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Here Are The 10 Most Dangerous Towns In West Virginia To Live In

Lists the cities in West Virginia with the highest rates of violent crimes based on FBI and Neighborhoodscout.com data.

Updated May 18, 2021

Written by 

Katherine Lorson

Do you live in one of these dangerous cities? These are the cities in West Virginia with the highest annual rate of violent crimes -- murder and non-negligent manslaughter, forcible rape, robbery, and aggravated assault. This list doesn't take into account property thefts. We got the numbers mostly from the FBI (you can see the full list here) and from Neighborhoodscout.com for a couple of cities that the FBI didn't list (including Charleston and Huntington). Without further ado, here are the most dangerous towns in West Virginia -- according to the stats.

1. Fairmont

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Jon Dawson/Flickr

Fairmont in Marion County has an annual crime rate of 82.

2. South Charleston

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WVhybrid

South Charleston in Kanawha County had 83 violent crimes in one year, according to Neighborhoodscout.com.

3. Martinsburg

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Michael Hicks/Flickr

Martinsburg, with a little more than 17,000 people, had 89 violent crimes in 2012.

4. Morgantown

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Jen & Elwood/Flickr

Morgantown, with has about 29,000 people not including college students, had 107 violent crimes in 2012.

5. Clarksburg

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Jon Dawson/Flickr

Clarksburg in Harrison County had 112 violent crimes in 2012.

6. Parkersburg

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OZinOH/flickr

Parkersburg, the state's fourth-largest city, had 146 violent crimes in 2012.

7. Beckley

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Gene/Flickr

Beckley in southern West Virginia had 189 violent crimes in 2012.

8. Wheeling

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Joanne C Sullivan/Flickr

Wheeling, with a population of about 28,000, had 245 violent crimes in 2012, according to information reported to the FBI.

9. Charleston

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Edsel Little/Flickr

Charleston, the state capital, had 271 violent crimes in one year.

10. Huntington

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Kevin Schraer/Flickr

Huntington, with about 49,000 people, has an annual violent crime rate of 394, according to Neighborhood scout.com.

Were you surprised by this list of the most dangerous towns in West Virginia? It seems like all of the high-population cities also have high crime rates. Which scary places in West Virginia didn't make the list? And which of these cities that made the list do you think are the most creepy places in West Virginia? Let us know below in the comments section.

looking for more West Virginia content? Check out this road trip of the 7 most creepy and abandoned places in West Virginia.

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