Wheeling is #1 in West Virginia for graduation rate
Wheeling is ranked on 36 lists against the 63 West Virginia towns with 2,500+ residents. It makes the top 10 on 1 and the top quarter on 2.
A podium finish, and more
Each list ranks every WV town with 2,500+ residents. Tap one to see the whole list with Wheeling marked.
2 spots from the top 25 for affordability
Lists where Wheeling sits just outside a milestone, and what it would take to get in.
Wheeling lands in the top half on 12 of 22 lists
Each dot is Wheeling’s spot on one list: the left end is #1 in WV, the right end is last. Areas where Wheeling does best come first.
Colder winters than 90% of West Virginia
Not better or worse, just Wheeling’s character, from the lists where neither end is the “good” one. The most distinctive come first.
Wheeling out-ranks 4 of its 5 ranked neighbors
Head to head on the lists where both towns are ranked: a point for each list where one town places higher. Tap a town for its own rankings.
Every WV list, and where Wheeling lands
36 lists from Census, school, health, library, crime, climate and land data. Tap any list to see every town on it.
Health
C Healthiest#1 Cheat Lake · 84 / 100 #40 C Lowest obesity#1 Cheat Lake · 30% #30 C Fewest smokers#1 Cheat Lake · 11% #34 C Most active#1 Cheat Lake · 18% #35 C Fewest uninsured#1 Cheat Lake · 5% #23 C Lowest depression#1 Cheat Lake · 26% #13
Closest to a top hospital#1 Madison · 1.3 mi
#32 People
C Most educated#1 Cheat Lake · 61.8% #18
Youngest#1 Morgantown · 23.9
#52
Oldest#1 Summersville · 56.3
#12
Most residents 65+#1 Summersville · 38%
#9
M
Most kids#1 Milton · 32.5%
#40 Cost of living
Most affordable#1 Welch · 1.0 yrs
#27
Cheapest rent#1 Summersville · $395/mo
#19
Lowest property tax#1 Grafton · $413/yr
#28 Getting around
Shortest commute#1 Kenova · 10.8 min
#24 Outdoors
S Most conserved land#1 Shannondale · 33.5% #16
Most trails#1 Barboursville · 7.2 mi / sq mi
#30
Most walkable#1 New Martinsville · 131 / sq mi
#33 Housing
S Vacation-home towns#1 Shannondale · 6.3% #26 R Most new homes#1 Ranson corporation · 47.8 per 1,000 #20
Fastest-rising home prices#1 Fayetteville · +82.8%
#33 
Safety
Safest#1 Kenova · 8.5
#22 
The number on the right is Wheeling’s spot. All of West Virginia’s rankings, with the map → · National lists and other states: all rankings.
Do the numbers ring true?
The lists count what can be counted. Neighbors know the rest.
Your answer becomes a post in Town Square.
- 2,500+ residents. Census estimates for smaller towns carry margins of error too wide to rank fairly, so they sit out every WV list.
- One town, one row. A city that is both a city and a town in Census data, or a village inside a town, is counted once.
- Ties share a rank. Towns on one weather station, one school district or one CDC estimate share a figure, so they share a spot (T).
- No “worst” lists. Lists rank toward the good end, and share cards are made only for the top half. Age, snow and the like are character, not grades.
U.S. Census Bureau (American Community Survey 5-year, 2010 and 2020 censuses, Building Permits Survey), U.S. Department of Education, FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, CDC PLACES, Medicare Care Compare, IMLS Public Libraries Survey, FHFA House Price Index, NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, USGS PAD-US and OpenStreetMap. Each list explains its own method.