The richest places in West Virginia, according to Forbes

CLARKSBURG, W.Va. (WBOY) – West Virginia is considered one of the most affordable states, but not normally one of the richest. However, according to a recent ranking by Forbes, some places in West Virginia stand out when it comes to wealth.

Forbes found the 15 places in West Virginia that are considered the most wealthy in the state, and most of them only have a few hundred households. The list is based on financial data from a 2023 Census Bureau survey, including household incomes, home values and property taxes.

According to the list, the richest place in West Virginia is North Hills, a town just outside of Parkersburg in Wood County. North Hills has a median household income of more than $143,000, which is the highest in West Virginia and more than double the median household income for the state. Nearby Boaz also made the list at #13.

Second is Harpers Ferry, which has a median household income over $110,000 and some of the most expensive homes in the state, with the median being over $430,000, according to Forbes. Located in Jefferson County in West Virginia’s Eastern Panhandle, several nearby cities and towns also made the top 15, including Shenandoah Junction at #4, Charles Town at #6, and Shepherdstown at #12.

West Virginia’s third-richest place is Cheat Lake, a lakefront community just outside of Morgantown in Monongalia County. According to Forbes, Cheat Lake has a mean income even higher than North Hills and Harpers Ferry, and with more than 4,000 households, it is one of the larger places on the list. Nearby Brookhaven, which is also a Morgantown suburb, made the list at #15, and Cassville, a community just west of Morgantown, made the list at #5.

Cities like Teays Valley, Bridgeport and Winfield, also made the list at #7, #8 and #11, and a few communities in Randolph County were ranked #10 and #14.

Forbes’ full list of West Virginia’s richest places is:

1. North Hills (Wood County)
2. Harpers Ferry (Jefferson County)
3. Cheat Lake (Monongalia County)
4. Shenandoah Junction (Jefferson County)
5. Cassville (Monongalia County)
6. Charles Town (Jefferson County)
7. Teays Valley (Putnam County)
8. Bridgeport (Harrison County)
9. Holden (Logan County)
10. East Dailey (Randolph County)
11. Winfield (Putnam County)
12. Shepherdstown (Jefferson County)
13. Boaz (Wood County)
14. Valley Bend (Randolph County)
15. Brookhaven (Monongalia County)