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CITY

Kiawah Island

South Carolina · 2,014 residents (2025 est.) · 11.2 sq mi
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The short version

Kiawah Island is a city of 2,326 people in South Carolina. At a median age of 66.8, this is an older place than the country as a whole. That is roughly 208% ahead of the South Carolina median. 87% of adults hold a bachelor's degree, against 36% nationally. Home values have more than doubled since 2000, reaching $2,000,000+. Median household income runs $213,594, well clear of the $82,259 US median.

At a glance
Wealthier
above the US median
US median: $82,259
Older
median age 66.8
US median: 38.9
More educated
87% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 40%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
2,326
+100%since 2000
from 1,163 in 2000
2,014 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Population density
208 / sq mi
+61%since 2009
from 129 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
Median age
66.8
+9%since 2000
from 61.2 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Land area
11.2 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
5761K2K2K2K19902000201020202024Kiawah Island
20242K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 50%(0)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 90.4%(10)
US avg: 6%
10 to 140.2%(5)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 190.4%(10)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 240.4%(10)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 340.8%(18)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 441.9%(45)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 542.2%(51)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6436.6%(851)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 7438.9%(905)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 8415.9%(369)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over2.2%(52)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$213,594
+54%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $76,114 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$210,726
+341%since 2000
from $47,782 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
86.3%
+8.5 ptssince 2009
from 77.7% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
3.1%
−3.3 ptssince 2000
from 6.4% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.546
+4%since 2010
from 0.525 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Retail trade12%
US avg: 9.9%
Other services11.8%
US avg: 6.7%
Public administration9.8%
US avg: 4.8%
Information4.2%
US avg: 10.8%
Finance & insurance3.3%
US avg: 5.9%
Professional, scientific, technical2.5%
US avg: 5.1%
Arts, entertainment, food1.9%
US avg: 1.9%
Wholesale trade1.3%
US avg: 6.9%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing1%
US avg: 1.6%
Construction1%
US avg: 1.2%
Transportation & warehousing0.9%
US avg: 2.2%
Education & health services0.9%
US avg: 0.9%
Manufacturing0%
US avg: 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$2,000,001
+40%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $785,900 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Owner-occupied
98.9%
+2.3 ptssince 2000
from 96.6% in 2000
1.1% rent
Vacancy rate
68.7%
−9.2 ptssince 2009
from 77.9% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Persons per household
1.92 people
−7%since 2009
from 2.06 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
Owner cost-burdened
25.7%
−2.7 ptssince 2009
from 28.4% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
0.0%
−46.7 ptssince 2009
from 46.7% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
9.4
+60%since 2009
from 5.9 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
56
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic98%(1,140)
Black0.3%(4)
Hispanic / Latino0.2%(2)
Asian0.2%(2)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic98.2%(2,283)
Black0.3%(7)
Hispanic / Latino0.2%(5)
Asian1%(24)
Other0.3%(7)
Diversity Score
5
+90%since 2009
from 2 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
Chilean0.2%(5)
Asian origin
Vietnamese0.6%(14)
Asian Indian0.4%(10)
Ancestry
English24.2%(562)
Irish24.1%(560)
German19.9%(462)
Italian11.1%(259)
French5.9%(138)
Polish5.6%(130)
American4%(92)
Scottish3.9%(90)
Scotch-Irish2.8%(66)
Russian2.5%(59)
Welsh2.4%(56)
Armenian2.1%(50)
+ 17 more ancestry groups with data
Czech2%(46)
Hungarian1.8%(42)
Dutch1%(24)
Arab1%(23)
Swedish1%(23)
Swiss1%(23)
Norwegian0.9%(22)
Slovak0.8%(18)
Greek0.7%(16)
Lebanese0.6%(13)
Ukrainian0.3%(7)
Romanian0.3%(6)
Turkish0.3%(6)
Egyptian0.2%(5)
Syrian0.2%(5)
Finnish0.2%(4)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
87.3%
+12.8 ptssince 2000
from 74.6% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
98.9%
+0.4 ptssince 2000
from 98.5% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
50.7%
+15.1 ptssince 2000
from 35.6% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
32.1 min
+57%since 2000
