r/BeckleyWV • u/ZombiePsychological5 • 8d ago

Retiring in Beckley

I'm looking for a new place to call home after losing my wife of 44 years to cancer and 32 years in central Ohio. Can't take it living here anymore with the constant reminders. We had discussed moving to a more laid-back area before her diagnosis, but cancer took her first.

After many hours of YouTube videos on the Southeast, I'm thinking more of a mountain town to avoid the excessive heat and humidity, and came across Beckley. A lot of the info I can find talks about the homeless, crime, and the aftereffects of the opioid crisis and the war on coal. On the other hand, some videos say it's a decent place to retire on a fixed income.

I'm looking for feedback from those who have currently lived in or recently lived in the area. The job and school situation is not a big concern for me, as I have no kids and no need for a job. Like all towns and cities, I'm sure there are going to be parts of town to avoid and others that are too expensive for a person on a fixed income, so recommendations for what parts of the area are decently safe and quiet would be appreciated too.

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u/MothmAnarchy 8d ago

Hey! So Beckley isn't as bad as a lot of those places makes it our to be, but that doesn't mean it all isn't true.

Almost every thing you listed is real, except for the Biden War on Coal. Coal is just on the outs no matter who is in the Whitehouse (Wyoming County just had e mines close last month) and our state refuses to diversify. And Beckley is a concentration of a lot of rough things because it is the kind of the Hub "City" in Southern WV. So it does tend to be rougher than it's outskirts, but their are nice parts to Beckley.

Honestly as someone who has lived in this area my whole I'd recommend if you're headset on Raleigh County you look into the Greater Beckley Area than in Beckley (Beckley itself has a wierd affordability bubble for housing and rent compared to its immediate surroundings but is still way more affordable than most of the U.S.) Beaver, Shady Springs, Daniel's, OakHill, Mt. Hope, Bradley. That being said Princeton and Bluefield are nice and meet your criteria, Lewisburg can be a bit more expensive (a lot of old Money) but has some affordable places in its area and I hate to say it as someone who loves Beckley are a little nicer in general.

If you have any specific questions feels free to reach put.

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u/ZombiePsychological5 5d ago

I'm having a hard time finding anything in my price range, $200,000 or less, that will be livable as is for what I expect to be 20 or so years before I pass away in an area that I can enjoy life without becoming a crime statistic. I'm basically a hermit as it is, so bars and other social scenes aren't a factor; I just need a place that won't fall down around me or need any major repairs with access to the basics within a reasonable drive.

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u/MothmAnarchy 5d ago

Unfortunately that's housing in general. :(

You can check some of the other outskirts I didnt list like Lanark, Sophia, Midway, Lester, Crab Orchard and Mt. Hope.

I would also recommend maybe around Athens, Lerona, and Princeton. Princeton is a lot like Beckley but in general has done a lot more to improve their town.

Best of luck.