West Virginia History

West Virginia stands out among the rest of the nation and it is not just for its mountainous terrain. West Virginia was proclaimed a state by President Abraham Lincoln in 1863, the only state in the nation to be named by presidential proclamation.

Nicknamed the Mountain State, West Virginia has made its mark on the nation with its many firsts. The state was the first state in the south to offer schooling to African American students, the first state to organize a golf club, and the first to lay out brick streets. Some of West Virginia's firsts also changed the economic landscape of the nation. It was the first state to have introduced sales tax and the first to use advertising.

West Virginia Real Estate

Officials in West Virginia say their state is the only state in the country where you can go white water rafting in the morning, visit a trendy art exhibit in the afternoon and attend a symphony concert in the evening. With expansive forests, beautiful mountain gorges, and long flowing rivers, West Virginia has a lot to offer nature lovers. Its vibrant cities, however, offer an interesting balance to the state's natural settings.

Real estate in West Virginia reflects that balance. In Fayetteville, WV, one of the nation's top rated small towns, there are several new housing developments and communities including the New River Gorge Preserve. The New River Gorge Preserve is a developing community with a goal to balance nature with luxurious living. Home sites range from $80,000 to $600,000. Prices for cottages in New River Gorge start at $225,000, while the price for a home starts at $300,000.

Forty miles northwest of Fayetteville is Charleston, the state capital of West Virginia. Charleston officials have been working on the redevelopment of the city's riverfront since 2005. The main goal of the redevelopment is to make Charleston, WV a both a tourist destination city and an attractive place to live and work, ultimately spurring economic development in the city. Currently, the price for a home in Charleston is $114,800, nearly $30,000 more than the state's average home price.

Population and Demographics in West Virginia

West Virginia is the 37th largest state in the nation based on its population of 1.8 million residents as of 2006. The most populated city in the state is Charleston followed by Huntington and Parkersburg. More than 95 percent of the population in West Virginia is white and three percent is black.

West Virginia has the fourth lowest per capita income in the nation, ahead of only Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi, according to 2005 economic statistics. Median West Virginia household income as of 2004 was $33,993.

West Virginia Education

There are nearly two dozen colleges and universities to choose from in West Virginia. West Virginia University (WVU), located in Morgantown, WV, is the largest university in the state and has three different campuses offering a total of 179 majors and 300 student organizations. WVU officials boast that the university has produced 25 Rhodes Scholars and 18 Truman Scholars. On a national level, West Virginia has the lowest number of adults with a bachelors degree according to 2004 Census statistics.