City profile · West Virginia · Census ACS 2023

Charles, WV

Charles's Census ACS profile: residents, income, housing, and the joined public-record layers available for this place.

6,854
Residents
$94,830
Median income
$359,500
Median home
$945
Median rent (state)
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See how it ranks

State rank, size-class rank, and four peer cities for Charles.

Place dossier plate

Sheet WV-CHARLES-WV · Charles, WV 6,854 pop · income 74th pct · 15 tracts

POP-TOWN · INC-HIGH · COL-BELOW · SAFE-UNK · RANK-UPPER · PHOTO-FINISH · HOME-MID · BOOK-MID

  • POP-TOWN 6,854
  • INC-HIGH $94,830
  • COL-BELOW 89.5
  • SAFE-UNK Safety pending
  • RANK-UPPER 74th
  • PHOTO-FINISH ≈ Sewickley
  • HOME-MID $359,500
  • BOOK-MID 15 tracts

Nearest income peer: Sewickley, PA ( $2 income $)

Instrument codes from this place’s ACS population and household income, BEA state COL, FBI safety, national income percentile, photo-finish peer city, home-value band, and matched Census-tract book - not a moving recommendation.

Income neighbourhood around Charles

Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest Charles on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.

median HH income

What this shows Neighbourhood peers only - not a full nationwide city board. Open a near peer when the gap is small; open the poles when the spread is wide.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2026-08-08

Compare beyond this state

Nationwide peers by population, income

Out-of-state nearest neighbors for Charles on ACS population and median household income . Link sets are deduped so each column is a distinct comparison path, not a forecast that peers share a labor market or climate.

Similar population

Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS population. This city: 6,854.

4 peers

Similar household income

Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS median household income. This city: $94,830. Population peers are excluded.

4 peers

Charles - the verdict

Measured against every US city with at least 1,000 residents, Charles lands in the 74th percentile for household income. Source: Census ACS.

74th
percentile, household income
73rd
percentile, home value
5th
percentile, median rent
📝 How we sourced this

Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.

Data Snapshot: Charles, WV

Census ACS 2023 estimates count 6,854 residents in Charles, a small town within West Virginia. Median household income here is $94,830 per year, above the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 4.0%. Typical homes in Charles are valued around $359,500, and the median resident age is 38.5 years. 38.1% of adults here have a bachelor's degree or higher; 65.5% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

The Census Building Permit Survey recorded 226 residential units authorized here in 2024 (Building Boom), up 9999% from five years earlier.

Living costs in West Virginia run below the national norm: BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 puts West Virginia at 89.5 on a 100-equals-national-average scale (Well Below Average). Statewide, HUD pegs Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom unit at $945 monthly. Monthly utility costs average around $220 across West Virginia, per EIA 2023 residential energy estimates. Natural-hazard exposure scores 49.2 out of 100 on FEMA's National Risk Index (Low).

A decision-led reading path

Useful questions to ask of Charles's data

How this reading path is ordered

This is not a composite city score. It is a city-specific route through the available public records, ordered for this profile so the page starts with questions the joined data can actually answer. The route here runs from population change to work and mobility to housing and income to comparison shortlist to within-city variation; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.

For Charles, city-specific coverage includes annual population history, local building permits, within-city Census tract profiles, commute-mode shares. No matched row is reported here for FBI reported-crime rates, matched public-school count; the page leaves those layers out instead of substituting a statewide or national value.

1. Population change

Is Charles growing, shrinking, or holding steady?

Recent estimates point upward. Growth can increase housing demand and service needs, but the permit record must move in the same direction before calling it a supply response; the two series measure different things.

Census PEP estimates show the population grew by +2,800 residents from 2020 to 2025, a +42.9% change. Separately, Census BPS recorded 226 housing units authorized in 2024. PEP and ACS are different Census series, so the trend is kept separate from the headline ACS population.

See the national growth ranking →

2. Work and mobility

What does the journey to work look like in Charles?

Mode share answers how workers usually travel; it does not measure congestion, reliability, distance to a particular job, or the quality of transit service. Remote work has a visible role in the local pattern. That can reduce commute exposure for some workers, but it says nothing about job availability or broadband quality; read it alongside income and housing rather than as a stand-alone lifestyle score.

Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 71.4%. A reliable mean commute time is not available for this row, so the mode shares carry the comparison.

Compare commute patterns →

Question 3

Which cities make useful reference points for Charles?

