Why Nobody wants to live in West Virginia !

West Virginia's economy depends heavily on its natural resources, especially coal. However with the decline of coal production due to reduced demand and reduced energy prices, West Virginia's economy has taken a serious hit. Moreover lack of economic diversification has left a lot of people limited to coal mining related skills only, further exacerbating the situation. The state also suffers from severe poverty and opioid crisis. Many young individuals are fleeing the state is search of better opportunities elsewhere leaving the aging and jobless communities of West Virginia in a perilous situation.

[@aarontorres5410]

I love West Virginia. I was born in California raised in Arizona but I will spend the rest of my days in West Virginia with my sweetheart Mary by my side.

[@michaeldunwoody3629]

👍👍👍

[@BIGPIZZABOI]

Don't vote like a Californian and you're welcome here

[@TheGrindcorps]

Sorry to hear man.

[@nickocchino4883]

I live in New York…my son went to WVU…..I visited often …I still make trips to WV….nobody wants to move there??….If that’s true then that makes me want to move there even more…I’m tired of crowded places….WV is a beautiful state

[@billbergendahl2911]

Having always lived in West Virginia I can't imagine living anywhere else.

[@bangkokfed]

I think the person who wrote this video is misinformed. WV does have a opioid problem but not because the young people were looking for escapism. The root of the problem stems from the fact that the drug company/ reps misrepresented the product to the doctors who in turn wrote scripts for Oxy like writing a script for an antibiotic. Also, Walmart hasn't left the sate. As a matter of fact, there are 39 Walmart locations in the state.

[@loriminnesota]

They didn't just do that in WV. They did it all over the country. So why is the problem in WV worse than anywhere else?

[@kennethmckinney2088]

​@@loriminnesotawhat problem are you talking about?

[@paulgodbey304]

I was born and raised in Southern California, but my parents were from Fayette and Raleigh Counties in West Virginia will always hold a special place in my heart because of this. The state has seemed to have been having troubles with employment for as long as I can remember. My hope is that at some point, this will be resolved.

[@anastasiahopkinson5676]

You emphasize tourism. I believe that tourism will benefit WV, notably in many lical economies. For the state to develop more fully, one or two industries could become powerhouses, e.g. manufacturing as WV is licated in thevmidat of the most populous area, or some sort of heavy or technology industry. Once the addiction plaque abates, with help from the Oxycondone financial settlement, WV's people will be productive. WV'ers are hardworking, smart and loyal. It's a fertile grounds for emerging industries.

[@anson.meadows]

West Virginia is incredibly exploited for its resources. This is why a Rockefeller (from NY) had been a senator there for 30 years. To secure the bag. While the natives are exploited for work in natural resources, while other competitive economics are blocked…even the highway system was built in a way to ensure isolation of the regions for exploiting the populous.

[@thestoriesacross]

That's correct

[@zxtenn]

I live and work in NC but i have a house in Quinwood, its amazing how QUIET it is there but i agree not much work available expect Walmart and lowes in Lewisburg from what i can see.

[@wajowski]

"Country Roads" begs to differ, my man.

[@juliesmith4654]

It's a wonderful place to live. 😊❤I'll always love it❤

[@thestoriesacross]

It really is! Wv mountains are a beauty

[@takarirosegamer2.0]

We do a lot people are actually moving there from other states we are more than likely moving there from our state ❤

[@kellyschram5486]

One point this part of the country has historically been poor. This is not a new thing caused by this. All this has done is make it worse.

[@thestoriesacross]

Totally agree. West Virginia need strong policy changes

[@TheGrindcorps]

The culture has always contributed to that there. Redneck culture teaches people to be lazy and depend on handouts.

[@hackyman7815]

Business need to come to West Virginia there alot of good people here that work hard and learn fast

[@Mr.Icemang]

This is a great video! Really put into perspective so many things I’ve never considered about the economic situation and dependency on coal in West Virginia. I hope that there is some way we can utilize coal in the US so they can get enough money to diversify economically, I’ve heard that they end up exporting a lot to places like China

[@thestoriesacross]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@JandMenterprises]

Y'know, Its a good place. It has a song too!

