Charleston, WV

Census Place

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2024 Population

47,421

US Senator

Shelley Moore Capito

Republican Party

US Senator

Jim Justice

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

0.939% 1-year increase

2024 Poverty Rate

15.8%

4.61% 1-year decrease

2024 Median Household Income

$65,812

2.02% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$203,300

8.54% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

21,346

3.08% 1-year decline

About

None of the households in Charleston, WV reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

98% of the residents in Charleston, WV are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Charleston, WV are University of Charleston (1,000 degrees awarded in 2023), Charleston School of Beauty Culture (43 degrees), and Ross Medical Education Center-Charleston (37 degrees).

In 2024, the median property value in Charleston, WV was $203,300, and the homeownership rate was 63.3%.

Most people in Charleston, WV drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 16.9 minutes. The average car ownership in Charleston, WV was 2 cars per household.

United States West Virginia Kanawha County, WV Charleston, WV Kanawha County PUMA, WV

Population & Diversity

Charleston, WV is home to a population of 47.4k people, from which 98% are citizens. As of 2024, 4.49% of Charleston, WV residents were born outside of the country (2.13k people).

In 2024, there were 8.01 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (36.2k people) in Charleston, WV than any other race or ethnicity. There were 4.52k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 3.42k Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

98%

2024 Citizenship

98.6%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 98% of Charleston, WV residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Charleston, WV was 98.6%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Charleston, WV compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Charleston, WV

White (Non-Hispanic)
36.2k ± 911
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
4.52k ± 651
Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
3.42k ± 663

2.2%

Hispanic Population

1.05k people

2.2% of the people in Charleston, WV are hispanic (1.05k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Charleston, WV as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the Place level, so we are showing data for West Virginia.

Most Common Origin

India
2,277 ± 1,171 people
Mexico
2,211 ± 1,154 people
Germany
1,987 ± 1,094 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of West Virginia was India, the natal country of 2,277 West Virginia residents, followed by Mexico with 2,211 and Germany with 1,987.

Foreign-Born Population

4.49%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

2.13k people

3.84%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

1.84k people

As of 2024, 4.49% of Charleston, WV residents (2.13k people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Charleston, WV was 3.84%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Charleston, WV compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
623 ± 154
Gulf War (2001-)
571 ± 215
Gulf War (1990s)
343 ± 109

Charleston, WV has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.09 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Charleston, WV.

Economy

The economy of Charleston, WV employs 21.3k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Charleston, WV were Health Care & Social Assistance (4,858 people), Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services (2,081 people), and Retail Trade (2,053 people), and the highest paying industries were Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction ($128,592), Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($128,276), and Utilities ($103,426).

Employment

Occupations

21.3k

2024 Value

± 1,198

−3.08%

1 Year decline

± 8.13%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Charleston, WV declined at a rate of −3.08%, from 22k employees to 21.3k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Charleston, WV, are Health Diagnosing & Treating Practitioners & Other Technical Occupations (2,512 people), Management Occupations (2,224 people), and Office & Administrative Support Occupations (2,215 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Charleston, WV.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for West Virginia.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in West Virginia (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

Industries

Employment by Industries

21.3k

2024 Value

± 1,198

−3.08%

1 Year decline

± 8.13%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Charleston, WV declined at a rate of −3.08%, from 22k employees to 21.3k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Charleston, WV, are Health Care & Social Assistance (4,858 people), Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services (2,081 people), and Retail Trade (2,053 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Charleston, WV, though some of these residents may live in Charleston, WV and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$53,529

Median earning men ± $6,841

$48,965

Median earning women ± $4,375

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($128,405), Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($98,523), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($92,667).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Manufacturing ($100,952), Information ($76,272), and Other Services Except Public Administration ($69,573).

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for West Virginia.

Y-Axis

0.583%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 690k people employed in West Virginia. This represents a 0.583% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 15%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in West Virginia.

Education

In 2023, universities in Charleston, WV awarded 1,101 degrees. The student population of Charleston, WV in 2023 is skewed towards men, with 1,703 male students and 1,178 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Charleston, WV are White (656 and 62.1%), Unknown (166 and 15.7%), Black or African American (111 and 10.5%), and Hispanic or Latino (81 and 7.66%).

