The 10 Most Dangerous Cities In West Virginia


The most dangerous places in West Virginia are Beckley and Charleston for 2024 based on Saturday Night Science.

Most dangerous cities in West Virginia research summary. We analyzed the most recent FBI crime data using Saturday Night Science to determine the most dangerous cities in West Virginia.

We examined the violent and property crime per capita statistics for every place with over 5,000 residents. In total, we analyzed 23 West Virginia cities. Here are the results of our analysis:

  • The most dangerous city in West Virginia is Beckley based on the most recent FBI crime data.

  • The violent crime rate in West Virginia is 742 per 100k people.

  • The property crime rate in West Virginia is 7,700 per 100k people.

  • The safest city in West Virginia is Oak Hill.

  • West Virginia is the 38th most dangerous state in the United States.

Most Dangerous Cities In West Virginia Map


Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Table | Methodology | FAQs | References


If you’ve ever watched Morgantown’s News 12 at six or Parkersburg’s Crimestoppers at ten, then you know what many West Virginians already know — the Mountain State has some pretty dangerous places.

To determine the most dangerous places in West Virginia, we analyzed the FBI’s latest crime report for violent and property crimes per capita for every place with over 5,000 residents. In total, we analyzed 23 cities. We discovered a majority of the crime in West Virginia occurs in the area around bigger population metros.

So, take a look below at our research into the most dangerous places in West Virginia for 2024 before you make any life-changing decisions.

The Most Dangerous Cities In West Virginia For 2024

  1. Beckley
  2. Charleston
  3. South Charleston
  4. Clarksburg
  5. Wheeling
  6. Dunbar
  7. Parkersburg
  8. Huntington
  9. Nitro
  10. St. Albans

Where is the most dangerous place in West Virginia for 2024? The most dangerous place in West Virginia is Beckley.

If you want to know where the rest of the most dangerous places in West Virginia are located, take a look at the list below. Or head to the bottom for a complete list of crime everywhere in West Virginia.

For more West Virginia reading, check out:

The 10 Most Dangerous Places To Live In West Virginia For 2024

Beckley, WV

Source: Wikipedia User Tim Kiser (w:User:Malepheasant) | CC BY-SA 3.0 us

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 16,843
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 742 (Third most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 7,700 (Most dangerous)
Murders: 1
More on Beckley: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living

Beckley made its reputation early in the 20th century as a coal town. You can see this history on display in the nearby Beckley Exhibition Coal Mine.

The development of the coal industry led to a jump in population. From less than 400 residents in 1900, the number swelled to nearly 20,000 by the middle of the century.

However, the last several decades have presented increased economic difficulty for this community in southern West Virginia. This has contributed to a growing crime problem, including high rates of burglary and larceny. Violence also poses a major challenge. Beckley endures the number 3 highest pace of violent crimes in the state.

Charleston, WV

Source: Wikipedia User Andreas Faessler | CC BY-SA 3.0

Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 47,350
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 637 (Fourth most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 4,103 (Third most dangerous)
Murders: 10
More on Charleston: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living

It may seem strange to say about a city of 47,350 people, but Charleston represents the central metropolis of West Virginia. For one thing, it serves as the state capital. What’s more, the community, located in the southwest part of the state, also represents West Virginia’s largest city.

As you’d guess, this leads to sizable amount of crime. Charleston faces high rates of burglaries, as well as 302 violent crimes. This includes 10 murders.

However, there are drawn to life in Charleston as well. This includes parks by the river, museums, and the State Capitol.

South Charleston, WV

Source: Public domain

Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 13,138
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 624 (Sixth most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 4,643 (Second most dangerous)
Murders: 1
More on South Charleston: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living

South Charleston is located about where you’d think. That’s right: south of Charleston, the state’s capital and largest city.

As such, South Charleston becomes part of the general urban sprawl. Part of this involves dealing with relatively high crime rates. As a result, South Charleston becomes the number 3 most dangerous spot in West Virginia. This comes as residents face high rates of car theft and larceny.

That said, a visitor shouldn’t ignore the other side of South Charleston. For instance, the town features the Criel Mound, a Native American burial ground dating back more than 2,000 years.

Clarksburg, WV

Source: Wikipedia User Tim Kiser (w:User:Malepheasant) | CC BY-SA 2.5

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 15,092
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 437 (Ninth most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 3,843 (Fifth most dangerous)
Murders: 0
More on Clarksburg: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living

Clarksburg was once in the running to become the state capital of West Virginia. During a vote in 1877, the community came in second, losing out to Charleston, which remains the center of the state’s government to this day.

