Jobs, pay and daily life in Charleston, from official statistics with source and year on every table.
Click any dot to open that city: jobs, pay, rent, commute, county economy and climate. Dot size follows population; colours follow the state flag.
By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 07/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
Charleston is a city in West Virginia with 47,421 residents. The median household earns $65,812 a year and the median rent is $908 a month, which is 16.6% of the median household income. It is part of the Charleston, WV metropolitan area, where BLS counts 103,450 jobs.
How Charleston compares. Among the 40 largest places in West Virginia, Charleston is #1 by population, #7 for college degrees (#1 = most), #9 for household income (#1 = highest), #10 for long commutes (#1 = fewest). Its county, Kanawha County, is #8 of 55 counties for average pay ($61,997).
Charleston has 47,421 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 2.7% of the population of West Virginia. It covers 31 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 1,510 people per square mile. The median age is 43.0, about the same as the state median (43.0 against 42.7).
The median gross rent is $908 a month (rent plus utilities), 4% above the state median ($908 against $872). Over a year that is 16.6% of the median household income. US housing guidance treats housing as affordable when it takes 30% of income or less, so the typical household is under that line. The median home value is $203,300, which is 3.1 times the median household income ($65,812); a ratio under 4 usually means ownership is within reach for many households. 63.3% of households own their home, 16% below the state average (63.3% against 74.9%).
The Charleston, WV metropolitan area has 103,450 jobs in the BLS wage survey, and the median pay across all occupations is $45,830 a year, 10% below the national median ($45,830 against $50,980). The biggest occupation groups are office and administrative support (13,270 jobs, median $40,510); healthcare practitioners and technical (10,560 jobs, median $78,190); sales and related (8,110 jobs, median $30,680). The area is most specialised in healthcare practitioners and technical (1.6 times) and healthcare support (1.3 times), where the share of workers is well above the national share. The best-paying groups with at least 5,000 jobs are management ($90,330) and healthcare practitioners and technical ($78,190). In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of Kanawha County was 3.4%. 57.5% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Kanawha County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 72.0% drive alone, 1.0% use public transit, 5.4% walk, 13.0% work from home. 5.8% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 67% below the state average (5.8% against 17.5%). Remote work is more common than in the state as a whole, which widens the set of employers a resident can work for without moving.
45.2% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 87% above the state share (45.2% against 24.1%). 4.5% of residents were born outside the United States, 147% above the state share (4.5% against 1.8%). The poverty rate is 15.8%, 6% below the state rate (15.8% against 16.7%).
The warmest month is Jul, averaging 76°F (24.5°C), and the coolest is Jan at 32°F (-0.1°C). About 1,130 mm (44 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; Jul is the wettest month (126 mm) and Jan the driest (76 mm). These values come from NASA satellite-based climatology on a grid of about 50 km, so they describe the wider area, not a weather station in the city.
Closest cities in this guide: South Charleston (4 miles, rent 7% lower); Dunbar (6 miles, similar rent); Pinch (9 miles, similar rent); Cross Lanes (10 miles, rent 5% higher). Rent differences are against Charleston; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in West Virginia (239) →State guide: West VirginiaCountry guideKanawha CountyWest Virginia rankings
These links go to official sources and open in a new window. The first one is the government's or company's own site as listed in Wikidata (property "official website"); check it before relying on it.
There are 239 federal postings open in West Virginia (USAJOBS, state level; we do not have a city filter for them). Private-sector jobs are not in this feed.
Open federal jobs in West Virginia →
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nurses | 4,320 | 1.92 | $80,230 | $51,110 | $138,850 | -18% |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 3,200 | 1.12 | $28,680 | $22,400 | $30,720 | -20% |
| Retail Salespersons | 2,650 | 1.02 | $29,050 | $22,250 | $40,440 | -18% |
| Cooks, Fast Food | 2,230 | 5.22 | $23,180 | $22,170 | $27,820 | -25% |
| Cashiers | 2,170 | 1.06 | $26,280 | $21,400 | $34,570 | -20% |
| General and Operations Managers | 2,160 | 0.93 | $83,190 | $47,150 | $167,820 | -21% |
| Security Guards | 2,160 | 2.52 | $20,800 | $20,800 | $37,060 | -45% |
| Customer Service Representatives | 1,650 | 0.96 | $37,480 | $30,800 | $55,200 | -16% |
| Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | 1,630 | 1.44 | $43,550 | $30,800 | $57,980 | -8% |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 1,490 | 1.01 | $30,330 | $22,570 | $44,700 | -18% |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 1,430 | 1.04 | $49,580 | $35,940 | $74,650 | -15% |
| Office Clerks, General | 1,400 | 0.86 | $35,800 | $25,120 | $48,860 | -20% |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 1,390 | 0.71 | $37,340 | $28,470 | $51,640 | -7% |
| Nursing Assistants | 1,380 | 1.43 | $36,250 | $32,620 | $43,640 | -14% |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 1,300 | 0.69 | $32,830 | $27,390 | $44,750 | -12% |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 1,190 | 0.79 | $36,900 | $20,270 | $58,540 | +5% |
| Maintenance and Repair Workers, General | 1,120 | 1.10 | $39,350 | $29,140 | $70,340 | -21% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers | 1,070 | 1.12 | $57,670 | $39,890 | $81,600 | -17% |
| Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks | 1,050 | 1.15 | $43,350 | $31,990 | $57,330 | -14% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers | 960 | 1.29 | $41,920 | $28,450 | $64,940 | -14% |
These figures are for the whole Charleston, WV metropolitan area, not the city alone.
