Some of you might be asking yourself, at this very moment, is West Virginia a good place?
The answer is unequivocally yes… if you know where to locate the best counties to live in West Virginia.
Lucky for you, we’re here to help you identify the best counties to live in the Mountain State based on the most recently available data from the Census. And this isn’t our first rodeo — we’ve been using Saturday Night Science to rank places for years.
The question becomes if you wanted to relocate to the best part of West Virginia, where would you go? To answer that, we looked at crime, cost of living, and demographic data for all 55 counties in the state.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Table | FAQs | Summary
The 10 Best Counties To Live In West Virginia For 2026
Putnam County is the county to be when it comes to living the good life in West Virginia. And you should avoid Mcdowell County if you can — at least according to the data.
Now you know exactly where to move in West Virginia. Keep on reading for more about the top ten and a detailed methodology.
Or, check out the best places to live in West Virginia and the cheapest places to live in West Virginia.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The Best Counties To Live In West Virginia For 2026
1. Putnam County
Biggest Place: Teays Valley
Population: 57,177
Median Income: $79,527 (3rd best)
Median Home Price: $243,848 (6th best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.1% (4th best)
More on Putnam County: Data
2. Berkeley County
Biggest Place: Martinsburg
Population: 129,514
Median Income: $80,815 (2nd best)
Median Home Price: $317,560 (2nd best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.7% (13th best)
More on Berkeley County: Data
3. Jefferson County
Biggest Place: Charles Town
Population: 59,260
Median Income: $98,806 (best)
Median Home Price: $392,031 (best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.9% (7th best)
More on Jefferson County: Data
4. Grant County
Biggest Place: Petersburg
Population: 10,983
Median Income: $62,361 (11th best)
Median Home Price: $185,576 (15th best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.3% (5th best)
More on Grant County: Data
5. Morgan County
Biggest Place: Bath (Berkeley Springs)
Population: 17,426
Median Income: $72,179 (4th best)
Median Home Price: $297,948 (3rd best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.9% (8th best)
More on Morgan County: Data
6. Monongalia County
Biggest Place: Morgantown
Population: 107,163
Median Income: $65,346 (7th best)
Median Home Price: $262,195 (4th best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.7% (12th best)
More on Monongalia County: Data
7. Mineral County
Biggest Place: Keyser
Population: 26,854
Median Income: $69,375 (5th best)
Median Home Price: $190,102 (12th best)
Unemployment Rate: 6.6% (35th best)
More on Mineral County: Data
8. Marion County
Biggest Place: Fairmont
Population: 55,909
Median Income: $67,370 (6th best)
Median Home Price: $160,436 (20th best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.8% (15th best)
More on Marion County: Data
9. Kanawha County
Biggest Place: Charleston
Population: 176,537
Median Income: $60,943 (14th best)
Median Home Price: $150,832 (28th best)
Unemployment Rate: 5.6% (25th best)
More on Kanawha County: Data
10. Wood County
Biggest Place: Parkersburg
Population: 83,407
Median Income: $57,810 (20th best)
Median Home Price: $171,090 (17th best)
Unemployment Rate: 5.4% (22nd best)
More on Wood County: Data
Methodology: How do you determine which West Virginia county is the best?
To give you the best county in West Virginia, we have to look at a handful of metrics that signal the quality of a place. To do that, we made assumptions about what’s in a “best county” and what isn’t. For reference, we are trying to make the kind of argument you’d make at a bar using facts, Saturday Night Science.
With that in mind, we went to two of the best data sources on the internet. Namely, the American Community Survey data and FBI Crime data for the most recent period.
We paid particular attention to:
- Violent Crime Rates
- Property Crime Rates
- Median Home Values
- Median Income
- Unemployment Rates
- Adult Education Levels
- Health Insurance Coverage
- Poverty Rates
We then ranked each county in West Virginia across each of the criteria from one to 55, with one being the best.
Taking the average rank across all criteria, we created a quality of life score with the county posting the lowest overall score being the “Best County To Live In West Virginia.”
The result is some of the safest, quietest, and best counties to raise a family in the Mountain State.
We updated this article for 2026. This report is our eleventh time ranking the best counties to live in West Virginia.
Read on to see why Putnam County is the best county, while Mcdowell County is probably in contention for being the worst county in West Virginia.
Summary: The Best Counties In West Virginia To Call Home For 2026
Living in West Virginia can vary from one part of the state to the next — who woulda thought?
The best counties in West Virginia are Putnam County, Berkeley County, Jefferson County, Grant County, Morgan County, Monongalia County, Mineral County, Marion County, Kanawha County, and Wood County.
