Charleston is a city of 47,421 people in West Virginia. The median age is 43.0, about 4 years above the US median. About 45% of adults have finished a four-year degree. The typical home is worth $203,300, having more than doubled since 2000. 5% of residents were born outside the United States. Getting to work takes 17 minutes on average.
At a glance
Lower income
median household income $65,812, below the US median
US median: $82,259
Older
median age 43.0
US median: 38.9
More educated
45% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Stable housing
home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place
What stands out about Charleston
What changed most since 1990
Population57,287 → 47,421(−17%)US over the same years: +35%
White share83.8% → 76.4%(−7.4 pts)US over the same years: −17.8 pts
Median home value (2024 dollars)$155,524 → $203,300(+31%)US over the same years: +67%
Charleston's population equals 27% of Kanawha County's. Its number of foreign-born residents equals 60% of the county's. Its number of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher equals 41% of the county's.
Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.
Section 09 · Service history
Veterans
Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)27.4%(571)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)23%(479)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era31.9%(664)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War3.1%(64)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0.4%(8)
US avg: 1%
Share of the 2,084 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Over time
Charleston, decade by decade
Charleston population, inflation-adjusted income and home value, education, and diversity by year
Year
Population
Median household income
Median home value
Bachelor's degree+
Diversity score
1990
57,287
$56,603
$155,524
28.6%
34.7
2000
53,421
$61,953
$183,623
32.6%
41.8
2010
51,400
$60,611
$189,172
36.4%
46.4
2020
48,864
$60,322
$190,169
41.6%
53.3
2024
47,421
$65,812
$203,300
45.2%
49.7
Census years come from the decennial census and the latest year from the American Community Survey, so part of any change between those two rows can reflect the different surveys. Dollar figures are adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars; a figure ending in "+" was at the Census Bureau's reporting cap that year. The diversity score runs from 0 to 100; see how it's calculated.
