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Communities in West Virginia offer residents a welcoming atmosphere, affordable cost of living, and a strong sense of connection to nature and neighbors alike. From charming small towns to vibrant cities like Charleston and Morgantown, West Virginia communities provide friendly neighborhoods, excellent schools, and access to outdoor recreation right at your doorstep. Residents enjoy a slower pace of life, surrounded by the state’s beautiful mountains, rivers, and forests, as well as rich local culture, historic sites, and community events that bring people together.

 

With safe streets, local businesses, and a true spirit of Appalachian hospitality, living in West Virginia communities means enjoying a high quality of life and a supportive, tight-knit environment where everyone feels at home. Be sure to visit our Communities Travel Guide for information about communities in West Virginia.

Berries at a farmer's market
Communities

WVU offers tips for a safe, healthy farmers’ market season

by Clyde Craig

As farmers’ markets in West Virginia open for the season, West Virginia University is providing recommendations to help market managers and vendors safely sell their products. Dee Singh-Knights, an agribusiness economics specialist with the university’s extension service, says precautions must be taken to keep customers and farmers safe. Under the West Virginia governor’s current stay-at-home … Read more

Restoration and preservation are increasingly popular development alternatives in West VIrginia.
Communities

Free W.Va. historic preservation webinars being broadcast

by David Sibray

Investing in historic properties has never been more popular in West Virginia. The state’s tax-credit budgets for rehabilitating older buildings now exceed those of surrounding states, and investors are looking to cut costs by fixing older buildings rather than building anew. Looking for information on tax credits? Interested in the history of your own home? … Read more

An eastern box turtle traverses a lawn in West Virginia. (Photo courtesy W.Va. Dept. of Commerce)
Communities

W.Va. launches citizen science project to document box turtles

by David Sibray

The West Virginia Division of Natural Resources has launched a citizen science project to track the distribution of eastern box turtles and is asking the public to report sightings of the important but declining reptile. Reporting box turtle sightings can be done by using geographic coordinates on the division’s map at tinyurl.com/wvboxturtle. Submitting a photo … Read more

A newborn white-tailed deer rests in a West Virginia woodlands.
Communities

Young wildlife should be left alone, say state biologists

by Will Reedy

West Virginia fields and forests teem with young wildlife in spring, and state biologists are reminding residents and visitors that disturbing young wildlife is unsafe, illegal, and often detrimental to the animal’s chance of survival. Tyler Evans, a wildlife biologist at the West Virginia State Wildlife Center near Buckhannon, West Virginia, says it’s a blessing … Read more

Police in the U.S. have an opportunity to reform practice as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak.
Communities

WVU professor says COVID-19 opening doors for police reform

by Clyde Craig

The COVID-19 pandemic presents a unique opportunity for reform that could break the chains of outdated, and perhaps ineffective, approaches to policing, says a former police officer and professor of sociology at West Virginia University. Dr. James Nolan, who spent 13 years with the Wilmington Police Department in Delaware, says the outbreak is, in part, … Read more

Elderly patients in West Virginia may suffer as a result of their lack of familiarity with technology
Communities

Elderly in West Virginia may face telemedicine challenges

by Clyde Craig

More patients are using computers or smartphones to visit their doctors virtually, but not everyone can embrace telemedicine easily, especially elderly patients. In West Virginia, where 20 percent of the population is older than 65, it’s a particular problem, says Kimberly Wallace, a doctoral candidate at the West Virginia University School of Nursing and nurse … Read more

Concord's master's degree in social work has been ranked among the nation's best.
Communities

Concord U. online social work program among top

by Clyde Craig

The Master of Social Work program at Concord University has been recognized as one of the top online programs in the nation by Learn.org, according to university officials. Concord ranked 20 among the 25 schools that made the organization’s 2020 “Best Master’s in Social Work Online Programs” list, according to Dr. C. Scott Inghram, an … Read more

A field of hemp in West Virginia greets the dawn.
Communities

USDA approves West Virginia’s industrial hemp plan

by Clyde Craig

The West Virginia Department of Agriculture has received certification of approval from the U.S. Department of Agriculture for the plan submitted regarding the regulation of industrial hemp. Approval for the plan means producers will continue to be regulated at the state level in lieu of federal oversight, according to W.Va. Commissioner of Agriculture Kent Leonhardt. … Read more