City safety & data profile

South CharlestonWV

South Charleston, WV is a 13K-resident city in Kanawha County with a median household income of $63,884.

Kanawha County, West Virginia. Federal health, economic, and safety indicators for South Charleston, drawn from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, CDC PLACES, and CMS Hospital Compare. South Charleston has a population larger than 18% of the 4,640 U.S. cities Areazine tracks, a median home value of $155,400, and 1 hospital serving the surrounding area.

Data updated 2026-07-20

13K
Population
Top 82%
By size
$63,884
Median income
$155,400
Median home
16.9%
Poverty rate

The read on South Charleston

South Charleston posts a median household income higher than 28% of U.S. cities Areazine tracks, where 1 hospital serves the South Charleston area.

Top 72%
by median income, US cities
1
hospital in & near South Charleston

Where South Charleston income ranks nationally

Median household income vs. every place Areazine profiles (place-level ACS)

$63,884 Bottom 28% higher than 28% of 3,889 places Areazine profiles

$0–$20,000: 0 places Areazine profiles (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 71 places Areazine profiles (2%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 788 places Areazine profiles (20%). Below this entry. $60,000–$80,000: 1,055 places Areazine profiles (27%). This entry sits in this band. $80,000–$100,000: 768 places Areazine profiles (20%). Above this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 515 places Areazine profiles (13%). Above this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 308 places Areazine profiles (8%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 171 places Areazine profiles (4%). Above this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 92 places Areazine profiles (2%). Above this entry. $180,000–$200,000: 47 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. $200,000–$220,000: 28 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. $220,000–$240,000: 18 places Areazine profiles (0%). Above this entry. $240,000–$260,000: 28 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. WV $0 $260,000 every profiled place, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more places Areazine profiles. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (place-level) · 2024 ACS 5-year

The quick read

Reading South Charleston, WV beyond the headline numbers

South Charleston sits inside Kanawha County, West Virginia, at roughly 38.37°N, -81.70°W. Population 13,045, $63,884 median household income. Median home value $155,400, median rent $844. Poverty rate 16.9%, read against that income figure since two cities on the same median can differ underneath it.

CDC PLACES: South Charleston's highest-prevalence health measure is high blood pressure at 46.3%, then obesity at 40.9%. 1 hospital in/around South Charleston, 1/5 avg rating, 1 with an ER.

Sources: U.S. Census ACS, CDC PLACES, CMS Hospital Compare, plus live alerts for South Charleston from FEMA, NOAA, FDA, and CPSC. Comparison bars benchmark each metric against the national reference.

Population
13,045
South Charleston
Median Income
$63,884
-6% vs avg
Median Home Value
$155,400
-32% vs avg
Median Age
41.7
years

10-Year Trends 2013–2024

County-level trend (Kanawha County) - South Charleston's own historical series isn't separately published by the Census Bureau, so these year-over-year figures track the surrounding county, not the city alone.

20132024
Population
177K-8%
Median Income
$60,943+32%
Median Home Value
$147,300+45%
Poverty Rate
15.7%+11%
Unemployment
5.6%-24%

Economics

Economics indicators for South Charleston, WV
IndicatorValue
Median Rent
$844/mo
Poverty Rate
16.9% +19% vs avg
Unemployment 6.9%
Bachelor's Degree+ 37.8%
Work From Home 8.9%
Public Transit 2.2%

Population

White 86.7%
African American 5.1%
Asian 1.5%
Two or More Ethnicities 4.7%

Health Profile 15 measures

Health Indicators

High Blood Pressure
46.3%
Obesity
40.9%
Short Sleep Duration
39.9%
Physical Inactivity
32.3%
Frequent Mental Distress
21.1%
Current Smoking
19%
Frequent Physical Distress
16.7%
Diabetes
15.8%
Binge Drinking
14.1%
Current Asthma
12.1%

Preventive Care

Dental Visit 59.2%
Annual Checkup 82.3%

Other Measures

Coronary Heart Disease
8.7%
Lack of Health Insurance
7.4%
Stroke
4.2%

Hospitals 1 total

Rating Distribution
★★★★★
0
★★★★
0
★★★
0
★★
0
★
1
Average Rating
1/5
Total Hospitals
1
With ER
1
THOMAS MEMORIAL HOSPITAL
SOUTH CHARLESTON · Acute Care Hospitals · ER
★☆☆☆☆

Frequently Asked Questions 6

What is the population of South Charleston, WV? ▼
South Charleston, WV has a population of 13,045 people, located in Kanawha County, West Virginia.
What is the median household income in South Charleston? ▼
The median household income in South Charleston, WV is $63,884 per year, per the U.S. Census ACS. The poverty rate is 16.9%.
What is the median home value in South Charleston? ▼
The median home value in South Charleston, WV is $155,400. Median rent is $844/month.
What are the top health concerns in South Charleston? ▼
The top health indicators in South Charleston include High Blood Pressure (46.3%), Obesity (40.9%), Short Sleep Duration (39.9%). Data from CDC PLACES.
How many hospitals are in South Charleston? ▼
South Charleston has 1 hospital with an average rating of 1/5 stars. 1 have emergency departments.
What is the median age in South Charleston? ▼
The median age in South Charleston, WV is 41.7 years. 37.8% of residents have a bachelor's degree or higher.

Safety Context

South Charleston, WV is located in Kanawha County, West Virginia. With a population of 13K and a $63,884 median household income, the community faces health challenges including high blood pressure and obesity. Residents have access to 1 hospital with an average rating of 1/5 stars. Safety alerts for the South Charleston area are monitored from federal and state agencies including FEMA, NOAA, FDA, and CPSC.

Safety Guides

How Product Recalls Work

CPSC, FDA & NHTSA recall process explained

Understanding Weather Alerts

Watch vs warning vs advisory explained

Earthquake Magnitude Explained

What the numbers mean & when to act
All safety guides →

Primary source data

EPA Outdoor Air Quality Data

Federal monitoring network, every measurement we report

AirNow - West Virginia

Real-time AQI for every monitored West Virginia location

National Weather Service

NOAA active watches, warnings, advisories

CDC Air Quality & Health

Health-impact reference for every AQI category

EPA NAAQS standards

National Ambient Air Quality Standards, the regulatory thresholds

Nearby Cities 8

Charleston, WV 47K Saint Albans, WV 11K Teays Valley, WV 13K Huntington, WV 49K Beckley, WV 17K Parkersburg, WV 31K Ashland, KY 21K Vienna, WV 11K
All cities in West Virginia → Compare South Charleston vs Charleston → All comparisons → Browse all cities

Using South Charleston's profile

Use this as a starting research checklist, not a verdict on whether to live here.

  • Check live recalls, weather and hazard alerts scoped to the South Charleston area before relying on national headlines. Check your area
  • Read the poverty rate alongside the income figure, two places with the same median can have very different realities.
  • Compare South Charleston against West Virginia peers on any ranking lens. Explore West Virginia

Population and economics (income, home value, poverty, education) are place-level U.S. Census ACS; health is CDC PLACES; hospital counts reflect facilities in and around the city.

Data Sources

All data on this page comes from official U.S. government sources. Population and economic data from the Census Bureau American Community Survey (2024 5-year estimates, place geography). Health data from the CDC PLACES program (2023). Hospital ratings from CMS Hospital Compare (2024). Climate data from NOAA. Education data from NCES. Cost of living from Bureau of Economic Analysis. Crime statistics, where referenced on Areazine, originate from the FBI Crime Data Explorer. Housing market figures referenced on Areazine come from HUD Fair Market Rents. Census economics and population are at place geography; some health and hospital indicators are reported at the county level (Kanawha County) where that is the smallest published unit.

Every figure on Areazine is published directly from official U.S. government sources, no number is typed in by an editor. City demographic and health figures are compiled directly from U.S. Census, CDC, and CMS releases, updated quarterly within 30 days of upstream release. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026.