registered sex offenders live in West Virginia — that's 1 in every 269 residents, or 37.1 per 10,000, 55% above the national average.
Registered sex offender counts for the 10 largest cities in West Virginia, with each city's rate per 10,000 residents. Raw counts track population — the per-capita column is the fair comparison, and the spread is dramatic: Martinsburg's rate is 3× Weirton's. Click a city for its full breakdown, or a column header to sort.
| # | City | Registered offenders | Population | Per 10,000 residents |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Charleston | 48,810 | 78.3 | |
| 2 | Parkersburg | 29,749 | 87.7 | |
| 3 | Martinsburg | 18,739 | 132.9 | |
| 4 | Huntington | 46,841 | 51.5 | |
| 5 | Morgantown | 30,068 | 55.9 | |
| 6 | Fairmont | 18,410 | 82.6 | |
| 7 | Beckley | 17,270 | 77.0 | |
| 8 | Wheeling | 26,986 | 43.4 | |
| 9 | Clarksburg | 15,943 | 72.1 | |
| 10 | Weirton | 19,162 | 41.2 |
Counts as of August 2026, compiled from official registry records. City populations from the 2020 U.S. Census. red = 1.5× the state rate or more · green = well below the state rate.
Every West Virginia city we track has its own page with neighborhood-level numbers, risk levels, and recent registrations:
Statewide numbers only tell you so much — what matters is who lives near your home, your kids' school, or the places your family spends time. The free Predator Map app searches any U.S. address and shows every registered offender around it on an interactive map, with photos, offense details, and registered addresses from official government registries. You can also search the official West Virginia State Police Sex Offender Registry directly.
10-year and lifetime registration. West Virginia registers offenders for 10 years or life (lifetime for offenses against minors and violent offenses, which covers most of the registry). The State Police publish registrants on the public site.
No statewide residency restriction. West Virginia law does not restrict where registrants live; conditions apply through supervision.
Registration & verification. Registrants must keep their address, employment, and schooling current with the registry, and verify in person on a recurring schedule — more frequently for higher-risk or higher-tier registrants. Failure to register or verify is itself a crime and commonly appears as a listed offense on registry records.
Current risk-level breakdown in West Virginia:
As of August 2026, there are 6,659 registered sex offenders in West Virginia — about 37.1 for every 10,000 residents, 55% above the national average. Counts change as offenders register, move, or are removed from the registry.
Charleston has the most registered sex offenders in West Virginia with 382. Raw counts track population, so the fairer comparison is per capita: adjusted for population, Martinsburg has the highest rate among major cities at 132.9 per 10,000 residents, while Weirton has the lowest at 41.2.
Use the free Predator Map app to search any West Virginia address and see registered offenders around it on a map, with photos and offense details from official registry records. You can also search the official West Virginia State Police Sex Offender Registry website directly.
Public registry websites only show what the state chooses to publish. West Virginia publishes registrants on the State Police site. Statistics on this page are compiled from aggregated official registry records, so they can differ from — and often exceed — what a manual search of the public site returns.
No statewide residency restriction. West Virginia law does not restrict where registrants live; conditions apply through supervision. Address-level monitoring matters more than assumptions about "safe" neighborhoods.
Statistics on this page are compiled from official state registry records and refreshed monthly. This page was last updated in August 2026. Always verify individual records with the official state registry.
Yes. Predator Map Pro monitors up to 5 addresses daily and sends push and email alerts when a registered offender moves in nearby, a new offender registers, or someone moves away.
Yes. Registry information is public record under federal and state law (Megan's Law), and anyone may search it to protect themselves and their family. What the law prohibits is using registry information to harass, threaten, or commit a crime against a registrant — misuse can be prosecuted.
Free search for any West Virginia address — and daily monitoring with instant alerts when something changes.
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Methodology: Statistics are compiled from aggregated official state registry records and refreshed monthly. City figures count the city listed on each registry record. Per-capita rates use 2020 U.S. Census populations. Aggregated counts can exceed what public registry websites display because some classification levels are excluded from public searches. Figures are estimates and change daily as registries update — always verify individual records with the official state registry.