Jobs, pay and daily life in Wheeling, from official statistics with source and year on every table.
Click any dot to open that city: jobs, pay, rent, commute, county economy and climate. Dot size follows population; colours follow the state flag.
By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 08/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
Wheeling is a city in West Virginia with 26,350 residents. The median household earns $48,590 a year and the median rent is $794 a month, which is 19.6% of the median household income. It is part of the Wheeling, WV-OH metropolitan area, where BLS counts 58,130 jobs.
How Wheeling compares. Among the 40 largest places in West Virginia, Wheeling is #5 by population, #32 for remote work (#1 = most), #11 for rent (#1 = cheapest), #30 for household income (#1 = highest). Its county, Ohio County, is #21 of 55 counties for average pay ($55,864).
Wheeling has 26,350 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 1.5% of the population of West Virginia. It covers 14 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 1,938 people per square mile. The median age is 45.4, 6% older than the state median (45.4 against 42.7).
The median gross rent is $794 a month (rent plus utilities), 9% below the state median ($794 against $872). Over a year that is 19.6% of the median household income. US housing guidance treats housing as affordable when it takes 30% of income or less, so the typical household is under that line. The median home value is $146,500, which is 3.0 times the median household income ($48,590); a ratio under 4 usually means ownership is within reach for many households. 59.8% of households own their home, 20% below the state average (59.8% against 74.9%). A low ownership share points to a rental-heavy market with more apartments and shorter stays.
The Wheeling, WV-OH metropolitan area has 58,130 jobs in the BLS wage survey, and the median pay across all occupations is $44,250 a year, 13% below the national median ($44,250 against $50,980). The biggest occupation groups are office and administrative support (6,610 jobs, median $39,530); food preparation and serving related (5,920 jobs, median $27,670); transportation and material moving (5,510 jobs, median $38,590). The area is most specialised in food preparation and serving related (1.2 times) and sales and related (1.1 times), where the share of workers is above the national share. The best-paying groups with at least 5,000 jobs are office and administrative support ($39,530) and transportation and material moving ($38,590). In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of Ohio County was 3.5%. 55.6% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Ohio County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 78.3% drive alone, 2.2% use public transit, 4.0% walk, 6.9% work from home. 9.7% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 45% below the state average (9.7% against 17.5%).
34.1% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 41% above the state share (34.1% against 24.1%). 2.1% of residents were born outside the United States, 18% above the state share (2.1% against 1.8%). The poverty rate is 20.5%, 23% above the state rate (20.5% against 16.7%).
The warmest month is Jul, averaging 74°F (23.4°C), and the coolest is Jan at 28°F (-2.4°C). About 1,021 mm (40 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; Jun is the wettest month (106 mm) and Nov the driest (70 mm). These values come from NASA satellite-based climatology on a grid of about 50 km, so they describe the wider area, not a weather station in the city.
Closest cities in this guide: Moundsville (11 miles, rent 5% higher); Weirton (24 miles, rent 6% lower); Washington (25 miles, rent 15% higher); Canonsburg (30 miles, rent 29% higher). Rent differences are against Wheeling; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in West Virginia (238) →State guide: West VirginiaCountry guideOhio CountyWest Virginia rankings
These links go to official sources and open in a new window. The first one is the government's or company's own site as listed in Wikidata (property "official website"); check it before relying on it.
There are 238 federal postings open in West Virginia (USAJOBS, state level; we do not have a city filter for them). Private-sector jobs are not in this feed.
Open federal jobs in West Virginia →
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Retail Salespersons | 1,960 | 1.34 | $29,370 | $22,430 | $41,220 | -17% |
| Cashiers | 1,710 | 1.48 | $27,500 | $22,260 | $33,600 | -16% |
| Registered Nurses | 1,680 | 1.33 | $78,280 | $60,260 | $107,410 | -20% |
| General and Operations Managers | 1,510 | 1.15 | $80,440 | $44,870 | $167,990 | -24% |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 1,470 | 1.39 | $35,020 | $27,500 | $41,520 | -6% |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 1,300 | 0.90 | $26,150 | $22,260 | $30,800 | -16% |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 1,210 | 1.57 | $57,590 | $42,360 | $69,720 | -2% |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 1,190 | 0.74 | $29,190 | $23,620 | $35,710 | -18% |
| Customer Service Representatives | 990 | 1.02 | $38,440 | $29,120 | $52,670 | -14% |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 940 | 0.85 | $38,150 | $29,580 | $64,160 | -5% |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 910 | 1.10 | $30,480 | $23,930 | $43,530 | -17% |
| Nursing Assistants | 910 | 1.68 | $36,910 | $34,940 | $44,520 | -13% |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 880 | 1.04 | $30,740 | $20,890 | $59,480 | -13% |
| Maintenance and Repair Workers, General | 860 | 1.50 | $44,520 | $29,420 | $80,630 | -10% |
| Cooks, Fast Food | 810 | 3.38 | $23,110 | $22,120 | $28,180 | -25% |
| Office Clerks, General | 790 | 0.86 | $36,520 | $25,700 | $53,960 | -19% |
| Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | 770 | 1.21 | $42,200 | $29,630 | $59,090 | -11% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers | 630 | 1.49 | $42,310 | $28,850 | $65,900 | -13% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers | 610 | 1.33 | $34,180 | $28,390 | $49,550 | -22% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers | 590 | 1.95 | $97,310 | $55,690 | $132,300 | +22% |
These figures are for the whole Wheeling, WV-OH metropolitan area, not the city alone.
