Population 19,992 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Charles Town
Household size in Charles Town
| Period | Charles Town | Washington area | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.60 | 2.73 | 2.44 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.58 | 2.82 | 2.45 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.65 | 2.86 | 2.44 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.63 | 2.77 | 2.43 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.03 | +0.04 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
At 2.63 people per household, Charles Town sits close to the national average of 2.65. The typical household here is smaller than in the Washington area overall, where it has 2.77 people. Since 2006–10, household size has crept up from 2.60, even as the national average fell. Only three of the 60 West Virginia cities with 5,000+ people have larger households.
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 Charles Town
| Period | Charles Town | Washington area | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 38.3 | 37.0 | 41.4 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 40.7 | 37.6 | 42.2 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 41.4 | 38.5 | 43.1 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 41.3 | 39.2 | 43.2 | 40.1 |
| Change | +3.1 | +2.2 | +1.9 | +2.3 |
At 41.3, the median age in Charles Town is close to the national median of 40.1, so its age mix looks much like the country's. The population here is older than in the Washington area as a whole, where the median age is 39.2. The median age has climbed from 38.3 in 2006–10, as it has nationally.
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 Charles Town
| Period | Charles Town | Washington area | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.8% | 11.3% | 9.7% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 8.7% | 11.3% | 10.4% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 9.4% | 10.4% | 10.6% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 11.4% | 10.4% | 10.4% | 11.6% |
| Change | +1.6 pts | −0.9 pts | +0.6 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head nearly one in eight households in Charles Town (11.4%), close to the national share of 11.6%. Single parents are more common here than in the wider Washington area (10.4%). The single-parent share has risen 1.6 points since 2006–10, even as the national share fell.
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 Charles Town
Renters in Charles Town
| Period | Charles Town | Washington area | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 27.7% | 34.0% | 25.4% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 26.4% | 36.6% | 27.0% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 24.8% | 36.8% | 26.8% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 22.7% | 36.3% | 25.1% | 34.8% |
| Change | −5.0 pts | +2.3 pts | −0.3 pts | +1.5 pts |
Only 22.7% of households in Charles Town rent their homes, far below the national share of 34.8%, so most residents are owners who tend to stay put. Among homeowners, 26.9% have no mortgage at all, well below the national share of 39.8%. Rentals cluster in the east; owners are most common in the southwest. The renter share has fallen 5.0 points since 2006–10, even as the national share rose.
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 Charles Town
| Period | Charles Town | Washington area | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.3% | 8.7% | 15.1% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 7.7% | 7.3% | 15.0% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 8.5% | 6.6% | 16.8% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 6.1% | 5.9% | 14.9% | 9.6% |
| Change | −4.3 pts | −2.8 pts | −0.1 pts | −1.8 pts |
Fewer homes sit empty in Charles Town than nationally: 6.1%, against 9.6% for the U.S. Vacancy has fallen 4.3 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country. Only two of the 60 West Virginia cities with 5,000+ people have a lower vacancy rate.
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 Charles Town
| Period | Charles Town | Washington area | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1986 | 1977 | 1970 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1990 | 1978 | 1973 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1990 | 1979 | 1974 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1994 | 1982 | 1976 | 1980 |
| Change | +8 | +6 | +6 | +6 |
Charles Town has newer housing than the country as a whole: the median home was built in 1994, versus 1980 nationally. The median year built has moved up from 1986 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. The newest homes are mostly in the northeast, the oldest in the center. Of the 60 West Virginia cities with 5,000+ people, only four have newer homes.
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 Charles Town
| Period | Charles Town | Washington area | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $819 | $1,470 | $578 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $925 | $1,583 | $657 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,048 | $1,907 | $759 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,123 | $2,236 | $905 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$304 | +$766 | +$327 | +$606 |
The median renter in Charles Town pays $1,123 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rents are up $304 a month from 2006–10, a 37% rise, a slower climb than the nation's. Rent takes 29.9% of the typical renter's income, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. The priciest rents are in the center; the most affordable are in the southwest.
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 Charles Town
Bachelor's degrees in Charles Town
| Period | Charles Town | Washington area | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 28.2% | 46.6% | 18.4% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 32.2% | 48.2% | 19.7% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 33.1% | 51.0% | 21.4% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 34.5% | 53.9% | 25.0% | 35.6% |
| Change | +6.3 pts | +7.3 pts | +6.6 pts | +7.2 pts |
Just over a third of adults 25 and older in Charles Town (34.5%) hold at least a bachelor's degree, close to the national share of 35.6%. The share is lower than in the Washington area as a whole (53.9%). The share with a degree has risen 6.3 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
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 Charles Town
| Period | Charles Town | Washington area | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 88.7% | 89.4% | 82.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 90.0% | 90.2% | 84.8% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 90.4% | 90.8% | 87.2% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 90.1% | 91.2% | 89.4% | 89.3% |
| Change | +1.4 pts | +1.7 pts | +6.9 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion in Charles Town is close to the national rate: 90.1% of adults have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3%. The share with a diploma has edged up 1.4 points since 2006–10, a smaller shift than nationally.
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 Charles Town
| Period | Charles Town | Washington area | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 4.2% | 5.9% | 7.2% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 9.2% | 6.9% | 8.2% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.4% | 4.7% | 6.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.4% | 4.8% | 5.5% | 5.4% |
| Change | −0.7 pts | −1.1 pts | −1.6 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Charles Town runs below the national rate: 3.4% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. Unemployment has edged down 0.7 points since 2006–10, a smaller shift than nationally. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's 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).
Charles Town 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charles Town | 2.63 | 41.3 | 11.4% | 22.7% | 6.1% | 1994 | $1,123 | 34.5% | 90.1% | 3.4% |
| Ranson | 2.48 | 38.8 | 12.8% | 30.1% | 7.8% | 1994 | $1,147 | 20.8% | 82.3% | 3.3% |
| Millville | 1.81 | 47.6 | 1.5% | 49.4% | 12.7% | 1971 | $686 | 25.2% | 84.5% | 0.0% |
| Mount Pleasant | 3.03 | 37.1 | 7.5% | 4.7% | 12.8% | 1995 | $940 | 29.3% | 92.8% | 2.5% |
| Harpers Ferry | 2.60 | 43.9 | 11.4% | 14.1% | 10.0% | 1991 | $1,134 | 37.6% | 92.3% | 4.0% |
| Shannondale | 2.28 | 42.2 | 8.8% | 14.4% | 14.3% | 1988 | $1,152 | 35.2% | 93.8% | 5.1% |
| Summit Point | 2.93 | 43.0 | 6.0% | 10.4% | 18.2% | 1993 | $940 | 21.4% | 87.0% | 7.3% |
| Shenandoah Junction | 2.71 | 41.4 | 14.9% | 14.3% | 6.9% | 1989 | $1,126 | 36.1% | 94.7% | 0.9% |
| Kearneysville | 2.84 | 42.5 | 10.5% | 19.0% | 6.2% | 1987 | $1,515 | 27.7% | 89.2% | 2.9% |
| Bolivar | 2.24 | 45.4 | 7.3% | 37.0% | 14.3% | 1965 | $1,560 | 41.6% | 92.7% | 4.7% |
| Dargan | 2.77 | 36.2 | 28.3% | 27.0% | 15.4% | 1975 | $1,659 | 24.9% | 88.1% | 0.0% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Clanton, AL · Rutland, VT · Fergus Falls, MN · Jenkintown, PA · Saugerties, NY · Norwood, OH · Somerset, MA · Cottage Lake, WA · Conshohocken, PA · Concord, MO
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 Charles Town. 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.
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