Most Dangerous Cities in West Virginia
Top 12 cities (≥10,000 pop) by highest FBI UCR violent crime rate per 100,000 · 2024. Lead: Wheeling at 982.6/100K.
FBI UCR Highest-Crime Snapshot: West Virginia
West Virginia lists 12 cities with 10,000+ population for 2024, spanning Wheeling at 982.6/100K violent down to Weirton at 137.7/100K on this highest-crime cut. That is a 844.9/100K spread inside the elevated cohort alone, not a single statewide rate. Cohort average: 441.5 violent offenses per 100,000 residents.
Wheeling reported 255 violent and 517 property offenses on a 25,951 reporting population in 2024. Property rate 1992.2/100K sits beside the 982.6/100K violent rate. Top five on the table: Wheeling, Huntington, Beckley, Charleston, Fairmont.
Wheeling offense desk
Wheeling's 2024 violent book concentrates in aggravated assault (89% of 255 Part I violent offenses; mix index 7,985).
Wheeling's violent rate fell 1.0% vs 2023 (992.2 → 982.6 per 100K) while staying #1 on this West Virginia highest-crime list.
Wheeling violent offense mix (2024)
Mix index is HHI × 10,000 on Part I violent shares for the #1 city only, distinct from the per-100K ranking table.
| # | City | Grade | Population | Violent Crime Rate | Property Crime Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wheeling | F | 25,951 | 982.6/100K | 1992.2/100K |
| 2 | Huntington | F | 44,860 | 800.3/100K | 3602.3/100K |
| 3 | Beckley | F | 16,367 | 604.9/100K | 7912.3/100K |
| 4 | Charleston | F | 46,252 | 542.7/100K | 3119.9/100K |
| 5 | Fairmont | D | 18,066 | 520.3/100K | 1322.9/100K |
| 6 | South Charleston | F | 13,098 | 488.6/100K | 5519.9/100K |
| 7 | Clarksburg | C | 15,316 | 372.2/100K | 2219.9/100K |
| 8 | Parkersburg | C | 28,815 | 260.3/100K | 3217.1/100K |
| 9 | St. Albans | C | 10,245 | 224.5/100K | 2088.8/100K |
| 10 | Morgantown | B | 30,510 | 209.8/100K | 1960/100K |
| 11 | Vienna | C | 10,397 | 153.9/100K | 3308.6/100K |
| 12 | Weirton | A | 18,151 | 137.7/100K | 330.6/100K |
West Virginia overview · Safest cities · National most dangerous cities · Methodology - FBI UCR Part I rates; cities ≥10,000 pop; 2024.