Charleston, West Virginia Population 2023

46,692

Charleston is a city located in Kanawha County West Virginia. It is also the county seat of Kanawha County. With a 2023 population of 46,692, it is the largest city in West Virginia and the 849th largest city in the United States.Charleston is currently declining at a rate of -1.39% annually and its population has decreased by -4.11% since the most recent census, which recorded a population of 48,695 in 2020. Spanning over 33 miles, Charleston has a population density of 1,482 people per square mile.

The average household income in Charleston is $75,087 with a poverty rate of 22.47%. The median rental costs in recent years comes to - per month, and the median house value is -. The median age in Charleston is 42.1 years, 40.1 years for males, and 44.2 years for females.

Charleston Demographics

According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of Charleston was:

  • White: 78.81%
  • Black or African American: 14.32%
  • Two or more races: 4.02%
  • Asian: 2.39%
  • Native American: 0.3%
  • Other race: 0.15%
  • Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander: 0%
The current population of Charleston, West Virginia is 46,692 based on our projections of the latest US Census estimates.The last official US Census in 2020 recorded the population at 48,695.

Charleston, West Virginia Population 2023

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Charleston Metro Area Population by Year

Population by Race

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White

Black or African American

Two or more races

Asian

Native American

Other race

Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander

Charleston Population by Race

Charleston Population Pyramid 2023

Charleston Median Age

42.1

Total

40.1

Male

44.2

Female

Charleston Adults

There are 38,568 adults, (9,177 of whom are seniors) in Charleston.

Charleston Age Dependency

60.8

Age Dependency Ratio

31.2

Old Age Dependency Ratio

29.6

Child Dependency Ratio

Charleston Sex Ratio

Female24,81952.5%
Male22,45447.5%

Charleston Population by Age

Charleston Renter vs Owner Occupied by Household Type

2.88

Average Family Size

2.1

Average Household Size

60.6%

Rate of Home Ownership

Married

Male

Female

NonFamily

owner

renter

Charleston Households and Families

Male

Female

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Less Than 9th Grade

9th to 12th Grade

High School Graduate

Some College

Associates Degree

Bachelors Degree

Graduate Degree

Charleston Educational Attainment by Sex (over 25)

Charleston Educational Attainment by Race

High School Graduation Rate

Bachelors Rate

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The highest rate of high school graduation is among asian people with a rate of 84.83%.

The highest rate of bachelors degrees is among asian people with a rate of 76.15%.

Charleston Educational Attainment by Race

All

Male

Female

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$40,050

Average Earnings

$41,205

Average Male

$37,890

Average Female

Charleston Earnings by Educational Attainment

Charleston Language by Age

Only English

Spanish

Other Indo-European Languages

Asian and Pacific Island Languages

Other Languages

Charleston Language

95.04% of Charleston residents speak only English, while 4.96% speak other languages. The non-English language spoken by the largest group is Asian and Pacific Island languages, which is spoken by 2.24% of the population.

Charleston Language

Charleston Poverty by Race

rate

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22.47%

Overall Poverty Rate

18.35%

Male Poverty Rate

21.11%

Female Poverty Rate

Poverty in Charleston

The race most likely to be in poverty in Charleston is Native, with 72.54% below the poverty level.

The race least likely to be in poverty in Charleston is Other, with 5.08% below the poverty level.

The poverty rate among those that worked full-time for the past 12 months was 3.02%. Among those working part-time, it was 26.22%, and for those that did not work, the poverty rate was 29.62%.

Charleston Poverty

rate

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Charleston Poverty Rate by Education

rate

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Charleston Poverty Rate by Employment Status and Sex

Charleston Income by Household Type

Households

Families

MarriedFamilies

NonFamilies

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mean

median

Income by Household Type

Charleston Marital Status

Married

Widowed

Divorced

Separated

NeverMarried

Marriage Rates

40.4%

Overall Marriage Rate

42.0%

Male Marriage Rate

39.0%

Female Marriage Rate

Charleston Married by Age and Sex

male

female

Charleston Marriage

The age group where males are most likely to be married is Over 65, while the female age group most likely to be married is 55-64.

Charleston Marital Status by Race

Married

Widowed

Divorced

Separated

NeverMarried

Charleston Marital Status

Second Gulf War

First Gulf War

Vietnam

Korea

World War II

2,316

Number of Veterans

2,263

Male Veterans

53

Female Veterans

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Charleston Veterans by War

count

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Charleston Veterans by Age

count

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Charleston Veterans by Race

Charleston Veterans by Education

Less Than 9th Grade

High School Graduate

Some College

Bachelors or Greater

13.52%

Veteran Poverty Rate

33.97%

Veteran Disability Rate

Charleston Veterans by Education

LaborForceParticipation

57.9%

Labor Force Participation

54.6%

Employment Rate

5.5%

Unemployment Rate

Charleston Employment by Age

LaborForceParticipation

Charleston Employment by Race

LaborForceParticipation

Charleston Employment by Education

Origin of Non-Citizens

Europe

Asia

Africa

Oceania

Latin America

North America

Non citizens include legal permanent residents (green card holders), international students, temporary workers, humanitarian migrants, and illegal immigrants.

Origin of Naturalized Citizens

Europe

Asia

Africa

Oceania

Latin America

North America

69.78%

Born in Charleston

93.06%

Native Born

4.02%

Foreign Born

1.62%

Non Citizen

2.4%

Naturalized

Place of Birth

93.06% of Charleston residents were born in the United States, with 69.78% having been born in West Virginia. 1.62% of residents are not US citizens. Of those not born in the United States, the largest percentage are from Asia.

Charleston Place of Birth

Note: data after 2021 is projected based on recent change
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Charleston Population by Year