Some of you might be asking yourself, at this very moment, is West Virginia a good place?
The answer is unequivocally yes… if you know where to locate the best counties to live in West Virginia.
Lucky for you, we’re here to help you identify the best counties to live in the Mountain State based on the most recently available data from the Census. And this isn’t our first rodeo — we’ve been using Saturday Night Science to rank places for years.
The question becomes if you wanted to relocate to the best part of West Virginia, where would you go? To answer that, we looked at crime, cost of living, and demographic data for all 55 counties in the state.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Table | FAQs | Summary
The 10 Best Counties To Live In West Virginia For 2024
Putnam County is the county to be when it comes to living the good life in West Virginia. And you should avoid Mcdowell County if you can — at least according to the data.
Now you know exactly where to move in West Virginia. Keep on reading for more about the top ten and a detailed methodology.
Or, check out the best places to live in West Virginia and the cheapest places to live in West Virginia.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The Best Counties To Live In West Virginia For 2024
1. Putnam County
Biggest Place: Teays Valley
Population: 57,347
Median Income: $75,725 (2nd best)
Median Home Price: $219,437 (6th best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.8% (5th best)
More on Putnam County: Data
2. Jefferson County
Biggest Place: Charles Town
Population: 58,043
Median Income: $93,744 (best)
Median Home Price: $361,214 (best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.9% (12th best)
More on Jefferson County: Data
3. Berkeley County
Biggest Place: Martinsburg
Population: 123,283
Median Income: $73,619 (3rd best)
Median Home Price: $287,226 (2nd best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.6% (11th best)
More on Berkeley County: Data
4. Mineral County
Biggest Place: Keyser
Population: 26,957
Median Income: $64,728 (4th best)
Median Home Price: $172,720 (13th best)
Unemployment Rate: 5.8% (23rd best)
More on Mineral County: Data
5. Ohio County
Biggest Place: Wheeling
Population: 42,224
Median Income: $55,521 (16th best)
Median Home Price: $140,036 (24th best)
Unemployment Rate: 5.3% (17th best)
More on Ohio County: Data
6. Tucker County
Biggest Place: Parsons
Population: 6,747
Median Income: $54,053 (2best)
Median Home Price: $189,588 (8th best)
Unemployment Rate: 6.6% (30th best)
More on Tucker County: Data
7. Monongalia County
Biggest Place: Morgantown
Population: 105,988
Median Income: $60,893 (6th best)
Median Home Price: $246,165 (4th best)
Unemployment Rate: 5.7% (2best)
More on Monongalia County: Data
8. Morgan County
Biggest Place: Bath (Berkeley Springs)
Population: 17,237
Median Income: $61,021 (5th best)
Median Home Price: $263,104 (3rd best)
Unemployment Rate: 5.1% (15th best)
More on Morgan County: Data
9. Tyler County
Biggest Place: Paden City
Population: 8,336
Median Income: $59,167 (10th best)
Median Home Price: $109,158 (46th best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.9% (13th best)
More on Tyler County: Data
10. Jackson County
Biggest Place: Ravenswood
Population: 27,868
Median Income: $55,173 (19th best)
Median Home Price: $176,051 (11th best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.6% (4th best)
More on Jackson County: Data
Methodology: How do you determine which West Virginia county is the best?
To give you the best county in West Virginia, we have to look at a handful of metrics that signal the quality of a place. To do that, we made assumptions about what’s in a “best county” and what isn’t. For reference, we are trying to make the kind of argument you’d make at a bar using facts, Saturday Night Science.
With that in mind, we went to two of the best data sources on the internet. Namely, the American Community Survey data and FBI Crime data for the most recent period.
We paid particular attention to:
- Violent Crime Rates
- Property Crime Rates
- Median Home Values
- Median Income
- Unemployment Rates
- Adult Education Levels
- Health Insurance Coverage
- Poverty Rates
We then ranked each county in West Virginia across each of the criteria from one to 55, with one being the best.
Taking the average rank across all criteria, we created a quality of life score with the county posting the lowest overall score being the “Best County To Live In West Virginia.”
The result is some of the safest, quietest, and best counties to raise a family in the Mountain State.
We updated this article for 2024. This report is our tenth time ranking the best counties to live in West Virginia.
Read on to see why Putnam County is the best county, while Mcdowell County is probably in contention for being the worst county in West Virginia.
Summary: The Best Counties In West Virginia To Call Home For 2024
Living in West Virginia can vary from one part of the state to the next — who woulda thought?
The best counties in West Virginia are Putnam County, Jefferson County, Berkeley County, Mineral County, Ohio County, Tucker County, Monongalia County, Morgan County, Tyler County, and Jackson County.
