West Virginia ranks 34th in nation for safety

By RealWV Staff,

In December, RealWV reported on West Virginia’s nation-leading percentage of zero income households. Our reporting was based upon a study conducted by Visual Capitalist, a digital publisher of statistical-information from around the globe. 

On Sunday, Visual Capitalist released a new study which ranks all 50 states in order of safety. 52 individual metrics were used to determine rankings, with metrics grouped into five categories: personal and residential safety, financial safety, road safety, workplace safety, and emergency preparedness. While placing in the top half of the nation in both road safety and emergency preparedness, placing 15th and 19th respectively, West Virginia ranks 34th overall.

With a ranking of 45 out of 50, workplace safety is the biggest area for opportunity in the Mountain State. In 2025, the AFL-CIO reported approximately eight deaths for every 100,000 workers in West Virginia – the second highest rate in the nation by their calculations. And with a ranking of 43 out of 50 states, financial safety also remains an obstacle for Mountaineers. Concluding the five categories is personal and residential safety, where West Virginia ranks 26th overall. 

Of its five border states, West Virginia ranks as the least safe. Maryland and Virginia are in 13th and 14th place respectively nationwide, followed by Kentucky’s 20th place ranking. Ohio ranks 29th, and Pennsylvania ranks as the 31st safest state in America.