West VirginiaLocated in the Appalachian region of the United States, West Virginia is home to 1.8 million residents, with its capital and largest city being Charleston.  Much of the state’s economy in the 19th and 20th centuries was driven by its rich deposits of bituminous coal.   Coal is still a major concern here but now so is green energy, manufacturing, and tourism.  The state has many historical sites and state parks and is known for its hiking, whitewater rafting, fishing, and hunting opportunities.  If you’d like to make the Mountain State your next home, here are the 5 safest cities in West Virginia.

Related: Check out our West Virginia Public Records guide.

Our list was compiled based on FBI violent crime stats and proprietary backgroundchecks.org research data.  Rates are normalized per 100,000 residents with the state average being 302 for violent crime and 2,035 for property crime.  This is calculated by taking (# of crimes/population) * 100,000.

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#1 Weirton

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Located in Hancock and Brooke counties, the city of Weirton is home to 19,700 residents.  The community was founded in 1793, sits along the banks of the Ohio River in the state’s northern panhandle, and is just 35 miles west of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.  Weirton is the safest place to live in West Virginia, with a violent crime rate of 86.5, and the chance of being involved in a property crime here just 1.5%.

#2 Vienna

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A city in Wood County, Vienna is home to 10,700 residents.  This community also lies along the banks of the Ohio River, encompasses 3.4 square miles, and is the site of a 277-acre wildlife refuge.  Another safe place to call home, the violent crime rate here is 120.7, and residents of Vienna have a 2.7% chance of being affected by property crime.

#3 St. Albans

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Located in Kanawha County, the city of St. Albans is home to 11,000 residents.  The community sits at the confluences of the Coal and Kanawha rivers, has a total area of 3.7 square miles, and is served by the Kanawha County School District.  The violent crime rate in St. Albans is 218.2, and the chance of being involved in a property crime here is 4.1%.

#4 Morgantown

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A city in Monongalia County, Morgantown has a current population of 29,600 residents.  Also the county seat, the community is the largest in the region, consists of several distinct neighborhoods, and is home to West Virginia University, a public land-grant university.  The violent crime rate here is 353.2, and residents of Morgantown have a 2.7% chance of being affected by property crime.

#5 Parkersburg

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Located in Wood County, the city of Parkersburg is home to 31,400 residents.  Also the county seat, the community lies on the banks of the Ohio River, is the site of several historic properties as well as West Virginia State University at Parkersburg and Blennerhassett Island Historical State Park.  The violent crime rate in Parkersburg is 462.6, and the chance of being involved in a property crime here is 5.3%.

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