The WV Secretary of State’s Office registered 1,535 new businesses statewide during the month of January according to Secretary of State Mac Warner.
Wetzel County led the state in the percentage of new business growth through January with a total of 19 new business registrations, a 3.58% increase. The Secretary of State’s Business & Licensing Division reported that Clay, Morgan, Taylor, and Tyler Counties also experienced notable growth during the month.
A total of eight new business entities were registered in Clay County in January of 2023. Morgan County successfully registered 34 businesses. Taylor County reported 19 registrations for the month and Tyler County registered eight new businesses with the Secretary of State’s Office.
Counties that lead the state in total businesses registered for January were Kanawha, Berkeley, Monongalia, Jefferson and Cabell. Kanawha County successfully registered 155 businesses while Berkeley County reported 136 new registrations. Monongalia County had 133 businesses register. Jefferson County had 84 new businesses register while Cabell County totaled 74 new registrations for the month.
Statewide, West Virginia registered 13,096 new businesses in the previous 12-month period, from February 1, 2022, to January 31, 2023. Summers County led all 55 counties with a 21.18% growth rate during the one-year timespan. To review county-by-county growth, visit our Business Statistics Database.