Beckley, WV vs Charleston, WV

Side-by-side comparison from the latest government data.

MetricBeckley, WVCharleston, WV
Population16,81847,421
Median Household Income$45,826$65,812
Median Rent$869/mo$908/mo
Median Home Value$158,000$203,300
Cost of Living (US = 100)8889
Renters Paying 30%+ of Income51.1%42.2%
Poverty Rate28.9%15.8%
Unemployment Rate4.3% (county)3.9%
Violent Crime Rate /100k716596
Property Crime Rate /100k7,0973,804
Median AQI—39
Good AQI Days /yr—281
Summer Highs78°F85°F
Winter Lows21°F28°F
Snowfall38 in/yr32 in/yr
Avg Commute16.5 min16.9 min
Hospitals33
Avg Hospital Rating3.3 / 52.0 / 5
Students per Teacher1411.6
College Degree Rate29.2%45.2%
Foreign-Born %3%4.5%
Population Growth (2020–2025)-5.2%-5.5%

Green = clearly better (more than 5% apart). Population, growth, weather, hospital count and foreign-born share aren’t scored.