Ah well… win some, lose some. Today, this city of 15,092 people, located in the north-central part of the state, has other things to worry about. It ranks as the number 4 most dangerous spot in West Virginia. This includes high rates of larceny and arson.

Wheeling, WV

Source: Wikipedia User Brandon W. Holmes | CC BY-SA 3.0

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 26,244
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 1,230 (Second most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 2,411 (12th most dangerous)
Murders: 5
More on Wheeling: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living

Wheeling was the original capital of West Virginia, back when the state first split off from Virginia during the Civil War. The arrival of industry allowed the population to peak above 60,000 during the 1930s. The last few decades have seen a steady decline, however, leaving the city with less than half that total these days.

Along with this economic deterioration, the community has suffered a high rate of crime. This includes a disturbing level of sexual assaults. In an area with 26,244 residents, Wheeling reported 25 rapes and 323 total violent crimes. Residents also face high rates of burglaries and robberies.

Dunbar, WV

Source: Flickr User ForestWander.com | CC BY-SA 2.0

Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 6,868
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 567 (Seventh most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 3,043 (Eighth most dangerous)
Murders: 0
More on Dunbar: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living

Built along the Kanawha River, just outside of the state capital of Charleston, Dunbar suffers from a massive robbery epidemic. In fact, it reports the number 6.0 highest pace of that crime in West Virginia.

This crime wave obscures a rich history. The land that now makes up Dunbar once belonged to George Washington. He received it as part of a grant based on his military service. Despite this pedigree, the town itself didn’t come into being until the early 20th century, when it became the center of a thriving glass manufacturing industry. This economic boom peaked in the 1960s, with the town’s population dwindling over the next several decades.

Parkersburg, WV

Source: Public domain

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 29,190
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 441 (Eighth most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 3,463 (Seventh most dangerous)
Murders: 5
More on Parkersburg: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living

Parkersburg sits in the northwest part of the state, built along the Ohio River, across the border from Ohio. Meanwhile, the Little Kanawha River travels through town — a fact that points to the firm’s early history as an important commercial hub. Later, railroad construction and the discovery of nearby oil fields turned the community into an industrial center. The population ballooned from less than 9,000 in 1890 to a level around 45,000 by the 1960s.

There has been a significant pullback since that time, with the current population sitting at around 29,190. This changing economic situation has also led to a sizable crime problem. Residents suffer scary rates of sexual assaults and arson. Also, burglary and car thefts remain common.

Huntington, WV

Source: Wikipedia User Wvfunnyman | CC BY-SA 3.0

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 45,547
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 632 (Fifth most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 2,797 (Tenth most dangerous)
Murders: 6
More on Huntington: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living

West Virginia’s second biggest city, Huntington, is also its eighth most dangerous.

Huntington has a lot on its plate in terms of criminal activity. It’s the fifth most violent place in West Virginia and has the unfortunate distinction of having the eighth highest rate of rape cases in the state.

On top of that, your home isn’t even a sanctuary in Huntington. That’s because the city had the seventh highest burglary rate statewide, with more than one break in occurring each day, on average.

Here’s hoping nobody tries to pull a heist on theHuntington Museum of Art.

Nitro, WV

Source: Wikipedia User Jim.henderson | CC BY-SA 4.0

Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 6,444
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 170 (17th most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 4,019 (Fourth most dangerous)
Murders: 0
More on Nitro: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living

Located northwest along the Kanawha River from Charleston, Nitro ranks as West Virginia’s ninth most dangerous place.

Nitro has some room for hope, as violent crime fell over the last year and property crime dropped.

Still, you should hide your winnings after a night out at the Mardi Gras Casino, because Nitro has the fourth highest property crime rate in West Virginia.

Overall, residents had a 1 in 24 chance of getting their pockets picked, their cars stolen, or their houses broken into over 2022 — not winning odds for a city that loves its gambling.

St. Albans, WV

Source: Wikipedia User Acroterion | CC BY-SA 3.0

Overall SnackAbility

7
/10

Population: 9,646
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 342 (13th most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 2,892 (Ninth most dangerous)
Murders: 0
More on St. Albans: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living

We’re taking yet another trip west out of Charleston to reach West Virginia’s tenth most dangerous place to call home, St. Albans.

