Before you decide to relocate to West Virginia, it’s important to research the exact cost of living around the state. And that’s what we’re going to help you do.
These are the places in West Virginia that cost a pretty penny — the most expensive cities in the state.
We used Saturday Night Science to compare the 2020-2024 American Community Survey on cost of living for the 25 places in West Virginia with more than 5,000 people.
After we saved up for months and could finally afford it, we landed on this list of the ten most expensive cities in West Virginia for 2026.
$89,263 median income · $400,663 median home · #1 home prices in West Virginia
Charles Town, officially the City of Charles Town, is a city in Jefferson County, West Virginia, and is also the county seat. The population was 5,259 at the 2010 United States Census.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$59,555 median income · $307,800 median home · #2 home prices in West Virginia
Located in
Berkeley County, West Virginia
Martinsburg is a city in and the county seat of Berkeley County, West Virginia, United States, in the tip of the state’s Eastern Panhandle region. Its population was 17,687 in the 2016 census estimate, making it the largest city in the Eastern Panhandle and the ninth-largest municipality in the state. Martinsburg is part of the Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$100,022 median income · $297,307 median home · #3 home prices 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
$44,727 median income · $280,205 median home · #4 home prices in West Virginia
Located in
Monongalia County, West Virginia
Morgantown is a city in and the county seat of Monongalia County, West Virginia, situated along the banks of the Monongahela River. With a permanent population of 31,073 per the 2015 U.S. Census estimates, Morgantown is the largest city in North-Central West Virginia. The Morgantown metropolitan area has a population of 138,176, and is the 3rd largest in West Virginia. West Virginia University adds several thousand seasonal residents to the city and surrounding area from September through May. Morgantown is best known as the home of West Virginia University and the Morgantown Personal Rapid Transit system.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$71,167 median income · $269,184 median home · #5 home prices 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
$65,812 median income · $163,657 median home · #11 home prices in West Virginia
Located in
Kanawha County, West Virginia
Charleston is the state capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of West Virginia, and the county seat of Kanawha County. It is located at the confluence of the Elk and Kanawha Rivers. As of the 2013 Census Estimate, it had a population of 50,821, while its metropolitan area had 224,743. It is a center of government, commerce, and industry.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$53,972 median income · $148,169 median home · #14 home prices in West Virginia
Located in
Kanawha County, West Virginia
St. Albans is a city in Kanawha County, West Virginia, United States, at the confluence of the Kanawha and Coal Rivers. The population was 11,044 at the 2010 census.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$43,900 median income · $166,770 median home · #9 home prices in West Virginia
Located in
Mercer County, West Virginia
Princeton, often referred to as the “Jewel of the South,” is a city in and the county seat of Mercer County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 6,432 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Bluefield, WV-VA micropolitan area which has a population of 107,342. The town hosts the Princeton Rays baseball club of the Appalachian League.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$45,826 median income · $146,483 median home · #18 home prices in West Virginia
Located in
Raleigh County, West Virginia
Beckley is a city in and the county seat of Raleigh County, West Virginia, United States. It was founded on April 4, 1838. Beckley was named in honor of John James Beckley, who was the first Clerk of the House of Representatives and the first Librarian of Congress. It was founded by his son Alfred Beckley. The current mayor is Rob Rappold
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$63,032 median income · $185,554 median home · #6 home prices in West Virginia
Located in
Marion County, West Virginia
Fairmont is a city in Marion County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 18,704 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Marion County.
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: $174,412
West Virginia statewide median: $59,608
On the map
Mapping the most expensive places in West Virginia
Saturday Night Science
Methodology: How We Determined The Most Expensive Places To Live In The Mountain State For 2026
The two most important things to think about when it comes to being able to afford a city in West Virginia are how much money you make and how much you have to spend to live there.
You need to understand your costs in the context of how much money you make.
For example, if the median household earns $100,000 and spends $40,000 on housing, it’s actually cheaper to live there than a place with a median income of $50,000 and housing costs of $21,000. You might spend more on housing, but you have more money overall to play with.
