West Virginia Sex Offender Statistics (2026)
As of August 2026, we index about 5,450 sex-offender registry records in West Virginia — the 34th-most of the 56 US jurisdictions, at 3.0 per 1,000 residents. These are counts of the records in our continuously updated index, rounded and dated — not West Virginia’s official figures.
West Virginia against the national average
Registrants we index, with the rate per 1,000 residents (2020 Census population). Neighboring jurisdictions are listed for scale; each links to its own statistics page.
| Jurisdiction | Registrants indexed (approx.) | Per 1,000 residents | Rank by count |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Virginia | ≈ 5,450 | 3.0 | 34th |
| United States (all 58 registries) | ≈ 1,560,000 | 4.7 | — |
| Kentucky | ≈ 11,000 | 2.4 | 25th |
| Maryland | ≈ 7,490 | 1.2 | 28th |
| Ohio | ≈ 21,700 | 1.8 | 13th |
| Pennsylvania | ≈ 25,400 | 2.0 | 12th |
| Virginia | ≈ 31,900 | 3.7 | 7th |
Cite this: ≈5,450 sex-offender registry records indexed in West Virginia (3.0 per 1,000 residents) — Offendersearch, West Virginia Sex Offender Statistics (August 2026). https://offendersearch.app/sex-offender-statistics/west-virginia#headline
West Virginia at a glance
- About 5,450 registry records indexed, the 34th-largest count of the 56 US jurisdictions.
- That is under 1% of the registrants we index nationwide.
- 3.0 per 1,000 residents, about 35% below the national average of 4.7.
- 22nd by rate per resident among jurisdictions with at least 1,000 indexed records.
- Largest local count among the cities we publish pages for: Charleston, about 561.
- Largest county count among the counties we publish pages for: Kanawha County, about 795.
Against its neighbors
- West Virginia is about 24% above Kentucky (3.0 vs 2.4 per 1,000).
- West Virginia is about 151% above Maryland (3.0 vs 1.2 per 1,000).
- West Virginia is about 65% above Ohio (3.0 vs 1.8 per 1,000).
- West Virginia is about 56% above Pennsylvania (3.0 vs 2.0 per 1,000).
- West Virginia is about 18% below Virginia (3.0 vs 3.7 per 1,000).
Where West Virginia ranks
West Virginia holds the 34th-largest count of registrants we index among the 56 US jurisdictions — just behind Connecticut (≈5,880) and ahead of Idaho (≈5,360). West Virginia's rate of 3.0 registrants indexed per 1,000 residents ranks 22nd among the US jurisdictions with at least 1,000 indexed records, against a national average of about 4.7 per 1,000. West Virginia's rate is higher than 4 of its 5 neighboring jurisdictions in the table and lower than 1. Absolute size and per-capita rate order the states very differently — the full rankings are on the count ranking and the per-capita ranking.
Housing status (national estimate). No per-state housing figure is published here, because our housing data is a national sample estimate: across 6,668 sampled records nationwide, 5.7% of registrants with a known housing status were homeless or had no fixed address as of August 2026. That figure describes the country, not West Virginia — the breakdown is on the national statistics page.
Where West Virginia’s registrants live
The largest local counts among the West Virginia cities and counties we publish pages for, with the rate per 10,000 residents so places of different size compare fairly.
| City | Indexed | Per 10,000 |
|---|---|---|
| Charleston | ≈ 561 | 114.8 |
| County | Indexed | Per 10,000 |
|---|---|---|
| Kanawha County | ≈ 795 | 44 |
What these West Virginia numbers measure
Every figure on this page is a count of the registry records in our continuously updated index that carry a West Virginia address, rounded to three significant figures and dated to August 2026. Rates divide that rounded count by the 2020 Census population, so they describe scale, not precision to the last person. Local counts cover the cities and counties we publish pages for, not every town in the state.
Registry sizes are not a direct measure of risk. States set their own rules on who must register, for how long, and which registrants are shown to the public, so two states with similar populations can carry very different counts. Use the comparison for context, and a search for any question about a specific person or address.
West Virginia's registry publishes a full date of birth, so if you know the person's birthday a match can be confirmed precisely. With a common name, a matching date of birth is the fastest way to tell two people apart.
How to search West Virginia’s registry
West Virginia’s own public search is West Virginia Sex Offender Registry (WVSP), which covers West Virginia only. A search here covers West Virginia and every other US registry in one pass, returns photographs and the official record link for each result, and can be narrowed to a city, county or ZIP — or run outward from a street address.
West Virginia registry search guide · Search by address · Alerts when someone moves in
West Virginia county figures
West Virginia statistics, answered
How many registered sex offenders live in West Virginia?
As of August 2026, we index about 5,450 sex-offender registry records in West Virginia — the 34th-most of the 56 US jurisdictions. That is a count of the records in our continuously updated index, not West Virginia's official figure: registries add, remove and amend records all the time, so the live answer for a specific person comes from a search, not a table.
How many sex offenders does West Virginia have per capita?
About 3.0 registrants indexed per 1,000 residents, using the 2020 Census population as the denominator. West Virginia's rate of 3.0 registrants indexed per 1,000 residents ranks 22nd among the US jurisdictions with at least 1,000 indexed records, against a national average of about 4.7 per 1,000. A rate describes the size of a registry relative to population — jurisdictions differ in who must register, for how long, and which registrants they publish, so it is a scale comparison rather than a safety measure.
Which West Virginia city has the most registered sex offenders?
Among the West Virginia cities we publish local pages for, Charleston has the most registrants we index, at about 561. Big cities lead on raw counts because they have more people; the per-10,000 column is the fairer comparison.
Which West Virginia county has the most registered sex offenders?
Among the West Virginia counties we publish pages for, Kanawha County has the most registrants we index, at about 795. Each county page breaks that figure down by city.
How does West Virginia compare with neighboring states?
West Virginia's rate is higher than 4 of its 5 neighboring jurisdictions in the table and lower than 1. Rates differ partly because states set different rules for who must register, for how long, and which registrants are shown publicly, so a neighbor comparison describes registry size relative to population rather than relative risk.
Where can I search West Virginia's sex offender registry?
West Virginia's own public search is West Virginia Sex Offender Registry (WVSP), which covers West Virginia only. A search here covers West Virginia and every other US registry at once, with photographs and links to each official record, and can be narrowed to a West Virginia city, county or ZIP.
Are these West Virginia's official registry numbers?
No — they are approximate counts of the registrants we index for West Virginia, rounded to three significant figures and dated to August 2026. Jurisdictions count different things (people, registrations, addresses) and publish on their own terms, so no single official national table exists. For a legal or research purpose that requires West Virginia's official figure, request it from the state registry authority.
Registry data is not a consumer report, and decisions made on it are regulated in that use.
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