Median pay across all occupations: $44,250 (US $50,980); unemployment 3.8% (2026M09).
| Industry (residents) ⇅ | Share of employed residents ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Education and health care | 27.5% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 13.7% |
| Retail trade | 12.9% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 9.6% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 6.2% |
| Manufacturing | 6.0% |
| Construction | 5.1% |
| Other services | 4.9% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 4.6% |
| Public administration | 3.7% |
| Information | 2.2% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 2.1% |
| Wholesale trade | 1.4% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county (the first of several) where Wheeling lies and cover the whole county, not only the city. The city also extends into Marshall County.
| County ⇅ | Population ⇅ | GDP (2024) ⇅ | GDP per resident ⇅ | Jobs (QCEW 2024) ⇅ | Employer sites ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Job change vs 2023 ⇅ | Unemployment rate ⇅ | Labour force ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ohio County | 41,582 | $5,057 million | $121,607 | 27,100 | 1,794 | $55,864 | +1.6% | 3.5% | 17,643 |
| Marshall County | 29,865 | $3,676 million | $123,080 | 10,545 | 682 | $65,055 | -1.6% | 3.5% | 12,490 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 5,683 | 26.0% | $63,889 | 1.46 |
| Retail trade | 2,979 | 13.6% | $36,973 | 1.10 |
| Accommodation and food services | 2,823 | 12.9% | $24,087 | 1.15 |
| Administrative and waste services | 1,578 | 7.2% | $46,045 | 0.99 |
| Finance and insurance | 1,148 | 5.3% | $80,178 | 1.04 |
| Wholesale trade | 1,123 | 5.1% | $62,106 | 1.05 |
| Manufacturing | 1,090 | 5.0% | $55,443 | 0.49 |
| Professional and technical services | 1,081 | 5.0% | $73,266 | 0.57 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 986 | 4.5% | $47,627 | 1.21 |
| Management of companies | 882 | 4.0% | $98,386 | 1.93 |
| Construction | 874 | 4.0% | $66,226 | 0.61 |
| Educational services | 574 | 2.6% | $36,240 | 1.02 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 529 | 2.4% | $26,864 | 1.16 |
| Information | 276 | 1.3% | $51,905 | 0.54 |
| Real estate and rental | 209 | 1.0% | $44,183 | 0.50 |
QCEW counts jobs covered by unemployment insurance; sectors with too few employers are withheld by BLS. Latest-month unemployment is preliminary.
| How residents get to work ⇅ | Share ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Drive alone | 78.3% |
| Public transit | 2.2% |
| Walk | 4.0% |
| Work from home | 6.9% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 9.7% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $48,590 |
| Income per person | $36,509 |
| Median gross rent per month | $794 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 19.6% |
| Median home value | $146,500 |
| Homeowners | 59.8% |
| Poverty rate | 20.5% |
| Price level of the metro area (US = 100) | 88.3 |
| Metro median pay, all occupations | $44,250 |
Estimate for a wage earner: 2026 federal brackets and standard deduction (IRS), Social Security 6.2% up to $184,500, Medicare 1.45% (+0.9% above $200,000 single / $250,000 married), and a state rate you set; graduated states show 0 until you enter your own estimate. It ignores credits, pre-tax deductions, local taxes and benefits. Sources: IRS: tax year 2026 inflation adjustments · SSA wage base per Federal Register notice 2025-19763.
State tax: Graduated, top rate 4.82%.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median age | 45.4 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 92.4% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 34.1% |
| Born abroad | 2.1% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 55.6% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | -2.4 | 28 | 74 |
| Feb | -1.3 | 30 | 71 |
| Mar | 3.8 | 39 | 83 |
| Apr | 10.5 | 51 | 91 |
| May | 16.2 | 61 | 100 |
| Jun | 20.8 | 69 | 106 |
| Jul | 23.4 | 74 | 96 |
| Aug | 23.1 | 74 | 79 |
| Sep | 19.2 | 67 | 83 |
| Oct | 11.9 | 53 | 85 |
| Nov | 5.2 | 41 | 70 |
| Dec | 0.2 | 32 | 83 |
Satellite-reanalysis climatology on a grid of roughly 50 km, so it smooths local effects (hills, coast, city heat). It is not a weather-station record.
| City ⇅ | State ⇅ | Distance (straight line) ⇅ | Population ⇅ | Median household income ⇅ | Median rent ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Moundsville | WV | 11 mi | 7,869 | $49,048 | $834 |
| Weirton | WV | 24 mi | 18,647 | $59,575 | $746 |
| Washington | PA | 25 mi | 13,368 | $52,975 | $910 |
| Canonsburg | PA | 30 mi | 9,675 | $79,227 | $1,025 |
| New Martinsville | WV | 31 mi | 5,133 | $60,946 | $688 |
| Bethel Park | PA | 39 mi | 32,881 | $107,090 | $1,311 |
| Carnot-Moon | PA | 40 mi | 13,534 | $100,714 | $1,214 |
| Whitehall | PA | 42 mi | 14,811 | $89,404 | $915 |
| Jefferson Hills | PA | 43 mi | 12,317 | $116,064 | $1,355 |
| Brentwood | PA | 43 mi | 9,866 | $68,904 | $860 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
Pick two cities.
vs
26,350 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$794 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 19.6% of the median household income.
$48,590 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
3.5% (BLS county, Ohio County (latest month 2026M09)).
West Virginia. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.