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.
$746 median rent · $59,575 median income · #2 cheapest rent in West Virginia
Located in
Hancock County, West Virginia
Weirton is a city in Brooke and Hancock counties in the U.S. state of West Virginia. Located primarily in Hancock County, the city lies in the northern portions of the state’s Northern Panhandle region. As of the 2010 census, the city’s population was 19,746. It is a principal city within the Weirton-Steubenville Metropolitan Area, which had a population of 124,454 residents, and by extension part of the Pittsburgh Metropolitan Area.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$688 median rent · $60,946 median income · #1 cheapest rent in West Virginia
New Martinsville is a city in Wetzel County, West Virginia, United States, along the Ohio River. The population was 5,366 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Wetzel County.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$794 median rent · $48,590 median income · #5 cheapest rent in West Virginia
Located in
Ohio County, West Virginia
Wheeling is a city in Ohio and Marshall counties in the U.S. state of West Virginia. Located almost entirely in Ohio County, of which it is the county seat, it lies along the Ohio River in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. Wheeling was originally a settlement in the British colony of Virginia and later an important city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Wheeling was the first state capital of West Virginia. Due to its location along major transportation routes, including the Ohio River, National Road, and the B&O Railroad, Wheeling became a manufacturing center in the late nineteenth century. After experiencing the closing of factories and substantial population loss following World War II, Wheeling’s major industries now include healthcare, education, law and legal services, entertainment and tourism, and energy.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$804 median rent · $49,375 median income · #6 cheapest rent in West Virginia
Located in
Mercer County, West Virginia
Bluefield is a city in Mercer County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 10,447 at the 2010 census. It is the core city of the Bluefield WV-VA micropolitan area, which has a population of 107,342.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$878 median rent · $71,167 median income · #11 cheapest rent in West Virginia
Located in
Putnam County, West Virginia
Hurricane is a city in Putnam County, West Virginia, in the United States. The population was 6,284 at the 2010 census.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$903 median rent · $44,217 median income · #13 cheapest rent in West Virginia
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
$785 median rent · $49,025 median income · #3 cheapest rent in West Virginia
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
$1,105 median rent · $100,022 median income · #21 cheapest rent in West Virginia
Located in
Harrison County, West Virginia
Bridgeport is a city in Harrison County, West Virginia, USA. The population was 8,149 at the 2010 census.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$885 median rent · $54,615 median income · #12 cheapest rent in West Virginia
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
$847 median rent · $52,466 median income · #9 cheapest rent in West Virginia
Located in
Fayette County, West Virginia
Oak Hill is a city in Fayette County, West Virginia, United States and is the primary city within the Oak Hill, WV Micropolitan Statistical Area. The micropolitan area is also included in the Beckley-Oak Hill, WV Combined Statistical Area. The population was 7,730 at the 2010 census. Country singer Hank Williams was discovered to be dead while the car in which he was a passenger was stopped in Oak Hill, and Oak Hill is generally accepted to be his place of death.
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.
West Virginia statewide median: $59,608
West Virginia statewide median: $174,412
On the map
Where to retire in West Virginia
Saturday Night Science
Methodology: How We Determined The Best Places To Retire In the Mountain State for 2026
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 Weirton, 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 2026. This list reflects our eleventh time ranking the best places to retire in West Virginia.
The full plate
Best Places To Retire In West Virginia
Click any column to sort. Search by city name.
| Rank | City | Retire Score | Population | Median Income | Average Home Prices | Median Rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Weirton | 4.60 | 18,647 | $59,575 | $147,088 | $746 |
| 2 | New Martinsville | 5.30 | 5,133 | $60,946 | $136,698 | $688 |
| 3 | Wheeling | 6.80 | 26,350 | $48,590 | $148,167 | $794 |
| 4 | Bluefield | 8.80 | 9,387 | $49,375 | $105,765 | $804 |
| 5 | Hurricane | 9.00 | 6,855 | $71,167 | $269,184 | $878 |
| 6 | Elkins | 9.40 | 6,811 | $44,217 | $166,143 | $903 |
| 7 | Parkersburg | 9.80 | 29,240 | $49,025 | $147,802 | $785 |
| 8 | Bridgeport | 9.90 | 9,252 | $100,022 | $297,307 | $1,105 |
| 9 | Buckhannon | 10.20 | 5,116 | $54,615 | $156,489 | $885 |
| 10 | Oak Hill | 10.60 | 7,937 | $52,466 | $150,326 | $847 |
| 11 | Fairmont | 10.80 | 18,221 | $63,032 | $185,554 | $916 |
| 12 | Morgantown | 12.00 | 30,236 | $44,727 | $280,205 | $937 |
| 13 | Clarksburg | 12.10 | 15,549 | $47,386 | $114,207 | $790 |
| 14 | Vienna | 12.20 | 10,518 | $60,388 | $183,598 | $809 |
| 15 | Charleston | 13.00 | 47,421 | $65,812 | $163,657 | $908 |
| 16 | Beckley | 13.40 | 16,818 | $45,826 | $146,483 | $869 |
| 17 | St. Albans | 13.80 | 10,522 | $53,972 | $148,169 | $931 |
| 18 | Dunbar | 14.40 | 7,254 | $58,379 | $123,693 | $935 |
| 19 | Nitro | 14.70 | 6,853 | $53,848 | $140,563 | $949 |
| 20 | Huntington | 15.00 | 45,787 | $45,100 | $139,631 | $912 |
| 21 | South Charleston | 15.20 | 13,457 | $63,884 | $167,047 | $844 |
Source: U.S. Census ACS 2020-2024, FBI UCR, OpenFlights. 21 cities with more than 5,000 residents.
Summary
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 Weirton.
The best places to retire in West Virginia are Weirton, New Martinsville, Wheeling, Bluefield, Hurricane, Elkins, Parkersburg, Bridgeport, Buckhannon, and Oak Hill.
If you’re not ready to hang up your office apparel yet, then these places might be up your alley. Not sold on West Virginia? Take the two-minute Find Your Place quiz and see which state actually fits you.
Questions and answers
Best Places To Retire In West Virginia FAQs
What is the best place to retire in West Virginia?
Weirton is the best place to retire in West Virginia for 2026, according to Saturday Night Science. New Martinsville and Wheeling are next.
What are the best places to retire in West Virginia?
The best places to retire in West Virginia are Weirton, New Martinsville, Wheeling, Bluefield, Hurricane, Elkins, Parkersburg, Bridgeport, Buckhannon, and Oak Hill. We ranked all 21 cities with more than 5,000 residents.
How do you rank retirement spots?
We score every qualifying West Virginia city on rent, crime, things to do, weather, airport access, and median age. The city that balances all six best, Weirton, takes the top spot.
How much does a home cost in Weirton?
The median home in Weirton runs $147,088, against $174,412 across West Virginia as a whole. Across the full top ten, the median home costs $149,246.
Which West Virginia place came in last for retirees?
South Charleston lands at the bottom of the retirement ranking for West Virginia. Not ready to retire anyway? Then South Charleston might suit you fine.
