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Old Stone ChurchLewisburg, #1 on this list · Old Stone Church · Photo: Richard Cheek · Public domain
West Virginia rankings · Civic life

Towns with the most civic life in West Virginia

Lewisburg ranks first on civic life among West Virginia’s 48 towns of 2,500+; 23 of the 48 grade A− or better on civic life nationally.

The Civic life grade, a character grade (not part of the overall): library visits per resident (IMLS), community nonprofits (IRS) and volunteering groups. How grades work

#1

Lewisburg

Greenbrier County · 3,721 people
A+

Civic life grade, among the top in the U.S.·Overall D · #59 of 61 in WV

#2

Elkins

Randolph County · 6,622 people
A+

Civic life grade, among the top in the U.S.·Overall D · #51 of 61 in WV

#3

Wheeling

Ohio County · 25,680 people
A+

Civic life grade, among the top in the U.S.·Overall C− · #41 of 61 in WV

All 48 towns

Civic life grade, best first (the letter is national). Towns with the same score share a rank; the overall grade and state rank are beside each.

48 towns ranked. Not here? See why a town may be missing.

#TownGradeOverall
1LewisburgGreenbrier County · 3,721 peopleA+among the top in the U.S.·Overall D · #59 of 61
2ElkinsRandolph County · 6,622 peopleA+among the top in the U.S.·Overall D · #51 of 61
3WheelingOhio County · 25,680 peopleA+among the top in the U.S.·Overall C− · #41 of 61
4KingwoodPreston County · 2,937 peopleA+among the top in the U.S.·Overall C · #29 of 61
5MadisonBoone County · 2,678 peopleA+better than 98% of U.S. towns·Overall C+ · #20 of 61
6MoorefieldHardy County · 2,655 peopleA+better than 97% of U.S. towns·Overall D · #57 of 61
7MoundsvilleMarshall County · 7,659 peopleA+better than 97% of U.S. towns·Overall C+ · #24 of 61
8BridgeportHarrison County · 9,427 peopleA+better than 96% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #6 of 61
9CharlestonKanawha County · 46,117 peopleAbetter than 95% of U.S. towns·Overall D · #58 of 61
10KeyserMineral County · 4,777 peopleAbetter than 93% of U.S. towns·Overall B− · #17 of 61
11ClarksburgHarrison County · 15,562 peopleAbetter than 92% of U.S. towns·Overall C · #30 of 61
12WilliamstownWood County · 2,922 peopleAbetter than 91% of U.S. towns·Overall A · #2 of 61
13MorgantownMonongalia County · 30,293 peopleAbetter than 91% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #10 of 61
14FayettevilleFayette County · 2,721 peopleAbetter than 89% of U.S. towns·Overall C− · #46 of 61
15GraftonTaylor County · 4,529 peopleAbetter than 88% of U.S. towns·Overall B− · #19 of 61
16RipleyJackson County · 3,038 peopleAbetter than 86% of U.S. towns·Overall B− · #13 of 61
17WilliamsonMingo County · 2,753 peopleAbetter than 86% of U.S. towns·Overall D− · #61 of 61
18FairmontMarion County · 18,035 peopleA−better than 83% of U.S. towns·Overall C+ · #21 of 61
19HuntingtonCabell County · 44,815 peopleA−better than 82% of U.S. towns·Overall D · #56 of 61
20RavenswoodJackson County · 3,790 peopleA−better than 80% of U.S. towns·Overall B− · #18 of 61
21ParkersburgWood County · 28,593 peopleA−better than 79% of U.S. towns·Overall C · #32 of 61
22KenovaWayne County · 2,841 peopleA−better than 79% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #7 of 61
23Charles TownJefferson County · 9,329 peopleA−better than 77% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #8 of 61
24SummersvilleNicholas County · 3,297 peopleB+better than 73% of U.S. towns·Overall C+ · #28 of 61
25MartinsburgBerkeley County · 19,211 peopleB+better than 73% of U.S. towns·Overall C · #35 of 61
26BarboursvilleCabell County · 4,307 peopleB+better than 73% of U.S. towns·Overall C− · #48 of 61
27Pleasant ValleyMarion County · 3,457 peopleB+better than 71% of U.S. towns·Overall B · #12 of 61
28BeckleyRaleigh County · 16,373 peopleB+better than 71% of U.S. towns·Overall D · #54 of 61
29Point PleasantMason County · 3,869 peopleB+better than 71% of U.S. towns·Overall C− · #43 of 61
30New MartinsvilleWetzel County · 5,039 peopleB+better than 70% of U.S. towns·Overall C · #34 of 61
31WestoverMonongalia County · 4,086 peopleB+better than 69% of U.S. towns·Overall B− · #14 of 61
32ViennaWood County · 10,321 peopleB+better than 67% of U.S. towns·Overall C+ · #23 of 61
33DunbarKanawha County · 7,050 peopleB+better than 66% of U.S. towns·Overall C · #38 of 61
34WestonLewis County · 3,736 peopleBbetter than 65% of U.S. towns·Overall C− · #40 of 61
35PhilippiBarbour County · 2,846 peopleBbetter than 62% of U.S. towns·Overall C− · #49 of 61
36South CharlestonKanawha County · 13,072 peopleBbetter than 61% of U.S. towns·Overall D · #52 of 61
37BluefieldMercer County · 9,158 peopleB−better than 50% of U.S. towns·Overall D · #55 of 61
38BuckhannonUpshur County · 5,054 peopleB−better than 47% of U.S. towns·Overall C− · #47 of 61
39HurricanePutnam County · 7,367 peopleC+better than 45% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #5 of 61
40BethlehemOhio County · 2,520 peopleC+better than 44% of U.S. towns·Overall A · #3 of 61
41PrincetonMercer County · 5,578 peopleC+better than 43% of U.S. towns·Overall C− · #44 of 61
42Oak HillFayette County · 7,629 peopleC+better than 42% of U.S. towns·Overall C− · #39 of 61
43Ranson corporationJefferson County · 6,853 peopleC+better than 38% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #11 of 61
44St. AlbansKanawha County · 10,210 peopleCbetter than 33% of U.S. towns·Overall C− · #45 of 61
45MiltonCabell County · 2,792 peopleCbetter than 30% of U.S. towns·Overall C− · #50 of 61
46NitroKanawha County · 6,270 peopleCbetter than 26% of U.S. towns·Overall D · #53 of 61
47FollansbeeBrooke County · 2,668 peopleC−better than 24% of U.S. towns·Overall C+ · #25 of 61
48WeirtonHancock County · 18,133 peopleDbetter than 13% of U.S. towns·Overall C+ · #26 of 61
Not ranked

