Are you looking for love in West Virginia?
Or are you just hoping to hook up with a hot West Virginian?
Either way, we’ve got you covered here.
If you live in West Virginia, there’s a pretty good chance there are a lot of singles in your area. The Mountain State has plenty of people over 18 who aren’t married or in a serious relationship.
That’s great news for people who are single and looking to mingle.
So, where are the best cities for singles in West Virginia? We used Saturday Night Science to find out.
23.9 median age · 12.0% married households
Located in
Monongalia County, West Virginia
Morgantown is a city in and the county seat of Monongalia County, West Virginia, situated along the banks of the Monongahela River. With a permanent population of 31,073 per the 2015 U.S. Census estimates, Morgantown is the largest city in North-Central West Virginia. The Morgantown metropolitan area has a population of 138,176, and is the 3rd largest in West Virginia. West Virginia University adds several thousand seasonal residents to the city and surrounding area from September through May. Morgantown is best known as the home of West Virginia University and the Morgantown Personal Rapid Transit system.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
34.7 median age · 22.0% married households
Located in
Wayne County, West Virginia
Huntington is a city in Cabell County and Wayne County in the U.S. state of West Virginia. It is the county seat of Cabell County, and largest city in the Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH Metropolitan Statistical Area, sometimes referred to as the Tri-State Area. A historic and bustling city of commerce and heavy industry, Huntington has long-flourished due to its ideal location on the Ohio River at the mouth of the Guyandotte River. It is home to the Port of Huntington Tri-State, the busiest inland port in the United States.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
34.9 median age · 29.0% married households
Located in
Marion County, West Virginia
Fairmont is a city in Marion County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 18,704 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Marion County.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
32.8 median age · 20.0% married households
Located in
Upshur County, West Virginia
Buckhannon is the only incorporated city in, and the county seat of, Upshur County, West Virginia, United States, and is located along the Buckhannon River. The population was 5,639 at the 2010 census. Buckhannon is home to West Virginia Wesleyan College and the West Virginia Strawberry Festival, held annually on the third week of May. The city is located 115 miles northeast from the capital city of Charleston and 140 miles south of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
37.4 median age · 12.0% married households
Located in
Berkeley County, West Virginia
Martinsburg is a city in and the county seat of Berkeley County, West Virginia, United States, in the tip of the state’s Eastern Panhandle region. Its population was 17,687 in the 2016 census estimate, making it the largest city in the Eastern Panhandle and the ninth-largest municipality in the state. Martinsburg is part of the Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
42.2 median age · 28.0% married households
Located in
Wood County, West Virginia
Parkersburg is a city in and the county seat of Wood County, West Virginia, United States. Located at the confluence of the Ohio and Little Kanawha rivers, it is the state’s third-largest city and the largest city in the Parkersburg-Marietta-Vienna metropolitan area. The population was 31,492 at the 2010 census. Its peak of population was more than 44,000 in 1960. The city is about 14 miles south of Marietta, Ohio.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
40.5 median age · 25.0% married households
Located in
Randolph County, West Virginia
Elkins is a city in Randolph County, West Virginia, USA. The community was incorporated in 1890 and named in honor of Stephen Benton Elkins, a U.S. Senator from West Virginia. The population was 7,094 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Randolph County. Elkins is home to Davis and Elkins College and to the Mountain State Forest Festival, held in early October every year.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
40.4 median age · 25.0% married households
Located in
Harrison County, West Virginia
Clarksburg is a city in and the county seat of Harrison County, West Virginia, United States, in the north-central region of the state. The population of the city was 16,578 at the 2010 census. It is the principal city of the Clarksburg, WV Micropolitan Statistical Area, which had a population of 94,221 in 2014. Clarksburg was named National Small City of the Year in 2011 by the National League of Cities.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
42.9 median age · 28.0% married households
Located in
Kanawha County, West Virginia
Dunbar is a city in Kanawha County, West Virginia, along the Kanawha River. The population was 7,907 at the 2010 census.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
43.0 median age · 29.0% married households
Located in
Kanawha County, West Virginia
Charleston is the state capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of West Virginia, and the county seat of Kanawha County. It is located at the confluence of the Elk and Kanawha Rivers. As of the 2013 Census Estimate, it had a population of 50,821, while its metropolitan area had 224,743. It is a center of government, commerce, and industry.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
The receipts
Compare the top ten
Pick a metric. The bars rescale. The red line is West Virginia’s statewide median.
On the map
Where West Virginia’s singles cluster
Saturday Night Science
Methodology: How do you determine which city is best for singles in West Virginia anyways?
To give you the places in West Virginia which are best for singles to find one another, we used Saturday Night Science to look at a handful of metrics. Of course, we want to measure the type of people who live in each city and make some assumptions about what single people like.
So we researched the internet for a database that contains all that information.
