Charleston receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
St. Albans
Charleston
Opportunity
38 · Bottom 15%
vs48 · Bottom 32%
Growth
20 · Bottom 8%
vs14 · Bottom 4%
Climate
75 · Top 29%
vs75 · Top 29%
Physical resilience
25 · Bottom 20%
vs25 · Bottom 21%
Housing affordability
94 · Top 23%
vs99 · Top 11%
Schools
17 · Bottom 8%
vs53 · Top 48%
Access
3 · Bottom 1%
vs0 · Bottom 1%
Economic stability
36 · Bottom 13%
vs35 · Bottom 12%
Measured values
| Metric | St. Albans | Charleston | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 10,522 | 47,421 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $53,972 | $65,812 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $33,037 | $49,097 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 2,911/sq mi | 1,510/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $140,800 | $203,300 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $931 | $908 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 71.8% | 63.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.2% | 4.0% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.6% | -1.6% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 24.3% | 45.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 14.1% | 15.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 2 | 4 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.2 | 0.1 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 86°F | 86°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 26°F | 26°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 46.2" | 46.2" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 116 mi | 123 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 22.5 min | 18.3 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 45.2 | 43.0 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 7 | 17 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 15.53 | 15.66 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 25.1% | 34.8% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 31.7% | 40.2% | 2019-20 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
St. Albans
Elevated or high exposure: inland flooding.
Charleston
Elevated or high exposure: inland flooding.
Your best match
Weight what matters to you. Your preferences stay in this browser and never change either Area Score.
St. Albans
38
Your Score
41
Area Score
Charleston
44
Your Score
47
Area Score
Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.
Full profiles: St. Albans, WV · Charleston, WV · How this is calculated: methodology