# Charleston metropolitan area, West Virginia

The Charleston Metropolitan Statistical Area, as defined by the United States Census Bureau, is an area consisting of three counties in West Virginia, anchored by the city of Charleston. It is the largest metropolitan area entirely within the state of West Virginia. The Huntington Metro Area adds to the Charleston–Huntington, WV-OH-KY CSA and spans three states (West Virginia, Kentucky, and Ohio), while the core county of the Charleston area, Kanawha County, is more populous than the West Virginia portion of the Huntington area.
Charleston is its largest and most populous city in the MSA. Cross Lanes is its most populous census-designated place. As of the 2000 census, the MSA had a population of 309,635 (though new standards set on February 28, 2013 placed the population at 240,000). Prior to the 2000 Census, the Charleston MSA consisted of only two counties – Kanawha and Putnam (the latter of which is now considered part of the Huntington metropolitan area).

## Rankings

The population of the Charleston MSA is ranked 151st out of the 363 MSA's.
* The Charleston–Huntington, WV-OH-KY CSA is the 81st largest in the US.
* The Charleston-Huntington TV Market is ranked 64th out of 210.
* The Charleston MSA is ranked 181st out of the 297 Arbitron radio markets.
* Out of 280 Metropolitan statistical areas ranked by per capita income, the Charleston MSA is ranked 106th. (Census 2000)
* The MSA is 202 out of 280 ranked by median household income. (Census 2000)

## Counties

In order of population:
Charleston Metropolitan Area :
| County | 2021 Estimate | 2020 Census | Change |
| Kanawha County | 177,952 | 180,745 | −1.55% |
| Jackson County | 27,738 | 27,791 | −0.19% |
| Boone County | 21,312 | 21,809 | −2.28% |
| Lincoln County | 20,126 | 20,463 | −1.65% |
| Clay County | 7,892 | 8,051 | −1.97% |
| Total | 255,020 | 258,859 | −1.48% |

## Cities, towns, and other communities
### Places with more than 45,000 inhabitants

* Charleston (Principal City)

### Places with 5,000 to 15,000 inhabitants

* Cross Lanes (census-designated place)
* Dunbar
* Nitro (partial)
* South Charleston
* St. Albans

### Places with 1,000 to 5,000 inhabitants

* Alum Creek (census-designated place)
* Belle
* Chesapeake
* Clendenin
* Coal Fork (census-designated place)
* Culloden (census-designated place; partial)
* Elkview (census-designated place)
* Madison
* Marmet
* Montgomery (partial)
* Pinch (census-designated place)
* Sissonville (census-designated place)
* Upper Falls (census-designated place)

### Places with less than 1,000 inhabitants

* Cedar Grove
* Clay
* Danville
* East Bank
* Glasgow
* Handley
* Jefferson
* Pratt
* Smithers (partial)
* Sylvester
* Whitesville

### Unincorporated places
## Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 309,635 people, 129,229 households, and 88,175 families residing within the MSA. New definitions from February 28, 2013 placed the population at 363,000. The racial makeup of the MSA was 93.25% White, 4.66% African American, 0.21% Native American, 0.65% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.17% from other races, and 1.04% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 0.55% of the population.
The median income for a household in the MSA was $29,222, and the median income for a family was $35,735. Males had a median income of $34,105 versus $20,448 for females. The per capita income for the MSA was $16,074.

## Highways
### Interstates

* Interstate 77
* Interstate 79
* Interstate 64

### U.S. Highways

* U.S. Route 60
* U.S. Route 119
* U.S. Route 35

### Appalachian Corridors

* Corridor G

### WV state highways

| West Virginia Route 61 West Virginia Route 622 West Virginia Route 94 West Virginia Route 4 West Virginia Route 62 West Virginia Route 16 West Virginia Route 34 West Virginia Route 3 West Virginia Route 25 | West Virginia Route 10 West Virginia Route 36 West Virginia Route 114 West Virginia Route 601 West Virginia Route 214 West Virginia Route 501 West Virginia Route 869 West Virginia Route 817 |

## Colleges and universities

* University of Charleston
* West Virginia State University
* Marshall University Graduate College
* BridgeValley Community and Technical College
* WV Junior College

## Combined Statistical Area

The Charleston–Huntington–Ashland, WV–OH–KY Combined Statistical Area consists of the Charleston, WV Metropolitan Statistical Area, the Huntington–Ashland, WV–KY–OH Metropolitan Statistical Area, and the Portsmouth, OH Micropolitan Statistical Area. It spans 12 counties in West Virginia, Kentucky, and Ohio.
| CBSA | 2023 Population (est.) | County | 2023 Population (est.) | 2020 Population | 2010 Population | 2000 Population | 1950 Population | 1900 Population |
| Huntington–Ashland, WV–KY–OH MSA | 368,261 | Cabell County, West Virginia | 92,082 | 94,350 | 96,319 | 96,784 | 108,035 | 29,252 |
| Huntington–Ashland, WV–KY–OH MSA | 368,261 | Putnam County, West Virginia | 56,962 | 57,440 | 55,486 | 51,589 | 21,021 | 17,330 |
| Huntington–Ashland, WV–KY–OH MSA | 368,261 | Lawrence County, Ohio | 56,118 | 58,240 | 62,450 | 62,319 | 49,115 | 39,354 |
| Huntington–Ashland, WV–KY–OH MSA | 368,261 | Boyd County, Kentucky | 47,826 | 48,261 | 49,542 | 49,752 | 49,949 | 18,834 |
| Huntington–Ashland, WV–KY–OH MSA | 368,261 | Wayne County, West Virginia | 37,686 | 38,982 | 42,481 | 42,903 | 38,696 | 23,619 |
| Huntington–Ashland, WV–KY–OH MSA | 368,261 | Greenup County, Kentucky | 35,221 | 35,962 | 36,910 | 36,891 | 24,887 | 15,432 |
| Huntington–Ashland, WV–KY–OH MSA | 368,261 | Carter County, Kentucky | 26,366 | 26,627 | 27,720 | 26,889 | 22,559 | 20,228 |
| Huntington–Ashland, WV–KY–OH MSA | 368,261 | Lawrence County, Kentucky | 16,000 | 16,293 | 15,860 | 15,569 | 14,418 | 19,612 |
| Charleston, WV MSA | 203,164 | Kanawha County, West Virginia | 174,805 | 180,745 | 193,063 | 200,073 | 239,629 | 54,696 |
| Charleston, WV MSA | 203,164 | Boone County, West Virginia | 20,576 | 21,809 | 24,629 | 25,535 | 33,173 | 8,194 |
| Charleston, WV MSA | 203,164 | Clay County, West Virginia | 7,783 | 8,051 | 9,386 | 10,330 | 14,961 | 8,248 |
| Portsmouth, OH μSA | 71,969 | Scioto County, Ohio | 71,969 | 74,008 | 79,499 | 79,195 | 82,910 | 40,981 |
| Charleston–Huntington–Ashland, WV–OH–KY CSA | 643,394 | | | | | | | |