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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.

WVU fans take in a game at Mountaineer Field in Morgantown, West Virginia.
Communities

WVU crowd-sourcing contributors for new TV commercial

by Bianca Bosworth

MORGANTOWN, W.Va.—In what West Virginia University officials are haling as a remarkable move, the university this month is crowd-sourcing contributors everywhere and anywhere to find a new nationally running television commercial. The “2019 Find Your Purpose” contest is a worldwide search for the best-told WVU story,  according to Tony Dobies, a spokesperson for WVU University Relations. Mountaineer … Read more

Communities

WVU: diets and supplements not always protective

by Bianca Bosworth

Do the nutritional supplements people take or the diets they adhere to actually protect them against death and cardiovascular problems? Maybe not, according to a new umbrella review of meta-analyses and randomized controlled trials by Safi Khan, an assistant professor in the West Virginia University School of Medicine. His findings appear in the Annals of … Read more

Communities

W.Va. Tourism reaches record number of social media users

by David Sibray

West Virginia’s Birthday social campaign last week reached more than 26 million social media users, thanks to thousands of fans of West Virginia who shared their love of the state. The state is top-of-mind for travelers this summer, thanks to record-breaking participation in the West Virginia Tourism Office’s West Virginia Week Challenge, according to Commissioner … Read more

Susanna Wheeler and Brad Woolf raise a high tunnel to be used for the market garden.
Communities

Fayette County to unveil region’s first community farm

by David Sibray

Fayette County officials are set to unveil on Saturday the region’s first community farm, an agricultural initiative designed to support sustainable development. To occupy the historic Whitlock Farm on W.Va. 16 two miles south of Fayetteville, West Virginia, the project will provide for community gardens, a local food distribution site, sustainable farming educational opportunities, vocational … Read more

Scented boxwood hedges create form in the gardens at the Craik-Patton House.
Communities

USDA detects boxwood blight in West Virginia gardens

by Clyde Craig

The West Virginia Department of Agriculture has detected boxwood blight in several residential and commercial landscapes throughout West Virginia. The blight was first diagnosed in West Virginia on plants shipped from out of state nurseries in July 2015, according to Kent Leonhardt, Commissioner of Agriculture. It was first reported in the United States in 2011. … Read more

“It’s my belief that board games bring people together," says Jared Kaplan of Beckley-based Lonely Hero Games.
Communities

W.Va. board-game developer launches first title on Kickstarter

by David Sibray

Lonely Hero Games, a new board game development company founded by two Beckley natives, has launched its first game, “Bank Heist” on the crowdfunding platform Kickstarter. Jared Kaplan and Christopher Kincaid grew up in Beckley, where Kaplan still resides, while Kincaid moved to Morgantown. Kaplan says the pair believe that creating and launching their company … Read more

Restored pioneer farm at Twin Falls Resort State Park, Wyoming County, Hatfield & McCoy Region
Communities

W.Va. State Parks to host second Farm-to-Table dinner series

by Bianca Bosworth

The W.Va. Department of Agriculture will host nine farm-to-table dinners at state park restaurants between June 15 and September 12 in conjunction with the W.Va. Farmers Market Association and the state Department of Natural Resources. Several dinners this year will heighten the excitement with themes that compliment the local food pairings, including “Hoedown-on-the-Hill” at Chief … Read more