The 7 Most Dangerous Places in West Virginia

West Virginia is a beautiful state with lots of green and scenic landscapes. With its proximity to other states, it’s quite easy to travel in and out of the state, as well. West Virginia is also known for its quaint town, Harper’s Ferry, which has historical significance for our nation. There are areas in the state that are wealthy and luxurious, but like any other state in the nation, there are also dangerous areas. Let’s explore the top seven most dangerous places in West Virginia. We’ll touch on the crime rates and other factors that make these areas dangerous.

Beckley

Beckley is the ninth-largest city in West Virginia and part of the Beckley metropolitan area in southern West Virginia. The town was founded in 1838 and has long been known for being a major force in the coal mining industry. Besides being known for being a coal mining town, the West Virginia University Institute of Technology is located here. In terms of crime, Beckley has a high theft rate, as well as a high assault rate. The theft rate is concerning as the town has 6,614 thefts per 100,000 people.

Charleston

Like many cities and towns in West Virginia, Charleston became one of the epicenters of the coal mining industry. In recent years, coal mining has decreased and it has turned a lot of West Virginia towns into ghost towns with people losing their jobs. In terms of crime, the assault rate, the murder rate, the theft rate, and the robbery rate are all astronomically higher than the national average. The murder rate, in particular, is concerning, as it is nearly four times higher than the nation’s average with 21.1 murders per 100,000 people.

South Charleston

South Charleston is home to many international industries and used to be the site of the Charleston Ordinance Center, which was a former naval munitions factory. In terms of crime, the violent crime rate is higher than the national average, especially when it comes to the assault rate. South Charleston also has a much higher theft rate with 4,163 thefts per 100,000 residents.

Moorefield

Moorefield is a small town that was established in 1777 and it is located near the Potomac River. Interestingly enough, Moorefield has a higher crime rate than other places in the state. And because it’s a tiny town, the statistics tend to inflate the crime rate. For example, the assault rate is 976 assaults per 100,000 residents, which is more than three times the national average. The good thing is that the other crime rates are either at par or lower than the national average.

Dunbar

The town of Dunbar was established in 1921 and it was a farming community until many businesses and big companies started to set roots in the town. Dunbar was big on glass and bottling plants, as well. When it comes to the crime rate, the assault rate is higher than the national average with 465 assaults per 100,000 residents. The burglary rate in Dunbar is concerning because it sits at 859 burglaries per 100,000 residents, which is nearly twice the national average.

Martinsburg

Several large corporations make their home in Martinsburg including Macy’s and FedEx. Procter & Gamble also has facilities in Martinsburg. The West Virginia Air National Guard is also based in the regional airport near Martinsburg. The violent crime rate and the property crime rate are steady when it comes to numbers and statistics. The theft rate is concerning because it sits at 2,616 thefts per 100,000 residents, which is more than the nation’s average. The rape rate is also higher than the national average.

Nitro

During World War I, there was a nitrocellulose plant located in the town. When Nitro was incorporated as a city in 1932, they decided to name the town as such because of the plant. Nitro was also the site where “Chemical Valley” is located and there are higher cases of cancer in this area because of the chemical plants in the region. When it comes to the crime rate, everything seems to be steady except the theft rate. At 3,258 thefts per 100,000 residents, it’s one and a half times higher than the national average.