[@ericcallicoat1487]

I lived in Parkersburg 1955-1960, then Charleston from '60-'72 and then Huntington. Coal won 3 wars, the Civil War, WW1 & WW2, probably Vietnam too. Coal was a critical component of gunpowder in the Civil War. It may be the reason the North was victorious. It fueled the fires in factories and foundries across the North as well as heating family homes. But if you didn't know somebody or be related to somebody in mining, you don't get a job. So I left WVA in 1978 and became a 'tarheel' from North Carolina.

[@zxtenn]

I live and work in NC but i have a hideaway in Quinwood WV, EXTREMELY quiet there, i will be heading there this long Labor day weekend. There is a nice WalMart is Lewisburg and Lowes directly across the street. Coal mining is a TOUGH job whether it was boom or bust, i agree there isnt much for entry level jobs or factories at least close to me but its fairly easy to rent a house for 600.-750.00 a month there as well, plenty of truck driver positions open for log haulers and i heard the pay can be respectable.

[@BIGPIZZABOI]

Move here or sell your land for cheap

[@zxtenn]

@@BIGPIZZABOI Why would/should i do that??

[@mbathroom1]

nice video man

[@thestoriesacross]

Appreciate it

[@thomasfields2082]

I would move there in a heartbeat if I could find a reasonably paying job.

[@quaternary611]

From WV, moved to the Carolinas for work, and plan to retire there.

[@georgekraus9357]

Check medical resources first ... that's the problem

[@gfwii8912]

Come to Berkeley county! Fastest growing county anywhere, no zoning, no planning commission, no rules. Developers paradise. If you need a decent job, (need it for skyrocketing taxes) just drive to nearby Maryland or Virginia. State employees on food stamps here while the state senate sitting on $400 million tax haul. Rush hour nightmare. Otherwise bring your cash. I’ve been here 30yrs and it’s as bad as Maryland was when I left there. Heads up if you’re buying a home on public water: the system is years outdated, no supply or infrastructure in place for this growth, they’re trucking water in to areas now. Major shortages coming soon. The state gov is as corrupt as the federal, and this county is catching up quick. I get a decent pension and can’t afford to retire here so I’ll cash out & split. Good luck everyone

[@donriffle1634]

Why WV has struggled economically? 1. Geography - Much of the State is remote and some Counties are straight up and down with little flat land to build industry on. 2. Lack of roads and railroads - Many Counties do not have an interstate. Many railroads have been turned into rail-trails. 3. Exploitation - Rich out of State corporations have exploited our resources for over a century and taken the profits out of our State. 4. Welfare - For 80 years, poor people were trapped in a cycle of dependency on welfare. The Good Book says, “He who will not work, neither shall he eat”. It is a sin to pay people to do nothing. 5. Unfair foreign trade practices - Natural resource based industries like steel have to compete against China who unfairly subsidizes and dumps steel on US markets. Generations of Presidents have paid lip service to this issue. Only young George Bush and Trump did something about this. 6. Talent drain - Many of WV’s best and brightest have to leave the State to find work. 7. Unions - For decades, businesses did not want to locate in WV due to the hostile work environment caused by communist unions. 8. Education - The poverty in some Counties creates a welfare cycle that makes it difficult to educate children (similar to inner cities). Also, quality vocational and higher education are not as accessible in rural Counties. 9. Marxist Green New Deal - “The price of energy will necessarily have to skyrocket” - B.H. Obama. The communist are trying to destroy the coal and oil industries as well as our National economy so they can take over America. Everything Democrats do hurts WV. That’s why after 80 years of lopsided victories, they can no longer “buy” a vote here. 10. Drugs - They are a drain all over America. They need to be stopped at the border. Cut off the supply! 11. Inflation - Government waste is driving up the cost of living for individuals and businesses. Good News: WV is improving. Businesses are locating to our technology corridors. Tourism is flourishing in the mountains. WV is a safe and beautiful place to live.