With that example in mind, we derived several statistics from the latest Census American Community Survey 2020-2024 around incomes and costs. They are:
- Overall Cost Of Living Index
- Median Home Price / Median Income (lower is better)
- Median Income / Median Rent (Higher is better)
- Median Home Price
You can then compare these metrics in each of the places in West Virginia to figure out which is the most expensive.
You are left with a “Cost of Living Index” by taking the average rank of each of these metrics for each city.
So we used that cost of living index to rank all of the 25 places in West Virginia that have more than 5,000 people.
The place with the highest cost of living in West Virginia according to the data is Charles Town. We updated this article for 2026. This article is our eleventh time ranking the most expensive places to live in West Virginia.
The full plate
Most Expensive Cities In West Virginia
Click any column to sort. Search by city name.
| Rank | City | Cost Of Living | Population | Median Income | Average Home Price | Home/Income Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Charles Town | 112 | 7,337 | $89,263 | $400,663 | 4.5x |
| 2 | Martinsburg | 100 | 18,904 | $59,555 | $307,800 | 5.2x |
| 3 | Bridgeport | 100 | 9,252 | $100,022 | $297,307 | 3.0x |
| 4 | Morgantown | 99 | 30,236 | $44,727 | $280,205 | 6.3x |
| 5 | Hurricane | 94 | 6,855 | $71,167 | $269,184 | 3.8x |
| 6 | Charleston | 92 | 47,421 | $65,812 | $163,657 | 2.5x |
| 7 | St. Albans | 91 | 10,522 | $53,972 | $148,169 | 2.7x |
| 8 | Princeton | 91 | 5,736 | $43,900 | $166,770 | 3.8x |
| 9 | Beckley | 89 | 16,818 | $45,826 | $146,483 | 3.2x |
| 10 | Fairmont | 88 | 18,221 | $63,032 | $185,554 | 2.9x |
| 11 | Vienna | 88 | 10,518 | $60,388 | $183,598 | 3.0x |
| 12 | Bluefield | 88 | 9,387 | $49,375 | $105,765 | 2.1x |
| 13 | Wheeling | 87 | 26,350 | $48,590 | $148,167 | 3.0x |
| 14 | Weirton | 87 | 18,647 | $59,575 | $147,088 | 2.5x |
| 15 | Dunbar | 87 | 7,254 | $58,379 | $123,693 | 2.1x |
| 16 | Buckhannon | 87 | 5,116 | $54,615 | $156,489 | 2.9x |
| 17 | South Charleston | 86 | 13,457 | $63,884 | $167,047 | 2.6x |
| 18 | Huntington | 85 | 45,787 | $45,100 | $139,631 | 3.1x |
| 19 | Elkins | 84 | 6,811 | $44,217 | $166,143 | 3.8x |
| 20 | Moundsville | 83 | 7,869 | $49,048 | $124,991 | 2.5x |
| 21 | Nitro | 83 | 6,853 | $53,848 | $140,563 | 2.6x |
| 22 | New Martinsville | 83 | 5,133 | $60,946 | $136,698 | 2.2x |
| 23 | Oak Hill | 82 | 7,937 | $52,466 | $150,326 | 2.9x |
| 24 | Parkersburg | 80 | 29,240 | $49,025 | $147,802 | 3.0x |
| 25 | Clarksburg | 80 | 15,549 | $47,386 | $114,207 | 2.4x |
Source: U.S. Census ACS 2020-2024, Zillow research. 25 places with more than 5,000 residents.
Summary
Summary: Taking A Chunk Out Of Your Paycheck In West Virginia For 2026
Well, there you have it, the places in West Virginia that have the highest cost of living, with Charles Town ranking as the most expensive city in the Mountain State.
The most expensive cities in West Virginia are Charles Town, Martinsburg, Bridgeport, Morgantown, Hurricane, Charleston, St. Albans, Princeton, Beckley, and Fairmont.