St. Albans residents had a 1 in 34 chance of being the victim of a property crime in 2022. If you live in St. Albans, chances are you know someone who’s had something stolen or vandalized by criminals. Learn from their experiences and keep a close watch on your stuff when you’re at the St. Albans City Park.

On top of that, St. Albans had the 13th highest rate of rape cases and 17th highest murder rate in West Virginia — yikes.

Crime By City In West Virginia

Rank City Population Total Crimes Per 100K Violent Crimes Per 100K Property Crimes Per 100K Murders
1 Beckley 16,843 8,442 742 7,700 1
2 Charleston 47,350 4,741 637 4,103 10
3 South Charleston 13,138 5,267 624 4,643 1
4 Clarksburg 15,092 4,280 437 3,843 0
5 Wheeling 26,244 3,642 1,230 2,411 5
6 Dunbar 6,868 3,610 567 3,043 0
7 Parkersburg 29,190 3,905 441 3,463 5
8 Huntington 45,547 3,429 632 2,797 6
9 Nitro 6,444 4,189 170 4,019 0
10 St. Albans 9,646 3,234 342 2,892 0
11 Vienna 10,521 3,801 180 3,621 0
12 Bluefield 9,411 1,476 1,391 85 2
13 Moundsville 8,036 1,779 435 1,343 1
14 Morgantown 29,279 2,728 286 2,442 6
15 Fairmont 18,121 1,776 391 1,385 1
16 Princeton 5,551 774 414 360 0
17 Bridgeport 9,206 1,401 271 1,129 0
18 Buckhannon 5,243 1,697 57 1,640 0
19 Ranson 5,288 1,418 151 1,267 0
20 Charles Town 6,098 1,082 147 934 0
21 Weirton 18,544 469 91 377 0
22 New Martinsville 5,114 273 39 234 0
23 Oak Hill 7,948 226 50 176 0

Methodology: How we determined the most dangerous cities in West Virginia for 2024?

Every year the FBI release two crime datasets on cities in West Virginia. First a preliminary dataset limited to the biggest cities in West Virginia, followed by a more detailed release at the end of the year.

For our analysis, we focused on the 2022 data, specifically the 2022 Crime In The United States Report for West Virginia.

So what criteria did we use? Have a look:

  • Violent Crimes Per Capita
  • Property Crimes Per Capita

In order to make the analysis as apples to apples as possible, we only considered West Virginia cities over 5,000 in population. That left us with 23 cities in West Virginia.

We then ranked each city from 1 to 23 for the two criteria with a #1 ranking being the most dangerous for the particular criteria.

Next, we averaged the two rankings into one “Dangerous Index”.

Finally, we ranked every city on the “Dangerous Index” with the lowest index being the most dangerous in West Virginia — Beckley. Any ties went to the smaller city.

This article is an opinion based on facts and is meant as infotainment. It is our tenth time ranking the most dangerous places to live in West Virginia and is updated for 2024.

Most Dangerous Places To Live In West Virginia FAQs

No, West Virginia is not a dangerous state as it ranks as the #12 safest state in the United States based on our analysis of the latest FBI Crime Data. The violent crime rate in West Virginia ranks 28th most dangerous in the United States — 3.76% better than US average violent crime rate. The property crime rate in the Mountain State ranks 42nd most dangerous in the United States — 28.4% better than US average property crime rate. The latest reporting year from the FBI was 2022.

Yes, Charleston is a dangerous city. Charleston ranks as the #117 most dangerous out of 1433 major cities over 30,000 people in the United States based on our analysis of the latest FBI Crime Data. Keep in mind that are always safe and dangerous parts of any city, so even though Charleston might be considered dangerous you still need to be aware of where you are.

Compared to other big cities, the violent crime rate in Charleston ranks 226th highest in America — 70.5% worse than US average violent crime rate. The property crime rate in the ranks 116th highest in the United States — 89.69% worse than US average property crime rate. Note the latest reporting year from the FBI was 2022 and that no city in America is ‘dangerous’. Despite the uptick in murders, it’s nothing like you’d see in Tijuana or Caracas where the murder rate is 2x any American city.

Graphing The Most Dangerous And Safest Places In West Virginia

Most Dangerous Cities In West Virginia Graph

Click To Enlarge

Summary: Locking It All Up In West Virginia

So what is the most dangerous city in West Virginia? After analyzing 23 cities in West Virginia, Beckley takes the top spot as the most dangerous city in West Virginia based on the most recently reported FBI data — 2022.

The latest FBI crime data shows that Beckley ranks as the most dangerous city in West Virginia for 2024.

