North Charleston, SC

Census Place

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2024 Population
119,913
US Senator
Lindsey Graham
Republican Party
US Senator
Tim Scott
Republican Party
2024 Median Age
34.6
0.875% 1-year increase
2024 Poverty Rate
14.4%
7.06% 1-year decrease
2024 Median Household Income
$62,956
0.266% 1-year growth
2024 Median Property Value
$302,200
12.9% 1-year growth
2024 Employed Population
60,848
3.66% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in 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.

92.9% of the residents in North Charleston, SC are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in North Charleston, SC are Trident Technical College (2,375 degrees awarded in 2023), Charleston Southern University (723 degrees), and Miller-Motte College-Charleston (230 degrees).

In 2024, the median property value in North Charleston, SC was $302,200, and the homeownership rate was 49.8%.

Most people in North Charleston, SC drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 24.5 minutes. The average car ownership in North Charleston, SC was 2 cars per household.

Photo by Harvey Craft
United StatesSouth CarolinaBerkeley County, SCCharleston County, SCDorchester County, SCCharleston-North Charleston, SCDorchester County PUMA, SCBerkeley (South) County--Goose Creek &portions of Charleston Cities PUMA, SCCharleston (North) County--North Charleston City PUMA, SCCharleston (Northeast) County--Mount Pleasant Town PUMA, SC

Population & Diversity

North Charleston, SC is home to a population of 120k people, from which 92.9% are citizens. As of 2024, 10.9% of North Charleston, SC residents were born outside of the country (13k people).

In 2024, there were 1.09 times more Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) residents (49.5k people) in North Charleston, SC than any other race or ethnicity. There were 45.5k White (Non-Hispanic) and 6.43k Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

92.9%
2024 Citizenship
92.3%
2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 92.9% of North Charleston, SC residents were US citizens, which is lower than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in North Charleston, SC was 92.3%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in 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 North Charleston, SC
  1. Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
    49.5k ± 2.22k
  2. White (Non-Hispanic)
    45.5k ± 2.13k
  3. Other (Hispanic)
    6.43k ± 1.32k
12.9%
Hispanic Population
15.5k people

In 2024, there were 1.09 times more Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) residents (49.5k people) in North Charleston, SC than any other race or ethnicity. There were 45.5k White (Non-Hispanic) and 6.43k Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

12.9% of the people in North Charleston, SC are hispanic (15.5k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in North 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

10.9%
2024 Foreign-Born Population
13k people
12.2%
2023 Foreign-Born Population
14.3k people

As of 2024, 10.9% of North Charleston, SC residents (13k 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 North Charleston, SC was 12.2%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in 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-)
    3,784 ± 649
  2. Vietnam
    1,668 ± 341
  3. Gulf War (1990s)
    1,520 ± 347

North Charleston, SC has a large population of military personnel who served in Gulf War (2001-), 2.27 times greater than any other conflict.

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

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Economy

The economy of North Charleston, SC employs 60.8k people. In 2024, the largest industries in North Charleston, SC were Health Care & Social Assistance (8,072 people), Retail Trade (6,734 people), and Accommodation & Food Services (6,111 people), and the highest paying industries were Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($71,203), Information ($58,107), and Manufacturing ($55,803).

Employment

Occupations

60.8k
2024 Value
± 2,578
3.66%
1 Year growth
± 5.71%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in North Charleston, SC grew at a rate of 3.66%, from 58.7k employees to 60.8k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in North Charleston, SC, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (6,133 people), Management Occupations (5,794 people), and Sales & Related Occupations (5,652 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of 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

60.8k
2024 Value
± 2,578
3.66%
1 Year growth
± 5.71%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in North Charleston, SC grew at a rate of 3.66%, from 58.7k employees to 60.8k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in North Charleston, SC, are Health Care & Social Assistance (8,072 people), Retail Trade (6,734 people), and Accommodation & Food Services (6,111 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of North Charleston, SC, though some of these residents may live in 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

$49,916
Median earning men ± $2,329
$37,378
Median earning women ± $1,966

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($67,431), Manufacturing ($60,032), and Public Administration ($59,712).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Information ($49,081), Manufacturing ($44,427), and Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($42,883).

