Population 4,796 · 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 | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.53 | 2.49 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.43 | 2.52 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.42 | 2.50 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.38 | 2.49 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.15 | −0.00 | −0.03 |
Households in Charleston are small: just 2.38 people on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. That is typical of places where many people live alone or as couples, and fewer have children at home. Household size has dropped from 2.53 in 2006–10, but in a place this small, survey estimates can swing a lot from one release to the next.
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 | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 41.9 | 38.4 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 39.1 | 39.2 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 41.2 | 40.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 38.3 | 40.1 | 40.1 |
| Change | −3.6 | +1.7 | +2.3 |
Charleston is a little younger than the country as a whole: its median age is 38.3, against 40.1 nationally. Residents skew youngest in the south and oldest in the north.
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 | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 16.1% | 11.3% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 15.6% | 11.4% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 15.9% | 10.9% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 14.1% | 11.0% | 11.6% |
| Change | −2.0 pts | −0.3 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are more common in Charleston than nationally: 14.1%, against 11.6%. Compared with other Missouri cities, Charleston has a higher share of single-parent households than most.
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 | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 43.2% | 30.0% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 40.4% | 32.1% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 41.8% | 33.2% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 45.3% | 31.9% | 34.8% |
| Change | +2.1 pts | +1.9 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renting is far more common in Charleston than nationally: 45.3% of households rent their homes, against 34.8%. About two-thirds of owners (64.9%) have paid off their mortgages, well above the national share of 39.8%. Rentals cluster in the west; owners are most common in the north. Of the 191 Missouri cities with 5,000+ people, only 14 have a higher share of renters.
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 | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.6% | 11.6% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 9.2% | 12.0% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 16.7% | 12.2% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 14.9% | 10.5% | 9.6% |
| Change | +7.3 pts | −1.1 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is high in Charleston: 14.9% 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. Charleston has a higher vacancy rate than at least four in five Missouri cities.
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 | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1962 | 1974 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1963 | 1975 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1969 | 1976 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1969 | 1978 | 1980 |
| Change | +7 | +4 | +6 |
The housing in Charleston is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1969, against 1980 for the U.S., so buyers will find more older houses, some of them due for updates. Newer construction is concentrated in the southwest, while the north has the oldest housing. Charleston has older homes than the great majority of Missouri cities.
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 | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $518 | $740 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $633 | $816 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $726 | $899 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $781 | $1,122 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$262 | +$383 | +$606 |
Rent in Charleston runs $781 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. The typical renter here spends 38.7% of household income on rent, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched. Charleston has lower rents than the great majority of Missouri cities.
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 | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 15.9% | 26.0% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 13.1% | 27.3% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 14.4% | 29.6% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 13.5% | 32.6% | 35.6% |
| Change | −2.4 pts | +6.6 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Charleston have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 13.5%, against 35.6% nationally. College graduates are most concentrated in the north and least in the west. Only eight of the 191 Missouri cities with 5,000+ people have a lower share of college graduates.
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 | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 69.3% | 86.8% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 78.5% | 88.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 82.3% | 90.0% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 85.3% | 91.8% | 89.3% |
| Change | +16.0 pts | +5.1 pts | +4.3 pts |
About one in seven adults in Charleston never finished high school, more than nationally: 85.3% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% across the U.S. Of the 191 Missouri cities with 5,000+ people, only 17 have a lower share of high school graduates.
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 | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 15.4% | 7.4% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 18.2% | 8.4% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 8.1% | 4.6% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.2% | 4.1% | 5.4% |
| Change | −11.2 pts | −3.3 pts | −2.7 pts |
Jobs have been a little easier to find in Charleston than nationally: unemployment was 4.2%, against 5.4%. That is in line with the rest of Missouri. 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 | 2.38 | 38.3 | 14.1% | 45.3% | 14.9% | 1969 | $781 | 13.5% | 85.3% | 4.2% |
| Diehlstadt | 3.17 | 41.0 | 9.9% | 25.3% | 5.8% | 1978 | $997 | 14.0% | 80.1% | 2.0% |
| Bertrand | 2.28 | 48.8 | 12.3% | 19.4% | 14.5% | 1979 | $738 | 11.6% | 81.8% | 0.3% |
| Samos | 2.10 | 45.8 | 3.0% | 18.8% | 13.9% | 1980 | $840 | 11.9% | 82.0% | 0.4% |
| Anniston | 2.27 | 46.3 | 10.0% | 18.6% | 9.5% | 1985 | $677 | 10.9% | 90.8% | 0.0% |
| Lusk | 3.03 | 40.5 | 11.3% | 22.5% | 11.0% | 1972 | $898 | 14.8% | 78.1% | 3.2% |
| Wyatt | 2.39 | 40.6 | 14.3% | 19.9% | 25.8% | 1958 | $594 | 15.7% | 73.6% | 6.1% |
| Miner | 2.51 | 38.5 | 14.7% | 18.0% | 4.9% | 1977 | $1,000 | 15.8% | 88.5% | 2.1% |
| Blodgett | 3.25 | 41.3 | 8.5% | 17.1% | 12.0% | 1984 | $1,010 | 19.3% | 78.5% | 3.1% |
| Cairo | 2.34 | 48.0 | 15.1% | 34.5% | 44.1% | 1953 | $546 | 13.1% | 84.3% | 10.7% |
| Klondike | 2.08 | 51.6 | 10.9% | 23.9% | 47.1% | 1952 | $256 | 26.2% | 77.3% | 0.0% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Hillsville, VA · Hemingway, SC · Henagar, AL · Henniker, NH · Herculaneum, MO · Hewitt, NJ · Hiawassee, GA · Hicksville, OH · Hiddenite, NC · Higganum, CT
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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