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By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 08/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
Among the 40 largest places in West Virginia, Cheat Lake has the largest share of adults with a bachelor's degree (61.8%), followed by Morgantown and Lewisburg. Click any column to sort; click a city for its guide.
Across the 40 places in West Virginia that we cover, the median is 31.1% and the average 31.4%; the figure runs from 61.8% (Cheat Lake) to 11.2% (Grafton). That is a spread of 5.5 times between the two ends. The state figure is 24.1%; 29 of the 40 places are above it and 11 at or below.
The first five are Cheat Lake, Morgantown, Lewisburg, Bridgeport, Pea Ridge. A high or low position is not good or bad on its own: read it together with the other measures on the city pages. 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 ⇅ | Bachelor's degree or higher ⇅ | Population ⇅ | Median household income ⇅ | Median rent ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cheat Lake (unincorporated) | Monongalia County | 61.8% | 10,902 | $117,014 | $1,124 |
| 2 | Morgantown | Monongalia County | 58.5% | 30,236 | $44,727 | $937 |
| 3 | Lewisburg | Greenbrier County | 57.8% | 3,835 | $49,560 | $893 |
| 4 | Bridgeport | Harrison County | 53.4% | 9,252 | $100,022 | $1,105 |
| 5 | Pea Ridge (unincorporated) | Cabell County | 47.6% | 6,988 | $65,811 | $1,014 |
| 6 | Teays Valley (unincorporated) | Putnam County | 46.7% | 14,151 | $108,741 | $1,102 |
| 7 | Charleston | Kanawha County | 45.2% | 47,421 | $65,812 | $908 |
| 8 | Brookhaven (unincorporated) | Monongalia County | 40.5% | 6,212 | $88,438 | $1,104 |
| 9 | South Charleston | Kanawha County | 37.8% | 13,457 | $63,884 | $844 |
| 10 | Hurricane | Putnam County | 37.5% | 6,855 | $71,167 | $878 |
| 11 | Charles Town | Jefferson County | 36.1% | 7,337 | $89,263 | $1,115 |
| 12 | Pinch (unincorporated) | Kanawha County | 35.5% | 4,037 | $76,741 | $916 |
| 13 | Huntington | Cabell County | 35.3% | 45,787 | $45,100 | $912 |
| 14 | Barboursville | Cabell County | 34.1% | 4,376 | $60,571 | $1,037 |
| 15 | Wheeling | Ohio County | 34.1% | 26,350 | $48,590 | $794 |
| 16 | Westover | Monongalia County | 33.0% | 4,026 | $60,769 | $1,025 |
| 17 | Fairmont | Marion County | 32.9% | 18,221 | $63,032 | $916 |
| 18 | Cross Lanes (unincorporated) | Kanawha County | 32.4% | 9,671 | $63,537 | $949 |
| 19 | Vienna | Wood County | 31.4% | 10,518 | $60,388 | $809 |
| 20 | Elkins | Randolph County | 31.1% | 6,811 | $44,217 | $903 |
| 21 | Bluefield | Mercer County | 30.8% | 9,387 | $49,375 | $804 |
| 22 | Dunbar | Kanawha County | 29.2% | 7,254 | $58,379 | $935 |
| 23 | Beckley | Raleigh County | 29.2% | 16,818 | $45,826 | $869 |
| 24 | Point Pleasant | Mason County | 28.2% | 3,961 | $37,563 | $624 |
| 25 | Clarksburg | Harrison County | 25.7% | 15,549 | $47,386 | $790 |
| 26 | Martinsburg | Berkeley County | 24.7% | 18,904 | $59,555 | $1,150 |
| 27 | Buckhannon | Upshur County | 24.4% | 5,116 | $54,615 | $885 |
| 28 | St. Albans | Kanawha County | 24.3% | 10,522 | $53,972 | $931 |
| 29 | Weirton | Hancock County | 24.2% | 18,647 | $59,575 | $746 |
| 30 | New Martinsville | Wetzel County | 23.8% | 5,133 | $60,946 | $688 |
| 31 | Princeton | Mercer County | 21.0% | 5,736 | $43,900 | $747 |
| 32 | Parkersburg | Wood County | 21.0% | 29,240 | $49,025 | $785 |
| 33 | Ranson corporation | Jefferson County | 18.9% | 5,729 | $89,523 | $1,536 |
| 34 | Keyser | Mineral County | 18.0% | 4,857 | $46,955 | $648 |
| 35 | Moundsville | Marshall County | 17.3% | 7,869 | $49,048 | $834 |
| 36 | Nitro | Kanawha County | 17.2% | 6,853 | $53,848 | $949 |
| 37 | Ravenswood | Jackson County | 16.4% | 3,830 | $34,241 | $714 |
| 38 | Oak Hill | Fayette County | 15.6% | 7,937 | $52,466 | $847 |
| 39 | Weston | Lewis County | 13.6% | 3,840 | $52,070 | $770 |
| 40 | Grafton | Taylor County | 11.2% | 4,618 | $40,402 | $512 |
Largest Cities · Cities With the Cheapest Rent · Cities With the Highest Household Income · Cities Where Rent Takes the Smallest Share of Income · Cities With the Lowest Unemployment · Cities in the Highest-Paying Counties · 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.
Cheat Lake, with 61.8% (among the 40 largest places; ACS 2020–2024).
The 40 largest places in West Virginia by population.