CensusEasy
CITY

Charleston

South Carolina · 159,423 residents (2025 est.) · 115 sq mi
Time machine
COMPARE TO
Part of the Charleston metro area
The short version

Charleston is a city of 154,338 people in South Carolina. This is an unusually credentialed place: 58% of adults have a four-year degree. The population has risen by half since 2000, adding 57,688 people. That puts it in the top 10% of US cities for household income. That is roughly 33% ahead of the South Carolina median. Owners hold 56% of the housing stock.

At a glance
Wealthier
above the US median
US median: $82,259
Younger
median age 36.6
US median: 38.9
More educated
58% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 103%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
154,338
+60%since 2000
from 96,650 in 2000
159,423 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Population density
1,341 / sq mi
+37%since 2009
from 976 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
Median age
36.6
+10%since 2000
from 33.2 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Land area
115 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
73K95K117K140K162K19902000201020202024Charleston
2024154K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 54.8%(7,463)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 94.9%(7,497)
US avg: 6%
10 to 144.6%(7,085)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 196.2%(9,541)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 248.6%(13,269)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3418.4%(28,343)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4414.1%(21,805)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5410.6%(16,367)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6411.4%(17,594)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 749.6%(14,890)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 844.8%(7,483)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over1.9%(3,001)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$92,414
+44%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $35,295 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$59,875
+167%since 2000
from $22,414 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
58.9%
+28.1 ptssince 2009
from 30.8% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
12.3%
−6.8 ptssince 2000
from 19.1% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.492
−2%since 2010
from 0.500 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Information9.4%
US avg: 10.8%
Other services8%
US avg: 6.7%
Retail trade6.5%
US avg: 9.9%
Wholesale trade5.2%
US avg: 6.9%
Public administration4.8%
US avg: 4.8%
Finance & insurance3.7%
US avg: 5.9%
Professional, scientific, technical3.5%
US avg: 5.1%
Transportation & warehousing2.2%
US avg: 2.2%
Arts, entertainment, food1.8%
US avg: 1.9%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.3%
US avg: 1.6%
Construction0.3%
US avg: 1.2%
Education & health services0.2%
US avg: 0.9%
Manufacturing0%
US avg: 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$509,700
+103%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $137,800 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,722
+54%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $614 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
55.6%
+4.5 ptssince 2000
from 51.1% in 2000
44.4% rent
Vacancy rate
12.1%
−1.4 ptssince 2009
from 13.5% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Persons per household
2.18 people
−3%since 2009
from 2.25 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
Owner cost-burdened
22.9%
−12.1 ptssince 2009
from 35.0% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
51.8%
+3.1 ptssince 2009
from 48.7% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
5.5
+2%since 2009
from 5.4 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Gentrification Score
79
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic62.3%(60,187)
Black33.8%(32,688)
Hispanic / Latino1.5%(1,462)
Asian1.2%(1,184)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic71.7%(110,737)
Black15.8%(24,319)
Hispanic / Latino6.1%(9,351)
Asian1.9%(2,916)
Other4.5%(7,015)
Diversity Score
57
−4%since 2009
from 59 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Mexican2.8%(4,370)
South American1.2%(1,781)
Puerto Rican0.6%(932)
Colombian0.4%(566)
Venezuelan0.3%(536)
Guatemalan0.2%(265)
Spaniard0.2%(264)
Cuban0.2%(232)
Argentine0.1%(224)
Honduran0.1%(191)
Bolivian0.1%(179)
+ 8 more hispanic origin groups with data
Salvadoran0.1%(167)
Ecuadorian0.1%(142)
Dominican0.1%(139)
Panamanian0.1%(136)
Peruvian0.1%(99)
Uruguayan0%(10)
Asian origin
Chinese0.6%(987)
Asian Indian0.4%(644)
Filipino0.3%(501)
Vietnamese0.2%(247)
Korean0.1%(195)
Bangladeshi0.1%(142)
Cambodian0%(41)
Taiwanese0%(38)
Burmese0%(32)
Japanese0%(30)
Pakistani0%(14)
Thai0%(8)
+ 1 more asian origin group with data
Pacific Islander origin
Chamorro0%(42)
Samoan0%(24)
Ancestry
English14.9%(22,992)
German12.5%(19,272)
Irish12.2%(18,843)
American10.4%(16,116)
Italian5.1%(7,881)
Scottish2.8%(4,355)
French2.7%(4,241)
Polish2.3%(3,618)
Scotch-Irish1.4%(2,087)
Arab0.9%(1,393)
Dutch0.8%(1,254)
Greek0.8%(1,211)
+ 45 more ancestry groups with data
Swedish0.7%(1,112)
Russian0.7%(1,046)
British0.6%(971)
Welsh0.6%(939)
Norwegian0.6%(879)
Hungarian0.5%(842)
Lebanese0.5%(728)
West Indian0.5%(715)
Ukrainian0.4%(575)
Jamaican0.4%(545)
Austrian0.3%(539)
Serbian0.3%(390)
Danish0.2%(374)
Swiss0.2%(364)
Finnish0.2%(326)
Romanian0.2%(307)
Egyptian0.2%(277)
Portuguese0.2%(263)
Czech0.2%(238)
Slovak0.1%(200)
Brazilian0.1%(192)
Turkish0.1%(189)
Croatian0.1%(187)
Lithuanian0.1%(160)
Palestinian0.1%(155)
Slovene0.1%(155)
Australian0.1%(130)
Iranian0.1%(113)
Canadian0.1%(112)
Syrian0.1%(95)
Belgian0.1%(86)
Latvian0.1%(80)
Armenian0%(68)
Kenyan0%(61)
Israeli0%(58)
Nigerian0%(52)
Ethiopian0%(39)
Moroccan0%(36)
Jordanian0%(10)
Haitian0%(6)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
58.3%
+20.8 ptssince 2000
from 37.5% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
96.1%
+12.4 ptssince 2000
from 83.7% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
22.8%
+8.9 ptssince 2000
from 13.9% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
24.2 min
+93%since 2000
from 12.5 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
66.2%
−12.0 ptssince 2009
from 78.2% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
7.2%
−1.2 ptssince 2009
from 8.4% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
0.7%
−1.7 ptssince 2009
from 2.5% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
19.4%
+16.2 ptssince 2009
from 3.2% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
3.5%
−1.4 ptssince 2009
from 4.8% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
1.3%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 1.5% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
7.2%
−3.3 ptssince 2009
from 10.5% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
3.4%
−4.3 ptssince 2011
from 7.7% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
67.6%
+0.7 ptssince 2011
from 66.8% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
80.6%
+2.8 ptssince 2020
from 77.8% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Self-employed
12.5%
−2.5 ptssince 2009
from 14.9% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
53.7%
+10.6 ptssince 2009
from 43.2% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
47.7%
+0.6 ptssince 2009
from 47.2% in 2009
Female
52.3%
−0.6 ptssince 2009
from 52.8% in 2009
Foreign born
6.0%
+1.8 ptssince 2009
from 4.2% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
6.8%
−4.0 ptssince 2009
from 10.8% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
9.8%
+0.4 ptssince 2012
from 9.4% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
6.0%
−6.6 ptssince 2013
from 12.6% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
92.8%
+16.3 ptssince 2017
from 76.5% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
97.5%
+3.0 ptssince 2020
from 94.5% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Same house as last year
81.9%
−0.4 ptssince 2020
from 82.3% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
English only at home
92.2%
−2.7 ptssince 2016
from 94.9% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
4.1%
+2.3 ptssince 2016
from 1.8% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married41.1%(25,496)
Married50.1%(31,089)
Widowed1.6%(999)
Divorced7.2%(4,478)
Women 15+
Never married37.9%(26,627)
Married41.8%(29,387)
Widowed7.6%(5,347)
Divorced12.6%(8,870)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
6.0%
−6.6 ptssince 2013
from 12.6% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
62.9%
−1.6 ptssince 2020
from 64.5% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
19.0%
+3.8 ptssince 2020
from 15.2% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
17.1%
+0.9 ptssince 2020
from 16.2% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
11.0%
+1.4 ptssince 2020
from 9.6% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
2.6%
−0.2 ptssince 2020
from 2.8% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
79.9%
+0.3 ptssince 2020
from 79.6% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
27.1%
+1.9 ptssince 2020
from 25.2% in 2020
US average: 36.7%

Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.

Section 09 · Service history

Veterans

Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)27%(2,315)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)26.1%(2,236)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era33.7%(2,886)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War5.6%(483)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0.4%(37)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 8,564 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.

BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Explore

Neighborhoods in Charleston

CharlestowneDaniel IslandNeighborhoods in Charleston
Drill deeper

Places similar to Charleston

Joliet
Pop 152,241
Midland
Pop 147,615
Aurora
Pop 181,505
Coral Springs
Pop 138,783
Places similar to Charleston
Head to head

Compare Charleston to nearby cities

CHARLESTON VS
Mount Pleasant
Income$124,755+35%
Home value$748,500+47%
Population95,469−40%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
CHARLESTON VS
James Island
Income$104,217+13%
Home value$508,600same
Population12,660−92%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
CHARLESTON VS
Hanahan
Income$87,984−5%
Home value$374,800−26%
Population22,415−86%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
CHARLESTON VS
North Charleston
Income$62,956−32%
Home value$302,200−41%
Population129,245−19%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Charleston, South Carolina?

Charleston, South Carolina has about 154,338 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Charleston, South Carolina?

The typical household in Charleston, South Carolina earns about $92,414 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Charleston, South Carolina expensive?

In Charleston, South Carolina, the median home is worth about $509,700, and the typical rent is about $1,722 a month.

How educated are people in Charleston, South Carolina?

About 58.3% of adults age 25 and over in Charleston, South Carolina hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Charleston, South Carolina?

About 12.3% of people in Charleston, South Carolina live below the federal poverty line.

Has Charleston, South Carolina grown since 1990?

Yes, Charleston, South Carolina has grown since 1990. The population has added about 73,924 residents, a change of about 92 percent over that period.

Keep going

Explore from here

Up the hierarchy
South Carolina

DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →