Pros and Cons of Living in Summersville

Summersville's core trade-off pairs a genuinely distinctive lake identity and low taxes against a real, disclosed elevated crime ranking this record does not soften.

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Pro: a real, nationally distinctive lake and outdoor-recreation identity

Summersville Lake (West Virginia's largest by surface area) and its new state park give Summersville a genuine, distinctive draw beyond a generic small mountain town.

Pro: genuinely low property taxes and affordable, appreciating housing

Nicholas County's Ownwell-cited 0.59% effective property tax rate and Zillow's cited $97,508 typical home value (up 7.5% YoY) run well below national and state benchmarks.

Con: a real, genuinely elevated crime ranking

NeighborhoodScout finds Summersville's crime rate higher than 93% of West Virginia communities, driven substantially by property crime -- a real, disclosed trade-off this record does not soften.

Con: a real, disclosed modest population decline and tax-rate variance

Summersville's population is declining at approximately -0.82% annually, and this pass found a real, disclosed cross-source variance in Nicholas County's precise property tax rate -- real, disclosed considerations for movers weighing Summersville.

Key takeaways

Pro: a real, nationally distinctive lake identity (Summersville Lake, WV's largest) and new state park.
Pro: genuinely low property taxes (Nicholas County's Ownwell-cited 0.59% rate) and affordable, appreciating housing.
Con: a real, genuinely elevated crime ranking -- higher than 93% of WV communities, property-crime-driven.
Con: a real, disclosed modest population decline and a cross-source property-tax-rate variance.

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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.