Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Charleston earns a D, ranked 58th of 61 in West Virginia, mostly because of safety and health. It reports more crime per resident than 93% of U.S. towns, including 252 violent crimes reported to the FBI in 2025. Residents are less healthy than 86% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. One bright spot: it is more walkable than 84% of U.S. towns. History is its standout character grade: an A, better than 94% of U.S. towns, with 58 places on the National Register. 49% of working residents work locally in Charleston, against 13% in West Virginia’s towns and 8% across U.S. towns. Its National Register listings include Samuel Starks House and Craik-Patton House. Charleston's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) is stronger than in 95% of U.S. towns.
Where Charleston beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Craik-Patton House
Its 58 National Register listings are more than in any other West Virginia town with a listing.
Census counts: 1,050 in 1850, a peak of 85,796 in 1960, 48,864 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1862 and 5 maps from 1909 on.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within West Virginia), ordered by how far Charleston is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
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 Aug 3, 2026.
Ordered by what stands out in Charleston.
Charleston draws workers from South Charleston and beyond and looks healthier within West Virginia than nationally, but it reports violent crime at about twice the West Virginia rate.
54,071 jobs are based in Charleston, 2.8 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in. The average commute takes 16.9 minutes, against 26.6 across West Virginia.
Charleston’s average trip to work is 17 minutes. Since 2013, Charleston has lost 6,612 jobs, to 54,071 in 2023. 16% of residents live below the poverty line in Charleston.
| Charleston | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 17 minutes | 21 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 16% | 17% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $66,000 | $59,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Its public schools are run by the Kanawha County Schools. Three of its 20 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| John Adams Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 740 | A |
| George Washington High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,145 | A+ |
| Holz Elementary SchoolTop results in townGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 304 | A+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within WV on state tests and graduation
Violent crime runs at 5.5 per 1,000 residents, about twice the West Virginia rate; the Safety Grade counts each violent crime four times, so this weighs most on its D. Property crime runs at 34.8 per 1,000 residents, 3 times the West Virginia rate, most of it theft.
The property crime rate in Charleston is 34.8 per 1,000 residents. Among 31 West Virginia towns, just 3 have a higher violent crime rate than Charleston. Charleston reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 93% report less.
| Charleston | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 34.8 per 1,000 residents | 16.5 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 5.5 per 1,000 residents | 1.6 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Within West Virginia it is healthier than 58% of the 61 graded towns: much of West Virginia scores lower on these measures.
45% of Charleston adults have high blood pressure. Charleston beats the West Virginia average on 4 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1. 29% of Charleston adults have been diagnosed with depression.
| Charleston | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 45% | 44% | 35% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 31% | 23% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 16% | 12% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 21% | 17% |
| What stands out | Charleston | WV |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 16% | 19.5% |
| Fewer adults with COPD | 9.1% | 10.6% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 12.9% | 11% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
251 flood insurance claims have been filed here, and 30 properties have flooded more than once.
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 86% of U.S. communities. Since 1978, 251 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Charleston.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
12 miles of trail in 26 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Cato Park, at 150 acres.
| Charleston | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 2.9% | 2.5% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.4 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Magic Island Park | 0.8 mi | 12 |
| 2. Coonskin Park | 0.6 mi | 73 |
| 3. Carriage Trail | 0.6 mi | 11 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Charleston has chilly, snowy winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 87°, January nights drop to 25° and about 32 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The median property tax bill is $1,447, against $865 across West Virginia, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
The typical Charleston home is worth about $162,000, up 2% in a year, 8% below the West Virginia typical home.
| Charleston | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 63% | 68% | 73% |
| Median rent | $908 a month | $874 a month | $1,185 a month |
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
3 within 15 miles of the center of Charleston
About 5 of every 100 Charleston residents are enrolled in college, about the same as West Virginia.
58 places in Charleston on the National Register of Historic Places.
48 notable people were born in Charleston.
Capital and most populous city of West Virginia, US
Charleston () is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of West Virginia. Located at the confluence of the Elk and Kanawha rivers, it is the county seat of Kanawha County. The population was 48,864 at the 2020 census, with an estimated population of 46,482 in 2024. The Charleston metropolitan area has approximately 203,000 residents. Charleston was established in the late 18th century and formally incorporated in 1794, with the trustees being Daniel Boone, Leonard Morris, and William Morris. The city gained prominence in the 19th century with the growth of the salt industry and later expanded due to coal mining and the first natural gas well. After West Virginia separated from…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
3 towns share a border with Charleston.
| Town | WV rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charleston | #58 | D | B− | D | C+ | D |
| South Charleston | #52 | D | A− | D− | C+ | D |
| Malden | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Dunbar | #38 | C | A− | C− | C+ | D |
Malden isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Charleston with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Charleston grades D overall, better than 9% of U.S. towns and #58 of 61 in West Virginia. It grades D for health, D for safety and C+ for schools. Safety is its weak spot, with a D.
That is 2.7 years of the area's median household income ($60,117 across the Charleston, WV metro area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B−.
48 notable people were born here, including George Armitage Miller and Jim Justice.
