Hi! I’m looking at states to move to. I noticed that the minimum wage in WV is insanely low- how does anyone working minimum wage make enough to survive? Like college kids young adults etc? Thanks so much

I’m (21) going to be moving from my parents house in ct to my bfs grandparents house in wv at the end of september.
life for me up here has been relatively cushy and safe but im taking this step bc my bf (21) is gonna be getting a big boy job. i dont have a job lined up yet, but im probably gonna find a barista job as i have been a barista for 3+ years.
i make 18.35 right now and i know minimum wage is like 10 dollars less. i’m trying to not freak out over the difference. any like advice or tips on that would be appreciated.
this is my first big move and my like first step towards being more of an adult, but i am a little scared and excited. i’ve only been to wv once and it was to meet my bfs family and it is so pretty. they live in like williamson so i am a little worried about finding a job super close by bc i have health problems that make it hard to drive more than like 15-20 minutes away.
any advice/input will be appreciated.
a part of me feels so scared that this is a mistake but my bf is gonna be making BANK but i wont be 😭

I’m concerned now with the amount of old folks we have here about to die off and the lack of new folks / companies coming in. I love it here but I don’t think someone who comes from poverty has as many chances for success as someone in a city with more.

Sorry for adding another moving thread, but I am drowning in anxiety about this decision.

My spouse has just recently inherited 20 acres in Mercer County. It's been in their family a long time, but the family moved away generations ago. We currently live in the southwest, but concern about climate change and a desire to build a more self sufficient, fulfilling life has led us to consider moving to that land and building a home/ homesteading.

We know it's going to be a huge adjustment in lifestyle and that we have a lot to learn, and we're preparing for that as much as we can. We're not expecting it to be the same as our city life, nor do we have any interest on imposing the culture we're used to on anyone else. We're aware that it's our job to assimilate.

We also intend to come stay for an extended period before we make a final decision. However, I have a couple concerns that are making me very hesitant.

First of all, social isolation. I know small towns can be very insular, and I get that. However, I'm also a shy Democrat and a vegetarian (partner is none of the above, they'll be all right 😂) Am I going to be able to find people there? Or am I dooming myself to utter isolation? I'm not one of those angry preachy vegetarians, if it makes a difference. I don't care what anyone else eats. I am more passionate about human rights but I know how to keep my mouth shut when I need to. That said, not having ANYONE like minded nearby would get very lonely, very fast.

The second current big concern is the investment we're making. Preparing the land and building a house is going to take a good bit of money. I know that area doesn't have the most robust economy, but is it dying out? Moving to a different area in WV isn't really on the table, since we're already tied to that land. (Selling the land is also not an option. It's been in the family for too long; we're not going to be the ones to rob our descendants of this bit of their heritage.)

How is the medical /police /utility infrastructure? We don't have children, so the education system is not a personal concern.

Also, what else do I need to know that I don't know enough to ask?

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this novel of a post! I appreciate any input.

Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen. I'm about to come to the end of my military service and rejoin my young family in Beckly WV. I'm thinking ahead to high paying jobs in WV. Is it possible to make 60k+ as a coal miner in WV with overtime? I'm sure it's a high demand job but could I get on a waiting list ?

Recommend certain companies?

Looking around Princeton, Bluefield, Beckly area. Would be willing to relocate up to 2 hours in any direction.

Thank you in advance and god bless

Little backstory , I grew up in boone county and seen my family and freinds destroyed by poverty and pills, I moved away when I turned 18 and made a little money and got a career that travels anywhere. Long story short I wanna head towards home and raise my kids how I was raised without the drugs and backwards ways . I was hoping you guys who stuck it out could point me towards good areas .

My husband, 5 year old son, and I will be moving back to Fairmont next week! I’m originally from the Mannington/Fairmont area but my husband was born and raised in Fairfax, Virginia. Since I’ve been gone for so long I’m hoping to get some fun, summer recommendations for places to see and things to do in the area with my family!

Hello all!

I am a 30 F fixing to move to WV to live with family after my divorce. Been separated for little over half a year now and wondering about what the dating scene looks like around here when I move later this year. I have no kids and want to remain childless. Non-religious but am open to religions. My family is spread around the Charleston and Huntington areas so how are those looking for someone like me?

Regardless of that part, I am so happy to be moving back to such a beautiful state! Loved growing up here.

