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COUNTY

Charleston County

South Carolina · 436,200 residents (2025 est.) · 918 sq mi
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Part of the Charleston metro area
The short version

With 420,264 people, Charleston County is a county in South Carolina. That puts it in the top 3% of US counties for household income. 50% of adults hold a bachelor's degree, against 36% nationally. The population is up 36% since 2000. That is roughly 28% ahead of the South Carolina median. 7% of residents were born outside the United States.

At a glance
Wealthier
median household income $88,494, above the US median
US median: $82,259
Mid-age
median age 39.2
US median: 38.9
More educated
50% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 128%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place

What stands out about Charleston County

What changed most since 1990

  • Median home value (2024 dollars)$175,685 → $489,100 (+178%)US over the same years: +67%
  • Adults with a bachelor's degree22.4% → 50.3% (+28.0 pts)US over the same years: +15.3 pts
  • Black share34.7% → 22.7% (−12.0 pts)US over the same years: +0.2 pts

Among the 46 counties in South Carolina

  • 2nd in household income$88,494
  • 1st in share with a bachelor's degree50.3%
  • 1st in home value$489,100
  • 26th in diversity score65.7
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
420,264
+36%since 2000
from 309,969 in 2000
436,200 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Population density
458 / sq mi
+36%since 2000
from 338 / sq mi in 2000
US average: 281
Median age
39.2
+14%since 2000
from 34.5 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Land area
918 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
283K320K358K395K433K19902000201020202024Charleston County
2024420K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 55.6%(23,660)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 95.1%(21,555)
US avg: 6%
10 to 145.6%(23,379)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 195.5%(23,057)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 246%(25,016)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3415.6%(65,508)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4414.5%(60,845)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5411.6%(48,771)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6412.7%(53,445)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 7410.9%(45,899)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 845%(21,116)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over1.9%(8,013)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$88,494
+28%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $37,810 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$56,921
+166%since 2000
from $21,393 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
56.1%
+25.7 ptssince 2009
from 30.4% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
11.3%
−5.1 ptssince 2000
from 16.4% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.511
+3%since 2010
from 0.498 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Information9.8%
US avg: 10.8%
Other services8.1%
US avg: 6.7%
Retail trade7.2%
US avg: 9.9%
Wholesale trade6.3%
US avg: 6.9%
Finance & insurance4.7%
US avg: 5.9%
Public administration4.6%
US avg: 4.8%
Professional, scientific, technical4.1%
US avg: 5.1%
Transportation & warehousing2.2%
US avg: 2.2%
Arts, entertainment, food1.6%
US avg: 1.9%
Education & health services0.6%
US avg: 0.9%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.5%
US avg: 1.6%
Construction0.5%
US avg: 1.2%
Manufacturing0.1%
US avg: 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$489,100
+128%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $117,700 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,620
+47%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $605 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
63.9%
+2.9 ptssince 2000
from 61.0% in 2000
36.1% rent
Vacancy rate
14.7%
−2.4 ptssince 2009
from 17.1% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Persons per household
2.29 people
−5%since 2009
from 2.40 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
Owner cost-burdened
24.3%
−10.1 ptssince 2009
from 34.4% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
49.9%
+3.9 ptssince 2009
from 45.9% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
5.5
+14%since 2009
from 4.8 in 2009
1990 – 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
91
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic60.8%(188,542)
Black34.3%(106,337)
Hispanic / Latino2.4%(7,434)
Asian1.1%(3,410)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic64.5%(270,977)
Black22.7%(95,215)
Hispanic / Latino7.2%(30,143)
Asian1.8%(7,411)
Other3.9%(16,518)
Diversity Score
66
+3%since 2009
from 64 in 2009
1990 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Segregation Score
44
−2%since 2020
from 45 in 2020
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
Mexican3.5%(14,609)
Central American1.2%(5,145)
South American0.9%(3,664)
Puerto Rican0.5%(2,154)
Guatemalan0.3%(1,350)
Nicaraguan0.3%(1,335)
Cuban0.3%(1,176)
Spaniard0.3%(1,114)
Salvadoran0.2%(1,046)
Venezuelan0.2%(1,022)
Honduran0.2%(849)
Colombian0.2%(838)
+ 10 more hispanic origin groups with data