We threw a lot of criteria at this one to get the best, most complete results possible. Using the 2020-2024 American Community Survey Census data produced for the state of West Virginia, we looked at every single city in the state. We paid particular attention to:
- Population density
- % of population that’s male vs. female (closer to a 50-50 ratio is better)
- % of households with kids
- Median age
- Number of unmarried people in each city
We then gave each city a “Singles Score.”
The higher the score, the better the city is for singles to find one another. We also limited our results to cities with over 5,000 people. For West Virginia, that meant a total of 24 cities.
We updated this article for 2026. This is our eleventh time ranking the best cities for singles in West Virginia.
Read on to see why Morgantown is the talk of the town while Oak Hill is probably a bit on the bland side.
The full plate
Best Cities For Singles In West Virginia
Click any column to sort. Search by city name.
| Rank | City | Singles Score | Population | Median Age | % Married Households | % Households w/ Kids |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Morgantown | 4.30 | 30,236 | 23.9 | 12.0% | 15.6% |
| 2 | Huntington | 6.10 | 45,787 | 34.7 | 22.0% | 22.1% |
| 3 | Fairmont | 7.20 | 18,221 | 34.9 | 29.0% | 20.8% |
| 4 | Buckhannon | 8.40 | 5,116 | 32.8 | 20.0% | 30.2% |
| 5 | Martinsburg | 8.50 | 18,904 | 37.4 | 12.0% | 31.0% |
| 6 | Parkersburg | 9.20 | 29,240 | 42.2 | 28.0% | 24.1% |
| 7 | Elkins | 9.90 | 6,811 | 40.5 | 25.0% | 22.3% |
| 8 | Clarksburg | 10.60 | 15,549 | 40.4 | 25.0% | 23.5% |
| 9 | Dunbar | 10.80 | 7,254 | 42.9 | 28.0% | 16.9% |
| 10 | Charleston | 11.60 | 47,421 | 43.0 | 29.0% | 22.3% |
| 11 | Weirton | 11.60 | 18,647 | 47.4 | 16.0% | 21.1% |
| 12 | Beckley | 12.70 | 16,818 | 42.3 | 22.0% | 31.8% |
| 13 | Vienna | 13.50 | 10,518 | 40.4 | 37.0% | 24.0% |
| 14 | Princeton | 13.60 | 5,736 | 44.2 | 29.0% | 26.4% |
| 15 | Wheeling | 13.80 | 26,350 | 45.4 | 27.0% | 23.1% |
| 16 | South Charleston | 13.80 | 13,457 | 41.7 | 28.0% | 24.7% |
| 17 | St. Albans | 14.60 | 10,522 | 45.2 | 35.0% | 26.1% |
| 18 | New Martinsville | 15.10 | 5,133 | 44.5 | 34.0% | 28.8% |
| 19 | Moundsville | 15.80 | 7,869 | 44.1 | 37.0% | 30.8% |
| 20 | Hurricane | 16.60 | 6,855 | 41.2 | 36.0% | 34.4% |
| 21 | Nitro | 16.70 | 6,853 | 44.5 | 38.0% | 24.8% |
| 22 | Bridgeport | 17.60 | 9,252 | 45.6 | 31.0% | 20.0% |
| 23 | Bluefield | 18.80 | 9,387 | 45.0 | 33.0% | 24.9% |
| 24 | Oak Hill | 19.20 | 7,937 | 41.4 | 37.0% | 29.3% |
Source: U.S. Census ACS 2020-2024. 24 cities with more than 5,000 residents.
Summary
Summary: The Best Cities For Singles In West Virginia For 2026
If you’re looking for a breakdown of cities in West Virginia ranked by criteria that most agree make a place a great spot for finding a single person (and potentially love), this is an accurate list.
The best cities for singles in West Virginia are Morgantown, Huntington, Fairmont, Buckhannon, Martinsburg, Parkersburg, Elkins, Clarksburg, Dunbar, and Charleston. Not sold on West Virginia? Take the two-minute Find Your Place quiz and see which state actually fits you.
Questions and answers
Best Cities For Singles In West Virginia FAQs
What is the best city for singles in West Virginia?
Morgantown is the best city for singles in West Virginia for 2026, according to Saturday Night Science. Huntington and Fairmont are next.
What are the best cities for singles in West Virginia?
The best West Virginia cities for singles are Morgantown, Huntington, Fairmont, Buckhannon, Martinsburg, Parkersburg, Elkins, Clarksburg, Dunbar, and Charleston. We ranked all 24 cities with more than 5,000 residents.
How do you rank cities for singles?
Singles-friendliness is measured by population density, gender balance, median age, and the share of unmarried residents, all from Census American Community Survey data. More single people around means better odds.
Why did Morgantown come out on top?
Morgantown posts the best combination of unmarried residents, a dating-friendly age mix, and enough density to actually run into people. That combination beat the other 24 qualifying cities.
What is the toughest place to be single in West Virginia?
Oak Hill ranks last for singles in West Virginia — more married households and fewer chances to mingle. If you are single and settling there anyway, bring hobbies.