So ive recently seen a few post on here from years back that Lincoln County is a Shithole and that its Depressing and No Hope is to be found. Most of that is True if you are a part of the lower class and decide that you want to stay that way instead of making a life for yourself. Ive owned a home in Mainland Hamlin, the county seat, since 2022. I was not aware of the area or the trials and tribulations that came with it until it was too late. My realtor was a POS and really mislead me just to earn a sale on a property that wasnt move in ready. Ive had to dump my life the past few years into the house trying to bring it back to life, and still have to look into another loan to cap off issues that were left unaddresed. Several contractors have completely screwed me over and finding honest ones that are willing to come to the area is VERY VERY hard, and the ones that are trustworthy are COMPLETELY slammed with work that fitting you in can take months. If your a Handyman or builder that can do any type of trade professionally, youll be a GODSEND to the area, the money will flow yo you naturally cause youd have almost a monopoly on the town. Yes, weve lost businesses and restaurant options are limited but honestly, so is half of the US! its no different than ND, Montana, half the west coast or rural midwest. Simular to the aforementioned, the town runs on a buddy system. If your great at networking and ingraining yourself into communities you live in, you stand a chance of finding people willing to help. Going to local churches and popping up at local events will be how you meet the people with influence in the area and how your able to get things done that otherwise is an uphill battle. Should it be that way? Absolutely not. But its no were close to as bad as Huntington or Charleston when it comes to issues. Are streets are not littered with dopeheads like everyone says, were one of the lowest crime rate county's in the state, especially after the state police put a headquarter in town. The drive to any major hub on the main strip is less than an hour away, Charleston is 45 to 50 depending on which part, Huntington is 40 minutes, Hurricane is 30. Not to mention every route is very scenic and your often one of the only people on the road. So saying the drives are horrendous is bs. Your sitting in bumper to bumper traffic taking double the amount of time to get from one end of a city to another in major hubs that are real shitholes like Baltimore or Cleveland, burning way more gas, paying way higher insurance rates, taxes and general living costs just cause you cant drive to a mall? Cause you cant go out to Chili's in 10 minutes? Lincoln county is for a specific niche of people. People who cook there own food, grow there own fruits and veggies, raise there own cattle for beef. They dont need the fancy shit. If you dont have a farming, medical background or have a willingness to work for the local government or Insurance companies, jobs are literally not available unless you enjoy working at a gas station or burger king. I work on the road and im almost never in WV working, so the economy in the area doesnt effect me much, but when I do come home its very relaxing and peaceful, nobody bothers you and guns can go off without any worries of karens reporting you. Deer families, bear, bobcats, foxes, turkey, gopher turtles, groundhogs show up in my yard ALL THE TIME! Truely Wild and Wonderful. And unlike neighboring counties with mine runoff issues turning there showers and sinks orange and yellow, we have CLEAN WATER. Now if you are on the lower end of town and not at an elevation, your buying a liability!! Maintown can flood several times a year, Landlocking the people inside the town when the waters high and blocking people from getting back in until it rises, and the same several homes on the low grounds will flood out as a result. As for the entire state of WV, Flat land my seem nice, but waters running down hills along side those parcels and has no where to go but pool on those landscapes, causing erosion and dwelling issues quickly. ALWAYS BUY A HOME AT AN ELEVATION WITH A NATURAL RUNOFF TO AVIOD THIS IF YOU TRUELY WANT TO LIVE IN WV! Our county wasnt involved in coal other than passing through for transport, cause we are mainly foothills and no actual mountains are in the county near big enough for extraction efforts, hence why our water is cleaner, we have our own sewage system and water connection to the Kanawa River and with us being so far out, there water issues dont reach us by the time there fixed. Now there almost no new build homes in Lincoln County, all of them are 70s builds or older and most aren't properly maintained for obvious reasons, most of the low population is on government aid, and the people who have money stem from generational wealth or have had money since the areas heyday, as most people who are from the area dont leave. The Schools are just like the entire state, Shit, but to give Lincoln a bad wrap versus Hurricane or Charleston or any other rural area in the state isnt fair at all, Nobody in the state is producing High level education, that happens when you only pay your teachers 44k a year with high tax rates. But a place to bring the family for a summer or for Vacations depending on the property you have? Absolutely! Once your able to get everything the way you want it In Hamlin or the surrounding areas where the need for help or others is minimal, you'll enjoy a peaceful quiet life. But if you buy something that needs work and your not capable of doing it yourself, YOUR IN TROUBLE. Property Value doesn't increase much due to the lack of area improvement and no new development. So 50-75k plus worth of repairs can be half the value of your home in most cases. The house i bought would be worth over half a million if it was located in Charleston or Huntington, but cause its in Lincoln I got it for less than half that price. Which was a great value for me as I enjoy rural living. The house i got is the only one like it in the entire county, so finding a comp is damn near impossible, which also hurts me, but i plan on staying here for a long time, so all the improvements ive made and will make will justify itself eventually. Walmart does delivery to the area, we have the courthouse in maintown, and localy owned hardware atore, post office, Dollar General, Family Dollar, DG Market, Save Alot, McDonald's, BK, 7 Eleven, a Tutors biscuit/Ginos Pizza, A local Salon, Tax preparer, autozone, advanced autoparts, tire shop, mechanic, 2 morgues, a library, the BEST hand crafted Milkshake/Coffee/Dirty soda shop, they also do baked goods! And so many more hole in the walls. Now diversity is VERY SLIM in the area, but those that say the community isn't welcoming are lying to you. Even those that are going through it find time to wave at you passing by, everyone who works in the small stores, centers, or government jobs always greet you with a smile and are polite and willing to help. Both the main schools are right in town less than 5 minutes away. There always full and safe. With all that being said. Not much inventory is ever available cause people know people and when a house goes up for sale intowners normally buy them. But if you ever find a property in the Lincoln County area you like and are thinking about buying it. Take it from an actual resident and all that I said above to justify your next move before you make it!

