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WVWest Virginia rankings

Towns losing population in West Virginia

Ranked by population loss between the 2010 and 2020 censuses. 38 towns with 2,500+ residents.

U.S. Census ACS 2020–2024 5-year

Moundsville 1 Moundsville −13.1% 2010 census 9,318 Map of Pinch 2 Pinch −10.7% 2010 census 3,262 Keyser 3 Keyser −10.6% 2010 census 5,439
#TownChange 2010–20202010 census2020 census
1 Moundsville Moundsville7,869 people −13.1% 9,318 8,093
2 Map of Pinch Pinch4,037 people −10.7% 3,262 2,914
3 Keyser Keyser4,857 people −10.6% 5,439 4,864
4 Map of White Sulphur Springs White Sulphur Springs2,549 people −9.1% 2,444 2,221
5 Princeton5,736 people −8.7% 6,432 5,872
6 Map of Grafton Grafton4,618 people −8.6% 5,164 4,722
7 Buckhannon5,116 people −8.0% 5,639 5,186
8 Map of Nitro Nitro6,853 people −7.7% 7,178 6,624
9 Bluefield Bluefield9,387 people −7.6% 10,447 9,658
10 Map of Point Pleasant Point Pleasant3,961 people −6.4% 4,350 4,070
11 Map of Kenova Kenova2,944 people −5.7% 3,216 3,033
12 Parkersburg29,240 people −5.6% 31,492 29,738
13 Map of Dunbar Dunbar7,254 people −5.4% 7,907 7,480
14 Ripley3,071 people −5.3% 3,252 3,079
15 Map of Madison Madison2,788 people −5.3% 3,076 2,913
16 Wheeling26,350 people −5.0% 28,486 27,052
17 Charleston47,421 people −4.9% 51,400 48,864
18 Huntington45,787 people −4.7% 49,138 46,842
19 Map of Follansbee Follansbee2,757 people −4.6% 2,986 2,848
20 Summersville3,373 people −3.9% 3,572 3,431
21 Weston Weston3,840 people −3.8% 4,110 3,952
22 Map of Williamson Williamson2,919 people −3.4% 3,191 3,083
23 Clarksburg15,549 people −3.1% 16,578 16,061
24 Map of Weirton Weirton18,647 people −3.0% 19,746 19,163
25 Map of New Martinsville New Martinsville5,133 people −3.0% 5,366 5,204
26 Map of Cross Lanes Cross Lanes9,671 people −2.7% 9,995 9,727
27 Elkins6,811 people −2.3% 7,094 6,934
28 Beckley16,818 people −1.9% 17,614 17,286
29 Map of St. Albans St. Albans10,522 people −1.7% 11,044 10,861
30 Fairmont Fairmont18,221 people −1.5% 18,704 18,416
31 Map of Culloden Culloden3,040 people −1.5% 3,061 3,016
32 Philippi Philippi2,861 people −1.2% 2,966 2,929
33 Vienna Vienna10,518 people −0.9% 10,749 10,652
34 Moorefield2,525 people −0.8% 2,544 2,524
35 Map of Pea Ridge Pea Ridge6,988 people −0.7% 6,650 6,602
36 Westover4,026 people −0.7% 3,983 3,955
37 Ravenswood Ravenswood3,830 people −0.3% 3,876 3,865
38 Fayetteville2,817 people −0.2% 2,892 2,887

How this ranking works

We rank every town by population loss between the 2010 and 2020 censuses. Only towns that shrank are listed. The town with the lowest figure ranks #1. For comparison, the figure for West Virginia as a whole is −3.2%.

Only towns with at least 2,500 residents are ranked; Census estimates for smaller places are too uncertain. Population and income: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates. Town photos: Wikimedia Commons, credited on each town’s page.

Same ranking in other states

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