These Are The 10 Most Successful Cities In West Virginia

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What is success? Is it the amount of money you have in your bank account, at any given point? Is it that feeling you get after delivering a killer presentation, or even a pretty decent bar joke?

Or is it something biggerâsomething wholly unnamable, undefinable, immeasurable, and totally subjective?

Probably so.

But here at Zippia, we like things that we can neatly measure and then expound upon. So yes, with the Power of Math, we have determined the unarguable, totally objective 10 most successful cities in West Virginia. And here they are:

If you are trying to argue already with our unarguable list, keep reading. Thereâs a method to this madness.

For more WV reading, check out:

How We Determined The Most Successful Cities In West Virginia

The first thing that comes to most capitalist minds in terms of success isâmoney. After all, rich people must be successful, right?

Meh. Maybe. But we think thereâs a bit more that goes into it than that. So we looked at this set of criteria from the 2010-2014 American Community Survey:

1. Bridgeport

Source: Flickr

Population: 8,316Median Income: $80,240
Poverty Level: 3.0%
Unemployment Rate: 6.2%

2. Hurricane

Population: 6,352Median Income: $57,044
Poverty Level: 7.7%
Unemployment Rate: 6.0%

3. Nitro

Population: 6,860Median Income: $45,353
Poverty Level: 13.6%
Unemployment Rate: 2.6%

4. South Charleston

Population: 13,380Median Income: $44,610
Poverty Level: 12.6%
Unemployment Rate: 4.0%

5. St. Albans

Population: 10,939Median Income: $47,134
Poverty Level: 7.8%
Unemployment Rate: 6.5%

6. Vienna

Population: 10,654Median Income: $42,055
Poverty Level: 9.1%
Unemployment Rate: 6.2%

7. Charles Town

Population: 5,464 Median Income: $59,503
Poverty Level: 12.0%
Unemployment Rate: 9.7%

8. Charleston

Population: 50,911Median Income: $48,959
Poverty Level: 18.4%
Unemployment Rate: 6.6%

9. Weirton

Population: 19,523Median Income: $39,326
Poverty Level: 14.9%
Unemployment Rate: 6.7%

10. Bluefield

Population: 10,465Median Income: $35,354
Poverty Level: 18.9%
Unemployment Rate: 4.9%

Measuring Success

If youâre still looking at this post thinking, âSurely, such superficial methods canât possibly measure a city, or rather, the individuals that make up that cityâs success!â well, youâre probably right.

But we like to measure things, and when it comes to success, we feel pretty successful in our approach. Congrats to Bridgeport and our winners. And for those who didnât make the cut, well, better luck next year.

Detailed List Of The Most Successful Cities In West Virginia

Rank	City	Median Income	Poverty Rate	Unemployment Rate
1	Bridgeport	$80,240	3.0%	6.2%
2	Hurricane	$57,044	7.7%	6.0%
3	Nitro	$45,353	13.6%	2.6%
4	South Charleston	$44,610	12.6%	4.0%
5	St. Albans	$47,134	7.8%	6.5%
6	Vienna	$42,055	9.1%	6.2%
7	Charles Town	$59,503	12.0%	9.7%
8	Charleston	$48,959	18.4%	6.6%
9	Weirton	$39,326	14.9%	6.7%
10	Bluefield	$35,354	18.9%	4.9%
11	Fairmont	$36,731	21.8%	5.9%
12	New Martinsville	$39,028	18.1%	6.8%
13	Wheeling	$36,085	18.5%	6.1%
14	Dunbar	$40,823	14.6%	9.4%
15	Clarksburg	$36,353	17.9%	7.8%
16	Elkins	$41,087	21.8%	9.9%
17	Oak Hill	$38,253	22.5%	8.3%
18	Beckley	$33,616	25.3%	7.9%
19	Parkersburg	$33,247	22.9%	10.5%
20	Princeton	$30,523	25.2%	9.1%
21	Martinsburg	$36,736	26.3%	14.3%
22	Morgantown	$32,400	43.5%	8.1%
23	Moundsville	$31,070	23.7%	10.2%
24	Buckhannon	$28,286	28.6%	8.6%
25	Grafton	$28,460	22.8%	13.0%
26	Huntington	$28,673	32.6%	9.0%
27	Keyser	$23,936	29.5%	18.5%

Never miss an opportunity that’s right for you.

Author

Chris Kolmar

Chris Kolmar is a co-founder of Zippia and the editor-in-chief of the Zippia career advice blog. He has hired over 50 people in his career, been hired five times, and wants to help you land your next job. His research has been featured on the New York Times, Thrillist, VOX, The Atlantic, and a host of local news. More recently, he's been quoted on USA Today, BusinessInsider, and CNBC.

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