Population 3,679 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in South Ruffner
Household size in South Ruffner
| Period | South Ruffner | Charleston | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1.76 | 2.25 | 2.44 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 1.86 | 2.25 | 2.45 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 1.95 | 2.19 | 2.44 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.92 | 2.32 | 2.43 | 2.65 |
| Change | +1.16 | +0.07 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Households in South Ruffner are large by national standards, averaging 2.92 people against 2.65 for the U.S. That usually means more families with children at home. Household size has climbed from 1.76 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 South Ruffner
| Period | South Ruffner | Charleston | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 48.8 | 42.9 | 41.4 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 41.0 | 43.0 | 42.2 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 39.3 | 44.0 | 43.1 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 34.5 | 43.9 | 43.2 | 40.1 |
| Change | −14.3 | +1.0 | +1.9 | +2.3 |
With a median age of just 34.5, South Ruffner is far younger than the country as a whole (40.1), a population that tilts toward young families with children.
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 South Ruffner
| Period | South Ruffner | Charleston | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 4.2% | 9.9% | 9.7% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 2.6% | 10.7% | 10.4% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 4.2% | 11.7% | 10.6% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 5.5% | 10.9% | 10.4% | 11.6% |
| Change | +1.2 pts | +0.9 pts | +0.6 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are relatively rare in South Ruffner: 5.5% 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 South Ruffner
Renters in South Ruffner
| Period | South Ruffner | Charleston | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 37.2% | 32.7% | 25.4% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 39.3% | 33.6% | 27.0% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 38.7% | 35.7% | 26.8% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 31.7% | 31.9% | 25.1% | 34.8% |
| Change | −5.5 pts | −0.9 pts | −0.3 pts | +1.5 pts |
Nearly a third of households in South Ruffner rent their homes (31.7%), a little below the national share of 34.8%; the rest own. The picture is much the same across Charleston. Among homeowners, 53.1% 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 South Ruffner
| Period | South Ruffner | Charleston | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.4% | 12.0% | 15.1% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 13.5% | 12.6% | 15.0% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 15.5% | 13.8% | 16.8% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 22.2% | 17.2% | 14.9% | 9.6% |
| Change | +12.9 pts | +5.1 pts | −0.1 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is high in South Ruffner: 22.2% 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 South Ruffner
| Period | South Ruffner | Charleston | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1955 | 1963 | 1970 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1952 | 1964 | 1973 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1952 | 1965 | 1974 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1952 | 1966 | 1976 | 1980 |
| Change | −3 | +3 | +6 | +6 |
South Ruffner is a place of older homes: half were built before 1952, while the national median is 1980. That means established neighborhoods, and more houses that may need updating.
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 South Ruffner
| Period | South Ruffner | Charleston | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $609 | $627 | $578 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $633 | $690 | $657 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $841 | $789 | $759 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,181 | $1,006 | $905 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$572 | +$379 | +$327 | +$606 |
Rent in South Ruffner runs $1,181 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Still, rents here are higher than in Charleston overall ($1,006). The typical renter here spends 34.5% of household income on rent, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched.
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 South Ruffner
Bachelor's degrees in South Ruffner
| Period | South Ruffner | Charleston | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 58.7% | 29.8% | 18.4% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 57.1% | 31.5% | 19.7% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 65.1% | 32.9% | 21.4% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 74.5% | 39.6% | 25.0% | 35.6% |
| Change | +15.8 pts | +9.8 pts | +6.6 pts | +7.2 pts |
College graduates are unusually common in South Ruffner: 74.5% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's degree or higher, against 35.6% nationally. Education tends to track local incomes and the kinds of jobs nearby.
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 South Ruffner
| Period | South Ruffner | Charleston | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 95.4% | 86.9% | 82.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 97.7% | 88.3% | 84.8% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 97.1% | 90.3% | 87.2% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 98.7% | 92.4% | 89.4% | 89.3% |
| Change | +3.3 pts | +5.5 pts | +6.9 pts | +4.3 pts |
Finishing high school is nearly universal in South Ruffner: 98.7% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%.
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 South Ruffner
| Period | South Ruffner | Charleston | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.9% | 6.5% | 7.2% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 5.5% | 7.6% | 8.2% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 3.9% | 5.1% | 6.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.4% | 5.9% | 5.5% | 5.4% |
| Change | −1.4 pts | −0.6 pts | −1.6 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in South Ruffner runs below the national rate: 4.4% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. 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).
South Ruffner compared with nearby neighborhoods
| Neighborhood | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Ruffner | 2.92 | 34.5 | 5.5% | 31.7% | 22.2% | 1952 | $1,181 | 74.5% | 98.7% | 4.4% |
| East End | 1.78 | 45.2 | 9.7% | 68.9% | 21.9% | 1947 | $853 | 39.7% | 90.4% | 6.3% |
| West Side | 1.97 | 40.6 | 13.2% | 59.9% | 28.2% | 1938 | $756 | 16.9% | 92.4% | 8.5% |
| Southside | 1.97 | 37.7 | 7.0% | 52.7% | 13.1% | 1946 | $916 | 47.8% | 93.2% | 8.5% |
| West Huntington | 2.23 | 42.5 | 19.0% | 47.3% | 16.7% | 1949 | $807 | 21.7% | 87.6% | 10.8% |
| Rankin Historic District | 2.31 | 38.0 | 21.3% | 49.6% | 16.3% | 1942 | $805 | 21.5% | 89.7% | 12.3% |
| 6th Ward | 2.38 | 36.1 | 15.7% | 46.1% | 15.0% | 1949 | $818 | 11.6% | 89.2% | 8.6% |
| 4th Ward | 2.51 | 40.3 | 23.0% | 57.7% | 14.5% | 1942 | $614 | 7.9% | 70.7% | 13.0% |
| 3rd Ward | 2.43 | 42.9 | 13.5% | 43.0% | 18.9% | 1952 | $751 | 24.5% | 87.4% | 4.6% |
| 1st Ward | 1.97 | 46.9 | 15.3% | 61.5% | 15.6% | 1949 | $759 | 21.6% | 91.1% | 8.9% |
| Liberty Area | 2.15 | 38.9 | 9.0% | 43.8% | 2.4% | 2007 | $1,569 | 54.8% | 95.0% | 4.5% |
All figures 2020–24.
Neighborhoods with similar populations: Clifton, Louisville, KY · South End, Bridgeport, CT · Providence Estates East, Matthews, NC · Pheasant Hill, Dayton, OH · Orchidlands Estates, Keaau, HI · Northwest Berkeley, Berkeley, CA · Northeast Park, St. Petersburg, FL · Hibiscus, Azalea Park, FL · Embrey Mill, Stafford, VA · Downtown North Lauderdale, North Lauderdale, FL
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 South Ruffner. 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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