#1Kenova
Wayne County · 2,841 people8.51 weighted crimes per 1,000 a year·violent 0.5, property 6.6
Kenova, #1 on this list · Photo: Nyttend · Public domainWest Virginia rankings · Safety
Safest towns in West Virginia
Kenova reports the least crime per resident of West Virginia’s 29 towns with crime figures for 2023–2025; 2 of the 29 grade A− or better on safety nationally.
Crimes reported by each town’s own police, 2023–2025, per 1,000 residents, violent crimes counted four times. The same measure as the Safety grade. For 4 of them one year isn’t in the FBI’s published tables and comes from the FBI Crime Data Explorer or the state’s own reports (named in the row). How grades work
#1A−
#2Grafton
Taylor County · 4,529 people9.11 weighted crimes per 1,000 a year·violent 0.4, property 7.6
#3Follansbee
Brooke County · 2,668 people10.39 weighted crimes per 1,000 a year·violent 0.4, property 8.9
All 29 towns
Weighted crimes per 1,000 residents a year, lowest first, to two decimals (the sort uses the exact rate, so there are no rounding ties). Grade = the national Safety grade.
29 towns ranked. Not here? See towns without their own figures.
#TownWeighted rateViolentPropertyGrade
4Charles TownJefferson County · 9,329 people · 2023 from the FBI Crime Data Explorer; 2025 from the FBI Crime Data Explorer0.99.1B+
Per 1,000 residents a year, 2023–2025. Last on the list: Beckley, 99.28. The rate counts crimes reported to police, not how safe any one street feels.
Not ranked
32 towns without figures of their own
These towns of 2,500+ are not on the list because there are no police figures for them alone for all of 2023–2025, from the FBI or the state. In 2025 the FBI’s tables list State Police figures for 0 of West Virginia’s counties and county sheriff figures for 33; those cover many towns at once and can’t be split by town, so they aren’t ranked here. Their other grades stand; the overall grade uses the rest.
- Bethlehem Ohio County · 2,520 people: no figures of its own in the FBI’s tables for 2023–2025.
- Blennerhassett Wood County · 3,282 people: no figures of its own in the FBI’s tables for 2023–2025.
- Brookhaven Monongalia County · 6,212 people: no figures of its own in the FBI’s tables for 2023–2025.
- Cheat Lake Monongalia County · 10,902 people: no figures of its own in the FBI’s tables for 2023–2025.
- Cross Lanes Kanawha County · 9,671 people: no figures of its own in the FBI’s tables for 2023–2025.
- Culloden Cabell County · 3,040 people: no figures of its own in the FBI’s tables for 2023–2025.
- Elkins Randolph County · 6,622 people: figures for 2023 and 2024 only (all three years are needed).
- Hurricane Putnam County · 7,367 people: figures for 2024 only (all three years are needed).
- Inwood Berkeley County · 2,794 people: no figures of its own in the FBI’s tables for 2023–2025.
- Keyser Mineral County · 4,777 people: figures for 2023 and 2024 only (all three years are needed).
- Kingwood Preston County · 2,937 people: no figures of its own in the FBI’s tables for 2023–2025.
- Lewisburg Greenbrier County · 3,721 people: no figures of its own in the FBI’s tables for 2023–2025.
- Madison Boone County · 2,678 people: figures for 2023 and 2024 only (all three years are needed).
- Martinsburg Berkeley County · 19,211 people: figures for 2023 and 2024 only (all three years are needed).
- Milton Cabell County · 2,792 people: no figures of its own in the FBI’s tables for 2023–2025.
- New Martinsville Wetzel County · 5,039 people: figures for 2024 and 2025 only (all three years are needed).
- Pea Ridge Cabell County · 6,988 people: no figures of its own in the FBI’s tables for 2023–2025.
- Pinch Kanawha County · 4,037 people: no figures of its own in the FBI’s tables for 2023–2025.
- Pleasant Valley Marion County · 3,457 people: no figures of its own in the FBI’s tables for 2023–2025.
- Point Pleasant Mason County · 3,869 people: no figures of its own in the FBI’s tables for 2023–2025.
- Princeton Mercer County · 5,578 people: no figures of its own in the FBI’s tables for 2023–2025.
- Ranson corporation Jefferson County · 6,853 people: no figures of its own in the FBI’s tables for 2023–2025.
- Ravenswood Jackson County · 3,790 people: figures for 2023 and 2025 only (all three years are needed).
- Ripley Jackson County · 3,038 people: figures for 2023 and 2024 only (all three years are needed).
- Shady Spring Raleigh County · 3,381 people: no figures of its own in the FBI’s tables for 2023–2025.
- Shannondale Jefferson County · 3,465 people: no figures of its own in the FBI’s tables for 2023–2025.
- Sissonville Kanawha County · 3,593 people: no figures of its own in the FBI’s tables for 2023–2025.
- Teays Valley Putnam County · 14,151 people: no figures of its own in the FBI’s tables for 2023–2025.
- Weirton Hancock County · 18,133 people: figures for 2024 and 2025 only (all three years are needed).
- Welch McDowell County · 3,389 people: no figures of its own in the FBI’s tables for 2023–2025.
- Williamson Mingo County · 2,753 people: no figures of its own in the FBI’s tables for 2023–2025.
- Williamstown Wood County · 2,922 people: figures for 2024 and 2025 only (all three years are needed).
Quick answers
Questions people ask
Which is the safest town in West Virginia?
Kenova (Wayne County) reports the least crime per resident: 8.51 weighted crimes per 1,000 a year over 2023–2025 (0.47 violent and 6.64 property crimes per 1,000), from its police department’s reports to the FBI. Grafton (9.11) and Follansbee (10.39) follow.
How are these towns ranked?
By crimes reported by each town’s police per 1,000 residents over three years (FBI figures, or the state’s own where the FBI table lacks a year), with violent crimes counted four times as heavily as property crimes. It is the same measure as the Safety grade on each town’s page. How grades work.
Why isn’t my town on this list?
The list needs 2,500+ residents and the town’s own police figures for all three years. 32 West Virginia towns of 2,500+ lack them; they are listed above with the reason. Smaller towns have a Safety grade on their page but no rank.
Go deeper
All West Virginia rankings →More West Virginia lists
Every list ranks the same 2,500+ towns, so a town’s rank means the same thing on each.
Best places to live61 towns · #1 Cheat LakeBest small towns46 towns · #1 WilliamstownMost affordable towns61 towns · #1 FollansbeeTowns 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 most civic life48 towns · #1 LewisburgTowns 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
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