Charleston County, SC

County

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2024 Population

420,264

US Senator

Lindsey Graham

Republican Party

US Senator

Tim Scott

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

39.2

0.513% 1-year increase

2024 Poverty Rate

11.3%

2.75% 1-year decrease

2024 Median Household Income

$88,494

4.95% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$489,100

8.5% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

218,087

1.79% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in Charleston County, SC reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

96.1% of the residents in Charleston County, SC are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Charleston County, SC are College of Charleston (2,391 degrees awarded in 2023), Trident Technical College (2,375 degrees), and Citadel Military College of South Carolina (1,178 degrees).

In 2024, the median property value in Charleston County, SC was $489,100, and the homeownership rate was 63.9%.

Most people in Charleston County, SC drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 25.1 minutes. The average car ownership in Charleston County, SC was 2 cars per household.

Charleston County, SC borders Berkeley County, SC, Colleton County, SC, Dorchester County, SC, and Georgetown County, SC.

Photo by Roland Turner

United States South Carolina Charleston-North Charleston, SC

Population & Diversity

Charleston County, SC is home to a population of 420k people, from which 96.1% are citizens. As of 2024, 6.67% of Charleston County, SC residents were born outside of the country (28k people).

In 2024, there were 2.85 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (271k people) in Charleston County, SC than any other race or ethnicity. There were 95.2k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 10.7k Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

96.1%

2024 Citizenship

96.3%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 96.1% of Charleston County, SC residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Charleston County, SC was 96.3%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Charleston County, SC compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Charleston County, SC

White (Non-Hispanic)
271k ± 882
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
95.2k ± 1.1k
Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
10.7k ± 1.06k

7.17%

Hispanic Population

30.1k people

7.17% of the people in Charleston County, SC are hispanic (30.1k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Charleston County, SC as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the County level, so we are showing data for South Carolina.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
63,986 ± 6,172 people
India
20,779 ± 3,532 people
Honduras
17,281 ± 3,222 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of South Carolina was Mexico, the natal country of 63,986 South Carolina residents, followed by India with 20,779 and Honduras with 17,281.

Foreign-Born Population

6.67%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

28k people

6.42%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

26.6k people

As of 2024, 6.67% of Charleston County, SC residents (28k people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Charleston County, SC was 6.42%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Charleston County, SC compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Gulf War (2001-)
8,173 ± 937
Vietnam
7,790 ± 651
Gulf War (1990s)
4,755 ± 659

Charleston County, SC has a large population of military personnel who served in Gulf War (2001-), 1.05 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Charleston County, SC.

Economy

The economy of Charleston County, SC employs 218k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Charleston County, SC were Health Care & Social Assistance (30,389 people), Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services (25,951 people), and Retail Trade (21,308 people), and the highest paying industries were Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($90,053), Utilities ($81,310), and Finance & Insurance ($76,066).

Employment

Occupations

218k

2024 Value

± 4,690

1.79%

1 Year growth

± 2.96%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Charleston County, SC grew at a rate of 1.79%, from 214k employees to 218k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Charleston County, SC, are Management Occupations (31,339 people), Sales & Related Occupations (23,275 people), and Office & Administrative Support Occupations (18,758 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Charleston County, SC.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for South Carolina.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in South Carolina (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

Industries

Employment by Industries

218k

2024 Value

± 4,690

1.79%

1 Year growth

± 2.96%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Charleston County, SC grew at a rate of 1.79%, from 214k employees to 218k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Charleston County, SC, are Health Care & Social Assistance (30,389 people), Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services (25,951 people), and Retail Trade (21,308 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Charleston County, SC, though some of these residents may live in Charleston County, SC and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$61,915

Median earning men ± $1,700

$46,917

Median earning women ± $1,346

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($84,045), Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($82,302), and Wholesale Trade ($77,257).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($60,882), Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($60,594), and Wholesale Trade ($58,092).

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for South Carolina.

Y-Axis

2.54%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 2.26M people employed in South Carolina. This represents a 2.54% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 13.4%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in South Carolina.

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

1,541
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
1,037
Real Estate and Rental and Leasing
925
Retail Trade

The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.

The visualization shows the number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll

$1.95M
Health Care and Social Assistance
$1.59M
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
$1.13M
Retail Trade

The chart shows the total annual payroll and the average annual payroll by industry.

Education

In 2023, universities in Charleston County, SC awarded 8,583 degrees. The student population of Charleston County, SC in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 14,308 male students and 23,356 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Charleston County, SC are White (5,567 and 65.3%), Black or African American (1,341 and 15.7%), Unknown (574 and 6.73%), and Hispanic or Latino (488 and 5.72%).

The largest universities in Charleston County, SC by number of degrees awarded are College of Charleston (2,391 and 27.9%), Trident Technical College (2,375 and 27.7%), and Citadel Military College of South Carolina (1,178 and 13.7%).

