HomeWest VirginiaUpshur County
Upshur County, West Virginia: commercial real estate data.
Upshur County, West Virginia has a population of 23,712 across 355 square miles, down 0.7 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $1.05 bn in 2024, 513 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 19 7(a) approvals worth $4.9 m.
107 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Upshur County
How many people live in Upshur County
- Population23,712
- Households9,557
- Average household size2.48
- Median household income$54,338
- Median age42.3
- Median gross rent$886 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$170,800
- Home value to household income3.1 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income19.6 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher18.2 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree7.7 percent
- Adults 25 and over16,434
- Population under 184,797
- Share under 1820.2 percent
- Population 65 and over5,172
- Share 65 and over21.8 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6413,743
- Civilian labor force9,606
- Unemployment rate5.7 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over50.8 percent
- Rank by population among West Virginia counties25th of 55
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents1704th
Upshur County is the 25th largest of 55 West Virginia counties by population. A median home costs 3.1 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 21.8 percent against 20.2 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.
Upshur County
Is Upshur County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base-0.71 percent
- Census 2020 base population23,818
- Births, 2024213
- Deaths, 2024287
- Natural change, 2024-74
- Net domestic migration, 2024117
- Net international migration, 202442
- Total net migration, 2024159
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024151
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2094th
The county has lost 0.71 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.
Upshur County
Where people moving to Upshur County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving413
- People arriving, from those returns769
- Adjusted gross income arriving$21.4 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$51,760
- Largest single originUpshur County Non-migrants (8,287 households)
- Largest single destination (8,287 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Upshur County Non-migrants | 8,287 | 17,047 | $486.8 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 154 | 297 | $9.5 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 88 | 163 | $4.2 m |
| Other flows - South | 66 | 127 | $4.1 m |
| Lewis County | 57 | 112 | $2.2 m |
| Randolph County | 42 | 79 | $1.4 m |
| Harrison County | 40 | 67 | $2.9 m |
| Other flows - Northeast | 37 | 71 | $2.0 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Upshur 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.
Upshur County
What the Upshur County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$1.05 bn
- County GDP, 2023$1.00 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20244.9 percent
- GDP change over five years40.3 percent
- Rank by GDP among West Virginia counties28th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents1807th
- GDP per resident$44,425
Output grew 4.9 percent in the latest year and 40.3 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.
Upshur County
Who employs people in Upshur County
- Covered employment, annual average7,673
- Establishments reporting833
- Average annual pay$48,466
- Average weekly wage$932
- Sector 44-45, employment1,106
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$36,081
- Sector 31-33, employment784
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$64,296
- Sector 72, employment717
- Sector 72, average annual pay$19,743
- Sector 23, employment476
- Sector 23, average annual pay$60,987
- Sector 54, employment243
- Sector 42, employment228
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 44-45 | 1,106 | 94 | $36,081 |
| Sector 31-33 | 784 | 20 | $64,296 |
| Sector 72 | 717 | 54 | $19,743 |
| Sector 23 | 476 | 72 | $60,987 |
| Sector 54 | 243 | 68 | $56,251 |
| Sector 42 | 228 | 26 | $66,740 |
| Sector 21 | 217 | 24 | $66,399 |
| Sector 81 | 147 | 40 | $34,064 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 1,106 jobs, 14.4 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.
Upshur County
What businesses operate in Upshur County
- Establishments, all industries513
- Employment at those establishments6,101
- Annual payroll$306.3 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents21.6
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.
Upshur County
What is being built in Upshur County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 202462
- Declared construction value permitted$7.6 m
- Single family units authorised48
- Multifamily units authorised14
- Multifamily share of units22.6 percent
- Average declared value per unit$122,565
- Units authorised per 1,000 households6.5
Multifamily is 22.6 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Upshur County
How much SBA lending happens in Upshur County
- 7(a) approvals recorded19
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$4.9 m
- Average 7(a) approval$259,979
- Median 7(a) approval$150,000
- 10th percentile approval$65,100
- 90th percentile approval$707,000
- Largest single approval$850,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)98
- Jobs per approval5.2
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active8
- Distinct industries receiving approvals16
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer31.6 percent
- Loans on real estate terms6
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter13
- Franchise loans3
- Franchise share of approvals15.8 percent
- Leading industry by approval countMotor Vehicle Towing (3)
- Most active lenderCitizens Bank of West Virginia, Inc (10)
The average approval of $259,979 sits well above the median of $150,000, 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. 31.6 percent of approvals run on real estate terms of 240 months or more, so this is a market where SBA credit is buying buildings, not just funding operations.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Upshur County
Do SBA loans in Upshur County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded5
- Paid in full5
- Charged off0
- Status: Paid in full5
- Status: Exempt from disclosure9
- Status: Cancelled5
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 5 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.
Upshur County
Which parts of Upshur County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending3
- Buckhannon, approvals17
- FRENCH CREEK, approvals1
- ROCK CAVE, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Buckhannon | 17 | $4,742,600 |
| FRENCH CREEK | 1 | $72,000 |
| ROCK CAVE | 1 | $125,000 |
Buckhannon accounts for 17 approvals against 1 in FRENCH CREEK. 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.
Upshur County
How big is Upshur County
- Land area355 sq mi
- Rank by land area among West Virginia counties35th of 55
- Width, east to west18.1 mi
- Height, north to south28.9 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary5
- Residents per square mile of land67
- Establishments per square mile1.45
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 Upshur 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 Upshur County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population23,712
- Households9,557
- Average household size2.48
- Median household income$54,338
- Median age42.3
Common questions
Upshur County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Upshur County, West Virginia?
23,712, in 9,557 households, ranking 25th of 55 West Virginia counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Upshur County growing?
The population has fallen 0.71 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 213 births against 287 deaths, with net migration of 159. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Upshur County?
$54,338. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $170,800, which is 3.1 times income, and median gross rent is $886 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Upshur County?
513 establishments, employing 6,101 people with an annual payroll of $306.3 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 Upshur County?
Average annual pay is $48,466, or $932 a week, across 7,673 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Upshur County?
19 7(a) approvals totalling $4.9 m since FY2020, across 8 lenders, with a median approval of $150,000. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Upshur County?
62 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $7.6 m. Multifamily was 22.6 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Upshur 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 Upshur County come from?
The largest single origin is Upshur County Non-migrants, with 8,287 households. Arriving households report an average income of $51,760 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 Upshur 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 Upshur 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.