By Stephen Smoot
As part of its obligations under various grants, Region 8 Planning and Economic Development Council holds two public stakeholder meetings in Moorefield and Keyser to gauge stakeholder assessments on positives, negatives, possibilities, and problems in regional economic development. Prior to starting the discussion, Region 8 representative Ralph Goolsby presented charts gathered by West Virginia University’s John Chambers College of Business and Economics.
These charts lay out demographics, employment, and other economic development information. Sets of data compiled can be used well in conjunction with those of other sources, such as the United States Census Bureau.
Census Bureau estimates put the 2024 population of Pendleton County at 5,944, a decrease of nearly 200 individuals since the 2020 census estimates of population. Of that population, WVU found that about 1,300 of those people have some form of employment, giving Pendleton a labor participation rate 51.3 percent on the job. Hardy had the highest rate at 56 percent, Grant came in slightly behind at 55.1, Mineral at 54, and Hampshire was at 51.8 percent.
In a West Virginia Executive article from last May, John Deskins of West Virginia University explained the Mountain State’s problems with low labor participation. That of the United States itself was calculated in January at 62.5 percent, but Florida, another state with an increasing population of seniors, had a rate of 57.5, two points higher than West Virginia.
“Labor force participation rates,” Deskins stated, “captures the share of the adult population that wants to work, regardless of whether that individual holds a job currently or is looking for employment.” It serves as a “more long-run descriptor of the state’s underlying economic conditions.” Goolsby noted that the region’s high population of seniors relates directly to that statistic across the region.
Deskins reported that while West Virginia’s remained the lowest in the nation, it has increased by two percentage points in recent years with momentum continuing to edge upward to “close the gap” with other states.
Of unemployment, Deskins explained that “a common misunderstanding is that unemployment is a widespread issue in West Virginia. However, that is not the case.” “Unemployment” statistics cover those “without a job and actively looking for work,” a statistic more useful for snapshots of the present than long-term analysis.
West Virginia’s unemployment rate rests below the rate at one time considered “full employment.” That rate was 5 percent, but the Mountain State currently enjoys a 4.4 percent rate. Mineral equals that with Hardy at 3.8, Grant 3.9, Hampshire at 3.7, and Pendleton at 3.6 percent unemployment.
One of the interesting statistical dances of the Potomac Highlands lies in the dance between income levels and the cost of living. Census numbers indicate that Hardy County has a cost of living between 20 and 30 percent lower than the national average, which mitigates somewhat the fact that salaries also fall behind the national average.
In Pendleton County, the cost of living for a family, according to the Best Places real estate website (U.S. Census Bureau numbers were not available) would require at least a $32,000 per year income which is much less than Pendleton County’s per capita personal income of about $58,000. Interestingly enough, Hardy County’s cost of living for a family of four almost equaled that county’s per capital personal income.
Pendleton’s lower population, but also access to good paying jobs for some, helps to boost the per capita income numbers. That said, Potomac Highlands average annual salaries in various economic fields show that they lag between five and 15 percent behind their counterparts across the state.
One interesting indicator of comparative costs of living comes in the Internal Revenue Service’s estimates of the minimum level of monthly income needed in each county to meet housing, utility, and some other needs should that agency decide to come after a tax debt. For 2025, Pendleton County was rated at $1,140. Grant was pegged at $1,157, Pocahontas at $1,286, Randolph $1,217, and Hardy $1,391.
Elsewhere in the state, Kanawha came in at $1,340 and Monongalia at $1,643.
Costs that contribute to the cost of living include those of housing. The Census Bureau found the median monthly cost of home ownership with a mortgage was under $980 and the median rent at $770. One cost of area living that may not be reflected in the statistics includes an average work commute of 30 minutes, which over time can add up both in gasoline and wear and tear on the vehicle.
