Cape Charles is a very small coastal town (i.e. on the ocean, a bay, or inlet) located in the state of Virginia. With a population of 1,265 people and two associated neighborhoods, Cape Charles is the 271st largest community in Virginia. Much of the housing stock in Cape Charles was built prior to World War II, making it one of the older and more historic towns in the country.

Cape Charles real estate is some of the most expensive in Virginia, although Cape Charles house values don't compare to the most expensive real estate in the U.S.

A relatively large number of people in Cape Charles telecommute to their jobs. Overall, about 16.39% of the workforce works from home. While this may seem like a small number, as a fraction of the total workforce it ranks among the highest in the country. These workers are often telecommuters who work in knowledge-based, white-collar professions. For example, Silicon Valley has large numbers of people who telecommute. Other at-home workers may be self-employed people who operate small businesses out of their homes.

Another notable thing is that Cape Charles is an extremely popular destination for tourists and seasonal residents. So much of the population is seasonal such that the town’s population swells significantly during the vacation season, and drops again when the season ends. Because of this, much of the local economy is centered around tourism; some businesses may be operated only during the high season. During the low season, year-round residents will notice that the city is a substantially quieter place to live.

Cape Charles is also nautical, which means that parts of it are somewhat historic and touch the ocean or tidal bodies of water, such as inlets and bays. Such areas are often places that visitors and locals go for waterfront activities or taking in the scenery.

Cape Charles is a small town, and as such doesn't have a public transit system that people use to get to and from their jobs every day.

If knowledge is power, Cape Charles is a pretty powerful place. 55.30% of the adults in Cape Charles have earned a 4-year college degree, masters degree, MD, law degree, or even PhD. Compare that to the national average of 21.84% for all cities and towns.

The per capita income in Cape Charles in 2022 was $61,031, which is wealthy relative to Virginia and the nation. This equates to an annual income of $244,124 for a family of four. However, Cape Charles contains both very wealthy and poor people as well.

Cape Charles is a somewhat ethnically-diverse town. The people who call Cape Charles home describe themselves as belonging to a variety of racial and ethnic groups. The greatest number of Cape Charles residents report their race to be White, followed by Black or African-American. Important ancestries of people in Cape Charles include German, English, Irish, Scots-Irish, and Italian.

The most common language spoken in Cape Charles is English. Other important languages spoken here include Polish and German/Yiddish.