If you’ve ever watched Morgantown’s News 12 at six or Parkersburg’s Crimestoppers at ten, then you know what many West Virginians already know — the Mountain State has some pretty dangerous places.
To determine the most dangerous places in West Virginia, we analyzed the FBI’s latest crime report for violent and property crimes per capita for every place with over 5,000 residents. In total, we analyzed 23 cities. We discovered a majority of the crime in West Virginia occurs in the area around bigger population metros.
So, take a look below at our research into the most dangerous places in West Virginia for 2026 before you make any life-changing decisions.
605 violent crimes /100k · 7,912 property crimes /100k · #3 most violent in West Virginia
Located in
Raleigh County, West Virginia
Beckley made its reputation early in the 20th century as a coal town. You can see this history on display in the nearby Beckley Exhibition Coal Mine.
The development of the coal industry led to a jump in population. From less than 400 residents in 1900, the number swelled to nearly 20,000 by the middle of the century.
However, the last several decades have presented increased economic difficulty for this community in southern West Virginia. This has contributed to a growing crime problem, including high rates of burglary and larceny. Violence also poses a major challenge. Beckley endures the number 3 highest pace of violent crimes in the state.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
800 violent crimes /100k · 3,602 property crimes /100k · #2 most violent in West Virginia
Located in
Wayne County, West Virginia
West Virginia’s second biggest city, Huntington, is also its second most dangerous.
Huntington has a lot on its plate in terms of criminal activity. It’s the second most violent place in West Virginia and has the unfortunate distinction of having the second highest rate of rape cases in the state.
On top of that, your home isn’t even a sanctuary in Huntington. That’s because the city had the fourth highest burglary rate statewide, with more than one break in occurring each day, on average.
Here’s hoping nobody tries to pull a heist on theHuntington Museum of Art.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
489 violent crimes /100k · 5,520 property crimes /100k · #6 most violent in West Virginia
Located in
Kanawha County, West Virginia
South Charleston is located about where you’d think. That’s right: south of Charleston, the state’s capital and largest city. (That sister city sits on the other side of the Kanawha River.)
As such, South Charleston becomes part of the general urban sprawl (well, as much urban sprawl as you’ll find in West Virginia). Part of this involves dealing with relatively high crime rates. As a result, South Charleston becomes the number 3 most dangerous spot in West Virginia. This comes as residents face high rates of car theft and larceny.
That said, a visitor shouldn’t ignore the other side of South Charleston. For instance, the town features the Criel Mound, a Native American burial ground dating back more than 2,000 years.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
543 violent crimes /100k · 3,120 property crimes /100k · #4 most violent in West Virginia
Located in
Kanawha County, West Virginia
It may seem strange to say about a city of 46,252 people, but Charleston represents the central metropolis of West Virginia. For one thing, it serves as the state capital. What’s more, the community, located in the southwest part of the state, also represents West Virginia’s largest city.
As you’d guess, this leads to sizable amount of crime. Charleston faces high rates of burglaries, as well as 251 violent crimes. This includes 6 murders.
However, there are drawn to life in Charleston as well. This includes parks by the river, museums, and the State Capitol.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
983 violent crimes /100k · 1,992 property crimes /100k · #1 most violent in West Virginia
Located in
Ohio County, West Virginia
Wheeling was the original capital of West Virginia, back when the state first split off from Virginia during the Civil War. The arrival of industry allowed the population to peak above 60,000 during the 1930s. The last few decades have seen a steady decline, however, leaving the city with less than half that total these days.
Along with this economic deterioration, the community has suffered a high rate of crime. This includes a disturbing level of sexual assaults. In an area with 25,951 residents, Wheeling reported 14 rapes and 255 total violent crimes. Residents also face high rates of burglaries and robberies.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
372 violent crimes /100k · 2,220 property crimes /100k · #9 most violent in West Virginia
Located in
Harrison County, West Virginia
Clarksburg was once in the running to become the state capital of West Virginia. During a vote in 1877, the community came in second, losing out to Charleston, which remains the center of the state’s government to this day.
Ah well … win some, lose some. Today, this city of 15,316 people, located in the north-central part of the state, has other things to worry about. It ranks as the number 6 most dangerous spot in West Virginia. This includes high rates of larceny and arson. (Just think of what the crime rate would have been if it had become state capital and had all those politicians running around.)