Within West Virginia, the closest population matches are Elkins (6,875 residents, $47,746 income); Hurricane (6,891 residents, $67,083 income); Nitro (6,941 residents, $52,247 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Lanett, AL (6,854 residents); Corcoran, MN (6,854 residents); Port LaBelle, FL (6,856 residents). A third, income-matched reference set of 6 out-of-state cities sits in the income neighbourhood chart near the Place Dossier plate. These are mechanical peer sets, not claims that the places share a labor market, climate, culture, or metro context.

Use the in-state set to hold state policy and broad price conditions more nearly constant. Use the nationwide size set to ask whether cities with a similar resident count produce different housing, income, or commute outcomes. The income set is a third lens, deliberately separate from population matching.

Open a side-by-side comparison →

4. Within-city variation

What can 15 Census tracts reveal inside Charles?

That layer breaks the citywide income, rent, and home-value medians into smaller Census geographies, which can reveal differences that one municipal median necessarily hides. A tract is a statistical area, not a locally defined neighborhood or a promise about conditions on a particular block. Start with the city profile for the broad comparison, then use the tract layer to test whether the same housing and income pattern is consistent across the city. Large within-city spreads are a reason to avoid treating any citywide median as a universal resident experience.

PlainCities matches 15 Census tracts to this city.

Explore Charles's tract profiles →

Other supported questions

Why these stay compact

These joined records add useful context, but they do not need another full-size panel. Each remains a separate measure with its own geography and source boundary.

Housing and income

How far does income reach against housing in Charles?

The home-value-to-income reference sits in a middle range: the ACS median home value is 3.8 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 4.0%, which keeps the citywide median from describing every household.

This is a citywide price-to-income reference, not a mortgage-affordability test; it does not include interest rates, taxes, insurance, household size, or an individual buyer's down payment. Income and home value move within the same broad scale here. The useful next check is not a generic affordability label, but whether similar-size cities offer a materially different income, housing, or commute trade-off.

Household income
$94,830
Home value
$359,500
Value / income
3.8×

City-level Census ACS 2023 medians. The ratio divides two separate medians and is descriptive only.

Compare the housing trade-off →

Population

6,854 residents

Micro place (under 10k)

Median Household Income

$94,830 /yr

Above median income · poverty 4.0% (Below-median poverty)

Cost of Living Index (state)

89.5 (US=100)

Affordable · BEA RPP 2024, West Virginia average

City profile score · Charles, WV

76/100

4 published dimensions · ACS/FBI 2023

Comparative score against U.S. cities with population of 1,000 or more on Census ACS medians (income, poverty, bachelor's share, cost of living) and FBI UCR violent-crime rates when published. Higher means a stronger standing on those published figures, not a livability rating, not a recommendation to move, buy, or pick a "best" city. Missing inputs drop out and redistribute weight. How it is calculated.

Cost of living A
89.5 index

BEA state Regional Price Parities index (100 ≈ national average); lower is stronger on this axis. Same value for every city in the state.

Household income B
$94,830

Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.

Poverty rate B
4.0%

Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.

Bachelor's+ share B
38.1%

Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.

Violent crime N/A
N/A

No FBI UCR violent-crime rate for this place (coverage is incomplete).

Charles profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions) 4-axis radar comparing 1 series across Cost of living, Household income, Poverty rate, Bachelor's+ share. Cost of livingHousehold incomePoverty rateBachelor's+ share 76 B+
Charles profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)
Read the chart values
  • Cost of living: 87/100 (A) · 89.5 index
  • Household income: 74/100 (B) · $94,830
  • Poverty rate: 72/100 (B) · 4.0%
  • Bachelor's+ share: 72/100 (B) · 38.1%

How does Charles compare to other US cities?

Where Charles sits among all US cities (population 1,000+) on each measure, computed live from Census and FBI data.

Household income 74% higher than other cities
Home value 73% pricier than other cities
Median rent 5% pricier than other cities

"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

Each percentile compares Charles against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to West Virginia only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.

West Virginia-relative analysis

Median Gross Rent places Charles near the bottom of West Virginia's cities

Among the 390 West Virginia cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Charles ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Charles only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.

Median Household Income
#15 of 330
95th percentile in West Virginia
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 390
0th percentile in West Virginia
Median Home Value
#5 of 337
99th percentile in West Virginia
Poverty Rate
#276 of 389
29th percentile in West Virginia
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#40 of 390
90th percentile in West Virginia
How in-state ranks are ordered

Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "better" for every measure, see each metric's own context above. This is a comparison within West Virginia only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.

