Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
South Charleston grades D overall, 52nd among West Virginia's 61 graded towns, mostly because of safety and health. It reports more crime per resident than 97% of U.S. towns, including 58 violent crimes reported to the FBI in 2025. Residents are less healthy than 91% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. What it does well: a typical home costs about $172K, 2.9 years of the Charleston metro’s $60K median household income. South Charleston’s property crime rate is 53.5 per 1,000 residents, against 16.5 in West Virginia’s towns and 9.9 across U.S. towns. South Charleston is home to BridgeValley Community & Technical College. On the outdoors, just 8 of West Virginia’s 141 towns do better.
Where South Charleston beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within West Virginia), ordered by how far South Charleston is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 3,650 in 1920, a peak of 19,180 in 1960, 13,647 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1938 and 5 maps from 1909 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in South 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 South Charleston.
South Charleston draws workers from Charleston and beyond and looks healthier within West Virginia than nationally, but it reports property crime at 5 times the West Virginia rate.
21 miles of trail in 5 parks and preserves. South Charleston’s trail density is 2.0 miles per square mile. The biggest place to walk is Little Creek Park, 290 acres with 11.5 miles of trail.
| South Charleston | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 2.0 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 4.5% | 2.5% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Little Creek Park | 11.5 mi | 290 |
| 2. Staunton Park | 0.4 mi | 2 |
| 3. Joplin Park | — | 9 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Its public schools are run by the Kanawha County Schools. Three of its 10 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bridgeview Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 417 | D− |
| South Charleston High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 874 | B− |
| Montrose Elementary SchoolTop results in townGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 224 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within WV on state tests and graduation
Property crime runs at 53.5 per 1,000 residents, 5 times the West Virginia rate, most of it theft.
The violent crime rate in South Charleston is 4.5 per 1,000 residents. South Charleston reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 97% report less.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
13,641 jobs are based in South Charleston, 2.4 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in. The average commute takes 19.3 minutes, against 26.6 across West Virginia.
Most working residents leave South Charleston for work: only 16% work in town. Since 2013, South Charleston has added 1,725 jobs, to 13,641 in 2023. 17% of residents live below the poverty line in South Charleston.
| South Charleston | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 19 minutes | 21 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 17% | 16% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 16% | 13% | 8% |
| Median household income | $64,000 | $59,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Within West Virginia it is less healthy than 55% of the 61 graded towns: much of West Virginia scores lower on these measures.
46% of South Charleston adults have high blood pressure. South Charleston beats the West Virginia average on 2 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 0. 31% of South Charleston adults have been diagnosed with depression.
| South Charleston | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 46% | 44% | 35% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 31% | 23% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 16% | 12% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 18% | 14% |
| What stands out | South Charleston | WV |
|---|---|---|
| More adults seeing a dentist | 59.2% | 55.5% |
| More adults screened for colon cancer | 70.4% | 66.5% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 83% of U.S. communities. Since 1996, 41 flood insurance claims have been paid out in South Charleston.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
South 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
Typical home values rose 4.9% in the year to September 2026.
| South Charleston | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $844 a month | $882 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 71% | 68% | 73% |
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
3 within 15 miles of the center of South Charleston
About 1 of every 100 South Charleston residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across West Virginia.
Where South Charleston’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
7 notable people were born in South Charleston.
City in West Virginia, US
South Charleston is a city in Kanawha County, West Virginia, United States. It is located to the west of the state capital of Charleston. The population was 13,639 at the 2020 census. It was established in 1906, but not incorporated until 1917. The Criel Mound built by the Adena culture is adjacent to the city's downtown business district. It is home to the Charleston Ordnance Center, a former naval munitions factory established for use in World War I. The city is serviced by Interstate 64, U.S. Route 60, U.S. Route 119, West Virginia Route 601 and West Virginia Route 214, and is adjacent to the Kanawha River. The city is serviced by the Kanawha Valley Regional Transportation Authority bus …
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
3 towns share a border with South Charleston.
| Town | WV rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Charleston | #52 | D | A− | D− | C+ | D |
| Charleston | #58 | D | B− | D | C+ | D |
| Dunbar | #38 | C | A− | C− | C+ | D |
| Jefferson | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Jefferson isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare South Charleston with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
South Charleston grades D overall, better than 13% of U.S. towns and #52 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−.
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−.
South Charleston was established in 1906 and has 1 place on the National Register of Historic Places. 7 notable people were born here, including Kathy Mattea and T. D. Jakes.