Census place 5475292

South Charleston

A Census profile of the people, homes, and daily patterns that shape this place.

Official Census name: South Charleston city

Relocation snapshot

What stands out in South Charleston.

According to the 2025 estimate, South Charleston has a population of 13,072 and 1,337 residents per square mile. Of the six relocation measures evaluated, the three largest relative differences from the median among 13 covered West Virginia places are: population density is 1,337/sq mi, below the comparison median of 2,097/sq mi; median household income is $63,884, above the comparison median of $53,972; and median gross rent is $844, below the comparison median of $869. These unweighted medians compare covered Census places and are not statewide estimates.

population density: 1,337/sq mi
median household income: $63,884
median gross rent: $844

National context

Follow the metrics.

Compare South Charleston's values with other covered Census places. Rankings are descriptive, not recommendations.

At a glance

A city in numbers.

Population: 13,072
Annual change: -0.7%
Density: 1,337/sq mi
Median age: 41.7 years

Living here

The everyday equation.

Households, homes, education, and the time it takes to get around.

Median household income: $63,884
Median home value: $155,400
Median gross rent: $844
Bachelor’s degree or higher: 37.8%
Typical commute: 19.3 min
Drive-alone commute: 76.1%
Public transit commute: 2.2%
Walked to work: 2.2%

Housing

Who rents, and what it takes.

Renter share and rent burden help describe the housing choices visible in this place.

Renter-occupied homes: 29.4%
Renters paying 30%+ of income: 51.8%

Work

How the workday lands.

Employment status and working-from-home share add context to income and commuting patterns.

Employed residents 16+: 58.4%
Unemployed residents 16+: 4.4%
Working from home: 8.9%

Community

The everyday infrastructure.

Access, mobility, housing growth, and household composition add another layer to a place's day-to-day picture.

Households with broadband: 87%
Homes built 2020+: 0%
Households without a vehicle: 10.3%
Households with children: 24.7%
Residents with a disability: 16.5%
Residents without insurance: 5.6%

Environmental context

A record of declared events.

FEMA declarations for Kanawha County provide historical context, not a forecast or a property-level risk assessment.

Environmental declarations since 2000: 22
Severe Storm declarations: 12
Flood declarations: 5
Hurricane declarations: 3

Climate normals

The long view of weather.

Thirty-year averages, not a forecast. Temperature and precipitation describe the typical conditions recorded from 1991 through 2020.

Representative station: CHARLESTON - YEAGER AP (9 mi from place center)

Average high: 66.8°F
Average low: 45.5°F
Annual rainfall: 46.2"
Annual snowfall: 31.5"

Month by month

A year in South Charleston.

Typical high and low °F

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Typical precipitation inches

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Data vintage

Population is from the 2025 Population Estimates Program. Household, housing, education, and commute data are from the 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-year release. Disaster declarations are from FEMA's OpenFEMA dataset and are refreshed with this edition.

Population estimates ACS profile TIGERweb boundary NOAA climate normals FEMA declarations

Similar places

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Las Vegas, NM

Population, housing, work, and travel data for this Census place.

Population: 12,574
Median home: $155,300

Marshall, MO

Population, housing, work, and travel data for this Census place.

Population: 13,766
Median home: $147,900

Ottawa, KS

Population, housing, work, and travel data for this Census place.

Population: 12,716
Median home: $166,500

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