Charleston city, West Virginia
CityPopulation: 47,918 (2023 estimate)
Located in West Virginia , West Virginia
Census Bureau data for Charleston city from the American Community Survey. "Cities" in Census data include incorporated places, towns, villages, and census-designated places (CDPs) — all places where the Census collects community-level estimates.
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023 (released December 2024).
Quick Facts — Charleston city
- What is the median household income in Charleston city?
- The median household income in Charleston city is $64,512 (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023).
- What is the poverty rate in Charleston city?
- The poverty rate in Charleston city is 11.7% (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
- What is the median home value in Charleston city?
- $187,300 (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
- What is the average rent in Charleston city?
- The median gross rent in Charleston city is $898 per month (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
- What percentage of Charleston city residents have a college degree?
- 44.1% of adults in Charleston city hold a bachelor's degree or higher (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
Population
47,918
Median Income
$64,512
Median Home Value
$187,300
Poverty Rate
11.7%
Unemployment (ACS 2023)
6.3%
Median Age
42.0 yrs
Since 2019
Median Income:
+$21,168 (+48.8%)
Home Value:
+$41,500 (+28.5%)
Poverty Rate:
-4.6 pp (-28.2%)
Bachelor's+:
+4.8 pp (+12.2%)
Unemployment:
+1.1 pp (+21.2%)
Demographics
Total Population
47,918
Median Age
42.0
Female
50.8%
Race & Ethnicity
Hispanic or Latino 1.9%
White (non-Hisp.) 75.9%
Black 11.8%
Asian 2.7%
Two or More 8.5%
Other 0.3%
Asian Subgroups (% of total pop.)
Indian
1.7%
Filipino
0.3%
Chinese
0.1%
Korean
0.1%
Japanese
0.1%
Hispanic Subgroups (% of total pop.)
Mexican
0.4%
Puerto Rican
0.3%
Cuban
0.1%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Income & Poverty
Median Household Income
$64,512
±$3,337
+$6,595 vs. state
Per Capita Income
$106,159
Median Family Income
$92,300
Poverty Rate
11.7%
-0.2 pp vs. state
Child Poverty Rate
19.4%
Working-Age Poverty Rate
—
SNAP Recipients
16.1%
Social Security Income
—
Retirement Income
28.5%
Household Income Distribution
< $10k
6.7%
$10–15k
7.4%
$15–25k
8.1%
$25–35k
6.7%
$35–50k
11.6%
$50–75k
16.3%
$75–100k
12.0%
$100–150k
14.3%
$150–200k
5.5%
$200k+
11.3%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Housing
Total Housing Units
25,586
Owner-Occupied
62.8%
Renter-Occupied
37.2%
Vacancy Rate
17.0%
Median Home Value
$187,300
+$31,700 vs. state
Median Gross Rent
$898
Owner Cost Burden (30%+)
14.8%
Renter Cost Burden (30%+)
36.4%
Home Value Distribution
< $50k
7.9%
$50–100k
17.4%
$100–200k
13.1%
$200–300k
20.4%
$300–500k
15.8%
$500k–$1M
7.1%
$1M+
2.4%
Gross Rent Distribution
< $500
21.1%
$500–1k
39.3%
$1–1.5k
32.6%
$1.5–2k
4.9%
$2–2.5k
0.3%
$2.5–3.5k
0.8%
$3.5k+
1.0%
Vehicle Availability
No vehicle
13.8%
1 vehicle
42.0%
2 vehicles
32.7%
3+
11.5%
Housing Type
Single-fam. det.
66.6%
Single-fam. att.
3.2%
2–4 units
3.0%
5–19 units
4.2%
20+ units
10.5%
Mobile home
0.9%
Housing Age
Pre-1940
25.7%
1940–1969
12.1%
1970–1999
12.6%
2000–2009
3.0%
2010+
1.7%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Education
High School or Higher
92.1%
Bachelor's or Higher
44.1%
+20.8 pp vs. state
Graduate Degree
21.9%
Some College / Associate
18.5%
Less Than High School
2.4%
Enrolled in School
—
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Employment
Labor Force Participation
58.8%
Unemployment Rate
6.3%
+0.6 pp vs. state
Work from Home
11.2%
Self-Employed
5.1%
Government Workers
19.0%
Private For-Profit
75.4%
Industry
Edu/Health
29.6%
Prof. Services
12.7%
Arts/Entmt.
11.5%
Retail
9.5%
Public Admin
9.2%
Finance
7.4%
Manufacturing
4.0%
Transportation
3.1%
Construction
2.5%
Information
2.1%
Wholesale
1.2%
Agriculture
1.1%
Occupation
Management
51.1%
Sales
19.9%
Food Prep
16.6%
Production
7.9%
Construction
4.4%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Commute
Median Travel Time
17.9 min
Drove Alone
70.7%
Carpool
8.5%
Public Transit
2.1%
Work from Home
11.2%
Walked
5.4%
Bicycle
—
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Households & Families
Total Households
21,237
Avg. Household Size
2.00
Avg. Family Size
—
Married-Couple Households
38.7%
Single-Mother Households
—
Single-Father Households
—
Living Alone
—
Households with Children
12.0%
Multigenerational
—
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Age Distribution
Under 5
4.2%
5–9
5.0%
10–14
5.4%
15–19
6.8%
20–24
5.1%
25–34
14.2%
35–44
12.3%
45–54
11.9%
55–64
7.1%
65–74
7.2%
75–84
12.7%
85+
5.8%
Under 18: 18.4%
Working age (18–64): 81.6%
65 and over: 20.8%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Social Characteristics
Immigration
Foreign Born
3.8%
Naturalized Citizen
63.1%
Speaks English Less Than Very Well
1.0%
Foreign-Born Origin
Asia
61.4%
Latin America
11.7%
Europe
10.8%
Africa
5.9%
Veterans & Disability
Veteran
5.6%
With a Disability
20.0%
Cognitive Difficulty
—
Ambulatory Difficulty
—
Health Insurance
Insured
95.6%
Uninsured
4.4%
Employer Insurance
—
Medicaid
—
Medicare
—
Technology & Mobility
Broadband Internet
88.2%
Has a Computer
93.5%
Same House 1 Year Ago
87.2%
Moved from Abroad
0.1%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023