Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Charleston earns a D−, better than 2% of U.S. towns, mostly because of health and schools. Residents are less healthy than 97% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. Its public schools trail 96% of Missouri towns on state tests and graduation. What it does well: a typical home costs about $84K, 1.4 years of the Sikeston area’s $59K median household income. Charleston’s violent crime rate is 8.6 per 1,000 residents, where Missouri’s towns sit at 2.2 and U.S. towns at 1.6. On hazard risk, just 15 of Missouri’s 419 towns do worse. Its National Register listings include Jacob Swank House and Moore House.
Where Charleston beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Jacob Swank House| Widest gap | Charleston | MO |
|---|---|---|
| More adults facing food insecurity | 28% | 13.7% |
5,947 counted in 2010 and 5,056 in 2020; an estimated 4,731 in 2025.
The decline has continued: down 6.4% since 2020, after 15% in the decade before.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Missouri), ordered by how far Charleston is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 273 in 1860, 5,056 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1937 and 5 maps from 1939 on.
4 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Charleston, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Charleston.
Charleston is healthier than towns with similar incomes, but it carries more natural-hazard risk than most of Missouri (mostly earthquakes) and reports violent crime at about twice the Missouri rate.
At 1.4 years of the Sikeston area’s $59K median household income, the typical home (about $85K) costs less against local pay than in 96% of Missouri towns; that ratio is one input to its A− for cost of living. The typical value, about $85K, is 12% below its June 2023 peak.
50% of Charleston households own their home. The typical Charleston home is worth about $85,000, up 1.8% in a year, 68% below the Missouri typical home. Charleston’s median rent is $774 a month.
| Charleston | Missouri towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 50% | 64% | 73% |
| Median rent | $774 a month | $972 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Its public schools are run by the Charleston R-I school district. Two of its 5 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Charleston High, with 310 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Warren E. Hearnes Elem.Largest public elementary schoolGrades PK–3 | Grades PK–3 | 276 | D |
| Charleston HighLargest public high schoolGrades 7–12 | Grades 7–12 | 310 | C− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MO on state tests and graduation
Against the 1,086 U.S. towns with household incomes like Charleston’s, it is less healthy than 72%, so its D− isn’t only a matter of income.
51% of adults have obesity in Charleston. Among 247 Missouri towns, just 8 have a higher share of adults who have diabetes than Charleston. 47% of adults have high blood pressure in Charleston.
| Charleston | Missouri towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 51% | 38% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 12% | 12% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 30% | 25% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 48% | 38% | 36% |
| What stands out | Charleston | MO |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 6.9% | 8.6% |
| More adults facing food insecurity | 28% | 13.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Violent crime runs at 8.6 per 1,000 residents, about twice the Missouri rate; the Safety Grade counts each violent crime four times, so this weighs most on its D.
The property crime rate in Charleston is 16.8 per 1,000 residents.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 98% of Missouri towns, with expected losses of about $1,120 per resident a year; that rating is what its D for hazard risk is built on.
Among 247 Missouri towns, just 6 have a higher FEMA risk score than Charleston. Since 1997, 7 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Charleston.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Charleston has chilly winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. July afternoons reach 89°, January nights drop to 27° and about 3 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Jobs based here fell from 1,790 in 2013 to 1,271.
About one in 4 of Charleston’s working residents works in town. Since 2013, Charleston has lost 519 jobs, to 1,271 in 2023. Only 6 of the 247 Missouri towns we compare have a lower median household income than Charleston.
| Charleston | Missouri towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 26% | 14% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 26% | 13% | 8% |
| Median household income | $34,000 | $62,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 18 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Charleston. Close and well known come first.
38 mi LakeReelfoot Lake
11 mi MuseumMagnolia Manor11 mi Ancient siteFort Defiance36 mi MuseumDiscovery Park of America
16 mi MuseumColumbus-Belmont State ParkReelfoot Lake: User:JeremyA, CC BY-SA 2.5 · Magnolia Manor: MuZemike, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Columbus-Belmont State Park: Knowledgeum at en.wikipedia, Public domain
None within 15 miles of Charleston; the nearest are
About 1 of every 100 Charleston residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Missouri.
4 places in Charleston on the National Register of Historic Places.
12 notable people were born in Charleston.
City in Missouri, U.S.
Charleston is a city in and the county seat of Mississippi County, Missouri, United States. The population was 5,056 at the 2020 census, a decrease from 5,947 in 2010. and since 1968 has been home to the annual Dogwood-Azalea Festival which highlights the old homes and gardens throughout the town.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Charleston grades D− overall, better than 2% of U.S. towns. It grades D− for health, D for safety and D− for schools. Health is its weak spot, with a D−.
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A−.
12 notable people were born here, including Kenny Rollins and Janie Bradford.
