HomeWest VirginiaWood County
Wood County, West Virginia: commercial real estate data.
Wood County, West Virginia has a population of 83,407 across 366 square miles, down 1.8 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $4.74 bn in 2024, 1,901 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 46 7(a) approvals worth $29.6 m.
123 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Wood County
How many people live in Wood County
- Population83,407
- Households35,836
- Average household size2.33
- Median household income$57,810
- Median age43.9
- Median gross rent$822 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$158,500
- Home value to household income2.7 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income17.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher24.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree9.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over60,017
- Population under 1817,380
- Share under 1820.8 percent
- Population 65 and over18,026
- Share 65 and over21.6 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6448,001
- Civilian labor force38,217
- Unemployment rate5.4 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over57.9 percent
- Rank by population among West Virginia counties5th of 55
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents702nd
Wood County is the 5th largest of 55 West Virginia counties by population. A median home costs 2.7 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 21.6 percent against 20.8 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.
Wood County
Is Wood County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base-1.82 percent
- Census 2020 base population84,293
- Births, 2024759
- Deaths, 2024999
- Natural change, 2024-240
- Net domestic migration, 20245
- Net international migration, 202445
- Total net migration, 202450
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024131
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2452nd
The county has lost 1.82 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.
Wood County
Where people moving to Wood County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving1,504
- People arriving, from those returns2,599
- Adjusted gross income arriving$75.6 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$50,281
- Largest single originWood County Non-migrants (31,718 households)
- Largest single destination (31,718 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wood County Non-migrants | 31,718 | 62,749 | $2.15 bn |
| Other flows - Different State | 596 | 1,052 | $34.4 m |
| Washington County | 316 | 548 | $14.8 m |
| Other flows - South | 278 | 491 | $17.2 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 234 | 420 | $9.9 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 178 | 303 | $7.2 m |
| Jackson County | 73 | 129 | $3.4 m |
| Other flows - West | 73 | 129 | $3.7 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Wood 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.
Wood County
What the Wood County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$4.74 bn
- County GDP, 2023$4.54 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20244.4 percent
- GDP change over five years28.2 percent
- Rank by GDP among West Virginia counties7th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents737th
- GDP per resident$56,862
Output grew 4.4 percent in the latest year and 28.2 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.
Wood County
Who employs people in Wood County
- Covered employment, annual average35,511
- Establishments reporting2,634
- Average annual pay$54,626
- Average weekly wage$1,051
- Sector 62, employment7,313
- Sector 62, average annual pay$58,085
- Sector 44-45, employment5,317
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$35,492
- Sector 72, employment3,914
- Sector 72, average annual pay$20,186
- Sector 31-33, employment2,920
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$83,208
- Sector 23, employment1,605
- Sector 56, employment1,452
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 62 | 7,313 | 503 | $58,085 |
| Sector 44-45 | 5,317 | 364 | $35,492 |
| Sector 72 | 3,914 | 217 | $20,186 |
| Sector 31-33 | 2,920 | 72 | $83,208 |
| Sector 23 | 1,605 | 192 | $62,107 |
| Sector 56 | 1,452 | 164 | $47,549 |
| Sector 48-49 | 1,259 | 73 | $56,325 |
| Sector 81 | 1,011 | 183 | $35,839 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 7,313 jobs, 20.6 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.
Wood County
What businesses operate in Wood County
- Establishments, all industries1,901
- Employment at those establishments29,785
- Annual payroll$1.36 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents22.8
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.
Wood County
What is being built in Wood County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 2024124
- Declared construction value permitted$24.8 m
- Single family units authorised91
- Multifamily units authorised33
- Multifamily share of units26.6 percent
- Average declared value per unit$199,885
- Units authorised per 1,000 households3.5
Multifamily is 26.6 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Wood County
How much SBA lending happens in Wood County
- 7(a) approvals recorded46
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$29.6 m
- Average 7(a) approval$643,385
- Median 7(a) approval$345,000
- 10th percentile approval$40,000
- 90th percentile approval$1,987,800
- Largest single approval$4,190,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)620
- Jobs per approval13.5
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active10
- Distinct industries receiving approvals23
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer19.6 percent
- Loans on real estate terms9
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter32
- Franchise loans10
- Franchise share of approvals21.7 percent
- Leading industry by approval countHotels (except Casino Hotels) and Motels (6)
- Most active lenderThe Huntington National Bank (23)
- 504 approvals recorded1
- 504 gross approval dollars$1.6 m
- Average 504 approval$1,620,000
- Median 504 approval$1,620,000
- Distinct CDCs active1
- 504 jobs per approval25.0
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved15.4
- Most active CDCRegional Development Funding Corporation (1)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals97.9 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$31.2 m
The average approval of $643,385 sits well above the median of $345,000, 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 19.6 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. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Wood County
Do SBA loans in Wood County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded10
- Paid in full9
- Charged off1
- Charge off rate on resolved loans10.0 percent
- Status: Paid in full9
- Status: Exempt from disclosure27
- Status: Cancelled6
- Status: Charged off1
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed3
Of the 10 loans that have reached a final outcome, 10.0 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.
Wood County
Which parts of Wood County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending6
- PARKERSBURG, approvals21
- Vienna, approvals9
- WASHINGTON, approvals6
- MINERAL WELLS, approvals5
- Williamstown, approvals4
- SUMTER, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| PARKERSBURG | 21 | $9,146,900 |
| Vienna | 9 | $4,249,600 |
| WASHINGTON | 6 | $4,646,300 |
| MINERAL WELLS | 5 | $8,002,500 |
| Williamstown | 4 | $450,400 |
| SUMTER | 1 | $3,100,000 |
PARKERSBURG accounts for 21 approvals against 9 in Vienna. 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.
Wood County
How big is Wood County
- Land area366 sq mi
- Rank by land area among West Virginia counties31st of 55
- Width, east to west27.3 mi
- Height, north to south26.5 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary4
- Residents per square mile of land228
- Establishments per square mile5.19
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 Wood 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 Wood County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population83,407
- Households35,836
- Average household size2.33
- Median household income$57,810
- Median age43.9
Common questions
Wood County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Wood County, West Virginia?
83,407, in 35,836 households, ranking 5th of 55 West Virginia counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Wood County growing?
The population has fallen 1.82 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 759 births against 999 deaths, with net migration of 50. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Wood County?
$57,810. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $158,500, which is 2.7 times income, and median gross rent is $822 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Wood County?
1,901 establishments, employing 29,785 people with an annual payroll of $1.36 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 Wood County?
Average annual pay is $54,626, or $1,051 a week, across 35,511 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Wood County?
46 7(a) approvals totalling $29.6 m since FY2020, across 10 lenders, with a median approval of $345,000, plus 1 504 approvals worth $1.6 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Wood County get paid back?
Of the 10 loans that have reached a final outcome, 9 were paid in full and 1 charged off, a charge off rate of 10.0 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
What is being built in Wood County?
124 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $24.8 m. Multifamily was 26.6 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Wood 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 Wood County come from?
The largest single origin is Wood County Non-migrants, with 31,718 households. Arriving households report an average income of $50,281 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 Wood 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 Wood 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.