Map the Block › Places › West Virginia › Ritchie County
Ritchie County, West Virginia in numbers: crime, income, hazards
The violent-crime rate in Ritchie County was 0.43 per 1,000 residents (2021-2025 average, FBI), 84% lower than the statewide rate (2.7). The median household earns $50,582 and the unemployment rate was 4.6% in August 2026. It is home to roughly 8,286 residents.
Last updated . Crime: FBI 2021-2025. Income and housing: Census ACS 2020-2024. Unemployment: BLS August 2026. Road work: October 11, 2026.
Also on the map: income · hazard risk · Superfund · dams
What is the crime rate in Ritchie County?
From 2021 through 2025, Ritchie County averaged 3 reported violent crimes a year, along with 33 property crimes. The violent rate, 0.43 per 1,000 people, is 84% lower than the West Virginia rate (2.7); nationally it is 3.7. Burglary, theft and car theft together come to 4.5 per 1,000 residents, compared with 12.1 across West Virginia. With this few incidents, one or two cases move the rate a lot from year to year.
| Offense (yearly average, 2021-2025) | Ritchie County | Per 1,000 | West Virginia per 1,000 | U.S. per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crime | 3 | 0.43 | 2.7 | 3.7 |
| Murder | 1 | 0.14 | 0.05 | 0.06 |
| Rape | 0 | 0.00 | 0.52 | 0.40 |
| Robbery | 0 | 0.00 | 0.11 | 0.62 |
| Aggravated assault | 2 | 0.29 | 2.0 | 2.6 |
| Property crime | 33 | 4.5 | 12.1 | 18.1 |
| Burglary | 6 | 0.86 | 1.8 | 2.4 |
| Larceny-theft | 27 | 3.9 | 9.4 | 13.0 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 0 | 0.03 | 0.88 | 2.6 |
Most crime never reaches the police, so these are reported crimes, a floor rather than the full count. In 2024 about half of violent crimes (48%) and about 3 in 10 property crimes (31%) were reported to police (U.S. Justice Department, National Crime Victimization Survey). Rates also depend on how completely each agency reports to the FBI. County figures add up the city police and sheriff reports in the county (2 agencies; 90% of residents covered).
What is the median household income in Ritchie County?
Median household income is $50,582, 15% lower than the statewide figure ($59,608). The typical owner-occupied home is valued at $115,900 by its owners; renters pay a median $579. 15.9% of households received SNAP benefits in the past year (state: 17.3%). The newest monthly figure from the Bureau of Labor Statistics is 4.6% for August 2026 (preliminary), with 152 people out of work and looking.
| Census ACS 2020-2024 | Ritchie County | West Virginia | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 8,286 | 1,778,373 | 334,922,499 |
| Median household income | $50,582 | $59,608 | $80,734 |
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $115,900 | $162,600 | $332,700 |
| Median gross rent | $579 | $872 | $1,413 |
| Unemployment rate (2020-2024 average) | 2.4% | 5.4% | 5.2% |
| People below the poverty line | 21.6% | 16.7% | 12.5% |
| Households receiving SNAP (food stamps) | 15.9% | 17.3% | 12.1% |
| Adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher | 14.4% | 24.1% | 35.7% |
| Homeowner households | 84.2% | 74.9% | 65.2% |
| Median age | 46.1 | 42.7 | 38.9 |
| Households with broadband internet | 80.7% | 86.1% | 91.0% |
| People without health insurance | 7.8% | 6.0% | 8.4% |
What natural hazards and environmental sites are in Ritchie County?
On FEMA's National Risk Index, Ritchie County has an overall natural-hazard risk rating of “Very Low”. None of the seven hazards on our map (floods, wildfire, tornadoes, heat, earthquakes, hurricanes) is rated above “Relatively Moderate” here. The index compares counties with each other and also weighs how vulnerable and resilient a community is, so it is a long-run estimate, not a forecast.
Superfund sites
EPA lists no Superfund site in Ritchie County, active or completed (October 2026).
High-hazard dams
The National Inventory of Dams lists 3 high-hazard dams in Ritchie County. 1 is rated Poor or Unsatisfactory in condition, 2 Satisfactory or Fair. The two tallest are North Fork Hughes River Site 21c Dam (86 ft) and Schellhas Dam (41 ft). “High hazard” describes what lies downstream (people would probably die if the dam failed), not how likely the dam is to fail.
Disasters, air and water
Ritchie County was covered by 1 federal major disaster declaration from 2016 through 2025 (Mud/Landslide 1), not counting COVID-19. Of 5 community water systems, 2 had an open health-based drinking-water violation in EPA's records (September 2026). EPA puts the county in radon zone 2 (moderate). NHTSA counted 4 traffic deaths in the county in 2024.
Is there road construction in Ritchie County?
No highway work zones were listed in Ritchie County in the October 11, 2026 state feed. Some states publish only part of their road work in open feeds, so check the state's 511 site before you travel. The map's layer refreshes every morning.
See today's work zones on the map →
How many schools, nursing homes and parks are in Ritchie County?
