What advantages and disadvantages are there to living in West Virginia?

Question

We've had the idea of moving to WV, and would like to know what unique details there are about living there. For instance, concerning home and land purchase and ownership, taxation, etc.

Answer 1

I'm 24 and moved from Charlotte, NC to Putnam County, WV with my family when I was 9, and now I definitely consider it my home.

I have to laugh at the previous poster who was talking about the cities in WV and neglected to even mention Charleston, the biggest city and capital of the state. I'm living in downtown Charleston right now and it is a nice city with negligible crime rates, good shopping, and a good night scene with a lot of musicians and performers.

The mountains are defnitely a big part of the state's appeal and general conscience. In Fayetteville you have the New River Gorge which is absolutely breathtaking (look it up - you'll see). There are also two pretty big ski resorts, Winterplace in the south and Snowshoe in the northern part. White water rafting around Fayetteville is also one of the best things to do in the state - the Gauley River is nature's roller coaster and will certainly get your adrenaline going!

The weather here is really nice, too - especially since there are four very distinct seasons. We have blazing hot summers (nothing compared to NC and further southeast, though), BEAUTIFUL autumns! (best in the country, no doubt), snowy winters, and nice, refreshing springtime weather.

If you're coming from out of state, the northeast part of the state might be your best bet. It's a little less "middle of nowhere" and the population up there is probably more like the rest of the country. Other than that, Charleston is a very good place to live with plenty of things always going on.

Also, the cost of living is significantly lower than the rest of the country. In Charlotte, we had a one floor, 5 bedroom house, 2 bathroom house. When we moved to suburban Charleston, we moved into a 3-story, 6 bedroom, 5 bathroom, very big house on a hill top by Teays Valley and it was roughly the same cost.

WV will take some getting used to - we went through that for sure. There are some areas that still look like they're in the 1800's (McDowell County, for instance). But overall, the people are pretty nice and friendly and I'm glad to live here.

Answer 2

I have lived in WV for 37 years and love it!  I came from Dayton Oh which I hated. We live in one of the bigger cities, Parkersburg.  It is a nice friendly place.  I have some family that live near Morgantown in the country.  There's nothing like i!.  It's a beautiful area.  There hasn't been a lot of work in parts of WV but is improving.  There are many small towns that would be great for retirement. Williamstown is a small town that   borders Marietta Oh where there is a wide variety of shops. It has a great school system  Morgantown one of the larger cities borders Pa. A college town as well as major hospital it has everything. Then there is Huntington which borders Ky.  It is the other big city.  What makes WV so great is the friendly people, relaxed atmosphere, and great parks and shopping.   The mountains are beautiful!  You have lakes and rivers for boating and fishing and then there is the skiing in the beautiful mountians.  We have many state parks and historical cities.  You can go on a weekend trip without leaving WV and find plenty to do.  As far as housing it is priced below the national average. Of course the closer you get to the bigger cities the more expensive housing is.  Taxes are very low here.  There is a lot of land to buy and build your own dream home on.  The smaller towns are tight knit communities where neighbors get together. There are a variety of churches in WV.  So many things to offer, WV is a great place to raise a family or retire, weather you want the big city or remote country side or a small town. it is a great place to live.

Answer 3

If you enjoy riding ATV's and Dirt-bikes, go to the southern part or "coalfields" of the state(i.e. Logan and Mingo Counties) I live in Mingo and there is a trail system here called "Hatfield-McCory Trails " and there are over 500 miles of trails throughout the county.If you like the rural area, google "Seneca Rocks" and that's on the eastern side of the state and it is absolutly beautiful. Come to WV

Answer 4

Taxes are very low... rural areas are very nice, it's a very white state... wildlife is everywhere, hunting paradise, clean streams and beautiful mountains... I have a hunting camp near Terre Alta, and it's a beautiful place....