The most popular majors in Charleston County, SC are Liberal Arts & Sciences (522 and 6.08%), Registered Nursing (455 and 5.3%), and General Business Administration & Management (338 and 3.94%).

The median tuition costs in Charleston County, SC are $25,126 for private four year colleges, and $12,518 and $32,400 respectively, for public four year colleges for in-state students and out-of-state students.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2023 in Charleston County, SC, the percentage of applicants admitted was 74.8%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 15.4%. The number of students enrolled in 2023 was 37,664 (38% men and 62% women).

The line chart shows the evolution of the percentage of applicants admitted, admitted who enrolled or the number of students enrolled according to the option selected in the upper button.

Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2023 there were 37,664 students enrolled in Charleston County, SC, 38% men and 62% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 24,243 records, of which 60.4% were women and 39.6% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

General Biological Sciences
182 degrees awarded
Registered Nursing
284 degrees awarded
General Psychology
211 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Charleston County, SC was General Biological Sciences with 182 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Bachelors Degree from schools in Charleston County, SC according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

College of Charleston
2,391 degrees awarded
Trident Technical College
2,375 degrees awarded
Citadel Military College of South Carolina
1,178 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was College of Charleston with 2,391 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2023, 3,315 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Charleston County, SC, which is 0.629 times less than the 5,268 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2023, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 5,567 degrees mean that there were 4.15 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Black or African American, with 1,341 degrees awarded.

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Universities

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($25,126) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Private for-profit, 2-year ($1,800) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Public, 4-year or above ($4,908) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Charleston County, SC was $489,100 in 2024, which is 1.47 times larger than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $450,800 to $489,100, a 8.5% increase. The homeownership rate in Charleston County, SC is 63.9%, which is lower than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Charleston County, SC have an average commute time of 25.1 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Charleston County, SC is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

In 2025, 16.9% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Charleston County, SC. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 3.39%.

Housing

Property

$489,100

Median Property Value 2024

±$9,282

$114,350

Median Property Taxes

±$2,817

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Charleston County, SC the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Charleston County, SC compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

63.9%

Homeownership

2024

67.4%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 63.9% of the housing units in Charleston County, SC were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 63.5%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Charleston County, SC compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$88,494

Median Household Income

± $1,950

179k

Number of Households

± 3,983

In 2024, the median household income of the 179k households in Charleston County, SC grew to $88,494 from the previous year's value of $84,320.

The following chart displays the households in Charleston County, SC distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $200k+ range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Charleston County, SC is from South Carolina.

0.464

2023 Wage GINI in South Carolina

0.464

2022 Wage GINI in South Carolina

In 2023, the income inequality in South Carolina was 0.464 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.102% decline from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for South Carolina was lower than than the national average of 0.476. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in South Carolina in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in South Carolina across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (69%)
Worked At Home (17.7%)
Carpooled (8.5%)

In 2024, 69% of workers in Charleston County, SC drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (17.7%) and those who carpooled to work (8.5%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

25.1 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Charleston County, SC have a shorter commute time (25.1 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 1.8% of the workforce in Charleston County, SC have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Charleston County, SC compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Charleston County, SC distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Charleston County, SC have 2 cars.

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 16.9% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Charleston County, SC. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 3.39%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the population living with severe housing problems.

Poverty & Diversity

11.3% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Charleston County, SC (46.4k out of 410k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is lower than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 18 - 24, followed by Females 25 - 34 and then Females 35 - 44.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Charleston County, SC is White, followed by Black and Hispanic.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Children in Poverty

In 2025, 14.2% of the children was living in poverty in Charleston County, SC. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 13.9%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the children living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Security

Crimes & Accidents

Indicator

In 2022, the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population was 426 in Charleston County, SC. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator declined 143 per 100,000 population.

The graph shows the trend in the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population.

Health

91.7% of the population of Charleston County, SC has health coverage, with 48.9% on employee plans, 10.6% on Medicaid, 12.4% on Medicare, 17.7% on non-group plans, and 2.1% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Charleston County, SC see 807 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (807 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 868 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 214 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.1% were men and 51.9% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

807 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Charleston County, SC

Primary care physicians in Charleston County, SC see an average of 807 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (807 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Charleston County, SC in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 20.9% under 18 years, 22.4% between 18 and 34 years, 39% between 35 and 64 years, and 17.8% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.1% were men and 51.9% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

8.26%

Uninsured

48.9%

Employer Coverage

10.6%

Medicaid

12.4%

Medicare

17.7%

Non-Group

2.1%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Charleston County, SC declined by 7.55% from 8.94% to 8.26%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Charleston County, SC changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

Health Indicators

Health Outcomes

Indicator

In 2025, the number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was 73.6 in Charleston County, SC.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Charleston County, SC.

Health Behaviors

Indicator

In 2025, the percentage of the adult population (age 18 and older) that reports a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 30 kg/m2 (age-adjusted) was 28.8% in Charleston County, SC.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Charleston County, SC.