Martins Ferry is part of the Wheeling area. This page covers the whole metro.
Wheeling at a glance
Each grade compares this area with all 813 U.S. metro and small-town areas: A is the top 20%, F the bottom 20%. Cost compares everyday prices with the U.S. average. Varro doesn't grade safety; crime facts are further down.
Historic
Scored the same way as the quiz, against 813 U.S. metro areas. A feel is listed when Wheeling scores 70 or higher out of 100.
Less so: artsy, growing.
Photos and reviews come from Google Maps and show single places, not the whole area. Reviews are the most relevant ones Google returns for each place. We show the longest highly rated review under 400 characters and, when there is one, the longest low-rated review. Google doesn't verify reviews but removes fake ones when it finds them.
Around Wheeling
Sign in (free) to add it. It takes about a minute, and then anyone can read it.
Around Wheeling
What's nearby
Within 5 miles of the center of the Wheeling area.
None found within 5 miles: movie theaters.
Counts from OpenStreetMap, a volunteer map, so small or new places can be missing. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Stores nearby
Biking and trails
Within 5 miles of the center of the Wheeling area.
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Counts depend on how well local volunteers have mapped the area, so treat them as a rough guide.
Buses and trains
Health care
Nearest hospital with an emergency room: Wheeling Hospital in Wheeling, about 2 miles away in a straight line.
Costs of moving here
What rent costs
Of about 13,370 rented homes in the Wheeling area, 98% rent for under $2,000 a month and 99% for under $3,000.
Census American Community Survey 2019 to 2023 (table B25063). Gross rent includes utilities the renter pays. Today's asking rents for open apartments usually run higher.
What moving costs
Average cost: $1,946
From a 2025 survey of 1,000 people who hired movers. This Old House. Your quote depends on your stuff, stairs and the time of year.
The middle rented home in the Wheeling area rents for under $1,000 a month. Before you get the keys, expect about under $2,000 for first month plus a deposit, or up to under $3,000 where landlords also ask for last month.
Many landlords want your income to be about 3 times the rent. For rent under $1,000, that's a yearly income of about under $36,000.
Estimate from Census rent data (2019 to 2023, rent plus tenant-paid utilities). Deposits and fees vary by landlord and state law.
Moving to West Virginia: before and after
- Forward your mail: USPS change of address. It costs about $1 online to confirm who you are.
- Switch your driver's license and car registration. Each state sets its own deadline, often somewhere between 10 days and a few months after you move. Find the West Virginia DMV.
- Register to vote at your new address: West Virginia voter registration.
- Set up power, gas, water and trash. Some cities bill water and trash together, and some ask new customers for a deposit.
- Update your address with your bank, employer, insurance and the IRS (Form 8822 if you're not filing soon).
- Find a doctor and dentist early. New-patient waits can be weeks, even in big cities.
Schools and childcare
Childcare and colleges
West Virginia keeps an official list of licensed childcare, with inspection reports and openings in many states. In a lot of towns, infant spots fill up months ahead, so it helps to get on waitlists before you move.
| Age | Daycare center | Home daycare |
|---|---|---|
| Infant (under 2) | $295/week about $15,300 a year | $200/week about $10,400 a year |
| Toddler (2) | $265/week about $13,800 a year | |
| Preschool (3 to 4) | $232/week about $12,100 a year | $175/week about $9,100 a year |
| School-age | $150/week about $7,800 a year |
For an infant at a center: $295/week here, $168 across WV, $259 across the U.S.. Full-time infant care at a center here costs about 21% of a typical family's income. These are 2022 prices, the newest the government has published by county, and prices have gone up since.
3 colleges in the county and the wider metro around Wheeling. Prices are yearly tuition and fees for full-time undergrads, before financial aid.
Moving for school? Public colleges charge state residents much less, and community colleges often charge even less to people who live in their district. Most states want you to have lived there about 12 months, for reasons other than school, before you count as a resident for tuition. The rules differ by state, so check with the college's registrar.
IPEDS 2023-24, National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS). Degree-granting public and nonprofit schools with 100+ students. Varro doesn't rank colleges.