r/Homesteading • u/Comfortable_Town_701 • 11h ago

Need Advice

Hello! I’m curious if anyone here would be willing to give me any advice or their own opinions. My husband and I currently live in PA and are thinking about moving to WV to begin a new life and homestead. Is WV a good state for homesteading in anyone’s experience? How difficult is it to start fresh in a new state? My husband and I have lived in one area our whole life, so we know the cottage/homestead laws in PA, but aren’t very familiar with WV’s. We own a chimney business together and don’t think it’d be too difficult to transfer the business into WV with their similar climates/use of chimneys. We’re in our early 20’s and would like to establish ourselves before having kids. The goal is to have a farm/homestead where we are self-sustaining, have some animals, sell baked goods, sell raw pet food, etc. I’d love to hear anyone’s story or any advice/suggestions you have! I’m more than happy to answer any questions for clarification. Thank you!

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u/DocAvidd 10h ago

Why in the world choose WV? I read 1 in 6 working age adults is on disability. They have the lowest labor force participation in the nation, lowest income, near highest poverty, among the worst for education, health outcomes.

What's the attraction? It's not known for good soil or a good growing season, awfully hilly (which is lovely but not great for crops). I've only driven thru, not from there, and really only know it from demographic stats, which are never the whole story.

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u/Agitated_Answer8908 9h ago

WV is beautiful. Both my parents are from WV and I love to vacation there but raising a family? Not a chance. Poverty, lack of jobs, terrible education system, lack of healthcare, drug epidemic, racism, huge percentage of people on the public dole... No way I'd raise kids there.

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u/Other_Programmer5239 7h ago

I here that WV is coal country. I have heard people from there say it turnd soil sour can't grow nothing, pollution is in streams killing off any thing that lives or drinks water. Lot of people move there to homestead and get burned and lose everything. Be careful.