Which metro areas in West Virginia are people moving to?
Winchester, VA-WV (13.6 per 1,000 residents), Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV (13.0 per 1,000 residents) and Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH (2.2 per 1,000 residents) drew the most people from the rest of the U.S. for their size among West Virginia metro areas in 2025.
Data as of 2025 · updated
All 10 ranked West Virginia metro areas
| Rank | Metro area | Per 1,000 residents, 2025 | Net movers 2025 | Residents |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Winchester, VA-WV | 13.6 | +2,079 | 152,332 |
| 2 | Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV | 13.0 | +4,089 | 315,280 |
| 3 | Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH | 2.2 | +816 | 365,965 |
| 4 | Weirton-Steubenville, WV-OH | 1.4 | +152 | 112,468 |
| 5 | Parkersburg-Vienna, WV | 0.9 | +79 | 87,264 |
| 6 | Wheeling, WV-OH | −0.1 | −18 | 134,089 |
| 7 | Beckley, WV | −0.4 | −44 | 109,940 |
| 8 | Morgantown, WV | −0.5 | −76 | 141,995 |
| 9 | Charleston, WV | −1.0 | −206 | 200,170 |
| 10 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | −3.7 | −23,791 | 6,465,724 |
How this is ranked
Net domestic migration from the Census Bureau's population estimates for 2025: people who moved in from the rest of the U.S. minus people who moved out, per 1,000 residents. Moves between the area's own counties cancel out; moves from and to other countries are not included. Only metropolitan statistical areas of two or more counties are ranked (OMB Bulletin 23-01): a one-county area's figures are its county's, and micro areas are left out. Areas without a figure for the same period as the others are not ranked. An area that crosses a state line is ranked in each of its states.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program (Vintage 2025). Figures come from public federal statistics and are informational only, not investment advice. Check the source before relying on a number. Methodology: how ranks and figures are built.
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Questions
Which metro area in West Virginia gains the most people from the rest of the country?
Winchester, VA-WV: 13.6 per 1,000 residents, ahead of Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV (13.0 per 1,000 residents) and Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH (2.2 per 1,000 residents), of 10 West Virginia metro areas ranked.
How is this ranking calculated?
Net domestic migration from the Census Bureau's population estimates for 2025: people who moved in from the rest of the U.S. minus people who moved out, per 1,000 residents. Moves between the area's own counties cancel out; moves from and to other countries are not included. Only metropolitan statistical areas of two or more counties are ranked (OMB Bulletin 23-01): a one-county area's figures are its county's, and micro areas are left out. Areas without a figure for the same period as the others are not ranked. An area that crosses a state line is ranked in each of its states.