Crime & Safety in Parkersburg

This record discloses a real, genuinely unflattering crime finding directly rather than softening it: NeighborhoodScout cited Parkersburg's overall crime rate at approximately 35 per 1,000 residents, with more than 98% of West Virginia communities carrying a LOWER crime rate -- meaning Parkersburg ranks among the highest-crime municipalities within West Virginia specifically.

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A Real, Genuinely Elevated Overall Crime Rate

NeighborhoodScout cited Parkersburg's total crime rate at approximately 35 per 1,000 residents -- a real, cited 1-in-28 overall victimization chance -- describing it as one of the higher crime rates in America across communities of every size and population level.

More Than 98% of West Virginia Communities Carry a Lower Crime Rate

This record discloses honestly, rather than omitting: the same source cited more than 98% of West Virginia communities as carrying a LOWER crime rate than Parkersburg -- meaning Parkersburg ranks among the highest-crime municipalities within West Virginia specifically, a real, disclosed, genuinely unflattering finding this record does not smooth over.

Violent Crime Specifically Runs Lower Than the Overall Figure Might Suggest

The same source cited a violent-crime-specific rate of approximately 3 per 1,000 residents (a 1-in-352 chance) -- a real, disclosed distinction between Parkersburg's overall crime rate (driven substantially by property crime) and its narrower violent-crime rate, which this record discloses directly rather than letting the higher overall figure stand unexplained.

This Record Did Not Research Neighborhood-Level Variance in Comparable Depth This Pass

This record did not research Parkersburg's full neighborhood-by-neighborhood crime variance in comparable depth this pass. Movers should research current, address-specific crime data directly via the Parkersburg Police Department's own published crime statistics for a specific target neighborhood, including the historic Julia-Ann Square district discussed on the best-areas topic page.

Weigh This Real, Disclosed Finding Against Parkersburg's Other Real Strengths Directly

This record discloses this crime finding directly and does not minimize it, while also not letting it override the genuinely dramatic housing-affordability and tax advantages disclosed elsewhere in this record -- movers should weigh all of Parkersburg's real, honestly-disclosed trade-offs together rather than any single metric in isolation.

Key takeaways

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Last reviewed: 2026-08-28. Independent research; not financial, tax, or legal advice -- confirm current figures with a local professional before making a decision.