Charleston West Virginia Offers So Much

THANKS to Sue Nelson, the Charleston area's secret is out. Her "My Hometown" report in Family Circle Magazine told the nation of what life is like here in West Virginia.

"We love it here. That's why I wanted to do it," Nelson told the Daily Mail's Monica Orosz.
What is not to love? The city has a strong combination of amenities and convenience. It's a beautiful and pleasant place to live.

Photographer Steve Payne provided pictures of the Nelson family at the foot of the Carriage Trail, as well as Regatta fireworks, the ballpark and the gold dome of the Capitol.
Charleston has a lot going for it.

A survey of 300 communities by the Council for Community and Economic Research found that Charleston has the lowest cost of living. Groceries are 13 percent below the national average.

Thanks to coal, West Virginia has the lowest price-per-kilowatt hour for electricity among the 50 states.

The low cost of living is a selling point for the city, said Jeri Adkins, a senior vice president at the Charleston Area Alliance.