Morgantown vs Wheeling
Morgantown, West Virginia versus Wheeling, West Virginia: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Morgantown and Wheeling score about the same overall (53 vs 51 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Morgantown | Wheeling |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $41k | $47k |
| Cost of Living | $50k | $46k |
| Home Value | $231k | $132k |
| Monthly Rent | $901 | $748 |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $1k | $1k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.52% | 0.69% |
| Income Tax | 7.00% | 7.00% |
| Sales Tax | 6.57% | 6.57% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 12.10% | 11.13% |
| Unemployment | 9.9% | 6.2% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 32°F | 30°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 74°F | 73°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 44.5 in | 41.9 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 14.4 in | 15.2 in |
| Sunny Days | 191 days | 215 days |
| Summer Humidity | 62°F | 64°F |
| Comfortable Days | 102 days | 99 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 34.3 | 60.2 |
| Air Quality | 47 AQI | 50 AQI |
| School Quality | 50.4 | 73.4 |
| Violent Crime | 788/100k | 2336/100k |
| Property Crime | 1598/100k | 2412/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 30,220 | 26,900 |
| Median Age | 23.8 | 45.0 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.24 | 0.18 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 1.17 | 0.90 |
| Political Leaning | Even | R+26 |
| White (%) | 85.0% | 89.8% |
| Black (%) | 4.1% | 4.3% |
| Hispanic (%) | 3.2% | 1.1% |
| Asian (%) | 3.1% | 0.5% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 4.6% | 4.3% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 17 min | 19 min |
| Walkability | 8.8/20 | 8.7/20 |
| Airport Distance | 62 mi | 37 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 90.9% | 81.8% |
| Amenities Nearby | 66.84 | 34.20 |
| Park & Nature Access | Moderate | Good |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US places: 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 Morgantown or Wheeling more affordable?
- Wheeling has the lower cost of living: its index is $46k, compared with Morgantown's $50k and Wheeling's $46k. Median rent is $901 in Morgantown versus $748 in Wheeling.
- Is Morgantown or Wheeling safer?
- Morgantown has the lower violent crime rate. Morgantown reports 788/100k and Wheeling reports 2336/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Morgantown or Wheeling?
- The median home value is $231k in Morgantown and $132k in Wheeling, so homes are more affordable in Wheeling.