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COUNTY · 2020 ACS

Berkeley County

South Carolina · 229,861 residents · 1,104 sq mi
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The short version

Berkeley County is home to 229,861 people in South Carolina. Since 2000 the county has risen by half, up 87,210 people. 72% of homes are owner-occupied. 25% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. The foreign-born share is 5%. Households here earn about 19% more than in South Carolina as a whole.

At a glance
Average income
near the US median
US median: $66,278
Younger
median age 36.6
US median: 38.8
Less educated
25% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 33%
Less affordable
home values up 64%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $265,253
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
229,861
+61%since 2000
from 142,651 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Median age
36.6
+14%since 2000
from 32.0 in 2000
US average: 38.8
Land area
1,104 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
117K152K188K223K259K19902000201020202024Berkeley County
2024247K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2020
Under 56.3%(14,575)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 96.7%(15,414)
US avg: 6.1%
10 to 147.2%(16,659)
US avg: 6.5%
15 to 196.9%(15,847)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 246.4%(14,747)
US avg: 6.7%
25 to 3414%(32,274)
US avg: 13.5%
35 to 4413.4%(30,888)
US avg: 12.7%
45 to 5412.1%(27,884)
US avg: 12.3%
55 to 6412.3%(28,208)
US avg: 13.1%
65 to 749.2%(21,257)
US avg: 10%
75 to 844.1%(9,505)
US avg: 4.9%
85 and over1.1%(2,603)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$65,443
+9%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $39,908 in 2000
US average: $66,278
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$30,655
+82%since 2000
from $16,879 in 2000
US average: $35,364
Households earning $100K+
43.1%
+16.2 ptssince 2009
from 26.9% in 2009
US average: 43.9%
Poverty rate
11.9%
+0.1 ptssince 2000
from 11.8% in 2000
US average: 12.8%
Workforce by industry, 2020
Information12.2%
US avg: 11.1%
Retail trade12.2%
US avg: 10%
Wholesale trade8.4%
US avg: 6.7%
Finance & insurance6.8%
US avg: 5.5%
Professional, scientific, technical5.4%
US avg: 4.7%
Other services4.6%
US avg: 6.6%
Public administration2.6%
US avg: 4.7%
Transportation & warehousing2%
US avg: 2.5%
Education & health services1.4%
US avg: 0.8%
Arts, entertainment, food1.3%
US avg: 2%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.4%
US avg: 1.7%
Construction0.4%
US avg: 1.2%
Manufacturing0.1%
US avg: 0.5%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$197,300
+64%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $79,900 in 2000
US average: $265,253
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,164
+38%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $562 in 2000
US average: $1,124
Owner-occupied
71.7%
−2.6 ptssince 2000
from 74.2% in 2000
28.3% rent
Persons per household
2.75 people
−3%since 2009
from 2.84 people in 2009
US average: 2.61
Afford Score
3.0
+4%since 2009
from 2.9 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.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic66.8%(95,314)
Black26.5%(37,739)
Hispanic / Latino2.8%(3,935)
Asian1.8%(2,636)
Other0%
2020
White, non-Hispanic60%(137,840)
Black22.5%(51,784)
Hispanic / Latino8.8%(20,328)
Asian2.3%(5,353)
Other5.1%(11,684)
Segregation Score
26
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means White and non-White residents are more separated across neighborhoods.
Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Mexican2.7%(6,056)
Central American1.1%(2,523)
Puerto Rican1.1%(2,388)
Honduran0.8%(1,803)
South American0.7%(1,602)
Colombian0.3%(636)
Spaniard0.2%(357)
Salvadoran0.1%(330)
Guatemalan0.1%(315)
Cuban0.1%(275)
Peruvian0.1%(257)
Venezuelan0.1%(248)
+ 10 more hispanic origin groups with data
Chilean0.1%(212)
Dominican0.1%(199)
Ecuadorian0%(104)
Uruguayan0%(62)
Argentine0%(45)
Bolivian0%(19)
Asian origin
Filipino1.4%(3,104)
Vietnamese0.3%(604)
Chinese0.2%(430)
Laotian0.1%(192)
Korean0.1%(178)
Pakistani0.1%(174)
Asian Indian0.1%(164)
Cambodian0%(109)
Japanese0%(101)
Nepalese0%(50)
Thai0%(27)
Taiwanese0%(12)
Pacific Islander origin
Chamorro0%(65)
Ancestry
German10.7%(23,764)
Irish8.8%(19,511)
American8.1%(17,982)
English7.6%(16,904)
Italian3.4%(7,516)
French2.1%(4,729)
Scottish2%(4,420)
Polish1.7%(3,688)
Scotch-Irish1.6%(3,448)
Dutch0.8%(1,679)
British0.6%(1,306)
+ 42 more ancestry groups with data
Norwegian0.5%(1,220)
Welsh0.5%(1,040)
French Canadian0.5%(1,037)
Swedish0.4%(861)
Brazilian0.4%(828)
Russian0.3%(605)
Czech0.3%(600)
Greek0.3%(597)
Hungarian0.2%(541)
West Indian0.2%(526)
Portuguese0.2%(492)
Austrian0.2%(405)
Danish0.2%(382)
Ukrainian0.2%(369)
Swiss0.1%(315)
Canadian0.1%(282)
Finnish0.1%(262)
Lithuanian0.1%(234)
Lebanese0.1%(194)
Haitian0.1%(150)
Jamaican0.1%(145)
Belgian0.1%(127)
Slovak0.1%(114)
Australian0%(108)
Armenian0%(94)
Romanian0%(89)
Turkish0%(87)
Egyptian0%(86)
Iranian0%(76)
Croatian0%(63)
Bulgarian0%(54)
Somali0%(50)
Moroccan0%(43)
Slovene0%(39)
Barbadian0%(34)
Israeli0%(33)
Nigerian0%(30)
Guyanese0%(21)
Iraqi0%(19)
Serbian0%(12)
Arab0%(8)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
25.4%
+11.0 ptssince 2000
from 14.4% in 2000
US average: 32.9%
High school or higher
89.1%
+8.9 ptssince 2000
from 80.2% in 2000
US average: 88.5%
Graduate degree
8.6%
+4.2 ptssince 2000
from 4.3% in 2000
US average: 12.7%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
28.3 min
+57%since 2000
from 18.0 min in 2000
US average: 26.9
Drive alone to work
82.8%
+0.5 ptssince 2009
from 82.2% in 2009
US average: 75.1%
No vehicle available
4.0%
−0.8 ptssince 2009
from 4.8% in 2009
US average: 8.4%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
4.3%
−5.7 ptssince 2011
from 10.0% in 2011
US average: 5.4%
Labor force participation
64.9%
−2.8 ptssince 2011
from 67.6% in 2011
US average: 63.4%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
71.1%
US average: 73.3%
Management & professional
33.6%
+5.4 ptssince 2009
from 28.2% in 2009
US average: 39.3%
Section 08

