The Safest and Most Dangerous Places in McDowell County, WV
McDowell County is home to 17,900 residents and includes Welch and Gary · Updated November 2026
Is McDowell County, WV safe?
Yes. Most US neighborhoods have little crime, and McDowell County has less than most of them: its overall CrimeGrade™ is A, safer than the neighborhoods where 72% of Americans live. Violent and property crime both grade A here. What matters most is the neighborhood: grades within McDowell County run from A+ to B-, so check the map below.
A
Overall CrimeGrade™
Safety score 915 of 1,000Safer than most US neighborhoodsi What this means
72% of Americans live in neighborhoods with more crime than McDowell County as a whole, and 28% in neighborhoods with less. The typical US neighborhood has a safety score of 838, a CrimeGrade™ of A-. McDowell County scores 915.
Crime is concentrated in a small share of places, so most neighborhoods score high on the 0 to 1,000 scale. That is why a score in the 800s can still mean more crime than most US neighborhoods.
How to read the map: each area's color compares its crime with the people, homes and cars there, on one national scale, from green for the least crime to red for the most. Each area gets its own color, so a busy shopping center can show red while the homes beside it stay green. The interactive maps load faster on a strong connection. Compare high speed internet in McDowell County, WV at ISP Reports.
Who this page is for: homeowners and renters in McDowell County, and anyone thinking about buying or renting a home there.
Business and enterprise customers: this free map shows neighborhood areas. CrimeGrade™ business reports map crime at about 66-meter detail and estimate it for one address and type of business. See business reports
What stands out in McDowell County
Burglaries run high, though crime overall runs low. Crime overall in McDowell County runs 22% below the US rate, but burglaries run 81% above it: 4.3 a year per 1,000 residents, against 2.4 nationally.
The safest and least safe parts of McDowell County
Every part of McDowell County where people live grades A or B on the national scale. Grades across McDowell County run from A+ to B-; 75% of residents live in areas with less crime than the typical US neighborhood.
100%
A or B 100%
Share of residents, by the overall CrimeGrade™ of the area they live in.
Across the county, the west side has the least crime and the north side the most.
Crime rates and types in McDowell County
CrimeGrade™ estimates McDowell County has about 29 reported crimes a year for every 1,000 residents, 22% less than the US as a whole and 19% more than West Virginia.
Overall crime
Violent crime
Property crime
Reported crimes a year, per 1,000 residents. These figures include simple assaults and vandalism, which the FBI's violent and property crime rates leave out.
Theft is the most common crime in McDowell County, about 42% of everything reported.
Each CrimeGrade™ compares a crime with what it affects: people for assaults and robbery, homes for burglary, parked cars for vehicle theft. Rates count crimes per 1,000 residents.
Select a crime's name to see its map above. CrimeGrade™ business reports map each crime at about 66-meter detail.
How McDowell County compares with nearby counties
Of the 10 counties closest to McDowell County, 7 have less crime. Bland County, VA and Wyoming County have the least.
Nearest first, with each place's distance from McDowell County. Beside each overall CrimeGrade™ is its safety score, from 0 to 1,000 (higher is safer).
Compared with counties of similar size and density, McDowell County has more crime than 89% of them.
Empty homes, jobs and walkability in McDowell County
Two things set McDowell County apart: it has 28.3% of its homes standing empty, against 7.1% nationally, and 17 jobs for every 100 residents, against 45 for the US as a whole. Places with many empty homes tend to report more burglary and arson, yet burglary runs lower here than that would suggest.
Empty homesSeasonal and vacation homes are left out. Places with many empty homes tend to report more burglary and arson.28.3% of homesUS: 7.1%Higher than for 99% of Americans
JobsJobs draw daytime crowds. Places with many jobs tend to report more theft and robbery.17 for every 100 residentsUS: 45Lower than for 99% of Americans
Walk GradeBestNeighborhood's grade for getting through daily life on foot, traced along real walking routes to shops, schools and parks. Walkable places tend to report more theft. 98% of residents here live in car-dependent areas.F (3 of 100)US: 21Lower than for 99% of Americans
Show all 6
Lit at nightSatellite images show which neighborhoods are lit at night, a sign of busy streets and businesses. Brightly lit places tend to report more theft and vandalism.12% where people liveUS: 78%Lower than for 99% of Americans
Stores and restaurantsShops and restaurants draw crowds and parked cars. Places with many stores tend to report more theft.7.0 per 1,000 residentsUS: 10.5Lower than for 97% of Americans
Transit serviceBuses and trains an hour at the evening rush. Places with busy transit tend to report more theft and robbery. BestNeighborhood's Transit Grade for McDowell County: F (0 of 100).NoneUS: noneLower than for 86% of Americans
These traits tend to go with more or less crime; none of them causes it on its own. Sources: Census job counts and housing figures, OpenStreetMap and Overture business listings, CrimeGrade™ parking estimates, NASA night-light imagery, US Forest Service tree cover, EPA transit data and BestNeighborhood's Walk Grade.
What crime costs McDowell County
Crime costs McDowell County about $1,325 a year per household, counting police, courts and prisons as well as victims' losses, 10% more than the US figure of $1,205.
Cost of crime per resident, per year
Counting the pain and suffering of victims, which comes almost entirely from violent crime, the full cost comes to about $47 million a year, or $2,619 per resident.
How the cost breaks down
Crime
Cost a year
Per resident
Murder
$5.1 million
$285
Rape
$480,000
$27
Robbery
$21,000
$1
Assault
$1.6 million
$87
Burglary
$690,000
$38
Theft
$1.1 million
$63
Vehicle theft
$280,000
$15
Arson
$240,000
$13
Vandalism
$400,000
$22
Total
$9.9 million
$553
How CrimeGrade™ works
A CrimeGrade™ shows how much crime an area has compared with the rest of the country, from A+ for the least crime to F for the most. Every neighborhood in the US is graded on the same scale, so a B in McDowell County means the same as a B anywhere else.
CrimeGrade™ starts from the crimes people report to police and measures each kind of crime against what it affects: people for assaults, homes for burglaries, parked cars for car thefts.
The rates on this page count crimes for every 1,000 people who live here, the way police departments report them.
Comparisons with US neighborhoods use the Census Bureau's block groups, small areas of about 1,400 residents, and count the people who live in each. The figures count crimes reported to police; many crimes, shoplifting above all, never are. Behind the grades, CrimeGrade™ tested 21,607 factors from 125 data families. For business owners, paid CrimeGrade™ location reports estimate crime at a single address for each type of business.
Where the numbers come from
Crime reports that police departments file with the FBI
State crime records and city crime data, where they are published
Published research on what crime costs victims and communities
These are estimates of reported crime for whole areas, not a record of what happened on any one street. CrimeGrade™ updates them once a year and provides them free and without guarantee. Check local sources before you rely on them for a decision.
Schools in McDowell County, WV average a SchoolGrade of F: 16% of students test proficient, against 23% projected for schools like them. Overall, they meet expectations. See schools in McDowell County on SchoolGrade
