United States › South Carolina › Charleston CITY · 2010 ACS
Charleston South Carolina · 120,083 residents · 115 sq mi
Time machine
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The short version
Charleston is home to 120,083 people in South Carolina. This is an unusually credentialed place: 46% of adults have a four-year degree. This skews young, with a median age of 32.5. Owners hold 52% of the housing stock. Growth has run 24% since 2000, or 23,433 more people. 5% of residents were born outside the United States.
At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $52,703
Younger
median age 32.5
US median: 37.2
More educated
46% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 28%
Less affordable
home values up 50%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $225,659
Section 01
Population & growth from 33.2 in 2000
US average: 37.2
Population, 1990 – 2024
73K 95K 117K 140K 162K 1990 2000 2010 2020 2024 Charleston Age distribution, 2010
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Section 02
Income & economy $49,448
+11%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $35,295 in 2000
US average: $52,703
from $22,414 in 2000
US average: $27,286
Households earning $100K+
from 30.8% in 2009
US average: 33.3%
from 19.1% in 2000
US average: 13.8%
Workforce by industry, 2010
Public administration 3.9%
Professional, scientific, technical 3.7%
Transportation & warehousing 2.7%
Arts, entertainment, food 2.5%
Education & health services 0.5%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing 0.4%
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$261,300
+50%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $137,800 in 2000
US average: $225,659
$877
+13%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $614 in 2000
US average: $853
from 51.1% in 2000
47.9% rent
from 13.5% in 2009
US average: 12.1%
2.26 people
Unchangedsince 2009
from 2.25 people in 2009
US average: 2.60
from 35.0% in 2009
US average: 30.9%
from 48.7% in 2009
US average: 46.8%
from 5.4 in 2009
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Section 04
Race & ethnicity 2000
White, non-Hispanic 62.3%(60,187)
Hispanic / Latino 1.5%(1,462)
2010
White, non-Hispanic 68.6%(82,427)
Hispanic / Latino 2.9%(3,451)
No data for the years selected.
Section 04 · Origins
Detailed origins & ancestry Hispanic origin
+ 4 more hispanic origin groups with data Ancestry
+ 43 more ancestry groups with data from 37.5% in 2000
US average: 27.9%
High school or higher
from 83.7% in 2000
US average: 84.9%
from 13.9% in 2000
US average: 10.2%
Section 06
Commute & transportation from 12.5 min in 2000
US average: 25.2
from 78.2% in 2009
US average: 76.2%
from 8.4% in 2009
US average: 10.4%
from 2.5% in 2009
US average: 4.7%
from 3.2% in 2009
US average: 4.1%
from 4.8% in 2009
US average: 2.8%
from 1.5% in 2009
US average: 0.5%
from 10.5% in 2009
US average: 8.7%
Section 07
Work & employment from 14.9% in 2009
US average: 12.9%
from 43.2% in 2009
US average: 35.2%
Section 08
People & community from 4.2% in 2009
US average: 12.8%
from 10.8% in 2009
US average: 9.9%
Marital status (2024)
Men 15+
Never married 41.1%(25,496)
Women 15+
Never married 37.9%(26,627)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09
Health coverage Showing 2024 (the nearest year with coverage data).
from 12.6% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
from 64.5% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
from 15.2% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
from 16.2% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
from 9.6% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
from 2.8% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
from 79.6% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
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)
Gulf War (1990s) 26.1%(2,236)
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.
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Explore
Neighborhoods in Charleston Drill deeper
Places similar to Charleston Head to head
Compare Charleston to nearby cities CHARLESTON VS
Mount Pleasant
Income $124,755 +152%
Home value $748,500 +186%
Population 95,469 −40%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
CHARLESTON VS
James Island
Income $104,217 +111%
Home value $508,600 +95%
Population 12,660 −92%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
CHARLESTON VS
Hanahan
Income $87,984 +78%
Home value $374,800 +43%
Population 22,415 −86%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
CHARLESTON VS
North Charleston
Income $62,956 +27%
Home value $302,200 +16%
Population 129,245 −19%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked
How many people live in Charleston, South Carolina? Charleston, South Carolina has about 120,083 residents according to the 2010 American Community Survey.
What is the median household income in Charleston, South Carolina? The typical household in Charleston, South Carolina earns about $49,448 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 $261,300, and the typical rent is about $877 a month.
How educated are people in Charleston, South Carolina? About 46.3% 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 17.9% 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 39,669 residents, a change of about 49 percent over that period.
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