State scorecard
West Virginia in the US Political Rank
Every place West Virginia holds across our state rankings, in one scorecard. Economy, taxes, education, crime, healthcare, and more, each measured the same way for all 50 states and each linked to the full cited ranking.
#1
of 25 on States Ranked by Housing Affordability
#50
of 25 on States Ranked by Infrastructure Condition
42.4%
Governor Patrick Morrisey performance score, rank 36 of 50
10
state rankings that score West Virginia
Governor
West Virginia's governor, Patrick Morrisey (Republican), holds performance rank 36 of 50 at 42.4% this week in the Governor Performance Rankings, scored on 263 metrics and updated every Monday.
| Ranking | West Virginia's place | Score |
|---|---|---|
| States Ranked by Housing AffordabilityThe lowest typical home value of any state at $173,639 in Q1 2026 (Zillow Home Value Index) and a price-to-income ratio near 2.8, the healthiest in the nation (Visual Capitalist analysis of Zillow and Census data, 2026). | #1 of 25 | 96.4 |
| The Top 20 Energy-Producing States6,089.9 trillion Btu in 2023 from a natural gas boom stacked on top of the nation's second-largest coal output (EIA SEDS, 2023). | #4 of 20 | 22.5 |
| States Ranked by Dependence on Federal MoneyA per-capita balance of payments of 12,130 dollars in 2023, fifth highest in the nation, receiving far more federal spending than its below-average federal tax payments send in (Rockefeller Institute, 2025). | #4 of 50 | 94.9 |
| States Ranked by Violent Crime Rate248.8 per 100,000, one of the lower reported rates in the South, with a murder rate of 5.3 near the national level (FBI, 2024). | #16 of 50 | 248.8 |
| States Ranked by Total Tax BurdenA below-average total burden with the most affordable housing in America (Tax Foundation, 2022), though slow income growth limits how much a light burden can do for the economy. | #28 of 50 | 69.7 |
| Voting With Their Feet: States Ranked by Migration and Population GrowthNear balance to a modest loss in the Vintage 2025 estimates (Census Bureau, 2025). The most affordable housing in America helps, but an older population weighs on natural increase. | #34 of 50 | 48.6 |
| States Ranked by Health Care OutcomesOne of the five lowest-ranked states on the Commonwealth Fund's 2025 Scorecard, with life expectancy among the two or three lowest in the nation (Commonwealth Fund, 2025; CDC NCHS). | #46 of 50 | 53.7 |
| Ranking the 50 State Economies of 2026Real GDP growth under 1 percent in 2025 (BEA, 2026). The state's housing is the most affordable in America, but output growth remains near the bottom of the table. | #46 of 50 | 57.1 |
| States Ranked by K-12 Education OutcomesAt or near the bottom of the state rankings on all four 2024 NAEP assessments (NCES, NAEP 2024). | #48 of 50 | 52.0 |
| States Ranked by Infrastructure ConditionThe nation's worst bridge inventory by share: 1,307 of its 7,345 bridges, 17.8 percent, rated structurally deficient in the 2025 ARTBA analysis of federal data, nearly triple the national rate (ARTBA Bridge Report, 2025). | #50 of 25 | 48.5 |
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