West Virginia’s Safest Cities of 2024

See crime rates for the safest cities.

According to our most recent State of Safety report, West Virginia’s daily level of concern about crime and safety is 12% higher than the national average. Still, West Virginians have crime rates well below national rates, and its safest cities have remarkably low numbers of reported crimes.

West Virginia's violent crime rate dropped this year, from 3.6 incidents per 1,000 people  to 3.1. Property crime rates in The Mountain State decreased by almost 26%—moving down from 18.0 incidents per 1,000 people to 13.4.

West Virginia boasts lower crime rates than the nation at large. Among the 44 states that met reporting requirements this year, West Virginia has the thirteenth lowest violent crime rate and the sixth-lowest property crime rate.

West Virginians worry a bit more about property crime than the rest of the country (53% versus 52% nationwide) and they’re more proactive when it comes to protecting their property. The number of survey respondents who use some kind of security measure is 10 percentage points higher than the national average (85% versus 75% across the US).

• 54% of West Virginians report feeling safe in their home state (US 45%).
• 22% of respondents said they had a personal experience with property crime in the 12 months prior to the survey (US 27%)—that's a dramatic 44% drop year over year.
• Burglaries account for 16% of all property crimes statewide, compared to 14% nationwide.
• More than 8 in 10 survey respondents  (85%) use some form of property protection (US 75%) with security cameras and firearms used most often.
• 47% of West Virginians said they added or increased security measures in the 12 months prior to the survey (US 35%).

• 34% of survey respondents in West Virginia reported experiencing package theft in the 12 months prior to the survey (US 35%).
• 1 in 2 survey participants (50%) expressed a high level of concern about package theft (US 53%).
• The preferred methods of package protection in West Virginia are video doorbells (29%) and arranging for packages to be left in a safe spot (26%).

Violent crime saw a decline in West Virginia year over year but nearly half (49%) of survey respondents say they worry about violent crime happening to them—about the same as the average American (50%).

• West Virginia’s violent crime rate of 3.1 is 22% below the national rate of 4.0 incidents per 1,000.
• 9% of respondents reported experiencing a personal run-in with violent crime in the 12 months prior to the survey—that's a 36% drop year over year and the fourth lowest in the US.
• Violent crime makes up a larger proportion (19%) of all crime in West Virginia compared to nationwide averages (16%).
• Robberies make up a surprisingly small portion of violent crimes in West Virginia at just 9% (US 16%). 
• 50% of survey participants use some kind of personal protection like a stun gun or pepper spray, compared to 36% nationally.
• The most popular type of personal protection used by West Virginia respondents this survey year was a concealed firearm (64%)—higher than the national average (US 41%).

• 46% said gun violence is the safety concern they worry about most on a daily basis (US 51%).
• The number of respondents with a personal gun violence experience (7%) was cut nearly in half since the previous survey year (US 12%).
• West Virginia saw 0 mass shooting incidents in 2023, the same as reported in 2022.
• Firearms are top choices for both personal protection and home security in West Virginia.

For the purposes of this report, the terms “dangerous” and “safest” refer explicitly to crime rates as calculated from FBI crime data—no other characterization of any community is implied or intended.

• 15 cities met criteria to be considered for ranking.
• Grafton is the safest city in West Virginia for the first time, reporting a grand total of just 30 crimes—none of which are violent crimes.
• Weirton and Buckhannon held onto their spots this year as the second and third safest cities in West Virginia.
• Fairmont had the most impressive improvement, jumping 5 spots to round out the top 5 safest cities.
• Bridgeport moved up one place to claim number 4 this year.
• The violent crime rate in the safest cities is 2.0 incidents per 1,000 people, 34% lower than the state rate (3.1).
• The property crime rate in the safest cities is 10.1 incidents per 1,000 people, 24% lower than the state rate (13.4).

• Best Home Security Systems
• Best Home Security Cameras
• Best Video Doorbell Cameras
• Burglary Stats & Facts
• Over 50% Of All Burglaries Are Residential—How To Protect Your Family
• The Best Personal Safety Devices for Every Situation

Find all endnotes and sources in our full methodology.

FBI Crime Data Explorer, "Documents & Downloads." Accessed March 18, 2024.

• 2022 and 2021 Crime in the United States Annual Reports
  • Offenses Known to Law Enforcement
• 2022 NIBRS Estimation Tables

Bureau of Justice Statistics, "National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS)." Accessed March 18, 2024.

Gun Violence Archive, "Mass Shootings." Accessed March 18, 2023.