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WVWest Virginia rankings

Safest towns in West Virginia

Ranked by crime reported to police per 1,000 residents, averaged over 2023–2025, with violent crimes counted four times as heavily as property crimes. Lower is safer. 26 towns with 2,500+ residents whose police reported every year.

U.S. Census ACS 2020–2024 5-year

Kenova 1 Kenova 8.5 Violent 0.5 per 1,000 Grafton 2 Grafton 9.1 Violent 0.4 per 1,000 Map of Follansbee 3 Follansbee 10.4 Violent 0.4 per 1,000
#TownWeighted crime rateViolentProperty
1 Kenova Kenova2,944 people 8.5 0.5 per 1,000 6.6 per 1,000
2 Grafton Grafton4,618 people 9.1 0.4 per 1,000 7.6 per 1,000
3 Map of Follansbee Follansbee2,757 people 10.4 0.4 per 1,000 8.9 per 1,000
4 Philippi Philippi2,861 people 16.1 2.4 per 1,000 6.4 per 1,000
5 White Sulphur Springs White Sulphur Springs2,549 people 16.7 0.9 per 1,000 13.0 per 1,000
6 Bridgeport Bridgeport9,252 people 18.6 1.2 per 1,000 13.8 per 1,000
7 Buckhannon Buckhannon5,116 people 19.2 1.8 per 1,000 12.0 per 1,000
8 Map of Fayetteville Fayetteville2,817 people 21.1 1.0 per 1,000 17.2 per 1,000
9 Summersville Summersville3,373 people 22.9 1.4 per 1,000 17.3 per 1,000
10 Morgantown Morgantown30,236 people 30.1 2.7 per 1,000 19.5 per 1,000
11 St. Albans St. Albans10,522 people 31.6 2.3 per 1,000 22.6 per 1,000
12 Barboursville Barboursville4,376 people 31.7 0.9 per 1,000 28.0 per 1,000
13 Westover Westover4,026 people 32.8 1.9 per 1,000 25.3 per 1,000
14 Fairmont Fairmont18,221 people 33.0 5.1 per 1,000 12.7 per 1,000
15 Map of Dunbar Dunbar7,254 people 33.7 3.8 per 1,000 18.4 per 1,000
16 Bluefield Bluefield9,387 people 35.4 7.1 per 1,000 7.1 per 1,000
17 Clarksburg Clarksburg15,549 people 38.4 3.3 per 1,000 25.2 per 1,000
18 Vienna Vienna10,518 people 40.3 1.4 per 1,000 34.7 per 1,000
19 Parkersburg Parkersburg29,240 people 40.9 2.7 per 1,000 30.3 per 1,000
20 Moorefield Moorefield2,525 people 43.3 6.6 per 1,000 16.8 per 1,000
21 Nitro Nitro6,853 people 49.8 1.8 per 1,000 42.5 per 1,000
22 Wheeling Wheeling26,350 people 56.0 9.3 per 1,000 18.8 per 1,000
23 Charleston Charleston47,421 people 57.2 5.7 per 1,000 34.6 per 1,000
24 Huntington Huntington45,787 people 64.1 7.5 per 1,000 34.1 per 1,000
25 South Charleston South Charleston13,457 people 71.8 5.0 per 1,000 51.8 per 1,000
26 Beckley Beckley16,818 people 99.3 6.5 per 1,000 73.5 per 1,000

How this ranking works

For each town we add up the violent and property crimes its police reported to the FBI over 2023–2025 and divide by the population they served, giving a rate per 1,000 residents. Violent crimes (homicide, rape, robbery and aggravated assault) count four times as much as property crimes (burglary, theft, vehicle theft and arson), because they weigh more on how safe a place feels. The lowest weighted rate ranks #1.

These are crimes reported to police, not convictions, and towns with a campus, highway, beach or shopping center also count incidents involving visitors. A town is ranked only if its police department reported a full year in every one of these years; towns patrolled by a county sheriff or state police don't have their own figures. There is no “most dangerous” list, on purpose.

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. Crime: FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program, offenses known to law enforcement by city. Town photos: Wikimedia Commons, credited on each town’s page.

Same ranking in other states

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