West Virginia’s Top 10
1. Growing: In 2008, West Virginia’s economy grew three and a half times faster than the rest of the nation!
2. Recommended: Inc., Forbes, Kiplinger’s Personal Finance and Where to Retire list West Virginia cities among the country’s best places for business and living.
3. Central: West Virginia is within overnight trucking distance of more than half of the U.S. population – and a third of the Canadian population.
4. Profitable: Business costs are 13 percent below the U.S. average.
5. Productive: The state’s skilled workers are among the nation’s most productive – and turn-over rates are some of the lowest in the country.
6. Global: Investments from 25 countries employ more than 20,000 West Virginians. Plus, the state’s exports grew by 41 percent last year – faster than the rest of the country.
7. Popular: Eleven million overnight leisure travelers visited the Mountain State last year, contributing $3 billion to the state’s economy.
8. Affordable: The cost of living in West Virginia is 5.4 percent below the U.S. average.
9. Safe: The state has one of the lowest crime rates in the country.
10. Home: Low property taxes help West Virginia lead the nation in home ownership. Here, the same money buys a much larger home than in other metro areas.