Market rankings · West Virginia
Child care centers and preschools in West Virginia
Markets across West Virginia ranked by the Groundwork market score for child care centers and preschools, with competitor counts and household spending for each.
- Listings
- 260
- 12 chain locations (5%)
- Official establishments
- 407
- +9.4% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $272.7M
- On child care and other personal services
- Listings per 10k households
- 3.6
- 38% below the U.S.
- Spending per listing
- $1M
- 5% above the U.S.
- Rank among states
- #31 of 51
- Market score 43 · Lower middle
A site report maps the child care centers and preschools on map listings around any address in West Virginia by name and distance, and the spending within reach.
Free10 actions over 3 days, no cardSurvey estimates 2020–2024 · population estimates 2025 · official business counts 2023 · map listings September 2026 · Data credits · How we measure
What this means
Map listings as of September 2026 show 260 child care centers and preschools in West Virginia. Of those, 12 are chain locations, or 5%, against 12% across the U.S. That is 3.6 per 10,000 households, 38% below the U.S. rate of 5.8.
Households in West Virginia spend about $272.7M a year on child care and other personal services, or $374 per household, 36% below the U.S. average. Spread across 260 child care centers and preschools, that is $1M per center, 5% above the U.S. figure of $1M.
In 2023, official counts showed 407 businesses with payroll in West Virginia classed as child care services, up 9.4% from 2019. That is one for every 1,790 households, against one for every 1,573 across the U.S. Across the U.S., the count rose 5.7% over the same years. Since fiscal 2022, 16 SBA-backed loans worth $2.1M have gone to businesses classed as child care services in West Virginia.
Among the 50 states and DC, West Virginia ranks #31 for child care centers and preschools, with a Groundwork market score of 43 (lower middle). Of the 10 scored metro areas in or partly in West Virginia, the Winchester metro area scores highest (74). Of the 5 scored small-town markets in or partly in West Virginia, the Clarksburg area scores highest (51).
Every market in West Virginia for child care centers and preschools
Download the ranking (CSV)Numbered by Groundwork market score among the markets based in West Virginia, highest first; the U.S. rank compares each market with every other of its kind. A metro area that crosses a state line is listed in each state it reaches, and numbered only in the state its page is under. How the score works.
Metro areas
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winchester, VA-WV | 74 | 29 | 5.2 | $986K | +6.5% | #38 of 387 |
| Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV | 67 | 52 | 4.4 | $1M | +7.1% | #74 of 387 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 58 | 1,804 | 7.6 | $1M | +3.3% | #138 of 387 |
| 1Morgantown, WV | 55 | 26 | 4.5 | $984K | +1.3% | #165 of 387 |
| 2Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH | 53 | 49 | 3.2 | $1.2M | −2.6% | #174 of 387 |
| 3Charleston, WV | 45 | 29 | 3.3 | $1.1M | −4.7% | #231 of 387 |
| 4Wheeling, WV-OH | 41 | 19 | 3.3 | $1.1M | −3.6% | #257 of 387 |
| 5Beckley, WV | 38 | 16 | 3.6 | $924K | −4.3% | #276 of 387 |
| 6Parkersburg-Vienna, WV | 34 | 13 | 3.4 | $1M | −2.3% | #298 of 387 |
| 7Weirton-Steubenville, WV-OH | 34 | 20 | 4.0 | $815K | −3.6% | #299 of 387 |
Small-town markets
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Clarksburg, WV | 51 | 11 | 3.1 | $1.2M | −2.4% | #222 of 454 |
| Cumberland, MD-WV | 42 | 18 | 4.7 | $759K | −1.3% | #302 of 454 |
| 2Fairmont, WV | 41 | 14 | 6.0 | $636K | −1.2% | #310 of 454 |
| 3Bluefield, WV-VA | 37 | 20 | 4.9 | $639K | −3.8% | #336 of 454 |
