Is being in an area of West Virginia that’s growing quickly a good thing or a bad thing?
Depends on who you ask.
Some want bigger, more exciting cities like Charleston and Huntington, while others want peace and quiet like in Grafton and New Martinsville, thank you very much.
But today, we’re going to put opinions aside and look at the cold, hard facts — since 2010, which cities in West Virginia have grown the fastest.
After getting knee-deep in the Census’s American Community Survey using Saturday Night Science, we emerged with this set of cities in the Mountain State that have people climbing over each other to get in.
The 10 Fastest Growing Cities In West Virginia For 2023
What’s the fastest growing city in West Virginia for 2023? Based on the most recent ACS data, Charles Town ranks as the fastest-growing city in West Virginia. If you happen to be a resident of Charles Town, you’re probably not surprised to find it on our list.
If you’re surprised — and you’re wondering why these places are a big deal — keep reading. We’ll tell you what makes each of these 10 places in West Virginia grow like weeds.
For more West Virginia state reading:
- Best Places To Live In The United States
- Fastest Growing States In The United States
- Best Places To Live In West Virginia
- Cheapest Places To Live In West Virginia
- Most Dangerous Cities In West Virginia
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The 10 Fastest Growing Cities In West Virginia For 2023
1. Charles Town
/10
Population: 6,373
Rank Last Year: 1 (No Change)
Population 2010: 5,074
Percent Growth 25.6%
Absolute Growth: 1,299
More on Charles Town: Real Estate | Data | Crime Report | Cost Of Living
2. Bridgeport
/10
Population: 9,165
Rank Last Year: 2 (No Change)
Population 2010: 7,978
Percent Growth 14.9%
Absolute Growth: 1,187
More on Bridgeport: Real Estate | Data | Crime Report | Cost Of Living
3. Hurricane
/10
Population: 6,901
Rank Last Year: 6 (Up 3)
Population 2010: 6,264
Percent Growth 10.2%
Absolute Growth: 637
More on Hurricane: Real Estate | Data | Cost Of Living
4. Martinsburg
/10
Population: 18,502
Rank Last Year: 5 (Up 1)
Population 2010: 17,133
Percent Growth 8.0%
Absolute Growth: 1,369
More on Martinsburg: Real Estate | Data | Crime Report | Cost Of Living
5. Oak Hill
/10
Population: 8,228
Rank Last Year: 3 (Down 2)
Population 2010: 7,659
Percent Growth 7.4%
Absolute Growth: 569
More on Oak Hill: Real Estate | Data | Crime Report | Cost Of Living
6. South Charleston
/10
Population: 13,595
Rank Last Year: 18 (Up 12)
Population 2010: 13,390
Percent Growth 1.5%
Absolute Growth: 205
More on South Charleston: Real Estate | Data | Crime Report | Cost Of Living
7. Morgantown
/10
Population: 29,316
Rank Last Year: 4 (Down 3)
Population 2010: 29,076
Percent Growth 0.8%
Absolute Growth: 240
More on Morgantown: Real Estate | Data | Crime Report | Cost Of Living
8. Vienna
/10
Population: 10,676
Rank Last Year: 11 (Up 3)
Population 2010: 10,724
Percent Growth -0.4%
Absolute Growth: -48
More on Vienna: Real Estate | Data | Crime Report | Cost Of Living
9. Beckley
/10
Population: 17,261
Rank Last Year: 19 (Up 10)
Population 2010: 17,503
Percent Growth -1.4%
Absolute Growth: -242
More on Beckley: Real Estate | Data | Crime Report | Cost Of Living
10. St. Albans
/10
Population: 10,842
Rank Last Year: 24 (Up 14)
Population 2010: 11,071
Percent Growth -2.1%
Absolute Growth: -229
More on St. Albans: Real Estate | Data | Crime Report | Cost Of Living
Methodology: How We Measured The Fastest Growing Cities In the Mountain State for 2023
To figure out which cities are growing the most, we used Saturday Night Science to look at the growth rates for cities since the beginning of the decade, according to the American Community Survey put out by the census every year. Specifically:
- Current Population
- Population in 2010
- Growth rate from 2010 to Current (The latest available data which came out in Dec 2021)
We ranked all 26 West Virginia cities with a population over 4,000 people from highest growth rate to lowest.
The city with the highest growth rate during this time was crowned the fastest-growing city in the Mountain State.
And for those of you who are a little rusty with their statistics, you can calculate the growth rate by the following formula:
[Current Population – Population 2010] / [Population 2010]
The data has been updated for 2023. This report is our tenth time ranking the fastest growing cities in West Virginia.
Here’s a graph of the cities in West Virginia with the most significant percent increase in population:
Summary: These Places Grew Up So Fast In West Virginia, You Know?
So there you have it, the fastest growing cities in West Virginia are led by Charles Town which has been growing at a blistering pace this decade relative to other cities and towns around the state.
It’ll be interesting to see if these places can keep growing at the same rate over the next couple of years. We’ll be here to let you know!
These places have been growing (or shrinking) the slowest (fastest):
- Moundsville
- Grafton
- Bluefield
For more West Virginia reading, check out:
- Best Places To Raise A Family In West Virginia
- Safest Places In West Virginia
- Worst Places To Live In West Virginia
Detailed List Of Fastest Growing Places In West Virginia For 2023
| Rank | City | Growth |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Charles Town | 25.6% |
| 2 | Bridgeport | 14.9% |
| 3 | Hurricane | 10.2% |
| 4 | Martinsburg | 8.0% |
| 5 | Oak Hill | 7.4% |
| 6 | South Charleston | 1.5% |
| 7 | Morgantown | 0.8% |
| 8 | Vienna | -0.4% |
| 9 | Beckley | -1.4% |
| 10 | St. Albans | -2.1% |
