People Are Fleeing From 3 West Virginia Towns to Other Cities

West Virginia is having a hard time with its people. More than 3% of the state’s people have moved away in the last ten years. It is the only state that has seen a drop in population in every census since 1950. The loss of people affects the whole state, but some towns are hit harder than others. People are running away from these three towns in West Virginia right away.

Kelly Beckley

A story from The Hill says that Beckley is the fourth-fastest shrinking city in the United States. The number of people living in the town, which used to be a busy coal mining hub, has dropped by 7.9% since 2010. The decline of the coal industry and the lack of economic diversity and chances have caused many people to leave the area in search of better opportunities elsewhere. Beckley is also a bad place to live and work because it has high rates of poverty, crime, and drug abuse.

Charleston

It’s one of the ten cities in the country that is shrinking the fastest. Charleston is the state capital and biggest city. The 2020 Census shows that the city has lost 6.9% of its people in the last ten years. Like Beckley, Charleston has to deal with problems like the decline of coal and other businesses, a lack of economic growth and new ideas, and social issues like crime, drugs, and poverty. The city also has problems with its old infrastructure, the environment, and its tax base that is shrinking.

Also Read: People Are Fleeing From Rhode Island to Move in These Cities

Bluefield Township

The number of people living in Bluefield has also dropped dramatically over the years. The town, which is close to Virginia, has lost more than half of its people since 1960, or 8% of its population. In the past, Bluefield was a successful railroad and coal town. However, it has not been able to change with the times and markets. The town also doesn’t have many services, amenities, or fun things to do, which makes it a boring and lonely place to live.

In conclusion

These three towns show how West Virginia is having a hard time with its population. This trend needs to be stopped, and the state needs to find ways to get more people to stay and move in. This can only be done by putting money into things like health care, education, infrastructure, and technology, as well as making the economy more diverse and adding more jobs and chances. If not, West Virginia will keep losing people and its importance in the country.