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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 66.7
Salem, WV
1,812 residents
Home Prices $77,200
Rent $570
Cost Index 90
#2
Score 66.2
Grafton, WV
4,671 residents
Home Prices $72,700
Rent $429
Cost Index 90
#3
Score 65.2
Mullens, WV
2,267 residents
Home Prices $77,900
Rent $580
Cost Index 90
#4
Score 64.3
Hamlin, WV
1,173 residents
Home Prices $92,500
Rent $719
Cost Index 90
#5
Score 63.7
Bethany, WV
1,066 residents
Home Prices $113,600
Rent $675
Cost Index 90
#6
Score 63.7
Craigsville, WV
1,584 residents
Home Prices $95,300
Rent $607
Cost Index 90
#7
Score 63.5
Follansbee, WV
2,790 residents
Home Prices $137,100
Rent $592
Cost Index 90
#8
Score 63.3
New Haven, WV
1,735 residents
Home Prices $101,700
Rent $491
Cost Index 90
#9
Score 63
Williamson, WV
2,979 residents
Home Prices $93,300
Rent $555
Cost Index 90
#10
Score 62.7
Ansted, WV
1,210 residents
Home Prices $74,900
Rent $725
Cost Index 90
#11
Score 62.7
Pennsboro, WV
1,227 residents
Home Prices $78,000
Rent $822
Cost Index 90
#12
Score 62.5
McMechen, WV
1,735 residents
Home Prices $89,500
Rent $562
Cost Index 90

Full Ranking, West Virginia

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

1 Salem WV 66.7
2 Grafton WV 66.2
3 Mullens WV 65.2
4 Hamlin WV 64.3
5 Bethany WV 63.7
6 Craigsville WV 63.7
7 Follansbee WV 63.5
8 New Haven WV 63.3
9 Williamson WV 63
10 Ansted WV 62.7
11 Pennsboro WV 62.7
12 McMechen WV 62.5
13 St. Marys WV 62.5
14 Wellsburg WV 62.5
15 Kenova WV 62.5
16 Rainelle WV 62.4
17 Point Pleasant WV 62.4
18 Benwood WV 62.1
19 Moorefield WV 62
20 Ripley WV 61.8
21 Bradley WV 61.8
22 Mount Hope WV 61.1
23 Paden City WV 60.7
24 Kingwood WV 60.5
25 Richwood WV 60.4
26 Weston WV 60.3
27 Mannington WV 60.1
28 Hooverson Heights WV 59.8
29 New Martinsville WV 59.8
30 Oceana WV 59.6
31 Glenville WV 59.6
32 Buffalo WV 59.3
33 Bluefield WV 59.3
34 Keyser WV 59.3
35 Belle WV 59.1
36 Moundsville WV 58.9
37 Chester WV 58.5
38 Marlinton WV 58.5
39 Wayne WV 58.4
40 Hinton WV 58.4
41 Philippi WV 58.4
42 White Sulphur Springs WV 58.2
43 Terra Alta WV 58
44 Clarksburg WV 58
45 Mineralwells WV 57.9
46 Barrackville WV 57.5
47 Alderson WV 57.4
48 Petersburg WV 57.3
49 Nitro WV 57.3
50 Weirton WV 57.2

Salem, WV tops the list with a composite score of 66.7 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

Lowest Rent → Lowest Income → Safest Cities →