Piedmont, WV

Piedmont sits on a scenic bend of the Potomac River in Mineral County, with steep Appalachian hills rising directly behind the streets. With around 700 residents, it has the feel of a quiet, unhurried mountain town. The community got its start as a key rail stop in the 1850s, which shaped the compact layout of neighborhoods and historic homes you see today. For newcomers, it offers affordable housing and a tucked-away setting right on the state line.

ATTRFamartin / CC BY-SA 4.0

Because Piedmont borders Maryland, life here naturally connects to neighboring river towns like Westernport and Luke, with Keyser just a short drive away for high schools, groceries, and daily services. It is a place where families tend to know their neighbors, a community spirit famously captured by scholar Henry Louis Gates Jr. in his memoir about growing up here. If you are looking for low-cost living surrounded by wooded hills and river views, Piedmont offers a genuine, down-to-earth slice of small-town West Virginia.