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Charleston, West Virginia: crime rate and local statistics
According to the FBI, Charleston had 5.5 reported violent crimes per 1,000 residents in 2025, about 2.3 times the West Virginia rate (2.4). The median household income is $65,812 and the median home value is $203,300. About 47,421 people live in Charleston. Charleston is the capital of West Virginia.
Last updated . Crime: FBI 2025. Income and housing: Census ACS 2020-2024. Road work: October 11, 2026.
Also on the map: income by neighborhood · home values · schools
What is the crime rate in Charleston?
Charleston's violent-crime rate for 2025 was 5.5 per 1,000 residents, based on 252 offenses reported to the FBI. For comparison, that is about 2.3 times the West Virginia rate (2.4) and 67% higher than the national rate (3.3). Its murder count for the year was 3. There were also 1,601 property crimes, a rate of 34.8 per 1,000. Violent crimes fell 22% between 2021 and 2025 (323 to 252).
| Offense (2025) | Charleston count | Per 1,000 | West Virginia per 1,000 | U.S. per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crime | 252 | 5.5 | 2.4 | 3.3 |
| Murder | 3 | 0.07 | 0.04 | 0.04 |
| Rape | 27 | 0.59 | 0.52 | 0.36 |
| Robbery | 34 | 0.74 | 0.08 | 0.49 |
| Aggravated assault | 188 | 4.1 | 1.8 | 2.4 |
| Property crime | 1,601 | 34.8 | 10.5 | 15.3 |
| Burglary | 285 | 6.2 | 1.5 | 1.9 |
| Larceny-theft | 1,233 | 26.8 | 8.4 | 11.4 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 83 | 1.8 | 0.66 | 2.0 |
How has crime in Charleston changed since 2021?
| Year | Violent crimes | Property crimes | Murders |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 323 | 1,791 | 10 |
| 2022 | 323 | 2,086 | 10 |
| 2023 | 282 | 1,752 | 6 |
| 2024 | 251 | 1,443 | 6 |
| 2025 | 252 | 1,601 | 3 |
Most crime never reaches the police, so these are reported crimes, a floor rather than the full count. In 2024 about half of violent crimes (48%) and about 3 in 10 property crimes (31%) were reported to police (U.S. Justice Department, National Crime Victimization Survey). Rates also depend on how completely each agency reports to the FBI. City figures are the Charleston Police Department's own reports.
How does Charleston compare with West Virginia?
Households in Charleston have a median income of $65,812 (West Virginia: $59,608). The median owner-occupied home is worth $203,300 by owners' estimates, and half of renters pay more than $908 a month. About 47,421 people live on 31 square miles of land, roughly 1,510 per square mile. The city lies in Kanawha County.
| Census ACS 2020-2024 | Charleston | West Virginia | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 47,421 | 1,778,373 | 334,922,499 |
| Median household income | $65,812 | $59,608 | $80,734 |
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $203,300 | $162,600 | $332,700 |
| Median gross rent | $908 | $872 | $1,413 |
| Unemployment rate (2020-2024 average) | 6.5% | 5.4% | 5.2% |
| People below the poverty line | 15.8% | 16.7% | 12.5% |
| Adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher | 45.2% | 24.1% | 35.7% |
| Homeowner households | 63.3% | 74.9% | 65.2% |
| Median age | 43.0 | 42.7 | 38.9 |
What environmental sites and hazards are in Charleston?
Charleston has 1 dam classed as high hazard in the National Inventory of Dams. “High hazard” describes what lies downstream (people would probably die if the dam failed), not how likely the dam is to fail.
Kanawha County carries a “Relatively High” overall rating in FEMA's National Risk Index. The hazards rated highest here are river flooding (Relatively High). The index compares counties with each other and also weighs how vulnerable and resilient a community is, so it is a long-run estimate, not a forecast.
Is there road construction in Charleston?
On October 11, 2026 the state transportation feed listed 2 highway work zones in Charleston city limits (all active that day). Listed roads include I 64E and I 64W. 2 are on interstates. The map's construction layer is refreshed every morning.
See today's work zones on the map →
How many schools, nursing homes and parks are in or near Charleston?
Federal school lists place 19 public and 2 private schools within Charleston. 4 Medicare- or Medicaid-certified nursing homes are in the city.
Gun shops, liquor stores and Planned Parenthood in Charleston
Gun shops
2 gun shops with a public storefront are on the map inside the Charleston city limits, plus 3 more licensed dealers without a public storefront (not shown). On the ATF list: Cabela's 439 (Charleston) and Walmart #2036 (South Charleston).
Liquor stores
2 liquor stores are on the map inside the Charleston city limits: The Liquor Store and The Wine Shop (Charleston). West Virginia has no complete public liquor licence list we can use, so this count also draws on OpenStreetMap and Overture Maps and may miss some stores or include closed ones.
Planned Parenthood
There is no Planned Parenthood health center inside the Charleston city limits on the map.
See them on the map: gun shops · liquor stores →
Sources: ATF licensee list (Sept 2026); state liquor licence lists, OpenStreetMap and Overture Maps (non-official; partial in some states); HHS Title X directory and CMS NPPES.
Common questions
What is the crime rate in Charleston?
In 2025, Charleston had 5.5 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (252 reported), about 2.3 times the West Virginia rate (2.4). The property-crime rate was 34.8 per 1,000 (FBI Uniform Crime Reporting).
What is the median household income in Charleston?
$65,812 (Census American Community Survey, 2020-2024), compared with $59,608 for West Virginia.
How much do homes cost in Charleston?
The median value of owner-occupied homes is $203,300 (Census ACS 2020-2024), against $162,600 statewide.
What natural hazards affect Charleston?
Kanawha County carries a “Relatively High” overall rating in FEMA's National Risk Index. The hazards rated highest here are river flooding (Relatively High).
Nearby cities
Roanoke, VA (118 mi) · Newark, OH (126 mi) · Columbus, OH (134 mi) · Kingsport, TN (136 mi) · Johnson City, TN (145 mi) · Lynchburg, VA (148 mi)
More: West Virginia statewide numbers · county page: Kanawha County · Sex-offender registry search (NSOPW)
Where do these numbers come from?
- Crime: FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, agency counts 2021-2025 (Return A); state and national rates: FBI estimated crimes.
- Income, housing, education: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year, table B19013 (median household income) and related tables, for the Census place Charleston city.
- Land area: Census 2024 Gazetteer. Hazards: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), county scores (county level).
- Superfund: U.S. EPA, Superfund site boundaries and NPL status (October 2026). Dams: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, National Inventory of Dams (public map service, October 2026).
- Work zones: State departments of transportation, via the U.S. DOT Work Zone Data Exchange (WZDx) and state 511 feeds; refreshed every morning (snapshot October 11, 2026).
- Schools: National Center for Education Statistics, EDGE public school locations 2024-25; budgets: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances, fiscal year 2024; National Center for Education Statistics, EDGE Private School geocodes (Private School Survey 2023-24). Nursing homes: U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Nursing Home Provider Information and Penalties (September 2026).
- Parks: USGS Protected Areas Database of the U.S. (PAD-US 4.1); state park agencies' open data (CA, NY, PA, TN, TX, FL, NJ, KY, HI, UT, MT and others); OpenStreetMap contributors for some hours, phones, fees and camping; U.S. National Park Service: unit boundaries (Land Resources Division), Acreage Report (Sept 30, 2026), park pages on nps.gov (hours, fees), Visitor Use Statistics (2025).
Map the Block shows public statistics about places, not people, and does not rate or rank neighborhoods as places to live. Figures are as published by each source; check the source before relying on a number.
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