People & community

Male
49.7%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 49.8% in 2009
Female
50.3%
+0.1 ptssince 2009
from 50.2% in 2009
Foreign born
5.3%
+0.8 ptssince 2009
from 4.6% in 2009
US average: 13.5%
Uninsured
10.5%
−7.4 ptssince 2013
from 17.9% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Computer in household
92.6%
US average: 91.9%
Same house as last year
84.0%
US average: 86.2%
Marital status (2024)
Men 15+
Never married34.5%(33,896)
Married54.9%(53,972)
Widowed3.1%(3,008)
Divorced7.6%(7,465)
Women 15+
Never married27.9%(27,976)
Married51.4%(51,558)
Widowed8%(8,020)
Divorced12.7%(12,790)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
10.5%
−7.4 ptssince 2013
from 17.9% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Employer-based
53.8%
US average: 55.4%
Direct-purchase
11.4%
US average: 13.7%
Medicare
16.7%
US average: 17.6%
Medicaid
18.8%
US average: 20.0%
VA health care
4.7%
US average: 2.3%
Any private
69.2%
US average: 68.1%
Any public
35.0%
US average: 35.2%

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, 2020
Gulf War (2001 or later)30.5%(6,727)
US avg: 20.6%
Gulf War (1990s)37.9%(8,373)
US avg: 21.4%
Vietnam era32.3%(7,138)
US avg: 35.2%
Korean War3.1%(683)
US avg: 7.6%
World War II0.4%(98)
US avg: 2.9%

Share of the 22,075 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
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Head to head

Compare Berkeley County to nearby counties

BERKELEY COUNTY VS
Dorchester County
Income$78,198+19%
Home value$329,300+67%
Population178,397−35%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
BERKELEY COUNTY VS
Charleston County
Income$88,494+35%
Home value$489,100+148%
Population436,200+59%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
BERKELEY COUNTY VS
Williamsburg County
Income$46,213−29%
Home value$104,500−47%
Population29,662−89%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
BERKELEY COUNTY VS
Clarendon County
Income$52,401−20%
Home value$158,000−20%
Population31,043−89%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Berkeley County, South Carolina?

Berkeley County, South Carolina has about 229,861 residents according to the 2020 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Berkeley County, South Carolina?

The typical household in Berkeley County, South Carolina earns about $65,443 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Berkeley County, South Carolina expensive?

In Berkeley County, South Carolina, the median home is worth about $197,300, and the typical rent is about $1,164 a month.

How educated are people in Berkeley County, South Carolina?

About 25.4% of adults age 25 and over in Berkeley County, South Carolina hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Berkeley County, South Carolina?

About 11.9% of people in Berkeley County, South Carolina live below the federal poverty line.

Has Berkeley County, South Carolina grown since 1990?

Yes, Berkeley County, South Carolina has grown since 1990. The population has added about 101,085 residents, a change of about 78 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 →