Population 3,885 · Census ACS 2020–24
Choose a measure to map it.Tap a measure to map it. Swipe the row for more. Arrows show the change since 2006–10.
Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
Younger residents
Older residents
Colorblind friendly
off
More maps of Cape Charles: Best Neighborhoods · Walk Grade · Household income · Home prices · Race · Politics · Traffic noise · Internet
Population and households in Cape Charles
Household size in Cape Charles
| Period | Cape Charles | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.49 | 2.63 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.26 | 2.68 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.27 | 2.68 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.08 | 2.62 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.41 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Cape Charles is a place of small households, averaging 2.08 people against 2.65 for the U.S., which points to many singles, couples and roommates and relatively few children. Household size has dropped from 2.49 in 2006–10, but in a place this small, much of that may be survey noise rather than real change.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Cape Charles
| Period | Cape Charles | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 44.5 | 38.2 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 50.4 | 39.0 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 47.6 | 40.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 53.5 | 40.3 | 40.1 |
| Change | +9.0 | +2.1 | +2.3 |
With a median age of 53.5, Cape Charles is noticeably older than the country as a whole (40.1), an age mix that tilts toward empty nesters and retirees.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Cape Charles
| Period | Cape Charles | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.7% | 11.1% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 10.0% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 12.0% | 10.5% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 7.7% | 10.7% | 11.6% |
| Change | −4.0 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are relatively rare in Cape Charles: 7.7% of households, against 11.6% nationally.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Cape Charles
Renters in Cape Charles
| Period | Cape Charles | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 30.9% | 31.1% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 32.5% | 33.3% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 39.8% | 33.7% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 35.0% | 32.7% | 34.8% |
| Change | +4.1 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Just over a third of households in Cape Charles rent their homes (35.0%), close to the national share of 34.8%. Among homeowners, 57.1% have no mortgage at all, well above the national share of 39.8%.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Cape Charles
| Period | Cape Charles | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 31.1% | 10.3% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 32.8% | 10.2% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 33.1% | 9.7% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 31.8% | 8.7% | 9.6% |
| Change | +0.8 pts | −1.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is high in Cape Charles: 31.8% of homes are empty, far above the national rate of 9.6%. In resort and lake areas that usually means seasonal and vacation homes; elsewhere it can point to weak demand.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Cape Charles
| Period | Cape Charles | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1956 | 1978 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1971 | 1980 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1976 | 1981 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1977 | 1984 | 1980 |
| Change | +21 | +5 | +6 |
The typical home in Cape Charles was built around 1977, about the same vintage as the country's housing overall (1980). Homes here are older than in Virginia overall, where the median home dates to 1984.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Cape Charles
| Period | Cape Charles | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $726 | $1,143 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $718 | $1,238 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $803 | $1,436 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $954 | $1,743 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$228 | +$600 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Cape Charles costs $954 a month with utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. The typical renter here spends 29.2% of household income on rent, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Cape Charles
Bachelor's degrees in Cape Charles
| Period | Cape Charles | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 22.3% | 35.2% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 24.4% | 36.7% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 30.8% | 39.3% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 29.9% | 42.5% | 35.6% |
| Change | +7.6 pts | +7.3 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are a little less common in Cape Charles than nationally: 29.9% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's or higher, against 35.6%.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Cape Charles
| Period | Cape Charles | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 81.7% | 86.8% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 83.0% | 88.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 79.0% | 89.9% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 92.4% | 91.6% | 89.3% |
| Change | +10.7 pts | +4.7 pts | +4.3 pts |
About nine in ten adults in Cape Charles have finished high school (92.4%), a bit above the national rate of 89.3%. The picture is much the same across Virginia.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Cape Charles
| Period | Cape Charles | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.8% | 6.0% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 10.5% | 7.0% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.9% | 4.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.2% | 4.3% | 5.4% |
| Change | −4.6 pts | −1.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
The job market in Cape Charles has been strong: just 3.2% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 5.4%. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Cape Charles compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cape Charles | 2.08 | 53.5 | 7.7% | 35.0% | 31.8% | 1977 | $954 | 29.9% | 92.4% | 3.2% |
| Cheriton | 2.53 | 54.6 | 15.7% | 38.8% | 25.4% | 1967 | $854 | 9.4% | 80.3% | 0.0% |
| Cherrystone | 1.65 | 63.1 | 4.6% | 29.9% | 46.0% | 1938 | $1,107 | 64.4% | 95.5% | 4.9% |
| Dalbys | 2.15 | 49.6 | 8.8% | 48.9% | 31.1% | 1979 | $1,097 | 20.9% | 93.9% | 3.9% |
| Simpkins | 2.13 | 36.1 | 9.5% | 30.7% | 24.8% | 1959 | $920 | 13.4% | 92.9% | 10.4% |
| Eastville Station | 2.13 | 36.1 | 9.5% | 30.7% | 24.8% | 1959 | $920 | 13.4% | 92.9% | 10.4% |
| Kendall Grove | 1.95 | 47.3 | 12.2% | 15.8% | 31.7% | 1984 | $859 | 42.6% | 86.3% | 3.9% |
| Eastville | 2.07 | 45.2 | 13.3% | 16.8% | 26.3% | 1988 | $860 | 40.3% | 87.8% | 4.0% |
| Cedar Grove | 2.21 | 59.3 | 5.7% | 16.7% | 33.8% | 1987 | $1,840 | 44.5% | 95.7% | 1.4% |
| Martins Siding | 2.34 | 40.2 | 15.7% | 20.7% | 13.9% | 1996 | $863 | 34.4% | 91.3% | 4.5% |
| New Point | 2.53 | 47.7 | 5.0% | 5.0% | 27.6% | 1970 | $1,161 | 29.3% | 86.3% | 0.0% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Centerville, MN · Burlington, CO · North Shore, LA · Jackson, MN · Lakehurst, NJ · Valdez, AK · Sublimity, OR · Shannondale, WV · San Francisco, PR · Peach Bottom, PA
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Cape Charles. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
No other site shows detail at this level for free. We are able to keep this site free by receiving a small commission from the referring links on this page. Please share or cite this page if you aren’t able to otherwise support our work.