Charleston, SC

Census Place

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2024 Population
154,338
US Senator
Lindsey Graham
Republican Party
US Senator
Tim Scott
Republican Party
2024 Median Age
36.6
1.39% 1-year increase
2024 Poverty Rate
12.3%
2.8% 1-year increase
2024 Median Household Income
$92,414
2.64% 1-year growth
2024 Median Property Value
$509,700
8.65% 1-year growth
2024 Employed Population
84,432
1.96% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in 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.

96.9% of the residents in Charleston, SC are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Charleston, SC are College of Charleston (2,391 degrees awarded in 2023), Citadel Military College of South Carolina (1,178 degrees), and Medical University of South Carolina (1,115 degrees).

In 2024, the median property value in Charleston, SC was $509,700, and the homeownership rate was 55.6%.

Most people in Charleston, SC drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 24.2 minutes. The average car ownership in Charleston, SC was 2 cars per household.

About the photo: The Old Market
Photo by Harvey Craft
United StatesSouth CarolinaBerkeley County, SCCharleston County, SCCharleston-North Charleston, SCBerkeley (North & East) County--Moncks Corner City PUMA, SCBerkeley (South) County--Goose Creek &portions of Charleston Cities PUMA, SCCharleston (West) County--Kiawah Island & Charleston Cities PUMA, SCCharleston (North) County--North Charleston City PUMA, SCCharleston (Northeast) County--Mount Pleasant Town PUMA, SC

Population & Diversity

Charleston, SC is home to a population of 154k people, from which 96.9% are citizens. As of 2024, 5.97% of Charleston, SC residents were born outside of the country (9.21k people).

In 2024, there were 4.55 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (111k people) in Charleston, SC than any other race or ethnicity. There were 24.3k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 4.85k Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

96.9%
2024 Citizenship
97.4%
2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 96.9% of 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, SC was 97.4%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in 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, SC
  1. White (Non-Hispanic)
    111k ± 2.15k
  2. Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
    24.3k ± 1.81k
  3. Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
    4.85k ± 931
6.06%
Hispanic Population
9.35k people

In 2024, there were 4.55 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (111k people) in Charleston, SC than any other race or ethnicity. There were 24.3k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 4.85k Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

6.06% of the people in Charleston, SC are hispanic (9.35k people).

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

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Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the Place 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

5.97%
2024 Foreign-Born Population
9.21k people
5.38%
2023 Foreign-Born Population
8.18k people

As of 2024, 5.97% of Charleston, SC residents (9.21k 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, SC was 5.38%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

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

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Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period
  1. Vietnam
    2,628 ± 394
  2. Gulf War (2001-)
    2,315 ± 417
  3. Gulf War (1990s)
    1,536 ± 346

Charleston, SC has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.14 times greater than any other conflict.

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

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Economy

The economy of Charleston, SC employs 84.4k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Charleston, SC were Health Care & Social Assistance (11,802 people), Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services (11,408 people), and Educational Services (8,240 people), and the highest paying industries were Utilities ($101,765), Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($88,139), and Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($74,728).

Employment

Occupations

84.4k
2024 Value
± 2,871
1.96%
1 Year growth
± 4.62%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Charleston, SC grew at a rate of 1.96%, from 82.8k employees to 84.4k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Charleston, SC, are Management Occupations (12,665 people), Sales & Related Occupations (9,266 people), and Business & Financial Operations Occupations (7,079 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of 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

84.4k
2024 Value
± 2,871
1.96%
1 Year growth
± 4.62%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Charleston, SC grew at a rate of 1.96%, from 82.8k employees to 84.4k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Charleston, SC, are Health Care & Social Assistance (11,802 people), Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services (11,408 people), and Educational Services (8,240 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Charleston, SC, though some of these residents may live in 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

$64,716
Median earning men ± $2,993
$50,650
Median earning women ± $1,160

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($99,267), Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($91,225), and Manufacturing ($73,755).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Wholesale Trade ($73,767), Construction ($68,951), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($63,690).

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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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Education

In 2023, universities in Charleston, SC awarded 4,937 degrees. The student population of Charleston, SC in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 7,797 male students and 11,675 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Charleston, SC are White (3,819 and 78.1%), Black or African American (375 and 7.66%), Hispanic or Latino (324 and 6.62%), and Two or More Races (175 and 3.58%).

The largest universities in Charleston, SC by number of degrees awarded are College of Charleston (2,391 and 48.4%), Citadel Military College of South Carolina (1,178 and 23.9%), and Medical University of South Carolina (1,115 and 22.6%).

The most popular majors in Charleston, SC are General Business (249 and 5.04%), General Business Administration & Management (218 and 4.42%), and General Psychology (211 and 4.27%).

The median tuition costs in Charleston, SC are $19,872 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, SC, the percentage of applicants admitted was 74.5%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 15.1%. The number of students enrolled in 2023 was 19,472 (40% men and 60% 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 19,472 students enrolled in Charleston, SC, 40% men and 60% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 14,750 records, of which 60% were women and 40% men.

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Completions

Concentrations

Most Common
  1. Registered Nursing
    204 degrees awarded
  2. General Psychology
    182 degrees awarded
  3. Speech Communication & Rhetoric
    153 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Charleston, SC was Registered Nursing with 204 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Bachelors Degree from schools in 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. Citadel Military College of South Carolina
    1,178 degrees awarded
  3. Medical University of South Carolina
    1,115 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, 2,060 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Charleston, SC, which is 0.716 times less than the 2,877 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 3,819 degrees mean that there were 10.2 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Black or African American, with 375 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 ($19,872) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Public, 4-year or above ($1,350) 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, SC was $509,700 in 2024, which is 1.53 times larger than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $469,100 to $509,700, a 8.65% increase. The homeownership rate in Charleston, SC is 55.6%, which is lower than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Charleston, SC have an average commute time of 24.2 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Charleston, SC is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$509,700
Median Property Value 2024
±$17,642
$37,816
Median Property Taxes
±$1,524

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, SC the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

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

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Rent vs Own

55.6%
Homeownership
2024
68.5%
Homeowners with Mortgage
2024

In 2024, 55.6% of the housing units in Charleston, SC were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 55.6%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in 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.
$92,414
Median Household Income
± $3,404
68k
Number of Households
± 2,366

In 2024, the median household income of the 68k households in Charleston, SC grew to $92,414 from the previous year's value of $90,038.

The following chart displays the households in 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, 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 (66.2%)
  2. Worked At Home (19.4%)
  3. Carpooled (7.16%)

In 2024, 66.2% of workers in Charleston, SC drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (19.4%) and those who carpooled to work (7.16%).

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

24.2 minutes
Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Charleston, SC have a shorter commute time (24.2 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 1.91% of the workforce in Charleston, SC have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in 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, SC distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Charleston, SC have 2 cars.

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Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

12.3% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Charleston, SC (18.3k out of 149k 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 Males 18 - 24.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in 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

94% of the population of Charleston, SC has health coverage, with 54.5% on employee plans, 8.08% on Medicaid, 11.6% on Medicare, 18.3% on non-group plans, and 1.58% 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, 47.5% were men and 52.5% were women.

Coverage

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 19.1% under 18 years, 28.4% between 18 and 34 years, 36.4% between 35 and 64 years, and 16.2% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 47.5% were men and 52.5% were women.

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

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Uninsured People

5.96%
Uninsured
54.5%
Employer Coverage
8.08%
Medicaid
11.6%
Medicare
18.3%
Non-Group
1.58%
Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Charleston, SC declined by 7.5% from 6.44% to 5.96%.

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

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