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Charleston Metropolitan Area
Metropolitan area
Charleston MSA
Coordinates: 38°N 82°W / 38°N 82°W / 38; -82
Country	United States
State(s)	West Virginia
Largest city	Charleston
Other cities	South Charleston St. Albans Dunbar
Population (2011 est.)
• Total	240,000
• Rank	153rd in the U.S.

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. While the Huntington Metro Area is more populous, it spans three states (West Virginia, Kentucky, and Ohio), and 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. Tornado is its largest census-designated place and Cross Lanes its most populous.^[1] 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).^[2] 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 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:

Cities, towns, and other communities

Places with more than 50,000 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^[3] 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.^[4]
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

Colleges and universities

• University of Charleston


• West Virginia University Institute of Technology


• 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. The population was estimated to be 675,000 as of 2013.

References

External links

• The Charleston Area Alliance


• List of Micropolitan and Metropolitan areas defined by the U.S. Census Bureau

Coordinates: 38°20′N 81°35′W / 38.333°N 81.583°W / 38.333; -81.583