But now you know the outstanding parts and the parts to avoid, and that’s why you came here to learn at the end of the day.
You are welcome.
Here’s a look at the worst counties in West Virginia according to the data:
- Mcdowell County
- Calhoun County
- Mingo County
For more West Virginia reading, check out:
- Best Counties To Live In West Virginia
- Safest Places In West Virginia
- Best Places To Buy A House In West Virginia
- Best Places To Retire In West Virginia
Detailed List Of The Best Counties In West Virginia
| Rank | County | Population | Median Income | Median Home Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Putnam County | 57,177 | $79,527 | $243,848 |
| 2 | Berkeley County | 129,514 | $80,815 | $317,560 |
| 3 | Jefferson County | 59,260 | $98,806 | $392,031 |
| 4 | Grant County | 10,983 | $62,361 | $185,576 |
| 5 | Morgan County | 17,426 | $72,179 | $297,948 |
| 6 | Monongalia County | 107,163 | $65,346 | $262,195 |
| 7 | Mineral County | 26,854 | $69,375 | $190,102 |
| 8 | Marion County | 55,909 | $67,370 | $160,436 |
| 9 | Kanawha County | 176,537 | $60,943 | $150,832 |
| 10 | Wood County | 83,407 | $57,810 | $171,090 |
| 11 | Marshall County | 29,865 | $59,169 | $131,150 |
| 12 | Wayne County | 38,164 | $58,878 | $140,059 |
| 13 | Mercer County | 58,563 | $53,210 | $140,204 |
| 14 | Tucker County | 6,654 | $53,358 | $206,839 |
| 15 | Jackson County | 27,705 | $58,845 | $197,159 |
| 16 | Ohio County | 41,582 | $57,094 | $155,836 |
| 17 | Harrison County | 64,984 | $60,377 | $146,770 |
| 18 | Taylor County | 16,487 | $57,795 | $185,971 |
| 19 | Wetzel County | 14,078 | $56,836 | $115,124 |
| 20 | Brooke County | 21,805 | $54,316 | $128,106 |
| 21 | Hampshire County | 23,465 | $63,116 | $249,556 |
| 22 | Pendleton County | 6,043 | $64,931 | $214,776 |
| 23 | Nicholas County | 24,277 | $54,639 | $157,120 |
| 24 | Monroe County | 12,386 | $56,750 | $189,892 |
| 25 | Hancock County | 28,431 | $61,466 | $141,481 |
| 26 | Cabell County | 92,739 | $55,832 | $166,804 |
| 27 | Pleasants County | 7,521 | $60,932 | $163,013 |
| 28 | Doddridge County | 7,711 | $57,401 | $133,729 |
| 29 | Preston County | 34,160 | $61,880 | $141,559 |
| 30 | Mason County | 25,043 | $49,761 | $158,535 |
| 31 | Raleigh County | 73,195 | $52,150 | $154,732 |
| 32 | Greenbrier County | 32,386 | $48,218 | $206,360 |
| 33 | Upshur County | 23,712 | $54,338 | $151,288 |
| 34 | Wirt County | 5,053 | $49,867 | $117,804 |
| 35 | Boone County | 21,026 | $57,093 | $87,572 |
| 36 | Randolph County | 27,576 | $52,757 | $158,943 |
| 37 | Tyler County | 8,064 | $63,693 | $116,543 |
| 38 | Lewis County | 16,740 | $56,477 | $131,893 |
| 39 | Hardy County | 14,243 | $49,272 | $224,627 |
| 40 | Summers County | 11,729 | $40,699 | $157,265 |
| 41 | Fayette County | 39,519 | $53,194 | $133,029 |
| 42 | Ritchie County | 8,286 | $50,582 | $112,863 |
| 43 | Barbour County | 15,424 | $51,394 | $119,829 |
| 44 | Pocahontas County | 7,784 | $42,119 | $184,477 |
| 45 | Gilmer County | 7,288 | $47,981 | $117,898 |
| 46 | Lincoln County | 19,902 | $46,205 | $106,984 |
| 47 | Logan County | 31,418 | $49,723 | $108,155 |
| 48 | Clay County | 7,835 | $42,318 | $121,589 |
| 49 | Braxton County | 12,208 | $50,331 | $140,881 |
| 50 | Roane County | 13,786 | $45,778 | $126,879 |
| 51 | Wyoming County | 20,629 | $48,440 | $66,138 |
| 52 | Webster County | 8,144 | $43,839 | $81,680 |
| 53 | Mingo County | 22,542 | $38,119 | $80,927 |
| 54 | Calhoun County | 6,048 | $43,980 | $100,692 |
| 55 | Mcdowell County | 17,943 | $31,559 | $40,888 |