| 4Elkins, WV | 10 | 10 | 9.4 | $367K | −3.6% | #446 of 454 |
Counties
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Monongalia County, WV | 69 | 17 | 3.8 | $1.2M | +2.0% | #281 of 1,611 |
| 2Jefferson County, WV | 66 | 13 | 5.7 | $1M | +9.2% | #367 of 1,611 |
| 3Berkeley County, WV | 65 | 20 | 3.9 | $1.2M | +13.7% | #392 of 1,611 |
| 4Kanawha County, WV | 52 | 28 | 3.7 | $1M | −4.3% | #764 of 1,611 |
| 5Cabell County, WV | 49 | 15 | 3.8 | $986K | −3.2% | #838 of 1,611 |
| 6Ohio County, WV | 45 | 6 | 3.3 | $1.2M | −4.4% | #947 of 1,611 |
| 7Putnam County, WV | 45 | 13 | 5.6 | $875K | −1.0% | #955 of 1,611 |
| 8Harrison County, WV | 41 | 9 | 3.4 | $1.1M | −2.5% | #1,058 of 1,611 |
| 9Wood County, WV | 40 | 13 | 3.6 | $982K | −2.1% | #1,090 of 1,611 |
| 10Marshall County, WV | 39 | 5 | 4.0 | $859K | −4.4% | #1,122 of 1,611 |
| 11Raleigh County, WV | 39 | 12 | 4.1 | $806K | −3.5% | #1,123 of 1,611 |
| 12Nicholas County, WV | 37 | 5 | 5.3 | $629K | −2.9% | #1,168 of 1,611 |
| 13Marion County, WV | 33 | 14 | 6.0 | $636K | −1.2% | #1,270 of 1,611 |
| 14Greenbrier County, WV | 31 | 7 | 4.7 | $636K | −4.0% | #1,310 of 1,611 |
| 15Preston County, WV | 28 | 9 | 7.0 | $505K | −0.6% | #1,378 of 1,611 |
| 16Mercer County, WV | 27 | 13 | 5.4 | $595K | −3.4% | #1,388 of 1,611 |
| 17Randolph County, WV | 7 | 10 | 9.4 | $367K | −3.6% | #1,594 of 1,611 |
| Fayette County, WV | Not scored | 4 | 2.5 | $1.3M | −5.6% | |
| Wayne County, WV | Not scored | 2 | 1.3 | $2.7M | −4.0% | |
| Logan County, WV | Not scored | 2 | 1.6 | $2.1M | −6.6% | |
| Hancock County, WV | Not scored | 4 | 3.1 | $1.2M | −4.5% | |
| Jackson County, WV | Not scored | 2 | 1.7 | $2.1M | −1.0% | |
| Mineral County, WV | Not scored | 2 | 1.8 | $2.1M | −0.4% | |
| Mason County, WV | Not scored | 2 | 2.0 | $1.6M | −2.7% | |
| Upshur County, WV | Not scored | 3 | 3.1 | $1.1M | −0.3% |
Show all 55 counties
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hampshire County, WV | Not scored | 2 | 2.3 | $1.6M | +4.4% | |
| Mingo County, WV | Not scored | 3 | 3.2 | $905K | −8.7% | |
| Brooke County, WV | Not scored | 4 | 4.1 | $829K | −6.0% | |
| Boone County, WV | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −6.9% | |
| Wyoming County, WV | Not scored | 1 | 1.2 | $2.2M | −7.1% | |
| Lincoln County, WV | Not scored | 2 | 2.6 | $1.2M | −5.8% | |
| McDowell County, WV | Not scored | 2 | 3.1 | $774K | −10.9% | |
| Morgan County, WV | Not scored | 2 | 2.7 | $1.4M | +5.5% | |
| Lewis County, WV | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −3.7% | |
| Taylor County, WV | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −2.4% | |
| Barbour County, WV | Not scored | 1 | 1.6 | $1.8M | −0.3% | |
| Hardy County, WV | Not scored | 1 | 1.7 | $1.8M | +0.7% | |
| Wetzel County, WV | Not scored | 1 | 1.6 | $2.1M | −4.6% | |
| Roane County, WV | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −4.8% | |
| Monroe County, WV | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | +0.8% | |
| Braxton County, WV | Not scored | 2 | 4.2 | $700K | −4.1% | |
| Summers County, WV | Not scored | 1 | 2.1 | $1.2M | −3.3% | |
| Grant County, WV | Not scored | 2 | 4.6 | $749K | +0.4% | |
| Ritchie County, WV | Not scored | 1 | 3.0 | $1M | −4.6% | |
| Webster County, WV | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −7.1% | |
| Tyler County, WV | Not scored | 1 | 3.0 | $1.3M | −5.0% | |
| Clay County, WV | Not scored | 1 | 3.4 | $863K | −5.9% | |
| Pocahontas County, WV | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −3.3% | |
| Doddridge County, WV | Not scored | 2 | 7.8 | $518K | −1.9% | |
| Pleasants County, WV | Not scored | 1 | 3.6 | $1.1M | −4.1% | |
| Gilmer County, WV | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −4.2% | |
| Tucker County, WV | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −3.1% | |