Ritchie County has 5 public schools (2024-25) and 1 private school (2023-24) in federal school lists. 1 nursing home is certified by Medicare or Medicaid here; star ratings for each are on the map and on Medicare's Care Compare. USGS mapping shows 5 fire or EMS stations and 4 police or sheriff stations. 1 state park or recreation area: North Bend State Park.
Gun shops, liquor stores and Planned Parenthood in Ritchie County
Gun shops
2 gun shops with a public storefront are on the map in Ritchie County, plus 2 more licensed dealers without a public storefront (not shown). One of them is a pawnshop licensed to sell guns. On the ATF list: Andy's Trading Post LLC (Harrisville) and Stout Hardware (Harrisville).
Liquor stores
No liquor stores are on the map in Ritchie County. West Virginia has no complete public liquor licence list we can use, so this count also draws on OpenStreetMap and Overture Maps and may miss some stores or include closed ones.
Planned Parenthood
There is no Planned Parenthood health center in Ritchie County on the map.
See them on the map: gun shops →
Sources: ATF licensee list (Sept 2026); state liquor licence lists, OpenStreetMap and Overture Maps (non-official; partial in some states); HHS Title X directory and CMS NPPES.
Common questions
What is the crime rate in Ritchie County?
Ritchie County averaged 3 reported violent crimes a year in 2021-2025, or 0.43 per 1,000 residents, 84% lower than the West Virginia rate (2.7). The property-crime rate was 4.5 per 1,000 (FBI Uniform Crime Reporting).
What is the median household income in Ritchie County?
$50,582 (Census American Community Survey, 2020-2024 average), compared with $59,608 for West Virginia and $80,734 nationally.
What is the unemployment rate in Ritchie County?
The newest monthly figure from the Bureau of Labor Statistics is 4.6% for August 2026 (preliminary), with 152 people out of work and looking.
What natural hazards affect Ritchie County?
On FEMA's National Risk Index, Ritchie County has an overall natural-hazard risk rating of “Very Low”. None of the seven hazards on our map (floods, wildfire, tornadoes, heat, earthquakes, hurricanes) is rated above “Relatively Moderate” here.
Is there road construction in Ritchie County right now?
No highway work zones were listed in Ritchie County in the October 11, 2026 state feed. Some states publish only part of their road work in open feeds, so check the state's 511 site before you travel.
How many nursing homes are in Ritchie County?
1 Medicare- or Medicaid-certified nursing homes (CMS provider data, September 2026).
How does Ritchie County compare with neighboring counties?
| County | Population | Violent crimes per 1,000 (2021-25) | Median household income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calhoun County | 6,048 | 0.00 | $43,980 |
| Doddridge County | 7,711 | 2.5 | $57,401 |
| Gilmer County | 7,288 | 0.07 | $47,981 |
| Pleasants County | 7,521 | 0.16 | $60,932 |
| Tyler County | 8,064 | 0.47 | $63,693 |
| Wirt County | 5,053 | 0.39 | $49,867 |
| Wood County | 83,407 | 1.9 | $57,810 |
More: West Virginia statewide numbers · Sex-offender registry search (U.S. Justice Department, NSOPW)
Where do these numbers come from?
- Crime: FBI Uniform Crime Reporting 2021-2025 (agency level, Return A), averaged and summed by county by Map the Block; Census population; state and national rates: FBI estimated crimes 2021-2025.
- Income, housing, education: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year, table B19013 (median household income) and related tables.
- Monthly unemployment: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS), county data, not seasonally adjusted. Public domain.
- Hazards: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), county scores; disasters: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
- Superfund: U.S. EPA, Superfund site boundaries and NPL status (October 2026). Dams: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, National Inventory of Dams (public map service, October 2026). Chemical releases: U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory, reporting year 2024 (basic data file).
- Air and water: U.S. EPA AirData, annual AQI by county 2024; EPA Air Quality Design Values 2023-2025 (June 2026); U.S. EPA SDWIS via ECHO drinking-water download (September 30, 2026). Traffic deaths: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) 2024; Census population.
- Work zones: State departments of transportation, via the U.S. DOT Work Zone Data Exchange (WZDx) and state 511 feeds; refreshed every morning (snapshot October 11, 2026).
- Schools: National Center for Education Statistics, EDGE public school locations 2024-25; budgets: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances, fiscal year 2024; National Center for Education Statistics, EDGE Private School geocodes (Private School Survey 2023-24). Nursing homes: U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Nursing Home Provider Information and Penalties (September 2026). Stations: U.S. Geological Survey, National Structures Dataset (Fire Stations/EMS Stations), October 2026 pull.
- Parks: USGS Protected Areas Database of the U.S. (PAD-US 4.1); state park agencies' open data (CA, NY, PA, TN, TX, FL, NJ, KY, HI, UT, MT and others); OpenStreetMap contributors for some hours, phones, fees and camping; U.S. National Park Service: unit boundaries (Land Resources Division), Acreage Report (Sept 30, 2026), park pages on nps.gov (hours, fees), Visitor Use Statistics (2025).
Map the Block shows public statistics about places, not people, and does not rate or rank neighborhoods as places to live. Figures are as published by each source; check the source before relying on a number.
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