HomeWest VirginiaPutnam County
Putnam County, West Virginia: commercial real estate data.
Putnam County, West Virginia has a population of 57,177 across 346 square miles, down 0.6 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $3.83 bn in 2024, 1,248 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 59 7(a) approvals worth $14.2 m.
122 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Putnam County
How many people live in Putnam County
- Population57,177
- Households23,251
- Average household size2.46
- Median household income$79,527
- Median age42.6
- Median gross rent$952 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$223,300
- Home value to household income2.8 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income14.4 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher29.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree11.2 percent
- Adults 25 and over40,602
- Population under 1812,295
- Share under 1821.5 percent
- Population 65 and over11,255
- Share 65 and over19.7 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6433,627
- Civilian labor force27,375
- Unemployment rate3.1 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over61.0 percent
- Rank by population among West Virginia counties10th of 55
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents926th
Putnam County is the 10th largest of 55 West Virginia counties by population. A median home costs 2.8 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 21.5 percent against 19.7 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Putnam County
Is Putnam County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base-0.64 percent
- Census 2020 base population57,436
- Births, 2024482
- Deaths, 2024663
- Natural change, 2024-181
- Net domestic migration, 2024200
- Net international migration, 2024105
- Total net migration, 2024305
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024183
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2071st
The county has lost 0.64 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.
Putnam County
Where people moving to Putnam County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving1,370
- People arriving, from those returns2,514
- Adjusted gross income arriving$84.8 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$61,884
- Largest single originPutnam County Non-migrants (21,037 households)
- Largest single destination (21,037 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Putnam County Non-migrants | 21,037 | 44,813 | $1.73 bn |
| Kanawha County | 578 | 1,060 | $33.3 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 358 | 654 | $26.4 m |
| Other flows - South | 212 | 395 | $16.0 m |
| Cabell County | 182 | 335 | $10.5 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 153 | 277 | $10.1 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 74 | 134 | $5.7 m |
| Mason County | 47 | 93 | $2.3 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Putnam 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.
Putnam County
What the Putnam County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$3.83 bn
- County GDP, 2023$3.52 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20248.7 percent
- GDP change over five years28.7 percent
- Rank by GDP among West Virginia counties9th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents833rd
- GDP per resident$67,015
Output grew 8.7 percent in the latest year and 28.7 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.
Putnam County
Who employs people in Putnam County
- Covered employment, annual average21,217
- Establishments reporting1,894
- Average annual pay$64,360
- Average weekly wage$1,238
- Sector 31-33, employment3,182
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$85,778
- Sector 23, employment2,689
- Sector 23, average annual pay$82,682
- Sector 62, employment2,633
- Sector 62, average annual pay$56,343
- Sector 44-45, employment2,290
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$39,017
- Sector 72, employment1,679
- Sector 42, employment1,173
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 31-33 | 3,182 | 55 | $85,778 |
| Sector 23 | 2,689 | 201 | $82,682 |
| Sector 62 | 2,633 | 297 | $56,343 |
| Sector 44-45 | 2,290 | 182 | $39,017 |
| Sector 72 | 1,679 | 107 | $20,501 |
| Sector 42 | 1,173 | 138 | $84,885 |
| Sector 56 | 1,054 | 146 | $56,896 |
| Sector 54 | 1,051 | 227 | $74,376 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 3,182 jobs, 15.0 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.
Putnam County
What businesses operate in Putnam County
- Establishments, all industries1,248
- Employment at those establishments19,036
- Annual payroll$1.11 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents21.8
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.
Putnam County
What is being built in Putnam County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 2024402
- Declared construction value permitted$82.5 m
- Single family units authorised96
- Multifamily units authorised306
- Multifamily share of units76.1 percent
- Average declared value per unit$205,253
- Units authorised per 1,000 households17.3
Multifamily is 76.1 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is being built for renters rather than buyers.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Putnam County
How much SBA lending happens in Putnam County
- 7(a) approvals recorded59
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$14.2 m
- Average 7(a) approval$240,727
- Median 7(a) approval$75,000
- 10th percentile approval$20,000
- 90th percentile approval$820,000
- Largest single approval$2,625,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)431
- Jobs per approval7.3
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active9
- Distinct industries receiving approvals32
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer11.9 percent
- Loans on real estate terms7
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter52
- Franchise loans2
- Franchise share of approvals3.4 percent
- Leading industry by approval countPlumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors (8)
- Most active lenderThe Huntington National Bank (47)
- 504 approvals recorded2
- 504 gross approval dollars$623,000
- Average 504 approval$311,500
- Median 504 approval$354,000
- Distinct CDCs active1
- 504 jobs per approval12.5
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved40.1
- Most active CDCRegional Development Funding Corporation (2)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals96.7 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$14.8 m
The average approval of $240,727 sits well above the median of $75,000, 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 11.9 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.
Putnam County
Do SBA loans in Putnam County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded11
- Paid in full11
- Charged off0
- Charge off rate on resolved loans0.0 percent
- Status: Paid in full11
- Status: Cancelled5
- Status: Exempt from disclosure39
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed4
Of the 11 loans that have reached a final outcome, 0.0 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.
Putnam County
Which parts of Putnam County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending8
- Scott Depot, approvals21
- HURRICANE, approvals20
- Winfield, approvals9
- Eleanor, approvals3
- POCA, approvals2
- BANCROFT, approvals2
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Scott Depot | 21 | $4,358,100 |
| HURRICANE | 20 | $5,910,500 |
| Winfield | 9 | $3,032,500 |
| Eleanor | 3 | $348,800 |
| POCA | 2 | $178,000 |
| BANCROFT | 2 | $225,000 |
| Scott Deport | 1 | $50,000 |
| BUFFALO | 1 | $100,000 |
Scott Depot accounts for 21 approvals against 20 in HURRICANE. 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.
Putnam County
How big is Putnam County
- Land area346 sq mi
- Rank by land area among West Virginia counties36th of 55
- Width, east to west19.9 mi
- Height, north to south28.7 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary5
- Residents per square mile of land165
- Establishments per square mile3.61
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 Putnam 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 Putnam County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population57,177
- Households23,251
- Average household size2.46
- Median household income$79,527
- Median age42.6
Common questions
Putnam County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Putnam County, West Virginia?
57,177, in 23,251 households, ranking 10th of 55 West Virginia counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Putnam County growing?
The population has fallen 0.64 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 482 births against 663 deaths, with net migration of 305. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Putnam County?
$79,527. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $223,300, which is 2.8 times income, and median gross rent is $952 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Putnam County?
1,248 establishments, employing 19,036 people with an annual payroll of $1.11 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 Putnam County?
Average annual pay is $64,360, or $1,238 a week, across 21,217 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Putnam County?
59 7(a) approvals totalling $14.2 m since FY2020, across 9 lenders, with a median approval of $75,000, plus 2 504 approvals worth $623,000. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Putnam County get paid back?
Of the 11 loans that have reached a final outcome, 11 were paid in full and 0 charged off, a charge off rate of 0.0 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
What is being built in Putnam County?
402 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $82.5 m. Multifamily was 76.1 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Putnam 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 Putnam County come from?
The largest single origin is Putnam County Non-migrants, with 21,037 households. Arriving households report an average income of $61,884 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 Putnam 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 Putnam 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.