Despite its relatively small size, Cape Charles is a growing town that is home to numerous restaurants, shops, and other businesses. The town was founded in 1793 and is now home to more than 1,200 people and 50 places of business. In 1885, an act of the state legislature awarded the town's first mayor title to Carl H. Walbridge. Its growth was spurred by its proximity to the ocean and the town's favorable location for a number of popular recreation activities.
Cape Charles has a quaint historic downtown that is just a mile long, and a thriving modern center. There is a striking contrast between old and new here. You can find local sushi restaurants and Watson's Hardware Store side by side. At night, you'll find locals chatting and reminiscing outside of a hardware store. The town is cosmopolitan compared to the small town that inspired the movie "Mayberry."
The median household income in Cape Charles is $33,281, making it one of the wealthiest cities in the Commonwealth. However, the poverty rate is high (23.1%), and the median rent burden in Cape Charles is above the state average of 29.9%. Cape Charles's rent burden is higher than that of its neighboring cities, such as Newport News and Onancock. Despite its wealth, Cape Charles' rent burden is considerably higher than the national average.
The city was never on a map of the Eastern Shore of Virginia until 1884. A large tract of land between King's creek and Old Plantation creek was bought by Hon. W. L. Scott, a major stockholder in the New York, Philadelphia, and Norfolk Railroad Company, and he began extensive improvements to the property. In 1884, the railroad company donated this land to the town for its development.