[@thestoriesacross]

That's one detailed explanation. 🙏🙏

[@dww63]

Such an annoying and disingenuous title millions of people love to live in West Virginia

[@marios.sanchez]

the former economy of west virginia was dependent on fossil fuels. as those industries changed it affected parts of the area harshly. the key to west virginia is to modernize and connect itself more to the national and worldwide economy so it gets it`s share of all that🧐

[@justincase4812]

The CDC graphic is really misleading. There is much more to say than that picture shows.

[@meatballmagoo6134]

Self imposed by criminal politicians.

[@2brokegamers664]

i live in WV

[@danrhone9756]

Nothin wrong with West Virginia. It’s like any other state. I see no difference

[@irockuroll60]

Massachusetts in Appalachia? Hell no

[@coreyhorn5478]

Obama - that’s the main reason. Would the state slowly decrease… yes. But the Obama epa killed the state. I was born and raised on the edge aka East KY. I’m a democrat and I understand climate change, but no one came to replace those jobs. My home town went from great to bankrupt from 2009-2017

[@michaeldunwoody3629]

👍 You are correct!

[@aalb1873]

Alfred is guilty

[@steveeazy18]

I can sum up the problem in one word METH!!

[@matthewwithum8372]

Profound and thoughtful response.

[@boxsterman77]

@@matthewwithum8372and yet it’s a real problem there.

[@mjs8625]

Meth is a means to survive. And yes, these people have fallen into the web of profit. The key is to stop the cycle. This state needs help!

[@firesupport162]

So unfortunate I have deep roots from old family there and I plan on going there

[@matthewwithum8372]

@boxsterman77 It is a byproduct of poverty, which is the problem.

[@19MAD95]

Man this is depressing.

[@19MAD95]

West Virginia needs to lean into the cheap living standards and the tourism industry. Remote workers who want to hike, bike, kayak, and all those things can find a home in West Virginia. The State just needs to be more welcoming. Unfortunately, more conservative states are not the most welcoming.

[@thestoriesacross]

I see your point, however any place for that matter feels a little unwelcoming when there isn't a lot of people moving in and out of that place. If W. Virginia starts to see a lot of outsiders rolling down their streets, who also bring business and a source of income to the locals, things and temperaments start to change. Places tend to become more cosmopolitan with more diversity and more flavor if you will.

[@bobfox2733]

You are wrong

[@2brokegamers664]

this guys is lieing about walmart and a few other things

[@ncavlleguy]

Most of those country roads lead to dead end poverty !!

[@mjs8625]

This state should be absorbed or adopted by a neighboring state! Get these people some help! It is much like a dying company. It is bankrupt but the people living there have little idea what is going on in the big picture.

[@thestoriesacross]

It definitely needs help. Otherwise nobody will ever recognize what's west Virginia.

[@donriffle1634]

West Virginia is not bankrupt. The State government is fiscally responsible and much better off than most States. Much of WV is geographically remote. Saying every square inch of WV should be rich is like saying why isn’t Silicone Valley in the Alaskan tundra. West Virginia should absorb the conservative rural Counties of PA, MD and VA as the suffer from the misery caused by Philly, DC, Baltimore and Richmond!

[@snactimusmaximus]

​@@donriffle1634 Exactly.

[@hansblitz7770]

Why? So we can have Chocolate neighborhoods that are too violent to live in?

[@Bulvan123]

​@@donriffle1634Maryland is small enough as it is. There is zero chance Maryland will allow the 3 westernmost counties to leave & join WV.

[@truenorth3740]

This is what happens when people are drunk or high 24 hours a day .

[@johnfrank3642]

I’m originally from West Virginia I don’t mind: my section of West Virginia Trump didn’t do nothing for my area of West Virginia but further bring it down we had a big Papermill in luxe Maryland which is just across the river from Keyser and Piedmont they close down about three or three years ago lol 653 inside jobs that doesn’t count all the loggers that all the paper the board to the Papermill also a lot of businesses have closed down Rollie as a result of that it’s pretty bad when they close an antique store downBut I’m still proud to be from the great state of West Virginia had to move away from there when I was 11 years old in 1960 but West Virginia never left my heart