Charleston-North Charleston, SC

Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA)

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2024 Population
834,267
US Senator
Lindsey Graham
Republican Party
US Senator
Tim Scott
Republican Party
2024 Median Age
38.2
0.262% 1-year increase
2024 Poverty Rate
10.9%
2.78% 1-year decrease
2024 Median Household Income
$85,254
3.62% 1-year growth
2024 Median Property Value
$377,500
9.29% 1-year growth
2024 Employed Population
415,890
2.63% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in Charleston-North Charleston, 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.

96.4% of the residents in Charleston-North Charleston, SC are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Charleston-North Charleston, 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-North Charleston, SC was $377,500, and the homeownership rate was 69.1%.

Most people in Charleston-North Charleston, SC drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 27.7 minutes. The average car ownership in Charleston-North Charleston, SC was 2 cars per household.

Charleston-North Charleston, SC borders Georgetown, SC and Orangeburg, SC.

About the photo: The City of North Charleston held its Fourth of July Festival at Riverfront Park on Friday, July 4, 2014, an all-day event featuring live music, family-friendly activities, and local food vendors.
Photo by North Charleston
United StatesSouth Carolina

Population & Diversity

Charleston-North Charleston, SC is home to a population of 834k people, from which 96.4% are citizens. As of 2024, 6.45% of Charleston-North Charleston, SC residents were born outside of the country (53.8k people).

In 2024, there were 2.7 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (521k people) in Charleston-North Charleston, SC than any other race or ethnicity. There were 193k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 26k Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

96.4%
2024 Citizenship
96.6%
2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 96.4% of Charleston-North Charleston, SC residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Charleston-North Charleston, SC was 96.6%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

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

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Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Charleston-North Charleston, SC
  1. White (Non-Hispanic)
    521k ± 1.33k
  2. Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
    193k ± 1.7k
  3. Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
    26k ± 1.88k
7.77%
Hispanic Population
64.8k people

In 2024, there were 2.7 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (521k people) in Charleston-North Charleston, SC than any other race or ethnicity. There were 193k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 26k Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

7.77% of the people in Charleston-North Charleston, SC are hispanic (64.8k people).

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

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Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the MSA level, so we are showing data for South Carolina.
Most Common Origin
  1. Mexico
    63,986 ± 6,172 people
  2. India
    20,779 ± 3,532 people
  3. 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.

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Foreign-Born Population

6.45%
2024 Foreign-Born Population
53.8k people
6.32%
2023 Foreign-Born Population
51.7k people

As of 2024, 6.45% of Charleston-North Charleston, SC residents (53.8k 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-North Charleston, SC was 6.32%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

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

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Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period
  1. Gulf War (2001-)
    22,098 ± 1,517
  2. Vietnam
    15,846 ± 953
  3. Gulf War (1990s)
    12,816 ± 1,164

Charleston-North Charleston, SC has a large population of military personnel who served in Gulf War (2001-), 1.39 times greater than any other conflict.

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

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Economy

The economy of Charleston-North Charleston, SC employs 416k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Charleston-North Charleston, SC were Health Care & Social Assistance (53,474 people), Retail Trade (43,800 people), and Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services (42,691 people), and the highest paying industries were Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($83,425), Utilities ($80,260), and Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($67,198).

Employment

Occupations

416k
2024 Value
± 6,388
2.63%
1 Year growth
± 2.12%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Charleston-North Charleston, SC grew at a rate of 2.63%, from 405k employees to 416k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Charleston-North Charleston, SC, are Management Occupations (53,124 people), Sales & Related Occupations (42,087 people), and Office & Administrative Support Occupations (40,996 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Charleston-North Charleston, SC.

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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.

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Industries

Employment by Industries

416k
2024 Value
± 6,388
2.63%
1 Year growth
± 2.12%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Charleston-North Charleston, SC grew at a rate of 2.63%, from 405k employees to 416k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Charleston-North Charleston, SC, are Health Care & Social Assistance (53,474 people), Retail Trade (43,800 people), and Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services (42,691 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Charleston-North Charleston, SC, though some of these residents may live in Charleston-North Charleston, SC and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

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Median Earnings by Industry

$60,410
Median earning men ± $868
$43,005
Median earning women ± $948

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($82,368), Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($78,358), and Wholesale Trade ($71,870).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($56,435), Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($52,676), and Public Administration ($52,434).

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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.

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Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments
  1. 2,032
    Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
  2. 1,480
    Construction
  3. 1,419
    Real Estate and Rental and Leasing

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.

