Most Affordable Cities in West Virginia

The lowest cost of living across home prices, rent, services and rent burden.

Retirees Remote Workers Families Young Professionals Affordability All Rankings →
All United States  ·  West Virginia

How We Score

Each metric is normalized 0-100 across U.S. cities, then weighted and summed. Cities missing any metric are excluded.

Home Prices · 30% Rent · 20% Cost Index · 25% Rent Burden · 15% Jobs · 10%

Top 12 Affordability Cities in West Virginia

Ranked by composite score across 5 weighted metrics.

#1
Score 66.2
Salem, WV
1,812 residents
Home Prices $77,200
Rent $570
Cost Index 90
#2
Score 65.3
Grafton, WV
4,671 residents
Home Prices $72,700
Rent $429
Cost Index 90
#3
Score 64.8
Mullens, WV
2,267 residents
Home Prices $77,900
Rent $580
Cost Index 90
#4
Score 63.8
Hamlin, WV
1,173 residents
Home Prices $92,500
Rent $719
Cost Index 90
#5
Score 63.4
Follansbee, WV
2,790 residents
Home Prices $137,100
Rent $592
Cost Index 90
#6
Score 63.3
New Haven, WV
1,735 residents
Home Prices $101,700
Rent $491
Cost Index 90
#7
Score 63.3
Bethany, WV
1,066 residents
Home Prices $113,600
Rent $675
Cost Index 90
#8
Score 62.9
Craigsville, WV
1,584 residents
Home Prices $95,300
Rent $607
Cost Index 90
#9
Score 62.4
Ansted, WV
1,210 residents
Home Prices $74,900
Rent $725
Cost Index 90
#10
Score 62.4
St. Marys, WV
2,178 residents
Home Prices $129,400
Rent $467
Cost Index 90
#11
Score 62.4
Kenova, WV
2,977 residents
Home Prices $98,700
Rent $780
Cost Index 90
#12
Score 62.3
Pennsboro, WV
1,227 residents
Home Prices $78,000
Rent $822
Cost Index 90

Full Ranking, West Virginia

Top 50 cities. Click any city to see its full profile.

1 Salem WV 66.2
2 Grafton WV 65.3
3 Mullens WV 64.8
4 Hamlin WV 63.8
5 Follansbee WV 63.4
6 New Haven WV 63.3
7 Bethany WV 63.3
8 Craigsville WV 62.9
9 Ansted WV 62.4
10 St. Marys WV 62.4
11 Kenova WV 62.4
12 Pennsboro WV 62.3
13 McMechen WV 62
14 Benwood WV 62
15 Point Pleasant WV 61.7
16 Rainelle WV 61.7
17 Moorefield WV 61.7
18 Ripley WV 61.3
19 Wellsburg WV 60.6
20 Bradley WV 60.5
21 Williamson WV 60.5
22 Paden City WV 60.3
23 Kingwood WV 60.1
24 Mannington WV 59.8
25 Hooverson Heights WV 59.3
26 Oceana WV 59.3
27 Weston WV 59.2
28 New Martinsville WV 59
29 Glenville WV 58.9
30 Bluefield WV 58.7
31 Keyser WV 58.6
32 Mount Hope WV 58.5
33 Buffalo WV 58.5
34 Moundsville WV 58.3
35 Belle WV 58.2
36 Wayne WV 57.9
37 White Sulphur Springs WV 57.7
38 Mineralwells WV 57.7
39 Clarksburg WV 57.7
40 Terra Alta WV 57.4
41 Chester WV 57.2
42 Barrackville WV 57.1
43 Nitro WV 57
44 Philippi WV 57
45 Ronceverte WV 56.9
46 Petersburg WV 56.9
47 Hinton WV 56.8
48 Harrisville WV 56.8
49 Dunbar WV 56.7
50 Weirton WV 56.7

Salem, WV tops the list with a composite score of 66.2 out of 100, followed by Grafton and Mullens. WV dominates the top 12 with 12 cities, reflecting strong performance across the weighted metrics for affordability.

Rankings combine 5 independent metrics: Home Prices, Rent, Cost Index, Rent Burden, Jobs. Cities are weighted to reflect what matters most to affordability, and any city missing one or more metrics is excluded to avoid artificially inflated rankings.

Explore Other Best Cities Rankings

Best Cities for Retirees
Low crime, warm climate, affordable cost of living and strong healthcare access.
Best Cities for Remote Workers
Strong broadband, affordable rent, low traffic and existing remote-work culture.
Best Cities for Families
Strong schools, low crime, affordable homes and family-friendly commutes.
Best Cities for Young Professionals
High incomes, educated peers, transit access and an under-35 demographic.

Related Single-Metric Rankings

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