Median pay across all occupations: $45,830 (US $50,980); unemployment 3.5% (2026M09).
| Industry (residents) ⇅ | Share of employed residents ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Education and health care | 32.3% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 13.3% |
| Retail trade | 9.6% |
| Public administration | 8.7% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 8.3% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 8.0% |
| Other services | 5.8% |
| Manufacturing | 3.9% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 3.3% |
| Construction | 2.6% |
| Information | 2.2% |
| Wholesale trade | 1.2% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 0.9% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county where Charleston lies and cover the whole county, not only the city.
| County ⇅ | Population ⇅ | GDP (2024) ⇅ | GDP per resident ⇅ | Jobs (QCEW 2024) ⇅ | Employer sites ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Job change vs 2023 ⇅ | Unemployment rate ⇅ | Labour force ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kanawha County | 176,537 | $14,448 million | $81,839 | 97,845 | 6,860 | $61,997 | +0.8% | 3.4% | 77,661 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 20,799 | 27.5% | $70,712 | 1.48 |
| Retail trade | 9,647 | 12.7% | $39,075 | 0.99 |
| Accommodation and food services | 7,738 | 10.2% | $24,657 | 0.87 |
| Professional and technical services | 5,636 | 7.4% | $86,611 | 0.83 |
| Administrative and waste services | 5,345 | 7.1% | $45,410 | 0.93 |
| Construction | 4,097 | 5.4% | $77,307 | 0.80 |
| Finance and insurance | 3,629 | 4.8% | $89,984 | 0.91 |
| Manufacturing | 3,294 | 4.4% | $77,115 | 0.41 |
| Wholesale trade | 2,914 | 3.9% | $83,038 | 0.76 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 2,764 | 3.7% | $53,573 | 0.94 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 2,317 | 3.1% | $66,277 | 0.56 |
| Mining, oil and gas | 1,472 | 1.9% | $108,126 | 3.98 |
| Management of companies | 1,456 | 1.9% | $118,975 | 0.88 |
| Educational services | 1,399 | 1.8% | $42,476 | 0.69 |
| Real estate and rental | 1,270 | 1.7% | $54,717 | 0.84 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 1,231 | 1.6% | $23,565 | 0.75 |
| Utilities | 638 | 0.8% | $116,315 | 1.71 |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing | 26 | 0.0% | $42,681 | 0.03 |
QCEW counts jobs covered by unemployment insurance; sectors with too few employers are withheld by BLS. Latest-month unemployment is preliminary.
| How residents get to work ⇅ | Share ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Drive alone | 72.0% |
| Public transit | 1.0% |
| Walk | 5.4% |
| Work from home | 13.0% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 5.8% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $65,812 |
| Income per person | $49,097 |
| Median gross rent per month | $908 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 16.6% |
| Median home value | $203,300 |
| Homeowners | 63.3% |
| Poverty rate | 15.8% |
| Price level of the metro area (US = 100) | 88.7 |
| Metro median pay, all occupations | $45,830 |
Estimate for a wage earner: 2026 federal brackets and standard deduction (IRS), Social Security 6.2% up to $184,500, Medicare 1.45% (+0.9% above $200,000 single / $250,000 married), and a state rate you set; graduated states show 0 until you enter your own estimate. It ignores credits, pre-tax deductions, local taxes and benefits. Sources: IRS: tax year 2026 inflation adjustments · SSA wage base per Federal Register notice 2025-19763.
State tax: Graduated, top rate 4.82%.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median age | 43.0 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 93.2% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 45.2% |
| Born abroad | 4.5% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 57.5% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | -0.1 | 32 | 76 |
| Feb | 1.3 | 34 | 84 |
| Mar | 6.4 | 44 | 91 |
| Apr | 12.7 | 55 | 101 |
| May | 17.9 | 64 | 118 |
| Jun | 22.3 | 72 | 106 |
| Jul | 24.5 | 76 | 126 |
| Aug | 24.4 | 76 | 85 |
| Sep | 20.8 | 69 | 84 |
| Oct | 13.7 | 57 | 89 |
| Nov | 7.0 | 45 | 76 |
| Dec | 2.2 | 36 | 94 |
Satellite-reanalysis climatology on a grid of roughly 50 km, so it smooths local effects (hills, coast, city heat). It is not a weather-station record.
| City ⇅ | State ⇅ | Distance (straight line) ⇅ | Population ⇅ | Median household income ⇅ | Median rent ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Charleston | WV | 4 mi | 13,457 | $63,884 | $844 |
| Dunbar | WV | 6 mi | 7,254 | $58,379 | $935 |
| Pinch | WV | 9 mi | 4,037 | $76,741 | $916 |
| Cross Lanes | WV | 10 mi | 9,671 | $63,537 | $949 |
| St. Albans | WV | 10 mi | 10,522 | $53,972 | $931 |
| Nitro | WV | 10 mi | 6,853 | $53,848 | $949 |
| Teays Valley | WV | 17 mi | 14,151 | $108,741 | $1,102 |
| Hurricane | WV | 22 mi | 6,855 | $71,167 | $878 |
| Barboursville | WV | 36 mi | 4,376 | $60,571 | $1,037 |
| Oak Hill | WV | 37 mi | 7,937 | $52,466 | $847 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
Pick two cities.
vs
47,421 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$908 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 16.6% of the median household income.
$65,812 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
3.4% (BLS county, Kanawha County (latest month 2026M09)).
West Virginia. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.