Charleston, WV

Census Place

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    US Senator
    Shelley Moore Capito
    Republican Party
    US Senator
    Jim Justice
    Republican Party
    2024 Median Age
    43
    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 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 (1,119 degrees awarded in 2024), Charleston School of Beauty Culture (42 degrees), and Ross Medical Education Center-Charleston (30 degrees).

    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 StatesWest VirginiaKanawha County, WVCharleston, WVKanawha County PUMA, WV

    Population & Diversity

    Charleston, WV is home to a population of N/A 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

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

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    Diversity

    Race and Ethnicity

    The 3 largest ethnic groups in Charleston, WV
    1. White (Non-Hispanic)
      36.2k ± 911
    2. Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
      4.52k ± 651
    3. Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
      3.42k ± 663
    2.2%
    Hispanic Population
    1.05k 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.

    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.

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    Global Diversity

    The PUMS dataset is not available at the Place level, so we are showing data for West Virginia.
    Most Common Origin
    1. Mexico
      2,614 ± 1,254 people
    2. Philippines
      2,231 ± 1,159 people
    3. India
      2,211 ± 1,154 people

    In 2024, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of West Virginia was Mexico, the natal country of 2,614 West Virginia residents, followed by Philippines with 2,231 and India with 2,211.

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    Foreign-Born Population

    4.49%
    2024 Foreign-Born Population
    2.13k people
    3.84%
    2023 Foreign-Born Population
    1.84k people

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

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    Military

    Veterans

    Most Common Service Period
    1. Vietnam
      623 ± 154
    2. Gulf War (2001-)
      571 ± 215
    3. 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.

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    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.

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    Uninsured People

    4.05%
    Uninsured
    44.7%
    Employer Coverage
    21.4%
    Medicaid
    16.1%
    Medicare
    12.6%
    Non-Group
    1.16%
    Military or VA

    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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    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%

    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.

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    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.

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    Industries

    Employment by Industries

    21.3k
    2024 Value
    ± 1,198
    −3.08%
    1 Year decline
    ± 8.13%

    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.

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    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).

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    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.

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    Civics

    In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in West Virginia went to Donald J. Trump with 70% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (28.1%), followed by Robert Kennedy (1.17%).

    Shelley Moore Capito and Jim Justice are the senators currently representing the state of West Virginia. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

    West Virginia is currently represented by 2 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

    Presidential Elections

    Voting results are not available for Charleston, WV. Showing the available data for West Virginia.
    2024 Election Results
    1. Donald J. Trump (70%)
      Republican Party
    2. Kamala Harris (28.1%)
      Democratic Party
    3. Robert Kennedy (1.17%)
      Independent Party

    In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in West Virginia went to Donald J. Trump with 70% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (28.1%), followed by Robert Kennedy (1.17%).

    The following chart shows the popular vote results in West Virginia for each registered party from 1976 to 2024.

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    Senator Elections

    US Senators from West Virginia

    Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for West Virginia.
    Shelley Moore Capito
    Senator from West Virginia2
    Assumed office on January 3, 2015
    Jim Justice
    Senator from West Virginia1
    Assumed office on January 14, 2025
    Inauguration delayed in order to finish his term as Governor of West Virginia.

    Shelley Moore Capito and Jim Justice are the senators currently representing West Virginia.

    In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

    The following chart shows elected senators in West Virginia over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

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    Education

    In 2024, universities in Charleston, WV awarded 1,215 degrees. The student population of Charleston, WV in 2024 is skewed towards men, with 1,900 male students and 1,305 female students.

    Most students graduating from Universities in Charleston, WV are White (635 and 52.3%), Unknown (332 and 27.3%), Black or African American (88 and 7.24%), and Hispanic or Latino (85 and 7%).

    The largest universities in Charleston, WV by number of degrees awarded are University of Charleston (1,119 and 92.1%), Charleston School of Beauty Culture (42 and 3.46%), and Ross Medical Education Center-Charleston (30 and 2.47%).

    The most popular majors in Charleston, WV are Organizational Leadership (418 and 34.4%), Registered Nursing (172 and 14.2%), and Other Business Administration, Management, & Operations (147 and 12.1%).

    The median tuition cost for private four year colleges is $22,117.

    Admissions & Enrollments

    Enrollments by Gender and Races

    Universities

    In 2024 there were 3,205 students enrolled in Charleston, WV, 59.3% men and 40.7% women.

    By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 2,058 records, of which 44.8% were women and 55.2% men.

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    Completions

    Concentrations

    Most Common
    1. Organizational Leadership
      412 degrees awarded
    2. Registered Nursing
      59 degrees awarded
    3. Cyber/Computer Forensics And Counterterrorism
      33 degrees awarded

    In 2024, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Charleston, WV was Organizational Leadership with 412 degrees awarded.

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

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    Universities

    Gender
    Race
    Largest Universities by degrees awarded
    1. University of Charleston
      1,119 degrees awarded
    2. Charleston School of Beauty Culture
      42 degrees awarded
    3. Ross Medical Education Center-Charleston
      30 degrees awarded

    In 2024, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was University of Charleston with 1,119 degrees awarded.

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    Student Diversity

    University

    In 2024, 758 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Charleston, WV, which is 1.66 times more than the 457 female students who received degrees in the same year.

    In 2024, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 635 degrees mean that there were 1.91 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Unknown, with 332 degrees awarded.

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    Housing & Living

    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

    Rent vs Own

    N/A%
    Homeownership
    N/A
    66%
    Homeowners with Mortgage
    2024

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

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    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

    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.

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    Wage Distribution

    The closest comparable wage GINI for Charleston, WV is from West Virginia.
    0.443
    2024 Wage GINI in West Virginia
    0.443
    2023 Wage GINI in West Virginia

    In 2024, the income inequality in West Virginia was 0.443 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.0426% decline from 2023 to 2024, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for West Virginia was lower than than the national average of 0.474. 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.

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    Transportation

    Commuter Transportation

    Most Common Commute in 2024
    1. Drove Alone (72%)
    2. Worked At Home (13%)
    3. 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.

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    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.

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    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.

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    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 N/A, followed by N/A and N/A.

    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.

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