The most dangerous cities in West Virginia are .

We want to point out again that there’s still safes places in Beckley and that this isn’t a comment on the people that live there. So please don’t beat us up.

Where is the most dangerous place in West Virginia for 2024? The most dangerous place in West Virginia is Beckley.

If you want to know where the rest of the most dangerous places in West Virginia are located, take a look at the list below. Or head to the bottom for a complete list of crime everywhere in West Virginia.

Learn more about the safest places in West Virginia.

If you’re looking for something more national, check out the most dangerous cities in America or the most dangerous states in America.

Here are the safest cities in West Virginia:

  1. Morgantown (Pop. 29,279)
  2. Fairmont (Pop. 18,121)
  3. Princeton (Pop. 5,551)
  4. Bridgeport (Pop. 9,206)
  5. Buckhannon (Pop. 5,243)
  6. Ranson (Pop. 5,288)
  7. Charles Town (Pop. 6,098)
  8. Weirton (Pop. 18,544)
  9. New Martinsville (Pop. 5,114)
  10. Oak Hill (Pop. 7,948)

For more West Virginia reading, check out:

References

About Chris Kolmar

Chris Kolmar has been in the real estate business for almost ten years now. He originally worked for Movoto Real Estate as the director of marketing before founding HomeSnacks.

He believes the key to finding the right place to live comes down to looking at the data, reading about things to do, and, most importantly, checking it out yourself before you move.

If you've been looking for a place to live in the past several years, you've probably stumbled upon his writing already.

You can find out more about him on LinkedIn or his website.

14 thoughts on “The 10 Most Dangerous Cities In West Virginia

  1. I live in Parkersburg. This is interesting because the heroin is over coming our city. It’s getting worse every year. I moved here from Youngstown Ohio so I could have a family and raise them in a safer place. But this is how it all starts. It’s a sad reality but unless we take our city back it’s going to end up just like my home town. Trust me you don’t want that.

  2. “The 1 in 187 chance of being the victim of a violent crime may be one reason why the population of Bluefield has been halved since the 50’s.”

    The population decreased because of the loss of extractive industry and railway employment.

    Coal killed Bluefield, not violent residents.

    The uptick in violence (personal and property) is because undereducated, poor(er) people without hope are left with little opportunity.

    Truthfully, the state of the State rests squarely on politicians, the influence of industry, and manipulated residents. Our troubles are the result of economic influence.

  3. How in the world did Beckley not make this list!? There is a robbery or shooting there almost everyday. This list is a joke.

  4. I live in Princeton, and although we do have some crime here, I hardly think it should be #1. Most of what you hear from WVVA 6 (West Virginia Vehicle Advertisements, hehe) comes from Beckley.

  5. I can only conclude that these “findings” are totally either biased or statistics that are used are as totally screwed! They list Beckley as the first worst place to live in WV and it doesn’t even make the top 10 for most dangerous. Does that make sense? I also conclude that since WV has the one of- or at least the lowest crime rate in the nation (look that one up) then our danger rate is so much less than everyone else! Thank you.

  6. I have found from other readings on this blog forum that the site dedicates itself to finding dire statistics. Not only from WV, but other States as well. I can’t imagine they are making many people happy about where they live! I am still very happy to live in Princeton, WV.

  7. Martinsburg should have been number one, because of our heroin problem. It is so bad out interstate highway I-81 is called the heroin highway to mention we are called little Baltimore because of the drug problem. At middle schools in Martinsburg when ever South or North wins a basketball championship you can oftenly find needles, crack, and weed. At South in the 6th grade, there has been three drug busts. Also, every day, there is always a fight.

  8. I live in moundsville, just south of wheeling. The drug addiction here is getting worse by the day, but definitely not crime ridden enough to make this list!!!

  9. The way out of addiction, crime, and poverty is Christ. The way into poverty, crime, and addiction is a belief in money, the media, and big government.
    People make their own decisions every day and the results of bad choices are all too plain to see.
    Stop worshiping electronics and sleeping with your neighbor’s husband or wife as the case may be. # 1 Best thing to do is to teach your children to be obedient and Love the Lord. If not, you will pay the ultimate price. Our nation was made strong by honest hard working people, and the opposites are tearing us apart.

    1. Well said! Be obedient and Love the Lord. We need to fight against the lawsuits that want to prevent the teaching about god in our schools and embrace the fact that some schools still include him. Without him our nation is doomed! I would love to see a chart of the crime rate since prayer in schools became illegal.

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