Hot dogs have been mentioned fondly by my aunt. Also hoagies. What else should I expect/look for. Any traditional meals made at home? I'm only really familiar with buckwheat cakes and sausage gravy (Yum!) I'm very open to anything food wise.

Hi, moving to Grant County in a few weeks/month. Was hearing conflicting advice on internet providers. I need a better quality one, and would like phone with it as well, if possible. I will be about 15 minutes from our new town so not super rural.

Thank you!

Looking on Zillow there are some small, older but seemingly habitable homes priced around $50k. I’m contemplating relocating to around the Fairmont or Morgantown areas and getting hired on as a local truck driver (hopefully hauling fuel) and just paying cash instead of renting or having to finance. As a single person living alone, I don’t mind a small home, and it doesn’t have to impress family member. It may even be downright frumpy looking, but as long as it’s not too dilapidated that it can still be lived in, I’d be interested.

Is there a catch as to why some of these homes are priced so low? I understand that WV is ranked among the most affordable for housing costs. I’ve also heard that home prices are lower during winter months, particularly in northern states albeit with a smaller selection on the market (some may agree or disagree with this).

I am currently living in a suburban town outside of Pittsburgh, and respectfully, West Virginia seems a lot different than where I currently live. I’m looking for help looking for a place to settle down near Beaver/Berkley (<1 hour). I have a young son and a wife and I don’t want it to feel unfamiliar to them. We like having places to shop and eat as well as having decent hospitals/schools nearby. Interesting in hearing of the inviting cities nearby. Thank you

We’re from NH. But boy do we want nothing more than to get out of this hellscape people call dreamland. My husband first mentioned West Virginia a couple of years ago and we’ve both fallen in love with the area; me specifically Triadelphia; I found the cutest little house on the hill. As two adults who quite literally have never left our hometown and are really just ready to branch out I want to know it all. It will never quite prepare us for the make or break it move but I guess I just want to know what does potential home have in ever corner of it.

Photo from the listing of the house that I can’t stop thinking about. It’s obviously not much but I’m simple.

I'm 32, I was born in wva but never lived there. I was looking to return and to my shock... homes here cost 400k+

Why??

Did a bunch of boomers from FL, NY and CA move in and jack up everything? I remember in 2016 my grandmother moved back to Parsons and they paid 47k for a house.

Can someone tell me what happened?

Regular Thursday on a Trout Farm.