Ecuadorian0.2%(832)
Panamanian0.1%(529)
Dominican0.1%(486)
Argentine0.1%(452)
Bolivian0%(204)
Peruvian0%(170)
Uruguayan0%(51)
Chilean0%(16)
Asian origin
Asian Indian0.5%(1,896)
Chinese0.4%(1,473)
Filipino0.3%(1,382)
Vietnamese0.3%(1,163)
Korean0.1%(477)
Japanese0.1%(239)
Pakistani0%(115)
Burmese0%(80)
Taiwanese0%(75)
Nepalese0%(49)
Laotian0%(47)
+ 5 more asian origin groups with data
Cambodian0%(41)
Uzbek0%(14)
Thai0%(8)
Pacific Islander origin
Chamorro0%(155)
Samoan0%(89)
Ancestry
English15.3%(64,285)
German11%(46,301)
Irish10.6%(44,521)
American8.7%(36,689)
Italian4.7%(19,928)
Scottish2.5%(10,346)
French2.1%(8,957)
Polish2.1%(8,663)
Scotch-Irish1.4%(5,954)
Swedish0.6%(2,641)
Norwegian0.6%(2,428)
+ 47 more ancestry groups with data
Greek0.6%(2,364)
Welsh0.6%(2,354)
British0.6%(2,333)
Arab0.5%(2,266)
Russian0.5%(2,263)
Dutch0.5%(2,144)
Hungarian0.4%(1,628)
French Canadian0.4%(1,597)
Lebanese0.3%(1,292)
Czech0.3%(1,210)
West Indian0.3%(1,123)
Austrian0.2%(963)
Ukrainian0.2%(928)
Portuguese0.2%(925)
Swiss0.2%(902)
Jamaican0.2%(762)
Danish0.2%(726)
Slovak0.2%(637)
Brazilian0.1%(619)
Turkish0.1%(575)
Finnish0.1%(573)
Serbian0.1%(508)
Croatian0.1%(453)
Lithuanian0.1%(421)
Romanian0.1%(376)
Armenian0.1%(366)
Egyptian0.1%(285)
Kenyan0.1%(267)
Slovene0.1%(261)
Canadian0.1%(252)
Belgian0.1%(222)
Iranian0.1%(211)
Syrian0%(197)
Australian0%(110)
Israeli0%(109)
Ghanaian0%(106)
Nigerian0%(100)
Haitian0%(70)
Latvian0%(61)
Ethiopian0%(39)
Moroccan0%(36)
Iraqi0%(27)
Bulgarian0%(14)
Jordanian0%(10)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
50.3%
+19.6 ptssince 2000
from 30.7% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
93.5%
+12.0 ptssince 2000
from 81.5% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
19.8%
+8.8 ptssince 2000
from 11.0% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
25.1 min
+76%since 2000
from 14.2 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
69.0%
−10.7 ptssince 2009
from 79.7% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
8.5%
−1.3 ptssince 2009
from 9.8% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
0.9%
−0.8 ptssince 2009
from 1.7% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
17.7%
+14.1 ptssince 2009
from 3.6% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
1.9%
−0.9 ptssince 2009
from 2.8% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
0.7%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 0.7% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
5.9%
−2.8 ptssince 2009
from 8.7% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
3.5%
−5.3 ptssince 2011
from 8.7% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
66.0%
−0.3 ptssince 2011
from 66.3% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
77.5%
+1.0 ptssince 2020
from 76.5% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Self-employed
12.7%
−1.0 ptssince 2009
from 13.7% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
49.4%
+11.7 ptssince 2009
from 37.6% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
48.5%
+0.2 ptssince 2009
from 48.3% in 2009
Female
51.5%
−0.2 ptssince 2009
from 51.7% in 2009
Foreign born
6.7%
+1.7 ptssince 2009
from 5.0% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
8.2%
−4.5 ptssince 2009
from 12.7% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
11.2%
+0.4 ptssince 2012
from 10.8% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
8.3%
−8.0 ptssince 2013
from 16.3% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
88.9%
+14.3 ptssince 2017
from 74.6% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
96.3%
+3.1 ptssince 2020
from 93.2% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Same house as last year
84.5%
−0.1 ptssince 2020
from 84.6% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
English only at home
91.0%
−2.3 ptssince 2016
from 93.3% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
5.3%
+1.4 ptssince 2016
from 3.9% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married36.7%(61,982)
Married52.2%(88,092)
Widowed2.4%(3,984)
Divorced8.7%(14,670)
Women 15+
Never married32.8%(59,999)
Married47.1%(86,083)
Widowed8%(14,590)
Divorced12.2%(22,270)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
8.3%
−8.0 ptssince 2013
from 16.3% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
57.4%
−0.1 ptssince 2020
from 57.5% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
18.6%
+3.0 ptssince 2020
from 15.6% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
19.0%
+1.1 ptssince 2020
from 17.9% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
13.5%
+0.4 ptssince 2020
from 13.1% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
3.1%
+0.3 ptssince 2020
from 2.8% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
74.3%
+1.6 ptssince 2020
from 72.7% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
31.1%
+1.5 ptssince 2020
from 29.6% 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)29.7%(8,173)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)27.6%(7,594)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era31.4%(8,648)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War5.1%(1,414)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0.4%(98)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 27,518 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
Over time