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
157 violent crimes /100k · 3,774 property crimes /100k · #15 most violent in West Virginia
Located in
Putnam County, West Virginia
Located northwest along the Kanawha River from Charleston, Nitro ranks as West Virginia’s seventh most dangerous place.
Nitro has some room for hope, as violent crime fell over the last year and property crime dropped.
Still, you should hide your winnings after a night out at the Mardi Gras Casino, because Nitro has the third highest property crime rate in West Virginia.
Overall, residents had a 1 in 26 chance of getting their pockets picked, their cars stolen, or their houses broken into over 2024 — not winning odds for a city that loves its gambling.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
260 violent crimes /100k · 3,217 property crimes /100k · #12 most violent in West Virginia
Located in
Wood County, West Virginia
Parkersburg sits in the northwest part of the state, built along the Ohio River, across the border from Ohio. Meanwhile, the Little Kanawha River travels through town — a fact that points to the firm’s early history as an important commercial hub. Later, railroad construction and the discovery of nearby oil fields turned the community into an industrial center. The population ballooned from less than 9,000 in 1890 to a level around 45,000 by the 1960s.
There has been a significant pullback since that time, with the current population sitting at around 28,815. This changing economic situation has also led to a sizable crime problem. Residents suffer scary rates of sexual assaults and arson. Also, burglary and car thefts remain common.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
520 violent crimes /100k · 1,323 property crimes /100k · #5 most violent in West Virginia
Located in
Marion County, West Virginia
Do you like pepperoni roll snacks? Then Fairmont might be one of your favorite spots. The local Country Club Bakery invented the product — giving the town a claim to the “pepperoni roll capital of the world.”
That’s a pretty good distinction to have. However, beyond the realm of spicy meat snacks, Fairmont has its share of challenges. The town ranks as the number 9 most dangerous spot in West Virginia. In an area with 18,066 people, this community in the north-central part of the state reported 94 violent crimes. This includes such heinous violations as murder and sexual assault.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
224 violent crimes /100k · 2,089 property crimes /100k · #13 most violent in West Virginia
Located in
Kanawha County, West Virginia
We’re taking yet another trip west out of Charleston (starting to see a pattern here?) to reach West Virginia’s tenth most dangerous place to call home, St. Albans.
St. Albans residents had a 1 in 47 chance of being the victim of a property crime in 2024. If you live in St. Albans, chances are you know someone who’s had something stolen or vandalized by criminals. Learn from their experiences and keep a close watch on your stuff when you’re at the St. Albans City Park.
On top of that, St. Albans had the 16th highest rate of rape cases and 15th highest murder rate in West Virginia — yikes.
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.
On the map
Where crime hits hardest in West Virginia
Saturday Night Science
How we determined the most dangerous cities in West Virginia for 2026?
Every year the FBI release two crime datasets on cities in West Virginia. First a preliminary dataset limited to the biggest cities in West Virginia, followed by a more detailed release at the end of the year.
For our analysis, we focused on the 2024 data, specifically the 2024 Crime In The United States Report for West Virginia.
So what criteria did we use? Have a look:
- Violent Crimes Per Capita
- Property Crimes Per Capita
In order to make the analysis as apples to apples as possible, we only considered West Virginia cities over 5,000 in population. That left us with 23 cities in West Virginia.
We then ranked each city from 1 to 23 for the two criteria with a #1 ranking being the most dangerous for the particular criteria.
Next, we averaged the two rankings into one “Dangerous Index”.
Finally, we ranked every city on the “Dangerous Index” with the lowest index being the most dangerous in West Virginia — Beckley. Any ties went to the smaller city.
This article is an opinion based on facts and is meant as infotainment. It is our eleventh time ranking the most dangerous places to live in West Virginia and is updated for 2026.
