West Virginia Crime Trends
11 years of crime data (2014–2024) from the FBI.
FBI UCR Trends Snapshot: West Virginia
West Virginia reported 4,277 violent crimes and 19,280 property crimes in 2024, drawing 11 years of history (2014–2024) from FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program submissions. Over that window the statewide violent crime rate moved from 1.5 per 100,000 residents in 2014 to 1.2 per 100,000 in 2024 — a decline of 20%. The property crime rate shifted from 9.5/100K to 5.6/100K over the same period, down 41.1%.
Within the latest year's violent crime total, aggravated assault (0), robbery (0), murder and non-negligent manslaughter (0), and rape (0) make up the four Part I offense categories tracked by the FBI. Property crime in 2024 splits across larceny-theft (0), burglary (0), motor vehicle theft (0), and arson (0). Against the US national average of 70.6/100K for 2024, West Virginia's violent crime rate runs 98% below the national benchmark.
Over the same 11-year span, the US national violent crime rate moved down 3.9% (73.5/100K in 2014 to 70.6/100K in 2024), providing a direct comparison against West Virginia's -20.0% move. UCR figures reflect offenses reported to and submitted by local law enforcement; agency participation is voluntary, so year-to-year completeness can shift, and the FBI periodically restates prior-year figures as late submissions arrive. The full year-by-year table below shows population, violent and property crime counts, rates, and a sub-breakdown for murder, robbery, and burglary — enabling granular inspection of West Virginia's multi-year crime trajectory.
Violent Crime Rate Over Time
Year-by-Year Crime Data
| Year | Population | Violent | Rate | YoY |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 343,551,384 | 4,277 | 1.2 | ↓ 7.7% |
| 2023 | 338,357,687 | 4,525 | 1.3 | ↓ 7.1% |
| 2022 | 336,746,447 | 4,692 | 1.4 | ↑ 0.0% |
| 2021 | 335,395,039 | 4,690 | 1.4 | ↓ 12.5% |
| 2020 | 332,726,731 | 5,159 | 1.6 | ↑ 14.3% |
| 2019 | 331,433,049 | 4,708 | 1.4 | ↑ 0.0% |
| 2018 | 330,362,587 | 4,768 | 1.4 | ↓ 22.2% |
| 2017 | 329,056,355 | 5,989 | 1.8 | ↑ 0.0% |
| 2016 | 323,127,513 | 5,938 | 1.8 | ↑ 12.5% |
| 2015 | 321,418,820 | 5,298 | 1.6 | ↑ 6.7% |
| 2014 | 318,857,056 | 4,796 | 1.5 | — |
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Primary data source: FBI Crime Data Explorer, Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program. State trends cross-check against FBI Crime in the United States annual release. Population figures reference U.S. Census Bureau estimates where FBI populations are unavailable. Rates are per 100,000 population.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.