The largest universities in Charleston, WV by number of degrees awarded are University of Charleston (1,000 and 90.8%), Charleston School of Beauty Culture (43 and 3.91%), and Ross Medical Education Center-Charleston (37 and 3.36%).

The most popular majors in Charleston, WV are Organizational Leadership (337 and 30.6%), Registered Nursing (179 and 16.3%), and Other Business, Management, Marketing, & Related Support Services (141 and 12.8%).

The median tuition cost in Charleston, WV for private four year colleges is $21,110.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2023 in Charleston, WV, the percentage of applicants admitted was 64.5%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 24%. The number of students enrolled in 2023 was 2,881 (59.1% men and 40.9% women).

The line chart shows the evolution of the percentage of applicants admitted, admitted who enrolled or the number of students enrolled according to the option selected in the upper button.

Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2023 there were 2,881 students enrolled in Charleston, WV, 59.1% men and 40.9% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 1,806 records, of which 44.6% were women and 55.4% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Organizational Leadership
336 degrees awarded
Registered Nursing
58 degrees awarded
Sport & Fitness Management
21 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Charleston, WV was Organizational Leadership with 336 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Bachelors Degree from schools in Charleston, WV according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

University of Charleston
1,000 degrees awarded
Charleston School of Beauty Culture
43 degrees awarded
Ross Medical Education Center-Charleston
37 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was University of Charleston with 1,000 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2023, 632 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Charleston, WV, which is 1.35 times more than the 469 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2023, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 656 degrees mean that there were 3.95 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Unknown, with 166 degrees awarded.

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Universities

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($21,110) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($500) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($1,800) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Charleston, WV was $203,300 in 2024, which is 0.611 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $187,300 to $203,300, a 8.54% increase. The homeownership rate in Charleston, WV is 63.3%, which is lower than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Charleston, WV have an average commute time of 16.9 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Charleston, WV is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$203,300

Median Property Value 2024

±$16,251

$13,358

Median Property Taxes

±$897

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Charleston, WV the largest share of households pay taxes in the $800 - $1,499 range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Charleston, WV compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

63.3%

Homeownership

2024

66%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 63.3% of the housing units in Charleston, WV were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 62.8%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Charleston, WV compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$65,812

Median Household Income

± $4,311

21.1k

Number of Households

± 1,102

In 2024, the median household income of the 21.1k households in Charleston, WV grew to $65,812 from the previous year's value of $64,512.

The following chart displays the households in Charleston, WV distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $200k+ range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Charleston, WV is from West Virginia.

0.443

2023 Wage GINI in West Virginia

0.449

2022 Wage GINI in West Virginia

In 2023, the income inequality in West Virginia was 0.443 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 1.39% decline from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for West Virginia was lower than than the national average of 0.476. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in West Virginia in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in West Virginia across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (72%)
Worked At Home (13%)
Carpooled (7.01%)

In 2024, 72% of workers in Charleston, WV drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (13%) and those who carpooled to work (7.01%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

16.9 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Charleston, WV have a shorter commute time (16.9 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 1.49% of the workforce in Charleston, WV have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Charleston, WV compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Charleston, WV distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Charleston, WV have 2 cars.

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

15.8% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Charleston, WV (7.17k out of 45.5k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 65 - 74, followed by Males 55 - 64 and then Females 35 - 44.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Charleston, WV is White, followed by Two Or More and Black.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Health

96% of the population of Charleston, WV has health coverage, with 44.7% on employee plans, 21.4% on Medicaid, 16.1% on Medicare, 12.6% on non-group plans, and 1.16% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in West Virginia see 1,319 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,319 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1705 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 506 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.2% were men and 50.8% were women.

Coverage

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 21% under 18 years, 19.8% between 18 and 34 years, 38% between 35 and 64 years, and 21.1% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.2% were men and 50.8% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

4.05%

Uninsured

44.7%

Employer Coverage

21.4%

Medicaid

16.1%

Medicare

12.6%

Non-Group

1.16%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Charleston, WV declined by 7.2% from 4.36% to 4.05%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Charleston, WV changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

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