In 2025, Charleston police reported 274 violent crimes (596 per 100,000 residents), including 3 murders, 36 robberies and 206 aggravated assaults, plus 1,738 property crimes, according to FBI data.
Population covered: 45,958. Violent-crime rate rank: 2 of 3 large West Virginia cities on this site (1 = highest rate). Source: FBI Crime Data Explorer, agency WV0200200, January–December 2025.
| City | Violent / 100k | Violent | Murders | Property / 100k | Map |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Huntington | 670 | 298 | 3 | 3,346 | Totals |
| Charleston | 596 | 274 | 3 | 3,782 | Totals |
| Morgantown | 239 | 73 | 5 | 1,686 | Totals |
Source: FBI Crime Data Explorer agency counts for 2025 (all 12 months reported unless noted), retrieved October 7, 2026. Rates use the population the FBI lists for each police agency.
Charleston's violent-crime rate of 596 per 100,000 people in 2025 was 2.6 times the West Virginia rate (232) and 86% higher than the U.S. rate (320). That works out to one reported violent crime for every 168 residents, or about 5.3 a week.
Among the 362 cities with full-year FBI numbers on CityCrimeMap, Charleston ranks 100th for violent crime, in the higher half, and 107th for murder (3 murders, 6.5 per 100,000).
Aggravated assaults made up 75% of Charleston's violent crimes and robberies 13%, close to the national robbery share of 15%.
Property crime ran 3,782 per 100,000, 4 times West Virginia overall. Charleston police logged 89 vehicle thefts (194 per 100,000, 209th of 351; West Virginia: 63) and 303 burglaries (659 per 100,000, 4.9 times the state).
The closest city we cover is Huntington, 44 miles west; its violent-crime rate (670) is 12% higher than Charleston's.
Out-of-state cities near Charleston's size (45,958 residents): Concord, NH at 181 violent crimes per 100,000 and Burlington, VT at 482.
By the FBI's 2025 numbers, Charleston had 596 violent crimes per 100,000 residents, 2.6 times the statewide 232. It is 2nd highest of the 3 West Virginia cities on this site; Huntington is highest at 670. A city-wide rate does not tell you about a single block.
Charleston police reported 3 murders for 2025, a rate of 6.5 per 100,000 residents. The West Virginia rate was 3.9 and the national rate 4.1.
89 vehicles were reported stolen in Charleston in 2025, 194 per 100,000 residents. That is about even with the national rate of 195 and ranks 209th of 351 cities on this site.