You might think that the whole hippie movement has faded away, but the truth is, there are plenty of hippies out there in West Virginia.
While they aren’t necessarily in your face all the time with war protests, and the next Woodstock isn’t being planned any time soon, we thought it would be fun to look at which cities in the Mountain State where the most hippies would live.
And, after crunching the data, you know what? It was spot on.
How do you decide where the most hippies live? By the number of yoga studios, organic markets, and most importantly, where the liberals live in droves.
Using those criteria, it’s not hard to scrape the internet, run some scientific data on where hippies might live in West Virginia, and then put out a list.
So, put on your tie-dye shirt and sandals as you go through this list with us.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The 10 Cities In West Virginia With The Largest Hispanic Population For 2024
What’s the hippiest city in West Virginia? The hippiest city in West Virginia is Dunbar.
Read on below to see where your town ranked, Young Flower Child.
/10
Population: 7,844
% Liberal: 43.3%
More on Dunbar: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 6,860
% Liberal: 43.3%
More on Nitro: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 13,380
% Liberal: 43.3%
More on South Charleston: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 30,133
% Liberal: 43.9%
More on Morgantown: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 6,352
% Liberal: 30.6%
More on Hurricane: Data | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 10,654
% Liberal: 33.1%
More on Vienna: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 5,646
% Liberal: 26.1%
More on Buckhannon: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 10,939
% Liberal: 43.3%
More on St. Albans: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 17,508
% Liberal: 38.4%
More on Martinsburg: Data | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 8,270
% Liberal: 38.5%
More on Oak Hill: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Methodology: How we determined the most beatnik city in West Virginia
In order to rank the best cities for hippies in West Virginia, we used Saturday Night Science to determine what criteria defines a hippie.
We threw a lot of criteria at this one in order to get the best, most complete results possible. Using the Google Places API, the Census’s 2018-2022 American Community Survey, and Voter Registration data, this is the criteria we used:
- Number of yoga studios per capita
- Number of organic markets per capita
- Number of pet adoption centers per capita
- Number of vegan restaurants per capita
- Number of thrift stores per capita
- Each city’s liberal voting population
For the sake of getting reliable numbers on places, we counted any place within a ~4.5 mile radius of a city’s center. The average city in the United States is about 18 square miles.
All of these results are listed in a per capita basis, meaning number of stores per person in a city. Additionally, we limited the analysis to non-CDPs that have over 5,000 people.
We ranked each place with scores from 1 to 26 in each category, where 1 was the most hippie.
Next, we averaged the rankings for each place to create a hippie index.
And finally, we crowned the city with the highest hippie index the “Best City for Hippies In West Virginia.” We’re looking at you, Dunbar.
Read on below to learn more about what it’s like to live in hippie central. Or skip to the end to see the list of all the places in the state from hippiest to most square.
Summary: The Hippies Of West Virginia
If you’re measuring the locations in West Virginia where there are lots of liberals, and there are many options for vegan food, yoga and thrift stores, this is an accurate list.
The most hippie cities in West Virginia are Dunbar, Nitro, South Charleston, Morgantown, Hurricane, Vienna, Buckhannon, St. Albans, Martinsburg, and Oak Hill.
If you’re curious, here are the most square places in West Virginia:
- Moundsville
- Weirton
- Bluefield
For more West Virginia reading, check out:
- Best Places To Live In West Virginia
- Cheapest Places To Live In West Virginia
- Best Places To Raise A Family In West Virginia
- Richest Cities In West Virginia
- Safest Places In West Virginia
Detailed List Of The Most Hippie Cities In West Virginia
| Rank | City | Population | % Liberal |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dunbar | 7,844 | 43.3% |
| 2 | Nitro | 6,860 | 43.3% |
| 3 | South Charleston | 13,380 | 43.3% |
| 4 | Morgantown | 30,133 | 43.9% |
| 5 | Hurricane | 6,352 | 30.6% |
| 6 | Vienna | 10,654 | 33.1% |
| 7 | Buckhannon | 5,646 | 26.1% |
| 8 | St. Albans | 10,939 | 43.3% |
| 9 | Martinsburg | 17,508 | 38.4% |
| 10 | Oak Hill | 8,270 | 38.5% |
| 11 | Princeton | 6,387 | 25.5% |
| 12 | Beckley | 17,529 | 26.8% |
| 13 | Elkins | 7,241 | 34.2% |
| 14 | Charleston | 50,911 | 43.3% |
| 15 | Clarksburg | 16,437 | 37.2% |
| 16 | Huntington | 49,053 | 42.2% |
| 17 | Parkersburg | 31,195 | 33.1% |
| 18 | Keyser | 5,350 | 26.3% |
| 19 | Bridgeport | 8,316 | 37.2% |
| 20 | New Martinsville | 5,322 | 37.9% |
| 21 | Grafton | 5,179 | 32.9% |
| 22 | Fairmont | 18,746 | 41.6% |
| 23 | Wheeling | 28,129 | 37.9% |
| 24 | Bluefield | 10,465 | 25.5% |
| 25 | Weirton | 19,523 | 38.2% |
| 26 | Moundsville | 8,960 | 34.7% |