Cost of Living in Charleston, West Virginia
Rent, everyday costs and taxes in Charleston, what each job keeps after paying them, and how the city compares with the rest of the US.
- Population
- 46,117
- Median household income
- $65,812
- Cost of living (US = 100)
- 88.7
- Unemployment rate
- 6.5%
Is Charleston a good place to live?
Charleston is a good place to live if you want your pay to go further: a typical worker keeps more here than in 132 of the 178 other large US cities we track.
A typical worker in Charleston keeps $9,466 a year after taxes, rent and everyday costs. Try your job
- Cost of living11% below the US average (BEA, 2024)
- Rent$896 a month for a 1-bedroom (HUD)
- Taxes$1,336 of state income tax on a typical wage, plus $156 of local income tax
Cost of living in Charleston
Prices in the Charleston, WV area run 11% below the US average. Housing is the biggest difference, at 49% below the US average.
- Housing49% below the US average
- Goods (food, clothing, cars)4% below the US average
- Utilities8% below the US average
- Other services (healthcare and more)About the same as the US average
- All items11% below the US average
Monthly budget for one person
| Cost | Monthly | Yearly |
|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bedroom | $896 | $10,752 |
| Food | $475 | $5,700 |
| Transportation | $376 | $4,512 |
| Healthcare | $351 | $4,212 |
| Utilities | $239 | $2,868 |
| Total before taxes | $2,337 | $28,044 |
Rent by apartment size
| Monthly rent | Charleston | Whole metro area |
|---|---|---|
| Studio | $775 | $730 |
| 1 bedroom | $896 | $844 |
| 2 bedrooms | $1,111 | $1,048 |
| 3 bedrooms | $1,406 | $1,324 |
| 4 bedrooms | $1,462 | $1,377 |
Living in Charleston
How Charleston compares with the US on income, housing, work and commuting (Census Bureau, ACS 2020–2024 5-year).
| Measure | Charleston | US |
|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $65,812 | $81,604 |
| Median home value | $203,300 | $360,600 |
| Median rent paid | $908 | $1,487 |
| Households renting | 36.7% | 34.7% |
| Unemployment rate | 6.5% | 4.6% |
| Living below the poverty line | 15.8% | 12.2% |
| Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher | 45.2% | 36.9% |
| Median age | 43 years | 39.2 years |
| Average commute, one way | 16.9 minutes | 27.2 minutes |
| Working from home | 13% | 13.3% |
| Commuting by public transit | 1% | 3.7% |
Home internet
5 providers offer home internet to at least a quarter of Charleston, led by Optimum, T-Mobile, Verizon, Frontier. Fiber reaches 51.1% of homes and 51.7% can get gigabit speeds.
Pros and cons of living in Charleston
Pros
- Shorter commutes. The average one-way commute is 16.9 minutes, against 27.2 nationally.
- Cheaper rent. Median rent is $908 a month, against $1,487 nationally.
- Paychecks go further. A typical worker keeps $9,466 a year after taxes, rent and everyday costs, more than in 132 of 178 large cities.
- Lower cost of living. Prices are 11% below the US average (BEA, 2024).
Cons
- Higher unemployment. Unemployment is 6.5%, against 4.6% nationally (ACS 2020–2024 5-year).
- Local income tax. Residents also pay Charleston city service fee ($3 a week) income tax: $156 on a typical wage.
- Lower incomes. Median household income is $65,812, against $81,604 nationally.
What your job keeps in Charleston
Pick a job, or enter your salary, to see what's left after federal, payroll, state and local taxes, a 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs.
- Typical salary
- $45,830
- Federal income tax
- −$3,320
- Payroll taxes
- −$3,506
- State income tax
- −$1,336
- Local income tax
- −$156
- Rent, 1-bedroom
- −$10,752
- Everyday costs
- −$17,294
a year, or $789 a month
Pay: BLS OEWS Charleston, WV. Rent: HUD FY2027. Taxes: 2026 federal, state and local schedules for a single filer.