The full plate
Crime By City In West Virginia
Click any column to sort. Search by city name.
| Rank | City | Dangerous Index | Population | Total Crimes Per 100K | Violent Crimes Per 100K | Property Crimes Per 100K | Murders |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Beckley | 2.00 | 16,367 | 8,517 | 605 | 7,912 | 0 |
| 2 | Huntington | 3.00 | 44,860 | 4,403 | 800 | 3,602 | 6 |
| 3 | South Charleston | 4.00 | 13,098 | 6,009 | 489 | 5,520 | 0 |
| 4 | Charleston | 5.50 | 46,252 | 3,663 | 543 | 3,120 | 6 |
| 5 | Wheeling | 6.00 | 25,951 | 2,975 | 983 | 1,992 | 0 |
| 6 | Clarksburg | 8.50 | 15,316 | 2,592 | 372 | 2,220 | 0 |
| 7 | Nitro | 9.00 | 6,360 | 3,931 | 157 | 3,774 | 0 |
| 8 | Parkersburg | 9.00 | 28,815 | 3,477 | 260 | 3,217 | 0 |
| 9 | Fairmont | 10.00 | 18,066 | 1,843 | 520 | 1,323 | 0 |
| 10 | St. Albans | 11.00 | 10,245 | 2,313 | 224 | 2,089 | 0 |
| 11 | Vienna | 11.00 | 10,397 | 3,463 | 154 | 3,309 | 1 |
| 12 | Dunbar | 12.00 | 7,070 | 2,122 | 311 | 1,810 | 0 |
| 13 | Oak Hill | 13.00 | 7,747 | 2,220 | 155 | 2,065 | 0 |
| 14 | Bluefield | 13.00 | 9,163 | 1,517 | 480 | 1,037 | 1 |
| 15 | Morgantown | 13.00 | 30,510 | 2,170 | 210 | 1,960 | 4 |
| 16 | Buckhannon | 13.50 | 5,014 | 1,556 | 319 | 1,237 | 0 |
| 17 | Elkins | 14.50 | 6,700 | 881 | 478 | 403 | 0 |
| 18 | Bridgeport | 16.00 | 9,396 | 1,596 | 138 | 1,458 | 0 |
| 19 | Charles Town | 19.00 | 8,103 | 1,308 | 74 | 1,234 | 0 |
| 20 | Hurricane | 19.50 | 6,755 | 1,362 | 59 | 1,303 | 0 |
| 21 | Ranson | 20.50 | 5,781 | 917 | 69 | 848 | 0 |
| 22 | Weirton | 20.50 | 18,151 | 468 | 138 | 331 | 2 |
| 23 | New Martinsville | 22.50 | 5,049 | 139 | 59 | 79 | 0 |
Source: FBI UCR 2024. 23 cities with more than 5,000 residents.
Summary
Summary: Locking It All Up In West Virginia
So what is the most dangerous city in West Virginia? After analyzing 23 cities in West Virginia, Beckley takes the top spot as the most dangerous city in West Virginia based on the most recently reported FBI data — 2024.
The latest FBI crime data shows that Beckley ranks as the most dangerous city in West Virginia for 2026.
The most dangerous cities in West Virginia are Beckley, Huntington, South Charleston, Charleston, Wheeling, Clarksburg, Nitro, Parkersburg, Fairmont, and St. Albans.
We want to point out again that there’s still safes places in Beckley and that this isn’t a comment on the people that live there. So please don’t beat us up. Not sold on West Virginia? Take the two-minute Find Your Place quiz and see which state actually fits you.
Questions and answers
Most Dangerous Places To Live In West Virginia FAQs
Is West Virginia a dangerous state?
No, West Virginia is not a dangerous state as it ranks as the #12 safest state in the United States based on our analysis of the latest FBI Crime Data. The violent crime rate in West Virginia ranks 28th most dangerous in the United States — 3.76% better than US average violent crime rate. The property crime rate in the Mountain State ranks 42nd most dangerous in the United States — 28.4% better than US average property crime rate. The latest reporting year from the FBI was 2022.
Is Charleston, WV a dangerous city?
Yes, Charleston is a dangerous city. Charleston ranks as the #117 most dangerous out of 1433 major cities over 30,000 people in the United States based on our analysis of the latest FBI Crime Data. Keep in mind that are always safe and dangerous parts of any city, so even though Charleston might be considered dangerous you still need to be aware of where you are.
Compared to other big cities, the violent crime rate in Charleston ranks 226th highest in America — 70.5% worse than US average violent crime rate. The property crime rate in the ranks 116th highest in the United States — 89.69% worse than US average property crime rate. Note the latest reporting year from the FBI was 2022 and that no city in America is ‘dangerous’. Despite the uptick in murders, it’s nothing like you’d see in Tijuana or Caracas where the murder rate is 2x any American city.
