Live-In Caregivers in South Charleston, WV

Local figures

Live-In Caregivers in South Charleston, WV: the local picture

366

residents 85 or older (2.7% of all residents)

1,530

households headed by someone 65+ own their home (76%)

66%

of South Charleston homes have 3 or more bedrooms (64% in Kanawha County)

$8.75

West Virginia minimum wage per hour

About 366 South Charleston residents are 85 or older. Live-in care is most often arranged for this age group, when help is needed through the day and someone should be close at night.

A live-in caregiver needs a private room. 66% of homes in South Charleston have three or more bedrooms (64% in Kanawha County), while 10.0% have one bedroom or none, where live-in care rarely works; the median home has 6 rooms.

Of South Charleston households headed by someone 65 or older, 1,530 own their home and 477 rent; among householders 85 and older it is 209 owners and 71 renters. Renters should check that the lease allows another adult to live in before anyone moves in.

South Charleston compared with Kanawha County and West Virginia

Census figure	South Charleston	Kanawha County	West Virginia
Residents 85 or older	2.7%	2.5%	2.1%
Residents 65+ in households who live alone	31%	31%	30%
Residents 65+ with a disability	35%	37%	39%
Residents 65+ below the poverty line (approx.)	11%	11%	12%
Residents 65 or older	21%	22%	21%
Residents 5+ who speak a language other than English at home	1.5%	2.3%	2.5%
Median income, households headed by someone 65+	$53,738	$51,172	—

Older residents in towns around South Charleston

Town	Distance	Residents 65+	Residents 85+
Dunbar, WV	2.4 mi	1,618	383
Charleston, WV	4.3 mi	10,007	1,207
St. Albans, WV	6.4 mi	2,646	412
Nitro, WV	7.2 mi	1,330	84
Cross Lanes, WV	7.3 mi	2,226	88
Sissonville, WV	12 mi	856	96

Emergency hospitals near South Charleston

Hospital with an emergency department	Town	Distance	CMS overall rating	Phone
Thomas Memorial Hospital	South Charleston, WV	2.0 mi	1 of 5	(304) 766-3600
Charleston Area Medical Center	Charleston, WV	4.4 mi	2 of 5	(304) 388-5432
Boone Memorial Hospital	Madison, WV	21 mi	4 of 5	(304) 369-1230

Straight-line miles from the center of South Charleston. Medicare (CMS) data, October 2026; call ahead to confirm. We are not affiliated with these providers.

What it covers

What a live-in caregiver can help with

Help across the day: meals, housekeeping, personal care
Someone in the home overnight if help is needed
Medication reminders and appointment rides
Companionship and a steady routine

Cost

What live-in care costs in South Charleston

Live-in pay is often agreed by the day or week, but every hour worked counts toward minimum wage. At $13.47 an hour (the West Virginia median aide wage), a live-in caregiver paid for 50 hours a week costs about $2,919 a month (65% of the $4,478 monthly median income of South Charleston households headed by someone 65+). Round-the-clock shift care, 168 paid hours a week across two or three caregivers, comes to about $9,806 a month (219% of the $4,478 monthly median income of South Charleston households headed by someone 65+). Private rates are agreed with the caregiver, and overtime rules can add to both. West Virginia's minimum wage is $8.75 an hour (U.S. Department of Labor table, updated July 1, 2026).

Hiring directly, you agree the rate with the caregiver and usually become the household employer (U.S. Department of Labor rules). Some families qualify for programs that pay for care at home; see How to get paid to care for a family member in West Virginia: ADW and Personal Options.

Before you hire

What to know before hiring a live-in caregiver

Put the arrangement in writing: hours on duty, sleep time, days off, the room and pay (federal rules: DOL Fact Sheet 79B).

Questions worth asking: Have you lived in with a client before, and for how long? What days off and sleep time do you need? How do you handle being woken at night? More in our live-in caregivers guide.

CaregiverConnect does not run background checks. Check identity, references and any certification yourself before anyone starts. The Safety Center explains how.

Questions

Live-In Caregivers in South Charleston: common questions

Where is the nearest emergency hospital to South Charleston?

Thomas Memorial Hospital in South Charleston, about 2.0 mi in a straight line from the center of South Charleston (Medicare hospital file). Its listed phone number is (304) 766-3600. In an emergency, call 911.

How much does live-in care cost in South Charleston?

Live-in pay is often agreed by the day or week, but every hour worked counts toward minimum wage. At $13.47 an hour (the West Virginia median aide wage), a live-in caregiver paid for 50 hours a week costs about $2,919 a month (65% of the $4,478 monthly median income of South Charleston households headed by someone 65+). Round-the-clock shift care, 168 paid hours a week across two or three caregivers, comes to about $9,806 a month (219% of the $4,478 monthly median income of South Charleston households headed by someone 65+). Private rates are agreed with the caregiver, and overtime rules can add to both. West Virginia's minimum wage is $8.75 an hour (U.S. Department of Labor table, updated July 1, 2026).

Live-in or 24-hour care in South Charleston?

A live-in caregiver sleeps in the home and has protected sleep and break time. 24-hour care uses two or three caregivers in shifts so someone is always awake; in South Charleston it costs more than three times as much a month (see the cost section above). Choose shifts if help is needed several times a night.

More near South Charleston

More senior care near South Charleston

Live-In Caregivers in nearby cities

Other care in South Charleston

More for South Charleston families

Sources

Census ACS 2020–2024 5-year; CMS provider data (October 25, 2026); U.S. DOL state minimum wages (July 1, 2026); BLS OEWS May 2025 aide wages, which cover employed aides rather than private rates.