West Virginia Business by the Numbers: 2026 Company Breakdown
West Virginia has 247,600 business records in Factur’s directory — the 39th-most of any U.S. state, or 0.4% of the national total. Charleston leads its cities with 11.1% of the state’s records, Industrial & mechanical is the largest sector at 28.3%, and West Virginia ranks 45th for large employers (500+ employees).
Data as of July 2026. The figures come from Factur’s U.S. business directory, spanning 2 West Virginia cities and 5 industry sectors. They count records, not unique companies: one company can have more than one record (see the methodology). Every number links to the browsable list behind it. Journalists and researchers are welcome to cite these figures with a link back to this page.
Key findings
- West Virginia ranks 39th nationally with 247,600 business records — 0.4% of all 64,799,929 U.S. records in the directory.
- Mostly small businesses. West Virginia is 45th for records of companies with 500+ employees (251), with 10.1 per 10,000 records against 14.0 nationally (44th of 52 states).
- Charleston is the state’s largest business hub, with 11.1% of all West Virginia records.
How West Virginia ranks nationally
West Virginia and its closest neighbours by total business records. Select a state to open its own study.
Top West Virginia cities by number of business records
These 2 cities account for 18.5% of all records in West Virginia. Select any city to browse its full company list.
West Virginia businesses by industry
Every record is classified by its primary industry using NAICS/SIC codes; the shares are of all West Virginia records. Select a sector to see those West Virginia companies.
West Virginia businesses by size
Most records in every state are small businesses. In West Virginia, 1.67% of records with a known size have 51 or more employees, against 1.77% nationally. 61 records belong to companies with $1 billion or more in revenue.
| Employees | Records | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-50 | 241,997 | 98.33% | 98.23% |
| 51-200 | 3,284 | 1.33% | 1.37% |
| 201-1000 | 722 | 0.29% | 0.33% |
| 1001-5000 | 78 | 0.03% | 0.05% |
| 5001+ | 29 | 0.01% | 0.02% |
What the numbers show
West Virginia’s 247,600 records place it 39th nationally, 0.4% of the U.S. total, and 45th for large employers. That large-employer rank is well below its rank by records: its business base is weighted toward small companies. Activity clusters in its largest cities, led by Charleston, and its industry mix is close to the national average. For buyers and sellers, that means the deepest pools of suppliers sit in a handful of cities and sectors; the charts above link straight into each so you can shortlist by capability and region.
Frequently asked questions
How many businesses are in West Virginia?
Factur’s directory has 247,600 business records for West Virginia, the 39th-most of any U.S. state. That counts records rather than unique companies: a company can have more than one record, so the number of distinct businesses is lower.
How many large companies are in West Virginia?
251 West Virginia records belong to companies with 500 or more employees, 45th among U.S. states, or 10.1 per 10,000 records against 14.0 nationally. Large companies often have several records (one per department or location), so this overstates the number of distinct large employers.
Which West Virginia city has the most businesses?
Charleston has the most, with 11.1% of the state’s records.
What is the largest industry in West Virginia?
Industrial & mechanical is the largest sector, at 28.3% of West Virginia records.
Where does this data come from?
From Factur’s U.S. business directory as of July 2026, classified by city and by primary industry using NAICS/SIC codes. Every figure on this page links to the list behind it.
Cite this data
Free to use with attribution — please credit Factur and link back to this page.
Factur. (2026). West Virginia Business by the Numbers: 2026 Company Breakdown. data.facturmfg.com. https://data.facturmfg.com/insights/west-virginia<a href="https://data.facturmfg.com/insights/west-virginia">West Virginia Business by the Numbers: 2026 Company Breakdown</a> — data by FacturMethodology
Figures count records in Factur’s U.S. business directory as of July 2026, classified by city and primary industry using NAICS/SIC codes. Records cover manufacturers, suppliers and businesses of all sizes. They are not a count of unique companies: one company can have several records (for example one per department or location), and some records are duplicates. That affects large companies most, so treat raw totals as an upper bound and rely on the ranks, shares and comparisons, which it affects much less. These are directory totals, not official census figures. Percentages are computed against the West Virginia directory total; size shares use records with a known employee count. Data compiled by Factur, a sales and marketing firm for B2B manufacturers.
Looking for a specific industry in West Virginia? Browse the West Virginia directory → or contact us for a custom data pull.