Population 3,046 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
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Population and households in West Side
Household size in West Side
| Period | West Side | Charleston | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.05 | 2.25 | 2.44 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.07 | 2.25 | 2.45 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 1.96 | 2.19 | 2.44 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 1.97 | 2.32 | 2.43 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.08 | +0.07 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Households in West Side are small: just 1.97 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: 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 West Side
| Period | West Side | Charleston | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 43.2 | 42.9 | 41.4 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 42.2 | 43.0 | 42.2 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 41.8 | 44.0 | 43.1 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 40.6 | 43.9 | 43.2 | 40.1 |
| Change | −2.6 | +1.0 | +1.9 | +2.3 |
At 40.6, the median age in West Side is close to the national median of 40.1, so its age mix looks much like the country's. The population here is younger than in Charleston as a whole, where the median age is 43.9. Since 2006–10, the median age has dropped from 43.2, but in a place this small, survey estimates can swing a lot from one release to the next.
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 West Side
| Period | West Side | Charleston | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 15.3% | 9.9% | 9.7% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 15.4% | 10.7% | 10.4% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 18.4% | 11.7% | 10.6% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 13.2% | 10.9% | 10.4% | 11.6% |
| Change | −2.1 pts | +0.9 pts | +0.6 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head just over one in eight households in West Side (13.2%), a bit above the national share of 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 West Side
Renters in West Side
| Period | West Side | Charleston | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 55.1% | 32.7% | 25.4% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 59.0% | 33.6% | 27.0% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 59.3% | 35.7% | 26.8% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 59.9% | 31.9% | 25.1% | 34.8% |
| Change | +4.7 pts | −0.9 pts | −0.3 pts | +1.5 pts |
Most households in West Side rent: 59.9% of occupied homes are rented, far above the national share of 34.8%. Expect more apartments, and more turnover, than in owner-heavy areas. Among homeowners, 70.6% 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 West Side
| Period | West Side | Charleston | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 16.1% | 12.0% | 15.1% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 26.2% | 12.6% | 15.0% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 17.2% | 13.8% | 16.8% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 28.2% | 17.2% | 14.9% | 9.6% |
| Change | +12.1 pts | +5.1 pts | −0.1 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacant homes make up 28.2% of the housing in West Side, 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 West Side
| Period | West Side | Charleston | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1948 | 1963 | 1970 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1945 | 1964 | 1973 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1950 | 1965 | 1974 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1938 | 1966 | 1976 | 1980 |
| Change | −10 | +3 | +6 | +6 |
West Side is a place of older homes: half were built before 1938, 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 West Side
| Period | West Side | Charleston | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $594 | $627 | $578 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $659 | $690 | $657 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $775 | $789 | $759 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $756 | $1,006 | $905 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$162 | +$379 | +$327 | +$606 |
The median renter in West Side pays $756 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rent takes 32.7% of the typical renter's income, just over 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 West Side
Bachelor's degrees in West Side
| Period | West Side | Charleston | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.6% | 29.8% | 18.4% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 14.6% | 31.5% | 19.7% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 23.4% | 32.9% | 21.4% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 16.9% | 39.6% | 25.0% | 35.6% |
| Change | +4.3 pts | +9.8 pts | +6.6 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are relatively uncommon in West Side: 16.9% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's or higher, well below the national share of 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 West Side
| Period | West Side | Charleston | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 77.1% | 86.9% | 82.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 85.2% | 88.3% | 84.8% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 88.2% | 90.3% | 87.2% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 92.4% | 92.4% | 89.4% | 89.3% |
| Change | +15.3 pts | +5.5 pts | +6.9 pts | +4.3 pts |
About nine in ten adults in West Side have finished high school (92.4%), a bit above the national rate of 89.3%. That is in line with the rest of Charleston.
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 West Side
| Period | West Side | Charleston | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.2% | 6.5% | 7.2% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 9.2% | 7.6% | 8.2% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 7.0% | 5.1% | 6.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 8.5% | 5.9% | 5.5% | 5.4% |
| Change | −4.6 pts | −0.6 pts | −1.6 pts | −2.7 pts |
Finding work has been harder in West Side: 8.5% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well above 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).
West Side 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Side | 1.97 | 40.6 | 13.2% | 59.9% | 28.2% | 1938 | $756 | 16.9% | 92.4% | 8.5% |
| East End | 1.78 | 45.2 | 9.7% | 68.9% | 21.9% | 1947 | $853 | 39.7% | 90.4% | 6.3% |
| South Ruffner | 2.92 | 34.5 | 5.5% | 31.7% | 22.2% | 1952 | $1,181 | 74.5% | 98.7% | 4.4% |
| 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: Friendly Hills, Dakota Ridge, CO · Urbanizacion Rexville, Bayamon, PR · Urbanizacion El Comandante, Carolina, PR · Urbanizacion Atlantic View, San Juan, PR · University Heights and Rosedale Hills, Indianapolis, IN · Highland, Billings, MT · Herlong, Jacksonville, FL · Hawthorne, Middle River, MD · Greenfield, Bakersfield, CA · Greenbriar, Glendale, AZ
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 West Side. 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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