Charleston (West) County--Kiawah Island & Charleston Cities PUMA, SC

Public Use Microdata Area (PUMA)

2024 Population

150,193

US Senator

Lindsey Graham

Republican Party

US Senator

Tim Scott

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

39.6

1.02% 1-year increase

2024 Poverty Rate

12%

2.32% 1-year increase

2024 Median Household Income

$95,725

2.84% 1-year growth

Population & Diversity

Charleston (West) County--Kiawah Island & Charleston Cities PUMA, SC is home to a population of 150k people, from which 97.2% are citizens.

As of 2024, 5.44% of Charleston (West) County--Kiawah Island & Charleston Cities PUMA, SC residents were born outside of the country (8.17k people).

In 2024, there were 3.7 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (106k people) in Charleston (West) County--Kiawah Island & Charleston Cities PUMA, SC than any other race or ethnicity. There were 28.6k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 3.77k Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

The most common non-English languages spoken as the primary language in households in Charleston (West) County--Kiawah Island & Charleston Cities PUMA, SC are Spanish (5,108 households), French (Incl. Cajun) (899 households), and Chinese (Incl. Mandarin, Cantonese) (557 households).

Population & Diversity

Residents by Gender and Age

RACE/ETHNICITY

78,369

Women

52.4%

71,250

Men

47.6%

The resident population of Charleston (West) County--Kiawah Island & Charleston Cities PUMA, SC in 2024 was 149,619 inhabitants, with 47.6% men, and 52.4% women.

The visualization shows the distribution of the residents by gender and age in Charleston (West) County--Kiawah Island & Charleston Cities PUMA, SC.

With the upper buttons you can add a filter by race.

Citizenship

97.2%

2024 Citizenship

97.8%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 97.2% of Charleston (West) County--Kiawah Island & Charleston Cities PUMA, SC residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Charleston (West) County--Kiawah Island & Charleston Cities PUMA, SC was 97.8%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Charleston (West) County--Kiawah Island & Charleston Cities PUMA, SC compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Charleston (West) County--Kiawah Island & Charleston Cities PUMA, SC

White (Non-Hispanic)
106k ± 2.5k
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
28.6k ± 2.28k
Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
3.77k ± 727

5.15%

Hispanic Population

7.74k people

5.15% of the people in Charleston (West) County--Kiawah Island & Charleston Cities PUMA, SC are hispanic (7.74k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Charleston (West) County--Kiawah Island & Charleston Cities PUMA, SC as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

Most Common Origin

Mexico
1,562 ± 965 people
Honduras
434 ± 511 people
China
363 ± 467 people

In 2024, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Charleston (West) County--Kiawah Island & Charleston Cities PUMA, SC was Mexico, the natal country of 1,562 Charleston (West) County--Kiawah Island & Charleston Cities PUMA, SC residents, followed by Honduras with 434 and China with 363.

Foreign-Born Population

5.44%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

8.17k people

4.67%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

6.99k people

As of 2024, 5.44% of Charleston (West) County--Kiawah Island & Charleston Cities PUMA, SC residents (8.17k 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 (West) County--Kiawah Island & Charleston Cities PUMA, SC was 4.67%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Charleston (West) County--Kiawah Island & Charleston Cities PUMA, SC compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Non-English Households

Most Common Non-English Languages

Spanish
5,108 households (3.58%)
French (Incl. Cajun)
899 households (0.63%)
Chinese (Incl. Mandarin, Cantonese)
557 households (0.39%)

7.04% of the households in Charleston (West) County--Kiawah Island & Charleston Cities PUMA, SC reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language, which is lower than the national average of 22.3%. 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.

In 2024, the most common non-English language spoken in households in Charleston (West) County--Kiawah Island & Charleston Cities PUMA, SC was Spanish. 3.58% of the households in Charleston (West) County--Kiawah Island & Charleston Cities PUMA, SC reported speaking Spanish at home as the primary shared language between all members living in the household.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
3,173 ± 429
Gulf War (2001-)
1,921 ± 422
Gulf War (1990s)
1,539 ± 454

Charleston (West) County--Kiawah Island & Charleston Cities PUMA, SC has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.65 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Charleston (West) County--Kiawah Island & Charleston Cities PUMA, SC.

Health

93.8% of the population of Charleston (West) County--Kiawah Island & Charleston Cities PUMA, SC has health coverage, with 51% on employee plans, 8.84% on Medicaid, 14.1% on Medicare, 18.6% on non-group plans, and 1.29% 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, 47.7% were men and 52.3% 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.

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 18.1% under 18 years, 24.5% between 18 and 34 years, 37.9% between 35 and 64 years, and 19.5% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 47.7% were men and 52.3% were women.

