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.
According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of Charleston was:
White
Black or African American
Two or more races
Asian
Native American
Other race
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander
2.88
Average Family Size
2.1
Average Household Size
60.6%
Rate of Home Ownership
Married
Male
Female
NonFamily
owner
renter
Male
Female
Less Than 9th Grade
9th to 12th Grade
High School Graduate
Some College
Associates Degree
Bachelors Degree
Graduate Degree
High School Graduation Rate
Bachelors Rate
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%.
All
Male
Female
$40,050
Average Earnings
$41,205
Average Male
$37,890
Average Female
Only English
Spanish
Other Indo-European Languages
Asian and Pacific Island Languages
Other Languages
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.
rate
22.47%
Overall Poverty Rate
18.35%
Male Poverty Rate
21.11%
Female Poverty Rate
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%.
rate
rate
Households
Families
MarriedFamilies
NonFamilies
mean
median
Married
Widowed
Divorced
Separated
NeverMarried
40.4%
Overall Marriage Rate
42.0%
Male Marriage Rate
39.0%
Female Marriage Rate
male
female
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.
Married
Widowed
Divorced
Separated
NeverMarried
Second Gulf War
First Gulf War
Vietnam
Korea
World War II
2,316
Number of Veterans
2,263
Male Veterans
53
Female Veterans
count
count
Less Than 9th Grade
High School Graduate
Some College
Bachelors or Greater
13.52%
Veteran Poverty Rate
33.97%
Veteran Disability Rate
LaborForceParticipation
57.9%
Labor Force Participation
54.6%
Employment Rate
5.5%
Unemployment Rate
LaborForceParticipation
LaborForceParticipation
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.
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
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.