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Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll
  1. $2.38M
    Health Care and Social Assistance
  2. $2.03M
    Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
  3. $2.02M
    Manufacturing

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

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Education

In 2023, universities in Charleston-North Charleston, SC awarded 8,794 degrees. The student population of Charleston-North Charleston, SC in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 14,312 male students and 23,569 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Charleston-North Charleston, SC are White (5,632 and 64.4%), Black or African American (1,462 and 16.7%), Unknown (578 and 6.61%), and Hispanic or Latino (504 and 5.77%).

The largest universities in Charleston-North Charleston, SC by number of degrees awarded are College of Charleston (2,391 and 27.2%), Trident Technical College (2,375 and 27%), and Citadel Military College of South Carolina (1,178 and 13.4%).

The most popular majors in Charleston-North Charleston, SC are Liberal Arts & Sciences (522 and 5.94%), Registered Nursing (455 and 5.17%), and General Business Administration & Management (338 and 3.84%).

The median tuition costs in Charleston-North Charleston, 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-North Charleston, 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 37,881 (37.8% men and 62.2% 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.

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Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2023 there were 37,881 students enrolled in Charleston-North Charleston, SC, 37.8% men and 62.2% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 24,317 records, of which 60.5% were women and 39.5% men.

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Completions

Concentrations

Most Common
  1. General Biological Sciences
    182 degrees awarded
  2. Registered Nursing
    284 degrees awarded
  3. General Psychology
    211 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Charleston-North Charleston, 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-North Charleston, SC according to their major.

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Universities

Gender
Race
Largest Universities by degrees awarded
  1. College of Charleston
    2,391 degrees awarded
  2. Trident Technical College
    2,375 degrees awarded
  3. 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.

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Student Diversity

University

In 2023, 3,318 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Charleston-North Charleston, SC, which is 0.606 times less than the 5,476 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 5,632 degrees mean that there were 3.85 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Black or African American, with 1,462 degrees awarded.

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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.

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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.

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Housing & Living

The median property value in Charleston-North Charleston, SC was $377,500 in 2024, which is 1.13 times larger than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $345,400 to $377,500, a 9.29% increase. The homeownership rate in Charleston-North Charleston, SC is 69.1%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Charleston-North Charleston, SC have an average commute time of 27.7 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Charleston-North Charleston, SC is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$377,500
Median Property Value 2024
±$3,827
$231,932
Median Property Taxes
±$4,093

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-North Charleston, SC the largest share of households pay taxes in the $800 - $1,499 range.

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

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Rent vs Own

69.1%
Homeownership
2024
69.8%
Homeowners with Mortgage
2024

In 2024, 69.1% of the housing units in Charleston-North Charleston, SC were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 68.7%.

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

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Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.
$85,254
Median Household Income
± $1,335
336k
Number of Households
± 5,363

In 2024, the median household income of the 336k households in Charleston-North Charleston, SC grew to $85,254 from the previous year's value of $82,272.

The following chart displays the households in Charleston-North Charleston, 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.

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Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Charleston-North Charleston, 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.

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Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024
  1. Drove Alone (72.9%)
  2. Worked At Home (14.9%)
  3. Carpooled (8.2%)

In 2024, 72.9% of workers in Charleston-North Charleston, SC drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (14.9%) and those who carpooled to work (8.2%).

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.

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Commute Time

27.7 minutes
Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Charleston-North Charleston, SC have a longer commute time (27.7 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 2.2% of the workforce in Charleston-North Charleston, SC have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

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Car Ownership

2 cars
Average Number

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

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Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

10.9% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Charleston-North Charleston, SC (89.2k out of 817k 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 25 - 34, followed by Females 18 - 24 and then Females 35 - 44.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Charleston-North Charleston, 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.

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Health

91.1% of the population of Charleston-North Charleston, SC has health coverage, with 46.6% on employee plans, 12.5% on Medicaid, 11.3% on Medicare, 17.4% on non-group plans, and 3.31% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in South Carolina see 1,485 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,485 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1682 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 437 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.2% were men and 51.8% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for South Carolina.
1,485 to 1
Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in South Carolina

Primary care physicians in South Carolina see an average of 1,485 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,485 patients).

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

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Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 23.3% under 18 years, 21.1% between 18 and 34 years, 39.1% between 35 and 64 years, and 16.5% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.2% were men and 51.8% were women.

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

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Uninsured People

8.94%
Uninsured
46.6%
Employer Coverage
12.5%
Medicaid
11.3%
Medicare
17.4%
Non-Group
3.31%
Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Charleston-North Charleston, SC declined by 7.76% from 9.69% to 8.94%.

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

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