But now you know the outstanding parts and the parts to avoid, and that’s why you came here to learn at the end of the day.
You are welcome.
Here’s a look at the worst counties in West Virginia according to the data:
- Mcdowell County
- Mingo County
- Logan County
For more West Virginia reading, check out:
- Cheapest Places To Live In West Virginia
- Safest Places In West Virginia
- Best Places To Retire In West Virginia
- Richest Cities In West Virginia
Detailed List Of The Best Counties In West Virginia
| Rank | County | Population | Median Income | Median Home Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Putnam County | 57,347 | $75,725 | $219,437 |
| 2 | Jefferson County | 58,043 | $93,744 | $361,214 |
| 3 | Berkeley County | 123,283 | $73,619 | $287,226 |
| 4 | Mineral County | 26,957 | $64,728 | $172,720 |
| 5 | Ohio County | 42,224 | $55,521 | $140,036 |
| 6 | Tucker County | 6,747 | $54,053 | $189,588 |
| 7 | Monongalia County | 105,988 | $60,893 | $246,165 |
| 8 | Morgan County | 17,237 | $61,021 | $263,104 |
| 9 | Tyler County | 8,336 | $59,167 | $109,158 |
| 10 | Jackson County | 27,868 | $55,173 | $176,051 |
| 11 | Marshall County | 30,509 | $58,129 | $123,203 |
| 12 | Kanawha County | 179,895 | $55,226 | $137,519 |
| 13 | Brooke County | 22,349 | $51,963 | $120,145 |
| 14 | Wood County | 84,272 | $54,350 | $159,901 |
| 15 | Harrison County | 65,862 | $56,184 | $147,320 |
| 16 | Marion County | 56,194 | $59,974 | $157,723 |
| 17 | Preston County | 34,206 | $60,136 | $162,792 |
| 18 | Hardy County | 14,249 | $49,205 | $208,906 |
| 19 | Mason County | 25,488 | $53,058 | $132,067 |
| 20 | Grant County | 11,034 | $52,877 | $161,410 |
| 21 | Pleasants County | 7,622 | $59,666 | $151,164 |
| 22 | Wirt County | 5,202 | $52,776 | $107,894 |
| 23 | Taylor County | 16,602 | $52,946 | $182,660 |
| 24 | Hancock County | 28,907 | $57,515 | $128,958 |
| 25 | Greenbrier County | 32,995 | $45,519 | $175,528 |
| 26 | Wetzel County | 14,431 | $50,715 | $115,995 |
| 27 | Upshur County | 23,875 | $49,663 | $147,717 |
| 28 | Nicholas County | 24,624 | $48,826 | $124,033 |
| 29 | Doddridge County | 7,847 | $56,587 | $120,363 |
| 30 | Hampshire County | 23,275 | $55,222 | $231,190 |
| 31 | Mercer County | 59,530 | $46,409 | $127,983 |
| 32 | Pendleton County | 6,156 | $52,458 | $181,621 |
| 33 | Randolph County | 28,005 | $51,186 | $143,424 |
| 34 | Monroe County | 12,438 | $52,392 | $146,625 |
| 35 | Lewis County | 16,920 | $50,552 | $138,706 |
| 36 | Cabell County | 93,965 | $48,944 | $137,820 |
| 37 | Raleigh County | 74,303 | $47,975 | $136,779 |
| 38 | Wayne County | 38,933 | $52,694 | $123,535 |
| 39 | Lincoln County | 20,410 | $50,985 | $109,421 |
| 40 | Boone County | 21,705 | $56,182 | $88,148 |
| 41 | Ritchie County | 8,507 | $48,973 | $110,797 |
| 42 | Gilmer County | 7,444 | $51,552 | $115,811 |
| 43 | Pocahontas County | 7,940 | $41,680 | $152,575 |
| 44 | Barbour County | 15,527 | $44,341 | $124,168 |
| 45 | Summers County | 11,985 | $42,991 | $125,268 |
| 46 | Webster County | 8,362 | $43,409 | $65,525 |
| 47 | Fayette County | 40,545 | $50,090 | $111,415 |
| 48 | Clay County | 8,049 | $41,530 | $94,582 |
| 49 | Wyoming County | 21,237 | $44,510 | $49,957 |
| 50 | Braxton County | 12,505 | $42,245 | $124,628 |
| 51 | Roane County | 14,027 | $41,299 | $119,158 |
| 52 | Calhoun County | 6,279 | $39,031 | $99,235 |
| 53 | Logan County | 32,350 | $42,194 | $90,174 |
| 54 | Mingo County | 23,466 | $38,305 | $61,108 |
| 55 | Mcdowell County | 18,911 | $28,235 | $29,596 |