Take me home, to the place I belong; West Virginia is almost heaven for retirees. We used data to determine which places have the most to offer retired folks in the Mountain State.
In a compact state with 37 state forests and a National Forest, you’ll never be far from nature if you choose to lay down your briefcase in West Virginia. Whether you’re hiking the Blue Ridge Mountains or driving the Blue Ridge Parkway, you won’t be sorry you retired one of the most scenic spots nationwide.
Just where are the best of the best spots for retired folks in West Virginia? Well, by and large, they’re up in the northern part of the state, with only Bluefield and Oak Hill being south of Charleston. Weirton, Moundsville, and Wheeling are all in West Virginia’s northern panhandle super close the Pennsylvania border.
So if you’ve got relatives living in Pittsburgh, they’ll be in easy visiting range.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The 10 Best Places To Retire In West Virginia For 2025
To find the best places for retirees, we looked at cities in West Virginia of at least 5,000 people, leaving us with 21 cities to rank. Then we broke down the data from the Census, the FBI’s Crime Report, National Weather Service, and OpenFlights.
What is the best place to retire in West Virginia? According to the data, New Martinsville is the best place to retire in West Virginia for 2025.
Crank up some Bill Withers and get those biscuits out of the oven, because we’re heading to the best places to retire in West Virginia.
Why did New Martinsville take the top spot? And where are Charleston and Huntington?
For more West Virginia state reading:
- Best Places To Live In West Virginia
- Cheapest Places To Live In West Virginia
- Best Places To Raise A Family In West Virginia
- Best Places To Retire In America
The 10 Best Places To Retire In West Virginia For 2025
/10
Population: 5,175
Median Income: $51,226
Median Home Price: $112,600
Median Rent: $718
Distance to Closest Airport: 67 miles
More on New Martinsville: Data
/10
Population: 18,785
Median Income: $56,699
Median Home Price: $122,800
Median Rent: $750
Distance to Closest Airport: 18 miles
More on Weirton: Data
/10
Population: 26,670
Median Income: $48,498
Median Home Price: $142,500
Median Rent: $795
Distance to Closest Airport: 37 miles
More on Wheeling: Data
/10
Population: 6,891
Median Income: $67,083
Median Home Price: $190,400
Median Rent: $854
Distance to Closest Airport: 107 miles
More on Hurricane: Data
/10
Population: 29,461
Median Income: $44,675
Median Home Price: $113,900
Median Rent: $746
Distance to Closest Airport: 83 miles
More on Parkersburg: Data
/10
Population: 5,144
Median Income: $48,720
Median Home Price: $152,000
Median Rent: $800
Distance to Closest Airport: 103 miles
More on Buckhannon: Data
/10
Population: 9,511
Median Income: $43,826
Median Home Price: $101,000
Median Rent: $790
Distance to Closest Airport: 142 miles
More on Bluefield: Data
/10
Population: 8,057
Median Income: $51,799
Median Home Price: $110,400
Median Rent: $826
Distance to Closest Airport: 158 miles
More on Oak Hill: Data
/10
Population: 6,875
Median Income: $47,746
Median Home Price: $130,500
Median Rent: $897
Distance to Closest Airport: 110 miles
More on Elkins: Data
/10
Population: 9,292
Median Income: $99,936
Median Home Price: $276,700
Median Rent: $1,227
Distance to Closest Airport: 81 miles
More on Bridgeport: Data
Methodology: How We Determined The Best Places To Retire In the Mountain State for 2025
To create our ranking of the best places in West Virginia to retire, we used Saturday Night Science. We analyzed Census data to find all places in the Mountain State — 399 cities and towns.
We then narrowed it down to places with at least 5,000 people that weren’t townships. This left us with 21 places from across the state.
For these 21, we looked at the following criteria taken from the Census, the FBI’s Crime Report, National Weather Service, and OpenFlights:
- Low cost of living as measured by rent
- Low crime
- Things to do (Museums, Colleges, and Libraries in town)
- Nice weather
- Distance to the closest international airport
- Other retirees (High median age)
We then ranked each of these places for each criterion from one to 21, with the lowest number being the best.
Finally, we took the average rank across these criteria. The place, in this case New Martinsville, with the lowest average rank, was crowned the best of the best, a place for you to start your second career.
The report has been updated for 2025. This list reflects our tenth time ranking the best places to retire in West Virginia.
Summary: Maybe You’re Not Ready To Retire In West Virginia Yet…
So there you have it, the best place to retire in West Virginia goes to New Martinsville.
The best places to retire in West Virginia are New Martinsville, Weirton, Wheeling, Hurricane, Parkersburg, Buckhannon, Bluefield, Oak Hill, Elkins, and Bridgeport.
If you’re not ready to hang up your office apparel yet, then these places might be up your alley:
- South Charleston
- Nitro
- Beckley
For more West Virginia reading, check out:
Best Places To Retire In West Virginia
| Rank | City | Population | Median Income | Average Home Prices | Median Rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Martinsville | 5,175 | $51,226 | $112,600 | $718 |
| 2 | Weirton | 18,785 | $56,699 | $122,800 | $750 |
| 3 | Wheeling | 26,670 | $48,498 | $142,500 | $795 |
| 4 | Hurricane | 6,891 | $67,083 | $190,400 | $854 |
| 5 | Parkersburg | 29,461 | $44,675 | $113,900 | $746 |
| 6 | Buckhannon | 5,144 | $48,720 | $152,000 | $800 |
| 7 | Bluefield | 9,511 | $43,826 | $101,000 | $790 |
| 8 | Oak Hill | 8,057 | $51,799 | $110,400 | $826 |
| 9 | Elkins | 6,875 | $47,746 | $130,500 | $897 |
| 10 | Bridgeport | 9,292 | $99,936 | $276,700 | $1,227 |