Berkeley County vs Wood County
Berkeley County, West Virginia versus Wood County, West Virginia: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US counties.
Berkeley County and Wood County score about the same overall (49 vs 48 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Berkeley County | Wood County |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $74k | $54k |
| Cost of Living | $50k | $49k |
| Home Value | $232k | $141k |
| Monthly Rent | $1k | $780 |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $1k | $1k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.56% | 0.66% |
| Income Tax | 6.93% | 6.37% |
| Sales Tax | 6.57% | 6.57% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 10.86% | 10.25% |
| Unemployment | 4.6% | 5.3% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 33°F | 32°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 76°F | 76°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 40.2 in | 44.3 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 23.1 in | 11.2 in |
| Sunny Days | 231 days | 228 days |
| Summer Humidity | 64°F | 65°F |
| Comfortable Days | 75 days | 73 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 68.3 | 79.8 |
| Air Quality | 44 AQI | 41 AQI |
| School Quality | 42.0 | 41.4 |
| Violent Crime | 588/100k | 994/100k |
| Property Crime | 512/100k | 1966/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 123,283 | 84,272 |
| Median Age | 38.8 | 43.8 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.29 | 0.09 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 1.00 | 0.96 |
| Political Leaning | R+32 | R+43 |
| White (%) | 82.2% | 94.4% |
| Black (%) | 6.6% | 1.2% |
| Hispanic (%) | 5.2% | 1.4% |
| Asian (%) | 1.0% | 0.6% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 5.0% | 2.4% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 30 min | 20 min |
| Walkability | 6.2/20 | 7.2/20 |
| Airport Distance | 46 mi | 92 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 89.4% | 83.6% |
| Amenities Nearby | 7.38 | 6.05 |
| Park & Nature Access | Excellent | Moderate |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US counties: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Berkeley County or Wood County more affordable?
- Wood County has the lower cost of living: its index is $49k, compared with Berkeley County's $50k and Wood County's $49k. Median rent is $1k in Berkeley County versus $780 in Wood County.
- Is Berkeley County or Wood County safer?
- Berkeley County has the lower violent crime rate. Berkeley County reports 588/100k and Wood County reports 994/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Berkeley County or Wood County?
- The median home value is $232k in Berkeley County and $141k in Wood County, so homes are more affordable in Wood County.