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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 places 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 helping people find the best places to live in America for years.
So, 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.
After the analytic dust settled, we identified the 10 best counties to live in Mountain State for 2021.
The 10 Best Counties To Live In West Virginia For 2021
Putnam County is the county to be when it comes to living the good life in West Virginia. And you might want to avoid Mcdowell County if you can -- at least according to the data.
So if you're thinking of making the move West Virginia, we've got you covered. Keep on reading for a detailed methodology.
Or, check out the best places to live in West Virginia and the cheapest places to live in West Virginia.
The Best Counties To Live In West Virginia For 2021
1. Putnam County
Biggest Place: Teays Valley
Population: 56,610
Median Income: $60,097 (3rd best)
Median Home Price: $167,300.0 (5th best)
Unemployment Rate: 373.9% (3rd best)
More on Putnam County: Photos | Data
2. Jefferson County
Biggest Place: Charles Town
Population: 56,506
Median Income: $80,430 (best)
Median Home Price: $252,300.0 (best)
Unemployment Rate: 602.6% (25th best)
More on Jefferson County: Photos | Data
3. Ohio County
Biggest Place: Wheeling
Population: 42,143
Median Income: $50,584 (10th best)
Median Home Price: $123,900.0 (14th best)
Unemployment Rate: 601.0% (24th best)
More on Ohio County: Photos | Data
4. Brooke County
Biggest Place: Weirton
Population: 22,459
Median Income: $51,496 (9th best)
Median Home Price: $93,200.0 (4best)
Unemployment Rate: 379.4% (4th best)
More on Brooke County: Photos | Data
5. Berkeley County
Biggest Place: Martinsburg
Population: 115,329
Median Income: $62,515 (2nd best)
Median Home Price: $182,200.0 (4th best)
Unemployment Rate: 595.0% (2best)
More on Berkeley County: Photos | Data
6. Monongalia County
Biggest Place: Morgantown
Population: 105,474
Median Income: $52,455 (6th best)
Median Home Price: $204,400.0 (2nd best)
Unemployment Rate: 639.2% (29th best)
More on Monongalia County: Photos | Data
7. Tucker County
Biggest Place: Parsons
Population: 6,982
Median Income: $49,118 (13th best)
Median Home Price: $121,600.0 (17th best)
Unemployment Rate: 615.6% (26th best)
More on Tucker County: Data
8. Mineral County
Biggest Place: Keyser
Population: 27,167
Median Income: $49,936 (12th best)
Median Home Price: $148,200.0 (7th best)
Unemployment Rate: 560.8% (16th best)
More on Mineral County: Photos | Data
9. Hardy County
Biggest Place: Moorefield
Population: 13,805
Median Income: $47,438 (18th best)
Median Home Price: $137,700.0 (9th best)
Unemployment Rate: 322.2% (best)
More on Hardy County: Photos | Data
10. Marshall County
Biggest Place: Wheeling
Population: 31,308
Median Income: $48,557 (15th best)
Median Home Price: $109,300.0 (26th best)
Unemployment Rate: 425.5% (7th best)
More on Marshall County: Photos | Data
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 need to make some assumptions about what's a "best county" and what isn't. And, for reference, we are trying to make the kind of argument you'd make at a bar using facts, don't take this analysis to court.
With that in mind, we went to two of the best sources of data on the internet; the American Community Survey data and FBI Crime data for the most recent time 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, quiet, and best counties to raise a family in the Mountain State.
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.
There You Have It - The Best Counties In West Virginia To Call Home For 2018
It turns out living in West Virginia can vary from one part of the state to the next -- who woulda thought?
But now you the know the really good parts and the parts to avoid and that's why you came here to learn at the end of the day. And for that, you are welcome.
Here's a look at the worst counties in West Virginia according to the data:
- Mcdowell County
- Logan County
- Webster County
For more West Virginia reading, check out:
- Richest Cities In West Virginia
- Best Places To Raise A Family In West Virginia
- Best Places To Buy A House In West Virginia
- Cheapest Places To Live In West Virginia
Detailed List Of The Best Counties In West Virginia
| County | Rank |
|---|---|
| Putnam County | 1 |
| Jefferson County | 2 |
| Ohio County | 3 |
| Brooke County | 4 |
| Berkeley County | 5 |
| Monongalia County | 6 |
| Tucker County | 7 |
| Mineral County | 8 |
| Hardy County | 9 |
| Marshall County | 10 |
| Wood County | 11 |
| Harrison County | 12 |
| Jackson County | 13 |
| Marion County | 14 |
| Morgan County | 15 |
| Greenbrier County | 16 |
| Pleasants County | 17 |
| Kanawha County | 18 |
| Pendleton County | 19 |
| Mason County | 20 |
| Preston County | 21 |
| Wirt County | 22 |
| Wetzel County | 23 |
| Hampshire County | 24 |
| Nicholas County | 25 |
| Taylor County | 26 |
| Doddridge County | 27 |
| Cabell County | 28 |
| Pocahontas County | 29 |
| Lewis County | 30 |
| Hancock County | 31 |
| Grant County | 32 |
| Tyler County | 33 |
| Fayette County | 34 |
| Randolph County | 35 |
| Barbour County | 36 |
| Raleigh County | 37 |
| Ritchie County | 38 |
| Upshur County | 39 |
| Mingo County | 40 |
| Summers County | 41 |
| Mercer County | 42 |
| Lincoln County | 43 |
| Monroe County | 44 |
| Roane County | 45 |
| Gilmer County | 46 |
| Clay County | 47 |
| Boone County | 48 |
| Braxton County | 49 |
| Wyoming County | 50 |
| Wayne County | 51 |
| Calhoun County | 52 |
| Webster County | 53 |
| Logan County | 54 |
| Mcdowell County | 55 |
Your methods for choosing the best cities and counties in WV are clearly dysfunctional. Ask anyone who really knows WV about where the best place to live is and they will tell you without hesitation that Lewisburg in Greenbrier County is the best, not only in WV, but damn near anywhere at all.