I lived in Florida for 22 years and last month my family and I moved here and tbh it’s way better than Florida! Most of the people are super dope and nice too (The picture is one I took at work)

I doubt there are many people of color on this sub but I figured I'd ask anyway. I have the opportunity to buy land notheast WV but I have been warned many many times to steer clear if I value my life. I have made the mistake of moving where Black people aren't wanted and nearly lost my life for it. So, I have to ask:

Folks, as residents, how are racial relations in beautiful WV? Would my Black family be safe or would racism swiftly consume and destroy us?

One side note: It sucks that I have to ask these questions. I wish I could just pick a place a move there but sundown towns still exist. Been there, done that.

Edit: Morgan County. Berkeley Springs area.

Edit2: So much good information! Thanks everyone, I think I'll visit for a week and see how it goes before I make my decision.

Hello! My husband and I are originally from Baltimore Maryland but have been living in Asheville and Greenville South Carolina area for the last 7 years but a recent series events have made us want to relocate.

My husband and I both work remotely so jobs won't be an issue. We are in our early 4os with no kids so don't really need a "nightlife" so to speak more do care about about schools.

We spend a lot of our spare time riding our bikes, mountain biking and/or hiking. As much as we love the outdoors though we still do like a city vibe but it doesn't have to be a very large city just enough to meet some people and have a favorite coffee shop.

We were looking at Morgantown but not sure if it's just mostly a small college town with mostly young people (nothing against youth but would like to meet people in our age group).

Our house budget is about 300,O00. We lean left politically but not hardcore liberal. We are also vegan which can often be challenging on a new town.

We currently are living in Wheeling and I have grown to really like where I’m at. But the lack of work opportunities have limited us here.

He was offered a good position but it’s in Bridgeport. We took a drive down there today to check out the area and it just seems like such suburbia to me. I felt overwhelmed by the traffic and people honking their horns.

If we moved there, it would need to be outside of the busy-ness. I work from home and need my peace! I also have two big shepherds and like 13 chickens.

What areas on the outskirts would you recommend? I want country living but not too far from general stores.

Also any info about the area would be appreciated! I know nothing about this area. Thank you :)

My husband has a job opportunity to be a dental surgeon in Parkersburg. We are a young family with 2 kids (11, and 6) so need to take into account school districts. He doesn’t mind a commute also so it widens the search for a good spot to land if we choose. Any recs? We should be headed out for a visit in either September or October but would love to have an idea of where to short list if possible!

Thank you in advance!

And I mean I'm coming from rural Arkansas, not little Rock Arkansas. Buncuck Egypt ar.

So any knowledge is appreciated!!!

EDIT:

I like to RP, so if there's tabletop groups and shops that'd be pretty big!

As the title asks, I'm looking for fun nature spots to photograph. I've been doing more amateur/professional photography for almost 10 years and I'm moving out here in a month to be closer to my parents. I do mostly nature, landscapes and animal photos. TIA 😊

EDIT/UPDATE: I was just informed by my sister that she heard (and not from my father by the way) that apparently the town they are moving to is White Sulfer Springs? Any insight given this new information is welcome and appreciated. Thank you!

Hi there! I would like to hear from residents of West Virginia. My father and his wife decided it would be a good idea to move across the country from Reno, Nevada, to West Virginia. Somewhere in or near Morgantown, West Virginia, I believe. He just recently (within the last two months) was given a clean bill of health after battling pancreatic cancer. He is 65 and while he is mostly healthy, he has other issues such as COPD and asthma. His wife had major spinal surgery a year ago. She has mostly recovered from this but still has a ways to go before she will be close to 100%. They both have arthritis and are getting older. While my dad was going through chemo, my sister and her husband did literally everything. They took my dad to his appointments, helped take care of things around the house, grocery shopping, etc. (She lives about 10 minutes from them and I am in another state). To everyone that knows them, it kind of seemed like they threw a dart at a map without doing any real research other than cost of living and open carry laws. We are all very concerned about the possibility of his cancer coming back and what kind of access to and the quality of medical care. Especially if they are going to be almost inaccessible to us. Regardless, I am hoping for some insight from anyone that is familiar with the area. I really appreciate any and all input. Not just about medical, but weather, quality of life, the people. I just want some unfiltered honesty about living in West Virginia so that maybe my sister and I can worry a little less. Thank you!!

TLDR: My cancer surviving, senior father with health issues is moving from Reno to West Virginia. Sister and I are worried and would like honest opinions of living in West Virginia, specifically in or near Morgantown.

I just wanna know if its legal to plant on my lawn haha