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

Uninsured People

6.17%

Uninsured

51%

Employer Coverage

8.84%

Medicaid

14.1%

Medicare

18.6%

Non-Group

1.29%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Charleston (West) County--Kiawah Island & Charleston Cities PUMA, SC declined by 11.6% from 6.98% to 6.17%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Charleston (West) County--Kiawah Island & Charleston Cities PUMA, SC changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

Economy

The economy of Charleston (West) County--Kiawah Island & Charleston Cities PUMA, SC employs 73.4k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Charleston (West) County--Kiawah Island & Charleston Cities PUMA, SC were Restaurants & Food Services (5,636 people), General medical and surgical hospitals, and specialty (except psychiatric and substance abuse) hospitals (4,792 people), and Elementary & secondary schools (3,816 people), and the highest paying industries were Pharmaceutical & medicine manufacturing ($209,382), Periodical, book, & directory & mailing list, & other publishers ($203,134), and Specialized design services ($194,283).

Males in Charleston (West) County--Kiawah Island & Charleston Cities PUMA, SC have an average income that is 1.35 times higher than the average income of females, which is $76,927. The income inequality in Charleston (West) County--Kiawah Island & Charleston Cities PUMA, SC (measured using the Gini index) is 0.489, which is higher than than the national average.

Employment

Workforce Diversity

Measure

RACE/ETHNICITY

37,336

Women

50.9%

36,047

Men

49.1%

The workforce of Charleston (West) County--Kiawah Island & Charleston Cities PUMA, SC in 2024 was 73,383 people, with 50.9% woman, and 49.1% men.

The visualization shows the distribution of the workforce by gender and age in Charleston (West) County--Kiawah Island & Charleston Cities PUMA, SC.

With the upper buttons you can see the distribution of the average salary and add a filter by race.

Occupations

73.4k

2024 Value

0.41%

1 Year growth

± 0.41%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Charleston (West) County--Kiawah Island & Charleston Cities PUMA, SC grew at a rate of 0.41%, from 73.1k employees to 73.4k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Charleston (West) County--Kiawah Island & Charleston Cities PUMA, SC, are Registered nurses (2,241 people), Other managers (2,117 people), and Chief executives & legislators (1,586 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Charleston (West) County--Kiawah Island & Charleston Cities PUMA, 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

73.4k

2024 Value

0.41%

1 Year growth

± 0.41%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Charleston (West) County--Kiawah Island & Charleston Cities PUMA, SC grew at a rate of 0.41%, from 73.1k employees to 73.4k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Charleston (West) County--Kiawah Island & Charleston Cities PUMA, SC, are Restaurants & Food Services (5,636 people), General medical and surgical hospitals, and specialty (except psychiatric and substance abuse) hospitals (4,792 people), and Elementary & secondary schools (3,816 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Charleston (West) County--Kiawah Island & Charleston Cities PUMA, SC, though some of these residents may live in Charleston (West) County--Kiawah Island & Charleston Cities PUMA, SC and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$65,115

Median earning men ± $2,506

$50,248

Median earning women ± $1,238

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($99,073), Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($93,527), and Wholesale Trade ($78,929).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Wholesale Trade ($73,883), Construction ($73,665), and Public Administration ($68,309).

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.

Education

The student population of Charleston (West) County--Kiawah Island & Charleston Cities PUMA, SC in 2024 is skewed towards women, with 7,842 male students and 11,891 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Charleston (West) County--Kiawah Island & Charleston Cities PUMA, SC are White (3,748 and 78%), Black or African American (335 and 6.97%), Hispanic or Latino (277 and 5.76%), and Two or More Races (207 and 4.31%).

The largest universities in Charleston (West) County--Kiawah Island & Charleston Cities PUMA, SC by number of degrees awarded are College of Charleston (2,435 and 50.2%), Medical University of South Carolina (1,107 and 22.8%), and Citadel Military College of South Carolina (1,031 and 21.2%).

The most popular majors in Charleston (West) County--Kiawah Island & Charleston Cities PUMA, SC are General Business Administration & Management (276 and 5.68%), General Psychology (237 and 4.88%), and Law (226 and 4.65%).