from 20.4 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
39.1%
−19.3 ptssince 2009
from 58.4% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
0.9%
−8.8 ptssince 2009
from 9.7% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
4.6%
+1.4 ptssince 2009
from 3.2% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
44.2%
+17.5 ptssince 2009
from 26.7% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
2.5%
+2.5 ptssince 2009
from 0.0% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
0.0%
−0.7 ptssince 2009
from 0.7% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
1.7%
−1.3 ptssince 2009
from 3.0% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
1.8%
−1.2 ptssince 2011
from 3.0% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
30.5%
−1.0 ptssince 2011
from 31.6% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
43.1%
−0.2 ptssince 2020
from 43.3% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Self-employed
3.8%
−5.6 ptssince 2009
from 9.3% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
81.1%
+13.8 ptssince 2009
from 67.3% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
49.7%
−0.6 ptssince 2009
from 50.3% in 2009
Female
50.3%
+0.6 ptssince 2009
from 49.7% in 2009
Foreign born
3.7%
+1.0 ptssince 2009
from 2.7% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
8.7%
−8.7 ptssince 2009
from 17.4% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
5.4%
+0.6 ptssince 2012
from 4.8% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
1.5%
Unchangedsince 2013
from 1.5% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
97.3%
+4.4 ptssince 2017
from 92.9% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
98.4%
−0.7 ptssince 2020
from 99.1% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Same house as last year
85.9%
+4.1 ptssince 2020
from 81.8% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
English only at home
98.7%
+2.0 ptssince 2016
from 96.8% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
0.6%
−0.5 ptssince 2016
from 1.0% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married3.4%(39)
Married93.7%(1,074)
Widowed1.4%(16)
Divorced1.5%(17)
Women 15+
Never married3.3%(39)
Married86.9%(1,012)
Widowed6.6%(77)
Divorced3.2%(37)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
1.5%
Unchangedsince 2013
from 1.5% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
50.6%
−3.4 ptssince 2020
from 54.0% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
28.5%
−6.9 ptssince 2020
from 35.4% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
56.0%
−2.5 ptssince 2020
from 58.5% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
2.5%
+0.1 ptssince 2020
from 2.4% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
0.8%
−1.9 ptssince 2020
from 2.7% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
76.1%
−3.6 ptssince 2020
from 79.7% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
56.0%
−3.1 ptssince 2020
from 59.1% 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)14.9%(30)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)15.9%(32)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era49.3%(99)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War4.5%(9)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0%(0)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 201 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
Drill deeper

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Head to head

Compare Kiawah Island to nearby cities

KIAWAH ISLAND VS
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Home value$508,600−75%
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SEE FULL COMPARISON →
KIAWAH ISLAND VS
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Home value$509,700−75%
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KIAWAH ISLAND VS
Mount Pleasant
Income$124,755−42%
Home value$748,500−63%
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KIAWAH ISLAND VS
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Income$62,956−71%
Home value$302,200−85%
Population129,245+6317%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Kiawah Island, South Carolina?

Kiawah Island, South Carolina has about 2,326 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Kiawah Island, South Carolina?

The typical household in Kiawah Island, South Carolina earns about $213,594 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Kiawah Island, South Carolina expensive?

In Kiawah Island, South Carolina, the median home is worth about $2,000,001.

How educated are people in Kiawah Island, South Carolina?

About 87.3% of adults age 25 and over in Kiawah Island, South Carolina hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Kiawah Island, South Carolina?

About 3.1% of people in Kiawah Island, South Carolina live below the federal poverty line.

Has Kiawah Island, South Carolina grown since 1990?

Yes, Kiawah Island, South Carolina has grown since 1990. The population has added about 1,591 residents, a change of about 216 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 →