New Martinsville is a small river town with growing events
New Martinsville is situated in a valley along the banks of the Ohio River, with a population of just over 5,000 people. "The small-town America feel is the biggest attraction," says Brian Feldmeier, a broker with THA Realty who has lived in the city for 35 years. Feldmeier says his favorite aspect of living there is being able to know everyone in town. "It's a cool place to be on a low scale of crime and traffic," he adds. In recent years, the city has seen a spike in tourism activity, most notably with the successful Back Home Festival, which was named the "Best Festival in West Virginia" three consecutive times by WV Living Magazine. Even so, Feldmeier says that it's not very common to see new people move into town. "Most of my sales are people who are upsizing or downsizing," he says.
New Martinsville's major employers include local oil and gas plants and the Hannibal-New Martinsville hydroelectric dam, which powers half the city. The small Wetzel County Hospital also provides healthcare jobs.
Older homes come with low property taxes
New Martinsville has a mix of home styles from throughout the 1900s, including bungalows, Folk Victorians and ranch styles. But there's not much from this century along the city's gridded streets. "We are nestled in a valley between two hills, and so we don't have a lot of new construction," Feldmeier says. Smaller or outdated homes go for between $50,000 and $150,000. From $150,000 to $250,000, homes tend to be larger or freshly renovated, and properties with acreage can get up to $350,000. Prices are about on par with those of nearby Ohio River cities, and Feldmeier notes that newcomers to the area are often surprised by the low property taxes. "For your average three-bedroom ranch, taxes are maybe $900 annually," he says.
New Martinsville is a small city where everyone knows their neighbors.
Some older homes in New Martinsville have had some modern upgrades to the exteriors.
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Flooding risks from the Ohio River
The Ohio River has flooded in the past, and FirstStreet.org rates the flood risk in the area as extreme. "With the dams and technology, they don't happen as often as they did 50 years ago," Feldmeier says. "But when it does flood in the city, everybody comes together to help everyone get reset up."
New Martinsville is along the Ohio River in a valley between two hills on either side.
New Martinsville is made up of beautiful homes, parks and river views.
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Sports games and career courses at Wetzel County schools
New Martinsville School serves pre-kindergarten through eighth grade. Niche gives it a C grade. Magnolia High School is rated C-plus. Magnolia High is known for its sports teams, with several state championship wins in the last decade from the track and football teams. In partnership with Wetzel County Technical Education Center, the high school offers health science, welding and electrical courses. Students can also take dual enrollment courses at the West Virginia Northern Community College's North Martinsville campus.
Magnolia High School has an overall rating of a C+ on Niche.
New Martinsville School is a West Virginia Blue Ribbon School and School of Excellence.
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Music festivals, street fairs and Ohio River regattas
New Martinsville's headline event is the Back Home Festival, a three-day music festival and street fair. Starting in 2017, the festival has grown exponentially and now draws crowds of over 20,000. Past headliners have included Billy Strings and other well-known rock and bluegrass artists. "There are people that come from all over the county," says Feldmeier, who adds that the festival is just one of the city's many events. "We have a really active chamber of commerce to put on different events that close down Main Street with vendors and music," he says.
The city's stretch of the Ohio River has been the site of numerous hydroplane speedboat racing records over the years. The Vintage Regatta in June keeps that heritage alive with races from antique boats, and RegattaFest in September offers speedboat drivers the chance to set the new fastest record.
Public parks have mini golf, pickleball and a pool
In addition to trails along the Ohio River, the city has several parks. Bruce Park is a central community space with sports courts and a mini golf course. After over 80 years of use, the park's well-loved pool was demolished, and the city plans to add a splash pad in its place. On the north side of town, the Lewis Wetzel Pool is still open and thriving, and offers water slides. Around the pool, Lewis Wetzel Park has sports courts, an enclosed dog park and a lake with rentable paddleboats. "The pool is a big attraction for the kids," Feldmeier says. The city also added pickleball courts in 2025, which Feldmeier says has been popular.
The pond at Lewis Wetzel Park is a great fishing spot.
After a trip to Walmart the reward is stopping by to see the fish at the pond in Lewis Wetzel Park.
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Mom and pop shops, plus a local Walmart
Several buildings along the city's historic Main Street date back to the early 1900s, including the Romanesque courthouse and the Lincoln Theater, which still hosts local performances. Among other mom and pop shops, Quinet's is a local favorite for its buffet-style comfort food, with walls full of vintage photographs from the city's past. Heading north, there are more modern options, including a Walmart and plenty of chain restaurants.
Older buildings with local businesses line the downtown streets of New Martinsville.
The Walmart in New Martinsville is the all around go to store for the area.
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Several miles to larger cities like Wheeling and Pittsburgh
Residents have to drive for several miles to reach larger cities. Wheeling is about 35 miles away, under an hour along state Route 2. Parkersburg and Williamstown are about an hour south and border the Mid-Ohio Valley Regional Airport. "We fly [out of] there on a good basis," says Feldmeier, although he notes that the airport only offers flights that transfer through Charlotte Douglas International Airport. For bigger cities, Pittsburgh is less than two hours away, and Charleston is two hours away.
Pittsburgh splits the Ohio River at The Point into the Allegheny and Monongahela River.
West Virginia's capital, Charleston, sits along the Kanawha River.
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Written By
Catherine Lashley
Photography Contributed By
Anthony Kelly
Video By
Chris Freeman
Interested in learning more about homes in this area?
Reach out to
Brian Feldmeier,
an experienced agent in this area.
GreatSchools:
The GreatSchools Rating helps parents compare schools within a state based on a variety of school quality indicators and provides a helpful picture of how effectively each school serves all of its students. Ratings are on a scale of 1 (below average) to 10 (above average) and can include test scores, college readiness, academic progress, advanced courses, equity, discipline and attendance data. We also advise parents to visit schools, consider other information on school performance and programs, and consider family needs as part of the school selection process.
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