Charleston, MO Demographics

A map of Charleston's Population by Race

Race	2024 Pop	2020 Pop	2024 %	2020 %
Black	2,028	2,639	45.2%	52.2%
White	1,940	2,159	43.3%	42.7%
Multiracial	414	122	9.2%	2.4%
Asian	62	13	1.4%	0.3%
Hispanic	36	89	0.8%	1.8%
Native American/Other	2	34	0.0%	0.7%

Charleston, Missouri has an estimated population of 4,482, a large decrease from the 5,056 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 45.2% Black, 43.3% White, 9.2% Multiracial, 1.4% Asian, 0.8% Hispanic, and 0.0% Native American/Other. This demographic dot map shows the population of Charleston, with one dot drawn for each person counted by the Census, color-coded by race.

Charleston has become considerably more racially diverse since the 2020 Census. It is considerably more diverse than Missouri overall. Demographers use a diversity index to measure the probability that two randomly selected individuals belong to different racial or ethnic groups. In Charleston, that probability was 54.4% in 2020 and 59.9% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Charleston is ranked the 167th most populous place in Missouri, out of 1,082 places. This ranking is based on the Census definition of a place, which includes incorporated places like cities, towns, and villages, as well as unincorporated census-designated places (CDPs). Charleston was ranked the 140th most populous place in the 2020 Census.

Charleston's White Population

1,940 residents of Charleston, or 43.3% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Charleston is significantly lower than in Missouri overall, where 76.3% of the population is White. Charleston ranks 1026th statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 1,082 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Charleston's White population has declined by an estimated 10.1%. White residents' share of Charleston's population has increased from 42.7% to 43.3%.

Charleston is more White than neighboring Wilson City (0% White). Charleston is less White than neighboring Anniston (97.1% White), Diehlstadt (85.8% White), Bertrand (79.1% White), and Whiting (100% White).

Charleston's Black Population

2,028 residents of Charleston, or 45.2% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Charleston is significantly higher than in Missouri overall, where 10.9% of the population is Black. Charleston ranks 44th statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 1,082 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Charleston's Black population has declined by an estimated 23.2%. Black residents' share of Charleston's population has decreased from 52.2% to 45.2%.

Charleston is more Black than neighboring Anniston (0% Black), Diehlstadt (1.8% Black), Bertrand (2.6% Black), and Whiting (0% Black). Charleston is less Black than neighboring Wilson City (64.6% Black).

Charleston's Asian Population

62 residents of Charleston, or 1.4% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Charleston is comparable to the share in Missouri overall, where 2.1% of the population is Asian. Charleston ranks 501st statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 1,082 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Charleston's Asian population has grown by an estimated 376.9%. Asian residents' share of Charleston's population has increased from 0.3% to 1.4%.

Charleston is more Asian than neighboring Anniston (0% Asian), Diehlstadt (0% Asian), Wilson City (0% Asian), Bertrand (0% Asian), and Whiting (0% Asian).

Charleston's Hispanic Population

36 residents of Charleston, or 0.8% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Charleston is slightly lower than in Missouri overall, where 5.2% of the population is Hispanic. Charleston ranks 687th statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 1,082 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Charleston's Hispanic population has declined by an estimated 59.6%. Hispanic residents' share of Charleston's population has decreased from 1.8% to 0.8%.

Charleston is more Hispanic than neighboring Diehlstadt (0% Hispanic), Wilson City (0% Hispanic), and Whiting (0% Hispanic). Charleston is less Hispanic than neighboring Anniston (2.9% Hispanic), and Bertrand (5.7% Hispanic).

Charleston's Native American/Other Population

2 residents of Charleston, or 0.0% of the population, identify as American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander/Other. The share of Native American/Other residents in Charleston is comparable to the share in Missouri overall, where 0.7% of the population is Native American/Other. Charleston ranks 504th statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 1,082 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Charleston's Native American/Other population has declined by an estimated 94.1%. Native American/Other residents' share of Charleston's population has decreased from 0.7% to 0.0%.

Charleston's Multiracial Population

414 residents of Charleston, or 9.2% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Charleston is slightly higher than in Missouri overall, where 4.8% of the population is Multiracial. Charleston ranks 929th statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 1,082 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Charleston's Multiracial population has grown by an estimated 239.3%. Multiracial residents' share of Charleston's population has increased from 2.4% to 9.2%.

Charleston is more Multiracial than neighboring Anniston (0% Multiracial), and Whiting (0% Multiracial). Charleston is less Multiracial than neighboring Diehlstadt (12.4% Multiracial), Wilson City (35.4% Multiracial), and Bertrand (12.6% Multiracial).

Sources: Most recent population estimates are from the 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. 2020 population counts and map data are from 2020 Census State Redistricting Data. Geographic data are from Census TIGER/Line Shapefiles.