals totalling $8.0 m since FY2020, across 3 lenders, with a median approval of $128,100. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Preston County?
1 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $305,000. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Preston 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 Preston County come from?
The largest single origin is Preston County Non-migrants, with 11,780 households. Arriving households report an average income of $55,925 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 Preston 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 Preston 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.