Auto · County · West Virginia
Gas stations in Preston County, WV
Competitor counts, household spending and official business counts for gas stations in Preston County, WV, set against other counties and the U.S.
Groundwork market score · out of 100
Score 41 out of 100: Lower middle
Ranked #1,539 of 2,358 scored counties
#11 of 40 scored counties in West Virginia
- Listings
- 18
- 12 chain locations (67%)
- Official establishments
- 22
- −21.4% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $37.7M
- On gasoline and other fuels · $2,941 a household
- Spending per listing
- $2.1M
- 12% below the U.S.
- Listings per 10k households
- 14.1
- 29% above the U.S.
- Population, 2025
- 34,004
- −0.6% since 2020
See the gas stations around any address in Preston County
The site report maps the gas stations on map listings near the address, by name and distance, and sizes the households and spending around it. Or open the report at the center of Preston County. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.
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
As of September 2026, map listings count 18 gas stations in Preston County. 12 of them (67%) are chain locations, against 84% across the U.S. Per 10,000 households, that is 14.1, 29% above the U.S. rate of 10.9.
Households in Preston County spend about $37.7M a year on gasoline and other fuels, or $2,941 per household, 13% above the U.S. average. Spread across 18 gas stations, that is $2.1M per station, 12% below the U.S. figure of $2.4M.
In 2023, official counts showed 22 businesses with payroll in Preston County classed as gasoline stations, down 21.4% from 2019. That is one for every 582 households, against one for every 1,184 across the U.S. Official counts also show 3 one-person businesses without payroll.
Population estimates show Preston County declined 0.6% from 2020 to 2025, against +3.1% for the U.S. For gas stations, Preston County has a Groundwork market score of 41 (lower middle): #1,539 of 2,358 scored counties and #11 of 40 scored counties in West Virginia.
How Preston County compares
The same measures for West Virginia and the whole U.S. Spending per listing divides a year of household spending on all gasoline and other fuels by the gas stations counted, so it measures the demand for each competitor, not any business’s revenue. Households per establishment does the same with the official count.
| Measure | Preston County | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listings per 10k households | 14.1 | 14.7 | 10.9 |
| Spending per listing | $2.1M | $1.9M | $2.4M |
| Households per official establishment | 582 | 829 | 1,184 |
| Official establishment growth, 2019–2023 | −21.4% | −5.8% | −3.1% |
| Population growth, 2020–2025 | −0.6% | −1.4% | +3.1% |
| Spending per household on gasoline and other fuels | $2,941 | $2,725 | $2,595 |
| Median household income | $61,880 | $59,608 | $80,734 |
| Groundwork market score | 41 | 21 |
Official counts and lending
Businesses
- Official establishments, 2019 to 2023
- 28 → 22−21.4% over the period
- Employees, 2023
- 154
- Annual payroll, 2023
- $3.6M
- One-person businesses, 2023
- 3Businesses with no payroll
- Map listings, September 2026
- 1812 chain locations
- Listings at the U.S. rate for this spending
- 16The U.S. ratio of listings to household spending, applied here
SBA-backed loans since fiscal 2022
- Loans
- 0
- Amount
- $0
SBA-backed loans to businesses classed as gasoline stations in Preston County, through June 2026, placed by the borrower’s ZIP code. Official establishments are businesses with payroll; the official counts leave out places with fewer than 3.
Population and households in Preston County
- Population, 2025 estimate
- 34,004−0.6% since 2020
- Households
- 12,809
- Median age
- 44.0
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 81%
- Vehicles per household
- 1.9
- Land area
- 649 sq. mi.
- People per square mile
- 53
- Median household income
- $61,880+19.3% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Average household income
- $75,856
- Median home value
- $162,800
- Jobs located here
- 6,983
- Daytime population
- 28,456Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here
Looking at a specific site in Preston County?
These figures cover the whole county. A site report draws rings around one address and counts what’s inside them: households, spending, jobs, and the gas stations on map listings by name and distance.
Or open the report at the center of Preston County. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.
Free10 actions over 3 days, no cardGas stations across West Virginia
Every West Virginia market ranked →The highest-scoring counties in West Virginia for gas stations, numbered among those based in West Virginia, with Preston County marked.
Top counties in West Virginia
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Jefferson County, WV | 93 | 7 | 3.1 | $11M | +9.2% | #8 of 2,358 |
| 2Berkeley County, WV | 92 | 34 | 6.7 | $4.7M | +13.7% | #13 of 2,358 |
| 3Hampshire County, WV | 82 | 7 | 8.1 | $3.9M | +4.4% | #111 of 2,358 |
| 4Mineral County, WV | 74 | 5 | 4.5 | $6.6M | −0.4% | #276 of 2,358 |
| 5Monongalia County, WV | 62 | 34 | 7.6 | $3.4M | +2.0% | #644 of 2,358 |
| 6Marshall County, WV | 54 | 11 | 8.8 | $3M | −4.4% | #979 of 2,358 |
| 7Taylor County, WV | 49 | 9 | 13.6 | $2.1M | −2.4% | #1,214 of 2,358 |
| 8Upshur County, WV | 46 | 12 | 12.6 | $2.2M | −0.3% | #1,348 of 2,358 |
| 9Hardy County, WV | 46 | 9 | 15.1 | $2M | +0.7% | #1,353 of 2,358 |
| 10Wood County, WV | 43 | 43 | 12.0 | $2.2M | −2.1% | #1,462 of 2,358 |
| 11Preston County, WV | 41 | 18 | 14.1 | $2.1M | −0.6% | #1,539 of 2,358 |
Other business types in Preston County
Each with its Groundwork market score here, out of 100, where it has one.
Food and drink
Groceries and convenience
Auto
Beauty and personal care
Fitness and classes
Health care
Child care
Clothing and laundry
Home services
Real estate
Funeral services
Questions
How many gas stations are in Preston County, WV?
Preston County has 18 gas stations on map listings as of September 2026. 12 of them (67%) are chain locations. The listings count gas stations. Official counts show 22 businesses with payroll classed as gasoline stations in 2023, down 21.4% from 2019. Another 3 one-person businesses have no payroll, by official counts.
How much do households in Preston County, WV spend on gasoline and other fuels?
About $37.7M a year, or $2,941 per household. That is 13% above the U.S. average (an index of 113, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 18 gas stations on map listings, it comes to $2.1M per station. It is estimated from the incomes of the 12,809 households in Preston County and national spending patterns by income.
How does Preston County, WV compare with the U.S. for gas stations?
Preston County has 14.1 gas stations per 10,000 households, 29% above the U.S. rate of 10.9. Spending per station is $2.1M, 12% below the U.S. figure of $2.4M. At the national ratio of gas stations to household spending, Preston County would have about 16, against 18 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 582 households, against one for every 1,184 across the U.S. The official count fell 21.4% from 2019 to 2023, against −3.1% for the U.S.
How fast is Preston County, WV growing?
Population estimates put Preston County at 34,004 people in 2025, down 0.6% since 2020, against +3.1% for the U.S. It has 12,809 households. The median household income in Preston County is $61,880 a year, 23% below the U.S. median of $80,734. That rose 19.3% from the 2015–2019 survey, before inflation.
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. Preston County scores 41 for gas stations (lower middle), #1,539 of 2,358 scored counties.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Preston County. It maps the gas stations 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.
How the score works · Top markets for gas stations · All 56 business types in Preston County
Screening a site or an acquisition in Preston County?
A site report maps the competitors on map listings near an address and sizes the households and spending around it.
The button opens the report at the center of Preston County. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.
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.