Population 3,702 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
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Population and households in Charleston
Household size in Charleston
| Period | Charleston | Arkansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.92 | 2.54 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.66 | 2.57 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.59 | 2.55 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.33 | 2.53 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.58 | −0.00 | −0.03 |
Charleston is a place of small households, averaging 2.33 people against 2.65 for the U.S., which points to many singles, couples and roommates and relatively few children. Since 2006–10, household size has dropped from 2.92, 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 Charleston
| Period | Charleston | Arkansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 34.1 | 37.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 38.4 | 38.7 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 41.0 | 39.5 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 41.7 | 39.6 | 40.1 |
| Change | +7.6 | +1.7 | +2.3 |
The median resident of Charleston is 41.7 years old, a bit older than the national median of 40.1.
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 Charleston
| Period | Charleston | Arkansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.3% | 12.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 9.5% | 12.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 11.3% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 12.2% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | +1.9 pts | −0.2 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are about as common in Charleston as they are nationally: 12.2%, against 11.6%.
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 Charleston
Renters in Charleston
| Period | Charleston | Arkansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 20.3% | 32.3% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 19.9% | 33.5% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 28.7% | 34.4% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 20.5% | 33.6% | 34.8% |
| Change | +0.2 pts | +1.3 pts | +1.5 pts |
Charleston is largely a place of homeowners: only 20.5% of households rent, far below the national share of 34.8%. Owner-heavy areas like this tend to see less turnover. Nearly half of owners (46.9%) have paid off their mortgages, 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 Charleston
| Period | Charleston | Arkansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.0% | 13.4% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 12.5% | 13.9% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 10.4% | 14.4% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 8.4% | 13.1% | 9.6% |
| Change | −1.6 pts | −0.3 pts | −1.8 pts |
About as many homes sit empty in Charleston as nationally: 8.4%, against 9.6%. The rate is lower than in Arkansas overall (13.1%).
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 Charleston
| Period | Charleston | Arkansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1975 | 1981 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1979 | 1983 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1977 | 1985 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1977 | 1988 | 1980 |
| Change | +2 | +6 | +6 |
Homes in Charleston are about the same age as the nation's housing: the median home was built in 1977, versus 1980 nationally. Homes here are older than in Arkansas as a whole, where the median home dates to 1988.
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 Charleston
| Period | Charleston | Arkansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $616 | $660 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $607 | $718 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $654 | $785 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $696 | $1,007 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$80 | +$346 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Charleston costs $696 a month with utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rent takes 23.3% of the typical renter's income, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent.
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 Charleston
Bachelor's degrees in Charleston
| Period | Charleston | Arkansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 19.1% | 20.6% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 15.2% | 21.8% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 15.6% | 23.8% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 21.1% | 26.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | +2.0 pts | +5.6 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Charleston have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 21.1%, against 35.6% nationally.
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 Charleston
| Period | Charleston | Arkansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 90.1% | 82.6% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 92.8% | 84.6% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 88.1% | 86.6% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 85.9% | 88.7% | 89.3% |
| Change | −4.2 pts | +6.1 pts | +4.3 pts |
About one in seven adults in Charleston never finished high school, more than nationally: 85.9% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% across the U.S.
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 Charleston
| Period | Charleston | Arkansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.8% | 7.7% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 11.6% | 8.4% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 3.4% | 5.2% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 2.2% | 5.1% | 5.4% |
| Change | −6.7 pts | −2.6 pts | −2.7 pts |
The job market in Charleston has been strong: just 2.2% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 5.4%. 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).
Charleston 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charleston | 2.33 | 41.7 | 12.2% | 20.5% | 8.4% | 1977 | $696 | 21.1% | 85.9% | 2.2% |
| Ursula | 2.30 | 44.7 | 10.0% | 17.9% | 8.4% | 1984 | $693 | 20.2% | 88.4% | 3.2% |
| Branch | 1.99 | 53.3 | 4.4% | 17.2% | 11.4% | 1981 | $708 | 11.1% | 90.3% | 1.6% |
| Vesta | 2.11 | 40.9 | 3.8% | 25.9% | 17.6% | 1983 | $587 | 20.4% | 85.2% | 6.5% |
| Peterpender | 2.01 | 48.1 | 3.9% | 17.7% | 14.6% | 1983 | $636 | 15.0% | 88.1% | 4.2% |
| Lavaca | 2.67 | 38.7 | 3.1% | 18.5% | 9.3% | 1990 | $865 | 18.9% | 90.5% | 2.9% |
| Riverdale | 2.34 | 49.5 | 7.2% | 24.6% | 7.2% | 1992 | $736 | 17.5% | 95.3% | 3.0% |
| Ratcliff | 2.55 | 44.8 | 6.7% | 15.3% | 9.7% | 1982 | $671 | 17.2% | 87.5% | 14.5% |
| Caulksville | 2.67 | 37.5 | 6.4% | 17.6% | 13.3% | 1977 | $724 | 24.1% | 88.1% | 23.0% |
| Cecil | 2.35 | 42.1 | 5.8% | 20.2% | 13.5% | 1986 | $654 | 17.0% | 85.0% | 5.5% |
| Central City | 2.54 | 43.9 | 6.0% | 22.6% | 7.8% | 1992 | $780 | 18.7% | 93.2% | 2.7% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Windsor, MO · Brownlee Park, MI · Waskom, TX · Clinton, WI · Durand, WI · Fairland, IN · Fulton, KY · Hinsdale, NH · Kekaha, HI · Okeana, OH
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 Charleston. 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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