| Calhoun County, WV | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −3.6% | |
| Pendleton County, WV | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −4.9% | |
| Wirt County, WV | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −5.9% |
Markets with fewer than 5 child care centers and preschools on map listings, and counties under 10,000 people, aren’t scored; they’re listed last in each table.
Questions
How many child care centers and preschools are in West Virginia?
There are 260 child care centers and preschools on map listings in West Virginia as of September 2026. 12 of them (5%) are chain locations. The listings count day care centers and preschools. Official counts show 407 businesses with payroll classed as child care services in 2023, up 9.4% from 2019. Official counts also show 1,961 one-person businesses without payroll.
How much do households in West Virginia spend on child care and other personal services?
About $272.7M a year, or $374 per household. That is 36% below the U.S. average (an index of 64, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 260 child care centers and preschools on map listings, it comes to $1M per center. It is estimated from the incomes of the 728,655 households in West Virginia and national spending patterns by income.
How does West Virginia compare with the U.S. for child care centers and preschools?
West Virginia has 3.6 child care centers and preschools per 10,000 households, 38% below the U.S. rate of 5.8. Spending per center is $1M, 5% above the U.S. figure of $1M. At the national ratio of child care centers and preschools to household spending, West Virginia would have about 272, against 260 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 1,790 households, against one for every 1,573 across the U.S. The official count rose 9.4% from 2019 to 2023, against +5.7% for the U.S.
Which market in West Virginia has the highest market score for child care centers and preschools?
Among 10 scored metro areas in or partly in West Virginia, the Winchester metro area scores highest, at 74 (upper middle). Among 5 scored small-town markets in or partly in West Virginia, the Clarksburg area scores highest, at 51 (upper middle). Among 17 scored counties in West Virginia, Monongalia County scores highest, at 69 (upper middle). Scores compare each market with others of its kind across the U.S.
What is the Groundwork market score?
The Groundwork market score runs from 0 to 100 and compares a market with others of its kind for one business type: states with states, metro areas with metro areas, small-town markets and counties with their own. It weighs household spending per competitor (35%), households per business with payroll (25%), population growth (20%) and spending power (20%), each ranked against those peers. A higher score means that, taken together, the market has more household spending and more households for each business already there, faster population growth and more spending per household than similar markets. It describes a market, not any one site or deal. West Virginia scores 43 for child care centers and preschools (lower middle), #31 of the 50 states and DC.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in West Virginia. It maps the child care centers and preschools on map listings near the site and sizes the households and spending within the distance you choose. New accounts get 10 actions over 3 days, no card.
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Top markets for child care centers and preschools across the U.S. · All business types in West Virginia
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This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Figures are estimates for research only. Not investment or real estate advice.