Statewide grade B

49 cities graded A+ through F based on 2024 FBI crime data. State overall score: 66/100 (Above Average).

What is West Virginia’s crime safety grade?

West Virginia earned an overall safety grade of B (score: 66/100, Above Average) based on 2024 FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program data, with a statewide violent crime rate of 241.6 per 100,000 and property crime rate of 1089.3 per 100,000. PlainCrime graded 49 West Virginia cities with reportable crime data against national benchmarks, producing an A+ through F score for each jurisdiction. Grades weigh violent and property crime rates: cities more than 50% below the national average typically earn A or A+, while cities significantly above average receive D or F ratings.

Across the 49 graded West Virginia cities, 9 earned A+, 10 earned A, 10 received B, 11 landed at C, 2 received D, and 7 fell to F in the 2024 scoring. The highest-rated city is Cedar Grove with a A+ grade (score: 99/100, violent rate 0/100K). The lowest-rated city is Huntington with a F grade (score: 0/100, violent rate 800.3/100K).

Roughly 39% of graded cities in West Virginia achieved an A or A+ rating, while 18% received a D or F. Cities missing from this table either did not submit complete 2024 UCR data, fell below the minimum population threshold for reliable rate calculation, or report through consolidated agencies that aggregate into county or regional totals instead of individual city figures. Grade boundaries use the national violent and property crime rate averages for 2024 as the reference point, so grades are directly comparable between West Virginia and other states on the site.

A safety grade condenses several FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) measures into a single letter, ranking each state's violent and property crime rates against the national distribution rather than a fixed cutoff. A high grade therefore means a state compares well to its peers in a given year, not that it is free of crime. Grades move as the underlying rates move and as agency reporting completeness shifts from year to year. Two states with the same letter can have very different profiles: one may carry a higher violent-crime rate offset by low property crime, the other the reverse. Use the grade as a quick orientation, then read the component rates beneath it to see what is actually driving the number for this state.

A+
9 cities
A
10 cities
B
10 cities
C
11 cities
D
2 cities
F
7 cities

The safest cities in West Virginia

Violent crimes per 100,000 residents, FBI UCR 2024. Lower is safer, hover a bar for the exact rate.

/100K

What this shows Cedar Grove reports the lowest violent-crime rate in West Virginia. At 0 per 100K, it runs well below the West Virginia average of 241.6. These eight cities anchor the safe end of the state.

Source FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program As of 2024
# Grade City Score
1 A+ Cedar Grove 99
2 A+ Williamstown 99
3 A+ Ronceverte 97
4 A+ Ceredo 95
5 A+ Follansbee 95
6 A+ Kenova 95
7 A+ Winfield 93
8 A+ New Martinsville 93
9 A+ Grafton 92
10 A Glen Dale 87
11 A Ranson 86
12 A Hurricane 83
13 A Ripley 83
14 A Weirton 83
15 A Charles Town 82
16 A Spencer 81
17 A White Sulphur Springs 80
18 A Philippi 79
19 A Madison 75
20 B Fayetteville 74
21 B Bridgeport 73
22 B Barboursville 70
23 B Weston 69
24 B Oak Hill 66
25 B Alderson 66
26 B Keyser 64
27 B Morgantown 62
28 B Gilbert 62
29 B Summersville 60
30 C St. Albans 59
31 C Buckhannon 57
32 C Vienna 56
33 C Westover 56
34 C Nitro 54
35 C Dunbar 53
36 C Elkins 49
37 C Parkersburg 46
38 C Clarksburg 44
39 C Bluefield 43
40 C White Hall 42
41 D Fairmont 37
42 D Romney 32
43 F South Charleston 21
44 F Charleston 19
45 F Moorefield 17
46 F Wheeling 13
47 F Beckley 10
48 F Montgomery 2
49 F Huntington 0

Frequently Asked Questions

What is West Virginia's overall crime safety grade?
West Virginia has an overall safety grade of B (score: 66/100). This is based on the state's aggregate violent crime rate of 241.6 per 100K and property crime rate of 1089.3 per 100K compared to national averages.
How many cities in West Virginia have an A+ safety grade?
9 cities in West Virginia earned an A+ safety grade (2024), meaning their crime rates are well below the national average. 10 additional cities earned an A grade.
Which is the safest city in West Virginia?
Cedar Grove is the highest-rated city in West Virginia with a A+ grade (score: 99/100). Its violent crime rate is 0 per 100K.

Nearby States, Crime Grades

Compare West Virginia's grade distribution with neighboring states, or use the compare tool to benchmark jurisdictions side-by-side.

Source: FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program, 2024. Safety scores based on violent and property crime rates vs. national averages published in FBI Crime in the United States (CIUS) Table 8. Population figures reference U.S. Census Bureau estimates where FBI-reported populations are unavailable. Verify with FBI.gov UCR and Census.gov QuickFacts.

Every figure on PlainCrime is rendered directly from FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on FBI Uniform Crime Reporting source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.