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Charleston Demographics and Statistics

Charleston is one of a number of communities in the United States that has an interesting mixture of heritages, cultures and peoples that make the city culturally rich. People of many cultures, lifestyles and backgrounds inhabit the area. It is home to residents living in urban and suburban areas. The community has shifted in size recently. Demographic data of the metro statistical area of Charleston present some exciting facts.

Charleston, WV

People QuickFacts Charleston West Virginia
Population, 2006 estimate 50,846 1,818,470
Population, percent change, April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2006 -4.8% 0.6%
Population, 2000 53,421 1,808,344
Persons under 5 years old, percent, 2000 5.5% 5.6%
Persons under 18 years old, percent, 2000 20.7% 22.3%
Persons 65 years old and over, percent, 2000 17.6% 15.3%
Female persons, percent, 2000 53.4% 51.4%
White persons, percent, 2000 (a) 80.6% 95.0%
Black persons, percent, 2000 (a) 15.1% 3.2%
American Indian and Alaska Native persons, percent, 2000 (a) 0.2% 0.2%
Asian persons, percent, 2000 (a) 1.8% 0.5%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, percent, 2000 (a) Z Z
Persons reporting two or more races, percent, 2000 1.9% 0.9%
Persons of Hispanic or Latino origin, percent, 2000 (b) 0.8% 0.7%
Living in same house in 1995 and 2000, pct 5 yrs old & over 56.0% 63.3%
Foreign born persons, percent, 2000 3.2% 1.1%
Language other than English spoken at home, pct age 5+, 2000 5.3% 2.7%
High school graduates, percent of persons age 25+, 2000 83.8% 75.2%
Bachelor's degree or higher, pct of persons age 25+, 2000 32.6% 14.8%
Mean travel time to work (minutes), workers age 16+, 2000 16.3 26.2
 
Housing units, 2000 27,131 844,623
Homeownership rate, 2000 58.1% 75.2%
Median value of owner-occupied housing units, 2000 $101,400 $72,800
 
Households, 2000 24,505 736,481
Persons per household, 2000 2.11 2.40
Median household income, 1999 $34,009 $29,696
Per capita money income, 1999 $26,017 $16,477
Persons below poverty, percent, 1999 16.7% 17.9%
Business QuickFacts Charleston West Virginia
Wholesale trade sales, 2002 ($1000) 1,820,755 10,924,279
Retail sales, 2002 ($1000) 872,855 16,747,900
Retail sales per capita, 2002 $16,826 $9,281
Accommodation and foodservices sales, 2002 ($1000) 180,917 1,974,851
Total number of firms, 2002 5,911 113,087
Black-owned firms, percent, 2002 1.9% 1.3%
American Indian and Alaska Native owned firms, percent, 2002 F 0.4%
Asian-owned firms, percent, 2002 2.8% 1.1%
Hispanic-owned firms, percent, 2002 F 0.6%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander owned firms, percent, 2002 F Z
Women-owned firms, percent, 2002 29.0% 27.7%
 
Geography QuickFacts Charleston West Virginia
Land area, 2000 (square miles) 31 24,077
Persons per square mile, 2000 1,690.5 75.1
FIPS Code 14600 54
  Counties Kanawha County