CLARKSBURG, W.Va. (WBOY) — West Virginia is underrated according to a new study from Allied Van Lines that aimed to find out what qualities people were looking for in their new home when they moved.

The moving company asked people what traits made a city or state desirable, and which traits made a city or state overrated.

The study found that West Virginia was ranked 21st most desirable overall, and 10th most underrated, yet also 11th least desirable and 17th most overrated.

Other states experienced similar contradictions, with California being ranked the most desirable overall, yet the most overrated overall and the third least desirable.

The 10 most underrated were:

  1. Colorado
  2. Wyoming
  3. Tennessee
  4. Alaska
  5. Virginia
  6. Arizona
  7. Georgia
  8. Texas
  9. South Carolina
  10. West Virginia

In comparison, the 10 most overrated were:

  1. California
  2. New York
  3. Florida
  4. Texas
  5. Washington
  6. Hawaii
  7. Arizona
  8. New Jersey
  9. Colorado
  10. Alaska

So what metrics did they use?

More than one in three people said that high crime, a high cost of living, expensive homes and high taxes would make an area overrated.

Notably, Allied Van Lines found that all generations agreed that a lack of public safety was the number one thing to make a place overrated.

Likewise, more than one in three people said low crime, affordable homes, low cost of living and a high quality of life made a city or state desirable to them.

Crime bothered people enough that nearly four in 10 (39%) Americans told Allied Van Lines it could convince them to leave their state.

While a recent Safewise report found that crime in West Virginia did increase last year, it still remains below national averages, with a violent crime rate of 3.6 per 1,000 people and a property crime rate of 18.0 per 1,000 people. National averages were 4.0 and 19.3 respectively.

According to Sperling’s Best Places, West Virginia has a lower overage cost of living than the U.S. average, with a cost of living index of 79.4 compared to 100 in the U.S. overall.

That’s especially true with the median home cost—$338,100 in the nation overall compared to just $139,700 in West Virginia.

So while West Virginia may not have the best reputation nationally, we may be quietly enjoying some of the things that Americans consider most important about where they live.

Click here to read the full Allied Van Lines study.