HomeWest VirginiaRaleigh County
Raleigh County, West Virginia: commercial real estate data.
Raleigh County, West Virginia has a population of 73,195 across 605 square miles, down 3.0 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $4.53 bn in 2024, 1,713 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 26 7(a) approvals worth $14.1 m.
118 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Raleigh County
How many people live in Raleigh County
- Population73,195
- Households29,004
- Average household size2.52
- Median household income$52,150
- Median age42.9
- Median gross rent$902 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$150,900
- Home value to household income2.9 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income20.8 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher22.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree8.3 percent
- Adults 25 and over52,099
- Population under 1815,392
- Share under 1821.0 percent
- Population 65 and over16,208
- Share 65 and over22.1 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6441,595
- Civilian labor force28,484
- Unemployment rate5.0 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over49.3 percent
- Rank by population among West Virginia counties6th of 55
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents765th
Raleigh County is the 6th largest of 55 West Virginia counties by population. A median home costs 2.9 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 21.0 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.
Raleigh County
Is Raleigh County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base-2.97 percent
- Census 2020 base population74,592
- Births, 2024658
- Deaths, 20241,062
- Natural change, 2024-404
- Net domestic migration, 202497
- Net international migration, 2024160
- Total net migration, 2024257
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-92
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2735th
The county has lost 2.97 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.
Raleigh County
Where people moving to Raleigh County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving1,190
- People arriving, from those returns2,199
- Adjusted gross income arriving$65.8 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$55,274
- Largest single originRaleigh County Non-migrants (24,994 households)
- Largest single destination (24,994 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Raleigh County Non-migrants | 24,994 | 51,682 | $1.51 bn |
| Other flows - Different State | 505 | 932 | $27.8 m |
| Other flows - South | 315 | 576 | $17.4 m |
| Fayette County | 202 | 410 | $9.2 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 152 | 277 | $7.2 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 80 | 147 | $3.8 m |
| Mercer County | 78 | 139 | $3.0 m |
| Wyoming County | 75 | 124 | $3.1 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Raleigh 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.
Raleigh County
What the Raleigh County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$4.53 bn
- County GDP, 2023$4.23 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20247.1 percent
- GDP change over five years44.6 percent
- Rank by GDP among West Virginia counties8th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents751st
- GDP per resident$61,918
Output grew 7.1 percent in the latest year and 44.6 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.
Raleigh County
Who employs people in Raleigh County
- Covered employment, annual average32,322
- Establishments reporting2,608
- Average annual pay$54,223
- Average weekly wage$1,043
- Sector 62, employment6,679
- Sector 62, average annual pay$53,377
- Sector 44-45, employment4,314
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$37,740
- Sector 72, employment3,395
- Sector 72, average annual pay$21,959
- Sector 21, employment2,048
- Sector 21, average annual pay$111,715
- Sector 56, employment2,024
- Sector 23, employment1,122
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 62 | 6,679 | 569 | $53,377 |
| Sector 44-45 | 4,314 | 316 | $37,740 |
| Sector 72 | 3,395 | 160 | $21,959 |
| Sector 21 | 2,048 | 28 | $111,715 |
| Sector 56 | 2,024 | 174 | $42,544 |
| Sector 23 | 1,122 | 203 | $59,354 |
| Sector 42 | 1,067 | 128 | $71,810 |
| Sector 54 | 983 | 228 | $60,335 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 6,679 jobs, 20.7 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.
Raleigh County
What businesses operate in Raleigh County
- Establishments, all industries1,713
- Employment at those establishments26,532
- Annual payroll$1.23 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents23.4
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.
Raleigh County
What is being built in Raleigh County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 202441
- Declared construction value permitted$11.0 m
- Single family units authorised41
- Multifamily units authorised0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$267,460
- Units authorised per 1,000 households1.4
Multifamily is 0.0 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Raleigh County
How much SBA lending happens in Raleigh County
- 7(a) approvals recorded26
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$14.1 m
- Average 7(a) approval$540,877
- Median 7(a) approval$180,000
- 10th percentile approval$32,400
- 90th percentile approval$2,805,000
- Largest single approval$3,765,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)158
- Jobs per approval6.1
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active14
- Distinct industries receiving approvals17
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer11.5 percent
- Loans on real estate terms3
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter19
- Franchise loans1
- Franchise share of approvals3.8 percent
- Leading industry by approval countOffices of Chiropractors (6)
- Most active lenderFirst Community Bank (7)
- 504 approvals recorded5
- 504 gross approval dollars$3.9 m
- Average 504 approval$777,400
- Median 504 approval$453,000
- Distinct CDCs active3
- 504 jobs per approval14.0
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved18.0
- Most active CDCBusiness Finance Group, Inc. (2)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals83.9 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$17.9 m
The average approval of $540,877 sits well above the median of $180,000, 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 11.5 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.
Raleigh County
Do SBA loans in Raleigh County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded4
- Paid in full4
- Charged off0
- Status: Exempt from disclosure20
- Status: Paid in full4
- Status: Cancelled2
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 4 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.
Raleigh County
Which parts of Raleigh County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending4
- Beckley, approvals23
- DANIELS, approvals1
- COOL RIDGE, approvals1
- PROSPERITY, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Beckley | 23 | $10,807,800 |
| DANIELS | 1 | $300,000 |
| COOL RIDGE | 1 | $150,000 |
| PROSPERITY | 1 | $2,805,000 |
Beckley accounts for 23 approvals against 1 in DANIELS. 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.
Raleigh County
How big is Raleigh County
- Land area605 sq mi
- Rank by land area among West Virginia counties10th of 55
- Width, east to west37.7 mi
- Height, north to south32.9 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land121
- Establishments per square mile2.83
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 Raleigh 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 Raleigh County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population73,195
- Households29,004
- Average household size2.52
- Median household income$52,150
- Median age42.9
Common questions
Raleigh County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Raleigh County, West Virginia?
73,195, in 29,004 households, ranking 6th of 55 West Virginia counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Raleigh County growing?
The population has fallen 2.97 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 658 births against 1,062 deaths, with net migration of 257. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Raleigh County?
$52,150. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $150,900, which is 2.9 times income, and median gross rent is $902 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Raleigh County?
1,713 establishments, employing 26,532 people with an annual payroll of $1.23 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 Raleigh County?
Average annual pay is $54,223, or $1,043 a week, across 32,322 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Raleigh County?
26 7(a) approvals totalling $14.1 m since FY2020, across 14 lenders, with a median approval of $180,000, plus 5 504 approvals worth $3.9 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Raleigh County?
41 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $11.0 m. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Raleigh 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 Raleigh County come from?
The largest single origin is Raleigh County Non-migrants, with 24,994 households. Arriving households report an average income of $55,274 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 Raleigh 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 Raleigh 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.