Ham radio operators in West Virginia: new licenses by county
5,777 licensed amateur radio operators; 161 new in the past 12 months. Updated weekly from FCC data.
At a glance · Data as of
- New hams · last 30 days
- 11
- New hams · last 12 months
- 161
- ▲ 3% vs prior 12 mo
- Active licensed hams
- 5,777
- Upgrades · 12 mo
- 90
- Vanity callsigns · 12 mo
- 58
- Address updates · 12 mo
- 81
- Often a move into the area
- Expiring · next 6 mo
- 377
About ham radio in West Virginia
West Virginia added 161 new amateur radio operators in the past 12 months, about the same as the year before (up 3%). West Virginia ranks #39 of 52 states and territories for new licenses. Monongalia County leads the state with 18 new hams. Technicians make up 49% of the state’s licensees, close to the U.S. average of 48%. 90 operators upgraded their license in the past year, the moment many buy their first HF rig.
New hams by month
Show data table
| Month | New hams |
|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 0 |
| Nov 2025 | 16 |
| Dec 2025 | 12 |
| Jan 2026 | 7 |
| Feb 2026 | 23 |
| Mar 2026 | 19 |
| Apr 2026 | 9 |
| May 2026 | 28 |
| Jun 2026 | 13 |
| Jul 2026 | 8 |
| Aug 2026 | 15 |
| Sep 2026 | 11 |
| Total | 161 |
License classes
| Class | Hams | Share | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Technician | 2,814 | 49% | 48% |
| General | 1,430 | 25% | 25% |
| Amateur Extra | 1,283 | 22% | 21% |
| Advanced | 149 | 3% | 3% |
| Novice / Other | 101 | 2% | 2% |
Bar = West Virginia share · Tick = U.S. share
In the past 12 months, 42 operators upgraded to General and 43 to Amateur Extra.
How West Virginia compares
#39 of 52 states and territories for new hams in the past 12 months
| Per 1,000 active hams | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|
| New hams, past 12 months | 27.9 | 32.3 |
| Upgrades, past 12 months | 15.6 | 14.7 |
| Expiring, next 6 months | 65.3 | 57.3 |
161 new hams in West Virginia this past year. Get next month’s list free.
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| # | County | New hams 12 mo | Change vs prior year | Active hams | New per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Monongalia County | 18 | 0% | 330 | 54.5 |
| 2 | Kanawha County | 14 | ▼ 7% | 504 | 27.8 |
| 3 | Jefferson County | 10 | 0% | 229 | 43.7 |
| 4 | Putnam County | 10 | — | 191 | 52.4 |
| 5 | Berkeley County | 9 | ▼ 25% | 293 | 30.7 |
| 6 | Wood County | 8 | ▼ 20% | 361 | 22.2 |
| 7 | Cabell County | 7 | — | 252 | 27.8 |
| 8 | Nicholas County | 7 | — | 132 | 53.0 |
| 9 | Hampshire County | 5 | — | 106 | 47.2 |
| 10 | Marion County | 5 | — | 136 | 36.8 |
— in Change means fewer than 10 new hams the year before.
All West Virginia counties
19 counties with their own page. Numbers are new hams in the past 12 months.
- Berkeley County9 new hams in 12 months
- Cabell County7 new hams in 12 months
- Greenbrier County3 new hams in 12 months
- Hampshire County5 new hams in 12 months
- Harrison County2 new hams in 12 months
- Jefferson County10 new hams in 12 months
- Kanawha County14 new hams in 12 months
- Marion County5 new hams in 12 months
- Mason County0 new hams in 12 months
- Mercer County5 new hams in 12 months
- Monongalia County18 new hams in 12 months
- Nicholas County7 new hams in 12 months
- Ohio County2 new hams in 12 months
- Preston County3 new hams in 12 months
- Putnam County10 new hams in 12 months
- Raleigh County5 new hams in 12 months
- Randolph County1 new hams in 12 months
- Wayne County2 new hams in 12 months
- Wood County8 new hams in 12 months
Smaller West Virginia counties
These 36 counties have too few licensees or too little recent activity for a page of their own, so their numbers are listed here.
Show all 36 smaller counties
| County | Active hams | New hams · 12 mo |
|---|---|---|
| Barbour County | 69 | 0 |
| Boone County | 59 | 0 |
| Braxton County | 60 | 0 |
| Brooke County | 38 | 1 |
| Calhoun County | 33 | 0 |
| Clay County | 23 | 0 |
| Doddridge County | 28 | 0 |
| Fayette County | 95 | 1 |
| Gilmer County | 39 | 1 |
| Grant County | 64 | 0 |
| Hancock County | 76 | 2 |
| Hardy County | 75 | 0 |
| Jackson County | 83 | 0 |
| Lewis County | 63 | 0 |
| Lincoln County | 31 | 1 |
| Logan County | 60 | 0 |
| Marshall County | 64 | 0 |
| McDowell County | 35 | 0 |
| Mineral County | 81 | 1 |
| Mingo County | 35 | 1 |
| Monroe County | 42 | 2 |
| Morgan County | 79 | 0 |
| Pendleton County | 124 | 0 |
| Pleasants County | 27 | 1 |
| Pocahontas County | 84 | 2 |
| Ritchie County | 44 | 0 |
| Roane County | 55 | 0 |
| Summers County | 48 | 0 |
| Taylor County | 63 | 1 |
| Tucker County | 30 | 1 |
| Tyler County | 22 | 0 |
| Upshur County | 123 | 0 |
| Webster County | 29 | 1 |
| Wetzel County | 30 | 1 |
| Wirt County | 23 | 1 |
| Wyoming County | 37 | 0 |
Neighboring states
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Figures may be reused with credit to Ham Recruiter (CC BY 4.0).
Questions about hams in West Virginia
How many ham radio operators are in West Virginia?
5,777 active amateur radio licensees are on file for West Virginia as of Oct 1, 2026.
How many new hams were licensed in West Virginia last year?
161 people in West Virginia received their first FCC amateur radio license in the 12 months ending Oct 1, 2026.
Which West Virginia counties have the most new hams?
In the past 12 months: Monongalia County (18), Kanawha County (14) and Jefferson County (10).
Where does this data come from?
From the FCC Universal Licensing System (ULS) public amateur license database, which we download every Monday. Addresses are matched to counties with the U.S. Census Bureau geocoder. This page shows totals only.
Can I see the names or call signs on this page?
No. Public pages show totals only. Verified Ham Recruiter users can search and export lists for outreach; see how licensee information is handled.
About this data
Data as of . Source: FCC Universal Licensing System (ULS) weekly amateur license database; county from U.S. Census Bureau geocoding. Aggregates only, no individual licensee data is shown. Aggregate figures © Ham Recruiter, CC BY 4.0.
How we count
- New ham: an active licensee whose first license was granted in the period.
- Address updates: a change of FCC mailing address, often a move into the area.
- Counts use each licensee’s current FCC address. Someone licensed here who later moved is counted where they live now.
- Each license keeps only its most recent event of each type, so two upgrades in one year count once.
- PO-box-only addresses often can’t be matched to a county, so rural counties are slightly undercounted.
99% of West Virginia licensees could be matched to a county.