The median tuition cost for a public four year colleges is $12,518 for in-state students and $33,538 for out-of-state students.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2024 in Charleston (West) County--Kiawah Island & Charleston Cities PUMA, SC, the percentage of applicants admitted was 56.6%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 14.9%. The number of students enrolled in 2024 was 19,733 (39.7% men and 60.3% 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 2024 there were 19,733 students enrolled in Charleston (West) County--Kiawah Island & Charleston Cities PUMA, SC, 39.7% men and 60.3% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 14,813 records, of which 60.7% were women and 39.3% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

General Business Administration & Management
213 degrees awarded
General Psychology
205 degrees awarded
General Biological Sciences
192 degrees awarded

In 2024, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Charleston (West) County--Kiawah Island & Charleston Cities PUMA, SC was General Business Administration & Management with 213 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Bachelors Degree from schools in Charleston (West) County--Kiawah Island & Charleston Cities PUMA, SC according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

College of Charleston
2,435 degrees awarded
Medical University of South Carolina
1,107 degrees awarded
Citadel Military College of South Carolina
1,031 degrees awarded

In 2024, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was College of Charleston with 2,435 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2024, 1,906 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Charleston (West) County--Kiawah Island & Charleston Cities PUMA, SC, which is 0.646 times less than the 2,949 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2024, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 3,748 degrees mean that there were 11.2 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Black or African American, with 335 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

Public, 4-year or above ($12,518) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2024.

Public, 4-year or above ($1,350) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2024.

Public, 4-year or above ($5,598) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

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

Working Population

Educational Pyramid

Measure

In 2024, 0.742% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 0.66% of women were in the same situation.

This visualization shows the gender distribution of the population according to the academic level reached.

Educational Attainment

Race

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population of Charleston (West) County--Kiawah Island & Charleston Cities PUMA, SC in 2024 were Bachelors Degree (39.1k), Some college (25.2k), and Graduate Degree (24.7k).

This visualization illustrates the percentage distribution of the population according to the highest educational level reached. You can filter the data by race by using the selector above.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Charleston (West) County--Kiawah Island & Charleston Cities PUMA, SC was $524,900 in 2024, which is 1.58 times larger than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $468,500 to $524,900, a 12% increase. The homeownership rate in Charleston (West) County--Kiawah Island & Charleston Cities PUMA, SC is 67.8%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Charleston (West) County--Kiawah Island & Charleston Cities PUMA, SC have an average commute time of 24.7 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Charleston (West) County--Kiawah Island & Charleston Cities PUMA, SC is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$524,900

Median Property Value 2024

±$18,930

$43,951

Median Property Taxes

±$1,764

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 (West) County--Kiawah Island & Charleston Cities PUMA, SC the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Charleston (West) County--Kiawah Island & Charleston Cities PUMA, SC compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

67.8%

Homeownership

2024

66.1%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 67.8% of the housing units in Charleston (West) County--Kiawah Island & Charleston Cities PUMA, SC were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 67.6%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Charleston (West) County--Kiawah Island & Charleston Cities PUMA, 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.

$95,725

Median Household Income

± $3,085

64.8k

Number of Households

± 2,205

In 2024, the median household income of the 64.8k households in Charleston (West) County--Kiawah Island & Charleston Cities PUMA, SC grew to $95,725 from the previous year's value of $93,083.

The following chart displays the households in Charleston (West) County--Kiawah Island & Charleston Cities PUMA, 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

0.489

2024 Wage GINI in Charleston (West) County--Kiawah Island & Charleston Cities PUMA, SC

0.488

2023 Wage GINI in Charleston (West) County--Kiawah Island & Charleston Cities PUMA, SC

In 2024, the income inequality in Charleston (West) County--Kiawah Island & Charleston Cities PUMA, SC was 0.489 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.0977% growth from 2023 to 2024, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat less even. The GINI for Charleston (West) County--Kiawah Island & Charleston Cities PUMA, SC was higher than than the national average of 0.474. In other words, wages are distributed less evenly in Charleston (West) County--Kiawah Island & Charleston Cities PUMA, SC in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Charleston (West) County--Kiawah Island & Charleston Cities PUMA, SC across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (66.1%)
Worked At Home (19%)
Carpooled (7.81%)

In 2024, 66.1% of workers in Charleston (West) County--Kiawah Island & Charleston Cities PUMA, SC drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (19%) and those who carpooled to work (7.81%).

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

24.7 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Charleston (West) County--Kiawah Island & Charleston Cities PUMA, SC have a shorter commute time (24.7 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 2.17% of the workforce in Charleston (West) County--Kiawah Island & Charleston Cities PUMA, SC have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Charleston (West) County--Kiawah Island & Charleston Cities PUMA, 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 (West) County--Kiawah Island & Charleston Cities PUMA, SC distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Charleston (West) County--Kiawah Island & Charleston Cities PUMA, SC have 2 cars.

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

12% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Charleston (West) County--Kiawah Island & Charleston Cities PUMA, SC (17.4k out of 145k 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 Males 18 - 24 and then Females 25 - 34.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Charleston (West) County--Kiawah Island & Charleston Cities PUMA, 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.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals

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

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

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