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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 North Charleston, SC awarded 3,646 degrees. The student population of North Charleston, SC in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 6,511 male students and 11,681 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in North Charleston, SC are White (1,748 and 48.1%), Black or African American (966 and 26.6%), Unknown (509 and 14%), and Hispanic or Latino (164 and 4.51%).

The largest universities in North Charleston, SC by number of degrees awarded are Trident Technical College (2,375 and 65.1%), Charleston Southern University (723 and 19.8%), and Miller-Motte College-Charleston (230 and 6.31%).

The most popular majors in North Charleston, SC are Liberal Arts & Sciences (522 and 14.3%), Registered Nursing (251 and 6.88%), and Truck, Bus, & Commercial Vehicle Operator & Instructor (236 and 6.47%).

The median tuition cost in North Charleston, SC for private four year colleges is $30,380.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University
Measure

In 2023 in North Charleston, SC, the percentage of applicants admitted was 76.4%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 16.9%. The number of students enrolled in 2023 was 18,192 (35.8% men and 64.2% 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 18,192 students enrolled in North Charleston, SC, 35.8% men and 64.2% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 9,493 records, of which 61% were women and 39% men.

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Completions

Concentrations

Most Common
  1. Registered Nursing
    171 degrees awarded
  2. General Business Administration & Management
    71 degrees awarded
  3. Liberal Arts & Sciences
    449 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Associates Degree recipients in North Charleston, SC was Registered Nursing with 171 degrees awarded.

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

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Universities

Gender
Race
Largest Universities by degrees awarded
  1. Trident Technical College
    2,375 degrees awarded
  2. Charleston Southern University
    723 degrees awarded
  3. Miller-Motte College-Charleston
    230 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Trident Technical College with 2,375 degrees awarded.

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Student Diversity

University

In 2023, 1,255 men were awarded degrees from institutions in North Charleston, SC, which is 0.525 times less than the 2,391 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 1,748 degrees mean that there were 1.81 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Black or African American, with 966 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 ($30,380) 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.

Private for-profit, 2-year ($2,000) 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 North Charleston, SC was $302,200 in 2024, which is 0.908 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $267,700 to $302,200, a 12.9% increase. The homeownership rate in North Charleston, SC is 49.8%, which is lower than the national average of 65.2%.

People in North Charleston, SC have an average commute time of 24.5 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in North Charleston, SC is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$302,200
Median Property Value 2024
±$11,654
$24,483
Median Property Taxes
±$1,470

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 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 North Charleston, SC compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

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Rent vs Own

49.8%
Homeownership
2024
71.1%
Homeowners with Mortgage
2024

In 2024, 49.8% of the housing units in North Charleston, SC were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 48.5%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in 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.
$62,956
Median Household Income
± $3,840
49.2k
Number of Households
± 2,210

In 2024, the median household income of the 49.2k households in North Charleston, SC grew to $62,956 from the previous year's value of $62,789.

The following chart displays the households in 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 $75k - $100k range.

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Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for 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 (74%)
  2. Carpooled (11.7%)
  3. Worked At Home (9.69%)

In 2024, 74% of workers in North Charleston, SC drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (11.7%) and those who worked at home (9.69%).

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

24.5 minutes
Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in North Charleston, SC have a shorter commute time (24.5 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 1.06% of the workforce in North Charleston, SC have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in 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 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 North Charleston, SC have 2 cars.

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Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

14.4% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in North Charleston, SC (16.7k out of 116k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 35 - 44, followed by Females 25 - 34 and then Females 18 - 24.

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

84.6% of the population of North Charleston, SC has health coverage, with 39.8% on employee plans, 18.4% on Medicaid, 7.35% on Medicare, 14.8% on non-group plans, and 4.33% 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, 48.4% were men and 51.6% were women.

Coverage

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 24% under 18 years, 25.9% between 18 and 34 years, 37.5% between 35 and 64 years, and 12.6% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.4% were men and 51.6% were women.

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

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Uninsured People

15.4%
Uninsured
39.8%
Employer Coverage
18.4%
Medicaid
7.35%
Medicare
14.8%
Non-Group
4.33%
Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in North Charleston, SC declined by 8.74% from 16.8% to 15.4%.

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

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