13 towns without a civic life grade

Towns of 2,500+ that don’t have the figures this grade needs. Each town’s page says which ones are missing.

Quick answers

Questions people ask

Which West Virginia town has the most civic life?

Lewisburg (Greenbrier County) ranks first on civic life among 48 towns, with an A+; Elkins and Wheeling follow.

How are these towns ranked?

The Civic life grade, a character grade (not part of the overall): library visits per resident (IMLS), community nonprofits (IRS) and volunteering groups. Towns are sorted on the grade’s score; the letter and rank are the same as on each town’s page. How grades work.

Why isn’t my town on this list?

The list covers towns of 2,500+ residents with a civic life grade (48 in West Virginia). 13 towns of 2,500+ lack the figures and are listed above. Smaller towns have the grade on their page but no rank. Every town is on the West Virginia page.

Go deeper

More West Virginia lists

Every list ranks the same 2,500+ towns, so a town’s rank means the same thing on each.

All West Virginia rankings →
Best places to live61 towns · #1 Cheat LakeBest small towns46 towns · #1 WilliamstownMost affordable towns61 towns · #1 FollansbeeSafest towns29 towns · #1 KenovaTowns with the best schools61 towns · #1 Hurricane and Teays ValleyHealthiest towns61 towns · #1 Cheat LakeBest towns for jobs & income61 towns · #1 Teays ValleyMost walkable towns61 towns · #1 KenovaTowns with the lowest natural-hazard risk61 towns · #1 FayettevilleBest towns for the outdoors61 towns · #1 PhilippiMost historic towns61 towns · #1 WheelingTowns with the least snow61 towns · #1 KenovaDescribed, no lettersSnowiest towns61 towns · #1 ElkinsDescribed, no lettersTowns with the mildest winters59 towns · #1 WilliamsonDescribed, no lettersTowns with the hottest summers59 towns · #1 MoorefieldDescribed, no lettersTowns with the coolest summers59 towns · #1 Shady SpringDescribed, no lettersTowns with the highest incomes61 towns · #1 Cheat LakeDescribed, no lettersTowns with the lowest property taxes61 towns · #1 GraftonDescribed, no lettersFastest-growing towns50 towns · #1 Charles TownDescribed, no letters
Other states

Towns with the most civic life in other states

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