74thIncome percentile
Gauge source note

74th percentile nationally for median household income. Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

How Charles's home value compares nationally

Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)

$359,500 27th percentile more affordable than 27% of 15,600 US cities

Show national distribution $0–$25,000: 5 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$50,000: 54 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $50,000–$75,000: 352 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). Below this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Below this entry. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). This entry sits in this band. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). Above this entry. Charles $0 $1,025,000 every US city, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. 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 ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023

Charles's home-value-to-income ratio: 3.8×

ACS median home value divided by median household income.

Band
moderate
3.0–5.0×
National rank
#10,031 of 15,516
More affordable than 35% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#7,931 of 11,323
Micro cities (under 10,000)

At 3.8×, Charles sits in the moderate band: national rank #10,031 of 15,516 and #7,931 of 11,323micro cities (under 10,000). Income and home value move in the same broad scale; check same-state peers before treating the multiple as an advantage or a warning.

How this ratio is calculated

Ratio = Census ACS 2023 median home value ÷ median household income for cities with both fields and population ≥ 1,000. Rank 1 = lowest ratio (most compact). Bands match the fleet affordability thresholds used on guides (<3.0 / 3.0–5.0 / >5.0). This is not a mortgage payment estimate and does not include rates, taxes, insurance, or down payment.

Income distribution context

$94,830 Charles, WV median household income (Census ACS)

Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context Household income distribution - Charles, WV Charles, WV's median household income ($94,830) against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern. The Lorenz curve and quintile bars are national context, not Charles, WV-specific shares. $ Household Income Distribution Charles, WV median $94,830/yr, vs. U.S. national quintile pattern QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
Charles, WV median household income (Census ACS 5-year) with U.S. national quintile shares for context. Diagonal = equality; the curve is national, not computed for Charles, WV.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 38.1%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 4.0%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 65.5%

Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
6,854
Median Income
$94,830
Median Home Value
$359,500
Median Age
38.5
Poverty Rate
4.0%
Labor force participation
65.5%
Bachelor's Degree+
38.1%

Population Change

PEP vintage

Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025

See the fastest-growing cities →
6,000 residents7,000 residents8,000 residents9,000 residents10,000 residents 202020212022202320242025 6,529 residents 9,329 residents ▲ +42.9%
Charles's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.
Read the chart as text
Period Population
2020 6,529 residents
2021 6,549 residents
2022 7,117 residents
2023 7,664 residents
2024 8,869 residents
2025 9,329 residents

Housing Supply

BPS source

Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized

📈 Building Boom
Total Permits (2024)
226
housing units authorized
Single-Family
85
detached homes
Multifamily
141
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
33
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 2
2020 5
2021 304
2022 257
2023 563
2024 226

Permit volume increased 9999% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

Commute source

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
71.4%
Carpool
7.1%
Public Transit
0.3%
Walk
2.8%
Work from Home
16.2%
Other
2.2%

Based on 3,260 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

West Virginia statewide monthly utility average (EIA 2023): $220

EIA 2023 residential energy data puts average monthly utilities across West Virginia at $220 (electricity about $110 , water and sewer about $38 ).

These are West Virginia statewide averages, not a meter reading for Charles. Actual bills vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

West Virginia's BEA cost-of-living index is 89.5 (Well Below Average; US average = 100, RPP 2024). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in the county around Charles is $945/mo. FEMA's National Risk Index, averaged to West Virginia statewide on PlainCities, rates natural-hazard exposure at 49.2 / 100 (Low).

Cost/risk geography note

Cost of living is a West Virginia statewide BEA average; rent is a county-level HUD Fair Market Rent for the county Charles sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.

How Charles compares to similar-size West Virginia cities

Same-state peer method

Closest same-state population matches, not geographic neighbors. Population + median household income come from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 and B19013.

City Population Median Household Income
Charles (this city) 6,854 $94,830
Elkins 6,875 $47,746
Hurricane 6,891 $67,083
Nitro 6,941 $52,247
Census BPS 2024
Primary sources on this page

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, Census BPS 2024, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Citation & verification links Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES. Joins use OMB Bulletin 23-01 / FIPS keys.

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Estimate caveats

ACS and UCR figures are citywide estimates with vintage lags; they do not replace a local visit, school visit, or insurance quote.

Editorial standards, provenance, and how to cite this page

Every figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

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