Charleston County, decade by decade

Charleston County population, inflation-adjusted income and home value, education, and diversity by year
YearPopulationMedian household incomeMedian home valueBachelor's degree+Diversity score
1990295,039$64,502$175,68522.4%60.4
2000309,969$68,877$214,40930.7%63.9
2010350,209$69,674$348,27837.5%65.6
2020408,235$81,427$405,54845.3%65.8
2024420,264$88,494$489,10050.3%65.7

Census years come from the decennial census and the latest year from the American Community Survey, so part of any change between those two rows can reflect the different surveys. Dollar figures are adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars; a figure ending in "+" was at the Census Bureau's reporting cap that year. The diversity score runs from 0 to 100; see how it's calculated.

Drill deeper

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Pop 433,516
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Pop 417,131
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Pop 509,386
Places similar to Charleston County
Head to head

Compare Charleston County to nearby counties

CHARLESTON COUNTY VS
Berkeley County
Income$84,358−5%
Home value$310,300−37%
Population274,666−37%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
CHARLESTON COUNTY VS
Dorchester County
Income$78,198−12%
Home value$329,300−33%
Population178,397−59%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
CHARLESTON COUNTY VS
Colleton County
Income$51,114−42%
Home value$162,500−67%
Population39,382−91%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
CHARLESTON COUNTY VS
Beaufort County
Income$86,573−2%
Home value$455,600−7%
Population204,433−53%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Charleston County, South Carolina?

Charleston County, South Carolina has about 420,264 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

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

The typical household in Charleston County, South Carolina earns about $88,494 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Charleston County, South Carolina expensive?

In Charleston County, South Carolina, the median home is worth about $489,100, and the typical rent is about $1,620 a month.

How educated are people in Charleston County, South Carolina?

About 50.3% of adults age 25 and over in Charleston County, South Carolina hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

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

About 11.3% of people in Charleston County, South Carolina live below the federal poverty line.

Has Charleston County, South Carolina grown since 1990?

Yes, Charleston County, South Carolina has grown since 1990. The population has added about 125,225 residents, a change of about 42 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 →