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CITY

Charleston

South Carolina · 159,423 residents (2025 est.) · 115.053 sq mi
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Notable rankings
#168Largest by populationof 4,896159,423
The short version

Charleston is wealthier than most US places, with a median household income of $92,414. The city has grown rapidly, with population up 60% since 2000. 58% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, well above the national rate of 36%. Median home value has more than tripled since 2000, reaching $509,700. It sits in the top 10% of US cities for household income. Households here earn about 33% more than the South Carolina median.

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
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

PEP 2025 EST:159,423 residents (Census Bureau Vintage 2025, released March 2026)

Population, 1990 – 2024
73K95K117K140K162K1990201020202024Charleston
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%
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
Our index: median home value divided by median household income. Lower is more affordable.
Gentrification Score
79
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
RELATED:See current rent listings in Charleston on RentDataNow
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)
RANKED:Largest English population · Largest German population · Largest Irish population · Largest American population · Largest Italian population
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%
Self-employed
12.5%
−2.5 ptssince 2009
from 14.9% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
53.7%
−16.4 ptssince 2009
from 70.1% 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%
−40.0 ptssince 2009
from 46.7% 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%
−81.4 ptssince 2013
from 87.4% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
92.8%
+16.3 ptssince 2017
from 76.5% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
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
Explore

Neighborhoods in Charleston

CharlestowneDaniel IslandNeighborhoods in Charleston
Drill deeper

Places similar to Charleston

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Pop 152,241
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Pop 147,615
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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.

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

How we source and harmonize this data →