City · Tennessee
Charleston, Tennessee
Charleston, city, in Bradley County, Tennessee. Charleston had 923 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, up 5.2% from the Bureau's April 2020 estimates base of 877; the 2020 Census counted 664 on the place as it was defined then and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 956 (±256). GEOID 4713020.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
923
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 664 · ACS 2020-2024: 956 ±256
Median household income
$72,763
±$16,327 (90% margin)
Tennessee: $69,595
Median home value
$217,400
±$62,514 (90% margin)
Tennessee: $286,700
Median gross rent
$881
±$58 (90% margin)
Tennessee: $1,189
Where is Charleston and what county is it in?
Charleston is a city in Bradley County, Tennessee. It covers 1.1 square miles of land, 578 residents per square mile in 2020.
Charleston is in the Cleveland, TN metropolitan statistical area, which takes in 2 counties (Census Bureau delineation, July 2023).
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Charleston, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 923 people lived in Charleston on July 1, 2025, up 5.2% since 2020, slower than Tennessee (+5.8%). The Census Bureau's yearly estimates start from its own April 2020 base for Charleston, 877, which differs from the 2020 Census count of 664: the estimates follow the place as the estimates program defines it today (its present boundaries, and for a consolidated city-county the area the program assigns it), so the change since 2020 is measured from that base. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 956 (±256).
| Measure | Charleston | Bradley County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 956 ±256 | 111,065 | no clear change |
| Households | 418 ±115 | 42,596 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.29 ±0.41 | 2.54 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 481 ±117 | 45,949 | +147 |
Charleston's population since 2000
From 630 in 2000 to 923 in 2025: up 46.5%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Charleston as it was drawn that year: a place that annexed land, or a community that has since incorporated, covered a different area then. The 2005 figure is the Census Bureau's intercensal estimate, revised to fit the 2000 and 2010 counts and drawn on 2010 boundaries; 2015 and 2025 are July 1 estimates made from the census before them.
Source: The 2000, 2010 and 2020 Census counts and the Census Bureau's population estimates (intercensal 2000-2010, Vintage 2020, Vintage 2025) · Census population estimates
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Charleston?
The median resident of Charleston is 38.2 years old; 18.1% are under 18 and 12.0% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 80.9%, then non-Hispanic Black residents at 7.3%.
| Measure | Charleston | Bradley County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 38.2 ±10.8 | 39.5 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 18.1% ±5.4 pts | 21.9% | – |
| 65 years and over | 12.0% ±4.7 pts | 17.3% | – |
| Male | 54.7% ±5.7 pts | 48.7% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 2.9% ±2.3 pts | 8.4% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 80.9% ±9.7 pts | 81.2% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 7.3% ±7.5 pts | 4.1% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.3% ±0.6 pts | 1.1% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.4% ±0.6 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±4.6 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 6.2% ±4.8 pts | 4.2% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 2.0% ±3.6 pts | 0.7% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 0.9% ±0.9 pts | 5.9% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 8.1% ±7.3 pts | 9.1% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 7.8% ±5.6 pts | 7.5% | – |
| With a disability | 16.2% ±7.7 pts | 16.8% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 13.5% ±8.4 pts | 10.1% | no clear change |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 90.5% ±6.2 pts | 88.7% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 11.4% ±6.2 pts | 24.4% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 7.4% ±4.5 pts | 10.1% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 87.6% ±7.2 pts | 84.9% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 2.2% ±2.1 pts | 2.9% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Charleston earn?
Half of Charleston's 418 households earn less than $72,763 a year (±$16,327), against $66,552 in Bradley County and $69,595 in Tennessee. In 2015-2019 it was $65,381 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 9.3% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Charleston | Bradley County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $72,763 ±$16,327 | $66,552 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $72,600 ±$9,592 | $85,706 | – |
| Per capita income | $32,790 ±$6,138 | $33,571 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 9.3% ±4.7 pts | 12.7% | – |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 8.1% ±8.0 pts | 16.3% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 4.5% ±4.2 pts | 11.7% | – |
| Households with a computer | 91.1% ±7.0 pts | 94.5% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 88.0% ±7.7 pts | 90.2% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Charleston?
Owners occupy 78.7% of Charleston's occupied homes and renters 21.3%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $217,400 by its owner (±$62,514). The median renter pays $881 a month including utilities.
| Measure | Charleston | Bradley County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $217,400 ±$62,514 | $261,900 | +$66,763 |
| Median gross rent | $881 ±$58 | $1,030 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 33.7% ±23.1 pts | 36.2% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,131 ±$91 | $1,459 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 78.7% ±8.8 pts | 67.3% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 21.3% ±8.8 pts | 32.7% | – |
| Housing units | 481 ±117 | 45,949 | +147 |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±12.8 pts | 0.6% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 21.9% ±18.5 pts | 2.2% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 79.4% ±8.0 pts | 69.4% | – |
| Mobile homes | 8.7% ±5.6 pts | 8.8% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±8.9 pts | 1.9% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 7.3% ±5.3 pts | 10.2% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 14.6% ±6.9 pts | 4.7% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 4.5% ±4.9 pts | 5.3% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How do people in Charleston work and get to work?
86.3% of Charleston's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 27.0 minutes.
| Measure | Charleston | Bradley County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 67.0% ±13.2 pts | 61.7% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 1.3% ±1.5 pts | 6.6% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 86.3% ±8.5 pts | 79.0% | – |
| Carpooled | 10.5% ±8.3 pts | 10.4% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±8.2 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Walked | 0.0% ±8.2 pts | 1.1% | – |
| Worked from home | 3.2% ±2.4 pts | 9.1% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 27.0 min ±3.5 | 23.3 min | no clear change |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What census tracts are in Charleston?
No census tract lies mostly in Charleston; 1 tract reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 112.01Bradley County | 6,868 | $84,048 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in Charleston) · Census block assignment files
How does Charleston compare with other places in Tennessee?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Charleston is the 10,622nd-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 242nd-most populous of 345 in Tennessee.
Charleston is not ranked by income or the other survey measures: those rankings include places of 1,000 or more residents (2020 Census) with a reliable estimate.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 242nd | 345 |
Charleston's figures with every place in Tennessee (CSV)
Every place in Tennessee, sortable · Compare Charleston with other places
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Charleston?
24 of the 57 figures for Charleston on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections
Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Charleston are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' public schools in Charleston.