What the most common jobs keep here
The 10 jobs we cover with the most workers in the Charleston, WV area.
| Job | Median pay | You keep |
|---|---|---|
| Lawyer | $101,150 | $47,846 |
| Registered nurse | $80,230 | $34,137 |
| Accountant | $66,560 | $25,180 |
| Teacher | $56,715 | $17,729 |
| Social worker | $54,455 | $16,013 |
| Licensed practical nurse | $54,370 | $15,950 |
| Truck driver | $49,580 | $12,313 |
| Auto mechanic | $41,390 | $6,090 |
| Medical assistant | $38,190 | $3,624 |
| Nursing assistant | $36,250 | $2,131 |
Other jobs, A–Z
What each keeps in Charleston on its median pay. Pick one in the calculator above for the full breakdown.
- Carpenter $11,919
- Civil engineer $43,692
- Data scientist $33,896
- Dental assistant $3,548
- Dental hygienist $24,401
- Dentist $81,187
- Diesel mechanic $12,898
- Electrician $23,879
- Financial analyst $24,936
- Firefighter $4,079
- HVAC technician $13,778
- Lineman $36,484
- Mechanical engineer $45,815
- Nurse practitioner $66,119
- Occupational therapist $41,537
- Paralegal $16,260
- Paramedic $7,402
- Pharmacist $67,643
- Pharmacy technician $3,424
- Physical therapist $49,557
- Physician assistant $64,441
- Plumber $19,418
- Police officer $18,295
- Project manager $40,278
- Radiologic technologist $33,706
- Respiratory therapist $26,563
- Software engineer $62,128
- Speech-language pathologist $26,458
- Veterinarian $55,048
- Welder $11,114
Local income tax: A flat fee on everyone who works in the city, modelled as $156 a year.
Compare Charleston with other cities
Compare Charleston with another city: any city or state, any of our 40 jobs.
Moving to Charleston
No licensed interstate movers list an address in Charleston itself, and 1 more elsewhere in the Charleston, WV area (FMCSA, household-goods authority).
Questions people ask
Is Charleston, WV a good place to live?
Charleston is a good place to live if you want your pay to go further: a typical worker keeps more here than in 132 of the 178 other large US cities we track. The typical worker here earns $45,830 and keeps $9,466 a year after federal, payroll and state taxes, a 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs.
What is the cost of living in Charleston?
Prices in the Charleston, WV area are 11% below the US average (BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024). A 1-bedroom rents for $896 a month (HUD fair market rent, FY2027), and everyday costs for one person, covering food, transportation, healthcare and utilities, come to about $1,441 a month.
How much do you need to earn to live in Charleston?
A single person renting a 1-bedroom alone needs about $33,500 a year before tax to cover taxes, rent and everyday costs, with nothing left over. The typical worker in the Charleston, WV area earns $45,830.
What is the average rent in Charleston?
HUD's fair market rent for FY2027 is $775 for a studio, $896 for a 1-bedroom and $1,111 for a 2-bedroom. The Census Bureau puts the median rent paid in Charleston at $908 a month (2024).
Does Charleston have a state or city income tax?
Yes. On a typical wage of $45,830, West Virginia state income tax comes to about $1,336 a year. Charleston residents also pay Charleston city service fee ($3 a week) income tax, about $156 on the same wage.
What internet providers serve Charleston?
5 providers offer home internet to at least a quarter of Charleston, led by Optimum, T-Mobile, Verizon, Frontier. 51.1% of homes can get fiber and 51.7% can get gigabit speeds (FCC National Broadband Map).
Sources and method
Everyday costs: BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey 2024 (one-person households) × CPI-U to August 2026 × BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. Taxes assume a single filer with the standard deduction and wage income only.
- Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 population estimates
- Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates
- BLS OEWS May 2025, metropolitan area estimates
- HUD Small Area Fair Market Rents, FY2027
- BLS Consumer Expenditure Surveys 2024, Table 1400 (size of consumer unit)
- BLS Consumer Price Index (CPI-U)
- BEA Regional Price Parities by MSA, 2024
- FCC National Broadband Map, fixed broadband availability (data as of December 31, 2025, released 2026-09-29)
- FMCSA Carrier - All With History (operating authority and insurance)
Data compiled October 13, 2026. How we calculate