The 25 Best Small Towns to Retire in West Virginia
Ranked on The Town Files lifestyle rankings among 49 towns of 2,500–10,000 people in West Virginia. #1 is Pinch, WV.
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25Dunbar, West Virginia
Better for retirees than 60% of West Virginia towns
7,480 people · Kanawha County · median home $119,600 · income $58,379 · Jan low 23°F · 32 in snow
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24Cross Lanes, West Virginia
Better for retirees than 63% of West Virginia towns
9,727 people · Kanawha County · median home $153,800 · income $63,537 · Jan low 20°F · 20 in snow
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23Culloden, West Virginia
Better for retirees than 66% of West Virginia towns
3,016 people · Cabell County · median home $197,800 · income $73,318 · Jan low 23°F · 15 in snow
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22Follansbee, West Virginia
Better for retirees than 67% of West Virginia towns
2,848 people · Brooke County · median home $133,900 · income $58,371 · Jan low 19°F · 25 in snow
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21Williamson, West Virginia
Better for retirees than 68% of West Virginia towns
3,083 people · Mingo County · median home $89,600 · income $21,875 · Jan low 26°F · 13 in snow
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20Brookhaven, West Virginia
Better for retirees than 69% of West Virginia towns
5,707 people · Monongalia County · median home $261,000 · income $88,438 · Jan low 24°F · 14 in snow
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19Hurricane, West Virginia
Better for retirees than 71% of West Virginia towns
6,961 people · Putnam County · median home $210,500 · income $71,167 · Jan low 24°F · 11 in snow
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18Blennerhassett, West Virginia
Better for retirees than 72% of West Virginia towns
3,118 people · Wood County · median home $179,800 · income $88,487 · Jan low 24°F · 11 in snow
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17Shady Spring, West Virginia
Better for retirees than 74% of West Virginia towns
3,169 people · Raleigh County · median home $188,900 · income $67,407 · Jan low 24°F · 56 in snow
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16Hooverson Heights, West Virginia
Better for retirees than 75% of West Virginia towns
2,582 people · Brooke County · median home $154,600 · income $60,781 · Jan low 19°F · 25 in snow
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15Philippi, West Virginia
Better for retirees than 78% of West Virginia towns
2,929 people · Barbour County · median home $114,500 · income $45,879 · Jan low 20°F · 47 in snow
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14Pleasant Valley, West Virginia
Better for retirees than 78% of West Virginia towns
3,498 people · Marion County · median home $213,600 · income $67,635 · Jan low 24°F · 27 in snow
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13New Martinsville, West Virginia
Better for retirees than 81% of West Virginia towns
5,204 people · Wetzel County · median home $128,300 · income $60,946 · Jan low 20°F · 24 in snow
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12Charles Town, West Virginia
Better for retirees than 83% of West Virginia towns
6,534 people · Jefferson County · median home $377,700 · income $89,263 · Jan low 24°F · 23 in snow
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11Bridgeport, West Virginia
Better for retirees than 83% of West Virginia towns
9,336 people · Harrison County · median home $291,600 · income $100,022 · Jan low 25°F · 24 in snow
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10Bethlehem, West Virginia
Better for retirees than 86% of West Virginia towns
2,605 people · Ohio County · median home $200,000 · income $83,409 · Jan low 22°F · 15 in snow
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9Point Pleasant, West Virginia
Better for retirees than 86% of West Virginia towns
4,070 people · Mason County · median home $118,000 · income $37,563 · Jan low 23°F · 15 in snow
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8Summersville, West Virginia
Better for retirees than 87% of West Virginia towns
3,431 people · Nicholas County · median home $230,000 · income $56,571 · Jan low 21°F · 68 in snow
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7Kingwood, West Virginia
Better for retirees than 88% of West Virginia towns
2,980 people · Preston County · median home $162,000 · income $71,154 · Jan low 18°F · 171 in snow
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6Cheat Lake, West Virginia
Better for retirees than 90% of West Virginia towns
9,930 people · Monongalia County · median home $367,600 · income $117,014 · Jan low 24°F · 14 in snow
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5Keyser, West Virginia
Better for retirees than 92% of West Virginia towns
4,864 people · Mineral County · median home $143,000 · income $46,955 · Jan low 21°F · 34 in snow
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4Lewisburg, West Virginia
Better for retirees than 95% of West Virginia towns
3,922 people · Greenbrier County · median home $334,900 · income $49,560 · Jan low 20°F · 30 in snow
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3Williamstown, West Virginia
Better for retirees than 96% of West Virginia towns
2,997 people · Wood County · median home $182,500 · income $89,013 · Jan low 23°F · 22 in snow
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2Ripley, West Virginia
Better for retirees than 96% of West Virginia towns
3,079 people · Jackson County · median home $121,800 · income $41,518 · Jan low 22°F · 12 in snow
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1Pinch, West Virginia
Better for retirees than 97% of West Virginia towns
2,914 people · Kanawha County · median home $221,500 · income $76,741 · Jan low 26°F · 32 in snow
Price vs ranking
More West Virginia rankings
- The 13 Most Affordable Small Towns in West Virginia
- The 18 Best Small Towns for Families in West Virginia
- 20 Small Towns in West Virginia With the Mildest Winters
- The 25 Most Walkable Small Towns in West Virginia
- 23 Small Towns in West Virginia With the Fewest Tornadoes Since 1950
- The 21 Best Small Towns for First-Time Home Buyers in West Virginia
Same ranking, other places
- The 50 Best Small Towns to Retire in America
- The 25 Best Small Towns to Retire in Pennsylvania
- The 25 Best Small Towns to Retire in New York
- The 25 Best Small Towns to Retire in Michigan
- The 25 Best Small Towns to Retire in Texas
- The 25 Best Small Towns to Retire in California
- The 25 Best Small Towns to Retire in New Jersey
- The 25 Best Small Towns to Retire in Florida
- The 25 Best Small Towns to Retire in Wisconsin
- The 25 Best Small Towns to Retire in Ohio
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)