West Virginia’s Safest Cities of 2025

See crime rates for the safest cities.

According to our most recent State of Safety report, people in West Virginia are experiencing a surge in violent crime, property crime, and gun violence. They tend to worry about these issues less than the average American, but they're feeling less safe in their state overall than the year before. 

We didn't have enough viable data to accurately calculate statewide crime rates this year, but our annual State of Safety survey sheds some light on crime concerns and experiences throughout The Mountain State. 

Fewer West Virginians feel safe in the state these days. About 45% said they feel safe now, whereas 54% reported feeling safe on our previous survey. That drops their confidence level below the national average of 48%. 

The decrease isn't surprising considering our survey participants were more likely to have recently experienced a crime. West Virginians were also the fifth most likely to increase their security or safety measures in the eight months prior to our survey (43%). 

Find safety and security resources in West Virginia.

Based on our latest survey results, property crime and package theft are on the rise in West Virginia, but residents report only minor changes in their levels of concern. 

• 29% said they experienced a property crime in the 8 months prior to our survey, up from 22% the year before (US 27%). 
• Concern about property crime rose from 53% to 54% year over year (US 54%).
• 35% of West Virginians experienced a package theft in the 8 months prior to our survey, up from 34% the previous year (US 37%).
• Concern about package theft fell from 50% to 49% year over year, tying it with gun violence as West Virginians' least worrisome issue. (The US package theft concern rate is 52%.)
• West Virginia residents prefer to protect their property with security cameras (50%), guard dogs (48%), and firearms (42%). 

For the first time, our State of Safety survey asked participants about their cyber crime experiences, concerns, and security measures. Here's what West Virginians had to say:

• 35% said they experienced a cyber crime in the 8 months prior to our survey (US 33%).
• Residents in 17 states reported higher levels of cyber crime experiences.
• 78% said they're highly worried about cyber crime, tying with Nevada and Florida for the highest level of concern nationwide. 
• 17% reported using an identity protection service, which is the second highest percentage in the nation behind Alaska at 18% (US 11%).
• West Virginians are more likely to use antivirus (40%) and antimalware (23%) programs than the average American (US 34% and 17%, respectively).
• 15% said they've taken no cybersecurity measures, which is the lowest percentage nationwide (US 21%). 

West Virginians reported a dramatic increase in violent crime experiences compared to our previous survey. They're now the sixth most likely to experience violent crime nationwide. West Virginians are understandably more concerned about violent crime these days, but they worry about it less than the average American. 

• 20% said they experienced a violent crime in the 8 months prior to our survey, up from 9% the year before (US 14%). 
• West Virginians were more likely to experience violent crime than residents in all neighboring states except Kentucky (28%). 
• Concern about violent crime rose from 49% to 57% (US 59%). It's the most worrisome crime issue for West Virginians.
• 49% of West Virginians use some form of personal protection, which is the fourth highest percentage nationwide (US 35%).
• West Virginia residents prefer to protect themselves with firearms (27%), pocket knives (25%), and pepper spray (14%). 

• 12% of West Virginians experienced gun violence in the 8 months prior to our survey, up from 7% the year before (US 11%).
• Concern about gun violence rose from 46% to 49% year over year (US 57%). 
• West Virginia ranks ninth for being least concerned about gun violence in the US, and it reports the lowest levels of concern out of all its neighbors. 
• 3 mass shooting events occurred in West Virginia 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.

• 22 cities met the criteria for ranking this year.
• Grafton is the safest city in West Virginia for the second year in a row, reporting 26 crimes total.
• Keyser and Ranson are new to this year's list.
• None of this year's safest cities reported any murders or robberies.
• Grafton reported no rapes or motor vehicle thefts.
• Buckhannon reported no rapes, burglaries, or motor vehicle thefts.
• Grafton was the only city to see a decrease in property crime year over year, while Bridgeport was the only city to see a decrease in violent crime. 

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