West Virginia’s Safest Cities of 2026

See crime rates for the safest cities.

According to our most recent State of Safety report, people in West Virginia are experiencing less crime than the year before. They tend to worry about these issues less than the year before, and they're feeling safer in their state.

The violent crime rate in West Virginia is 4.2 incidents per 1,000 people, which is lower than the national average of 4.43. We weren't able to report a statewide violent crime rate last year due to insufficient data, but in our 2024 report, West Virginia reported a lower violent crime rate of 3.1.

Property crime in The Mountain State also increased in recent years, doubling from 13.4 incidents per 1,000 people in 2024 to 26.82 incidents in this year's report. That's higher than the national property crime rate of 22.89. 

West Virginians who took our State of Safety survey report a higher confidence level than the year before. About 52% say they feel safe in the state, up from 45%. That means West Virginians feel as safe in their home state as the average American.

Residents of West Virginia have a more optimistic view of crime trends than most Americans. About 19% believe crime is decreasing (US 16%), and 48% think crime is on the rise (US 54%). 

Based on our latest survey results, property crime and package theft are falling in West Virginia, and residents report feeling less concerned about these crimes on a daily basis. 

• 22% said they experienced a property crime in the 12 months prior to our survey, down from 29% the year before (US 21%). 
• Concern about property crime fell from 54% to 50% year over year (US 46%).
• 25% of West Virginians experienced a package theft in the 12 months prior to our survey, down from 35% the previous year (US 31%).
• Concern about package theft fell from 49% to 43% year over year (US 44%). 
• West Virginia residents prefer to protect their property with security cameras (46%), guard dogs (37%), and firearms (34%). 

West Virginians reported a decrease in violent crime experiences compared to our previous survey, and they're feeling less concerned about violent crime in general. 

• 13% said they experienced a violent crime in the 8 months prior to our survey, down from 20% the year before (US 12%). 
• Concern about violent crime fell from 57% to 49% (US 55%). 
• 36% of West Virginians use some form of personal protection.
• West Virginia residents prefer to protect themselves with firearms (53%), pocket knives (50%), and pepper spray (39%). 

• 5% of West Virginians experienced gun violence in the 12 months prior to our survey, down from 12% the year before (US 12%).
• Concern about gun violence rose from 49% to 41% year over year (US 55%). 
• 1 mass shooting events occurred in West Virginia in 2025, down from 3 in 2024.

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.

• 25 cities met the criteria for ranking this year.
• New Martinsville is this year's safest city in West Virginia. 
• New Martinsville reported four larceny/theft incidents in the last year. Grafton reported the next-lowest number — 38. 
• No violent crimes were reported in Grafton.
• New Martinsville, Weirton, Hurricane, and Keyser reported no motor vehicle thefts. 
• Morgantown is the only city on this year's list that saw a year-over-year decrease in property crime. 
• Violent crime decreased year-over-year in Grafton, Ranson, Oak Hill, and Morgantown.
• The top 5 safest cities reported zero robberies.
•  New Martinsville and Weirton reported no burglaries. 
• No rapes occurred in New Martinsville and Grafton.

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