Kanawha County · West Virginia
Charleston cost of living (WV)
Price levels published by the Bureau of Economic Analysis for Charleston, WV, with the national average set to 100 — so 108 means things cost 8% more here than the US average.
Quick answer
Charleston costs 11.3% below the national average — all-items price level 88.7, rank 94 of 94 covered metros. A $100,000 national-average salary needs to be $88,717 here. Housing is the reason, at 51.4.
- All items
- 88.7US average = 100
- Housing
- 51.448.6% below the national average
- Goods
- 96.33.7% below the national average
- Other services
- 99.8in line with the national average
Price level by component
Where the difference actually comes from.
| Component | Index | vs US | What it covers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goods | 96.3 | -3.7% | Groceries, fuel, clothing, durable purchases. |
| Housing | 51.4 | -48.6% | Rents and imputed rents — the biggest single swing factor. |
| Utilities | 91.7 | -8.3% | Electricity, gas, water and other household energy. |
| Other services | 99.8 | -0.2% | Healthcare, dining, repairs, personal services. |
What your salary is worth in Charleston, WV
Enter a salary. We deflate it by the local price level (88.7 where 100 is the US average) and show what you would need to earn here to match the same pay somewhere average.
- Real value here
- $62,342
- Needed to match US average
- $49,068
- Monthly difference
- $-520
What a local paycheck is really worth
Nominal pay is only half the story.
$55,308 median household income in Charleston is worth $62,342 in national-average dollars. BEA calls that real income: income × 100 ÷ 88.7.
More Charleston data
Other Charleston datasets on this site.
- Charleston population and income
- Charleston sales tax rate
- Charleston property tax
- Charleston home values and rent
- Charleston crime rates
- Charleston public schools
- Charleston weather normals
- Charleston commute times
- Charleston jobs and wages
Statewide: West Virginia cities · West Virginia ZIP codes · West Virginia sales tax · West Virginia counties
2024 BEA Regional Price Parities, published for Charleston, WV. Parities are metro-wide, so a single neighbourhood can sit well above or below these figures.