Ranked from official statistics; every city opens its own guide.
Click any dot to open that city: jobs, pay, rent, commute, county economy and climate. Dot size follows population; colours follow the state flag.
By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 08/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
Among the 38 largest places in West Virginia, Princeton has the lowest unemployment rate (1.6%), followed by Dunbar and Teays Valley. Click any column to sort; click a city for its guide.
Across the 38 places in West Virginia that we cover, the median is 5.3% and the average 5.3%; the figure runs from 1.6% (Princeton) to 16.2% (Weston). That is a spread of 9.9 times between the two ends. The state figure is 5.4%; 15 of the 38 places are above it and 23 at or below.
The first five are Princeton, Dunbar, Teays Valley, Cheat Lake, Bridgeport. A high or low position is not good or bad on its own: unemployment from the ACS is a survey estimate with a margin of error, and small places can swing widely. Use the Compare tab on each city page to see how two places differ across income, rent, commute and education, and check the county page for the local job market.
| # ⇅ | City ⇅ | County ⇅ | Unemployment (ACS) ⇅ | Population ⇅ | Median household income ⇅ | Median rent ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Princeton | Mercer County | 1.6% | 5,736 | $43,900 | $747 |
| 2 | Dunbar | Kanawha County | 1.8% | 7,254 | $58,379 | $935 |
| 3 | Teays Valley (unincorporated) | Putnam County | 2.0% | 14,151 | $108,741 | $1,102 |
| 4 | Cheat Lake (unincorporated) | Monongalia County | 2.2% | 10,902 | $117,014 | $1,124 |
| 5 | Bridgeport | Harrison County | 2.3% | 9,252 | $100,022 | $1,105 |
| 6 | Pea Ridge (unincorporated) | Cabell County | 2.4% | 6,988 | $65,811 | $1,014 |
| 7 | Ranson corporation | Jefferson County | 2.5% | 5,729 | $89,523 | $1,536 |
| 8 | Westover | Monongalia County | 3.0% | 4,026 | $60,769 | $1,025 |
| 9 | Moundsville | Marshall County | 3.2% | 7,869 | $49,048 | $834 |
| 10 | Beckley | Raleigh County | 3.2% | 16,818 | $45,826 | $869 |
| 11 | Cross Lanes (unincorporated) | Kanawha County | 3.5% | 9,671 | $63,537 | $949 |
| 12 | Vienna | Wood County | 3.5% | 10,518 | $60,388 | $809 |
| 13 | Hurricane | Putnam County | 3.6% | 6,855 | $71,167 | $878 |
| 14 | Barboursville | Cabell County | 4.2% | 4,376 | $60,571 | $1,037 |
| 15 | Clarksburg | Harrison County | 4.4% | 15,549 | $47,386 | $790 |
| 16 | Bluefield | Mercer County | 4.4% | 9,387 | $49,375 | $804 |
| 17 | Oak Hill | Fayette County | 4.6% | 7,937 | $52,466 | $847 |
| 18 | Buckhannon | Upshur County | 4.7% | 5,116 | $54,615 | $885 |
| 19 | Martinsburg | Berkeley County | 5.2% | 18,904 | $59,555 | $1,150 |
| 20 | Lewisburg | Greenbrier County | 5.3% | 3,835 | $49,560 | $893 |
| 21 | New Martinsville | Wetzel County | 5.3% | 5,133 | $60,946 | $688 |
| 22 | St. Albans | Kanawha County | 5.4% | 10,522 | $53,972 | $931 |
| 23 | Nitro | Kanawha County | 5.4% | 6,853 | $53,848 | $949 |
| 24 | Charles Town | Jefferson County | 5.9% | 7,337 | $89,263 | $1,115 |
| 25 | Morgantown | Monongalia County | 6.2% | 30,236 | $44,727 | $937 |
| 26 | Wheeling | Ohio County | 6.5% | 26,350 | $48,590 | $794 |
| 27 | Elkins | Randolph County | 6.5% | 6,811 | $44,217 | $903 |
| 28 | Charleston | Kanawha County | 6.5% | 47,421 | $65,812 | $908 |
| 29 | Fairmont | Marion County | 6.7% | 18,221 | $63,032 | $916 |
| 30 | Huntington | Cabell County | 6.8% | 45,787 | $45,100 | $912 |
| 31 | Brookhaven (unincorporated) | Monongalia County | 7.0% | 6,212 | $88,438 | $1,104 |
| 32 | South Charleston | Kanawha County | 7.0% | 13,457 | $63,884 | $844 |
| 33 | Weirton | Hancock County | 7.1% | 18,647 | $59,575 | $746 |
| 34 | Grafton | Taylor County | 7.4% | 4,618 | $40,402 | $512 |
| 35 | Parkersburg | Wood County | 7.9% | 29,240 | $49,025 | $785 |
| 36 | Point Pleasant | Mason County | 8.1% | 3,961 | $37,563 | $624 |
| 37 | Keyser | Mineral County | 12.9% | 4,857 | $46,955 | $648 |
| 38 | Weston | Lewis County | 16.2% | 3,840 | $52,070 | $770 |
Largest Cities · Cities With the Cheapest Rent · Cities With the Highest Household Income · Cities Where Rent Takes the Smallest Share of Income · Cities in the Highest-Paying Counties · Most College-Educated Cities · Cities With the Most Homeowners · Cities With the Most Remote Work · Cities With the Shortest Commutes
Unincorporated places are census-designated places: they have no city government but are counted as communities. Figures describe the city itself.
Princeton, with 1.6% (among the 38 largest places; ACS 2020–2024).
The 38 largest places in West Virginia by population.