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Chapter V: West Virginia’s Counties

While statewide figures reflecting West Virginia’s economy are important, it is important to recognize that they mask significant economic and demographic variations across the state’s regions and counties. As such, in this chapter we illustrate several key economic statistics performed during the past decade across each of the state’s 55 counties and how these measures are expected to perform from a geographic perspective over the next five years.

Substantial amounts of federal government relief were provided during the first half of 2020 to offset income losses associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. Consequently, county-by-county comparisons for real personal growth in figures 5.6 and 5.7 will cover the 2021 to 2025 time period to avoid the potential for misleading interpretations of a given county’s expected path of income gains during the outlook period.

Annual Populations Growth, 2009-2019 Map showing most West Virginia counties had negative average annual population growth from 2009 to 2019.

[Figure 5.1]

Forecast Annual Population Growth, 2020-2025 Map showing most West Virginia counties are forecasted to have negative average annual population growth from 2020 to 2025.

[Figure 5.2]

Annual Employment Growth, 2009-2019 Map showing most West Virginia counties experienced negative average annual employment growth from 2009 to 2019.

[Figure 5.3]

Forecast Annual Employment Growth, 2020-2025 Map showing approximately half of West Virginia counties are forecasted to have annual employment growth greater than 1% from 2020 to 2025.

[Figure 5.4]

Annual Real Personal Income Growth, 2009-2019 Map showing approximately half of West Virginia counties had average annual personal income growth greater than 1% from 2009 to 2019.

[Figure 5.5]

Forecast Real Personal Income Growth, 2021-2025 Map showing most West Virginia counties are forecasted to have average annual personal income growth greater than 0.7% from 2021 to 2025.

[Figure 5.6]

West Virginia County Real Per Capita Income Chart showing that most West Virginia counties have a lower 2019 per capita income and higher forecasted 2020 to 2025 annual growth rate than the state average.

[Figure 5.7]