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COUNTY · 2000 CENSUS

Charleston County

South Carolina · 309,969 residents · 918 sq mi
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The short version

Charleston County is home to 309,969 people in South Carolina. 31% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Owners hold 61% of the housing stock. The poverty rate is 16.4%, above the 12.4% national rate. Median household income is $37,810, under the $42,589 national median. Headcount has barely moved since 1990.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $42,589
Mid-age
median age 34.5
US median: 35.2
More educated
31% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 24%
Stable housing
home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted
US median home: $120,530
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
309,969
+5%since 1990
from 295,039 in 1990
1990 – 2025
Median age
34.5
+14%since 1990
from 30.2 in 1990
US average: 35.2
Land area
918 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
283K320K358K395K433K19902000201020202024Charleston County
2024420K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2000
Under 56.4%(19,806)
US avg: 6.8%
5 to 96.6%(20,523)
US avg: 7.3%
10 to 146.8%(21,214)
US avg: 7.3%
15 to 197.4%(23,042)
US avg: 7.2%
20 to 248.5%(26,258)
US avg: 6.7%
25 to 3414.9%(46,337)
US avg: 14.2%
35 to 4415.4%(47,711)
US avg: 16%
45 to 5413.3%(41,335)
US avg: 13.4%
55 to 648.7%(26,885)
US avg: 8.6%
65 to 746.5%(20,030)
US avg: 6.5%
75 to 844.2%(12,973)
US avg: 4.4%
85 and over1.2%(3,855)
US avg: 1.5%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$37,810
+7%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $26,875 in 1990
US average: $42,589
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$21,393
+64%since 1990
from $13,068 in 1990
US average: $21,522
Poverty rate
16.4%
−0.9 ptssince 1990
from 17.3% in 1990
US average: 12.4%
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$117,700
+22%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $73,200 in 1990
US average: $120,530
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$605
+5%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $437 in 1990
US average: $602
Owner-occupied
61.0%
+3.4 ptssince 1990
from 57.6% in 1990
39.0% rent
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

1990
White, non-Hispanic63.6%(187,740)
Black34.9%(103,008)
Hispanic / Latino1.3%(3,764)
Asian0.9%(2,509)
2000
White, non-Hispanic60.8%(188,542)
Black34.3%(106,337)
Hispanic / Latino2.4%(7,434)
Asian1.1%(3,410)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Detailed origin tables are available for 2024; showing 2024 data.

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
30.7%
+8.4 ptssince 1990
from 22.4% in 1990
US average: 24.4%
High school or higher
81.5%
+6.0 ptssince 1990
from 75.5% in 1990
US average: 80.3%
Graduate degree
11.0%
+3.2 ptssince 1990
from 7.8% in 1990
US average: 8.8%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
14.2 min
−39%since 1990
from 23.4 min in 1990
US average: 17.6
Section 07

Work & employment

No data for the years selected.

Section 08

People & community

No data for the years selected.

Marital status
Men 15+
Never married35.7%(42,173)
Married53.1%(62,785)
Widowed3%(3,555)
Divorced8.1%(9,624)
Women 15+
Never married29.7%(38,670)
Married48.9%(63,596)
Widowed10.6%(13,746)
Divorced10.8%(14,115)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2000
Section 09

Health coverage

Showing 2024 (the nearest year with coverage data).

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
Drill deeper

Places similar to Charleston County

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Pop 433,516
Collier County
Pop 417,131
Naugatuck Valley Planning Region
Pop 463,349
Washoe County
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+123%
Home value$310,300+164%
Population274,666−37%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
CHARLESTON COUNTY VS
Dorchester County
Income$78,198+107%
Home value$329,300+180%
Population178,397−59%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
CHARLESTON COUNTY VS
Colleton County
Income$51,114+35%
Home value$162,500+38%
Population39,382−91%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
CHARLESTON COUNTY VS
Beaufort County
Income$86,573+129%
Home value$455,600+287%
Population204,433−53%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Charleston County, South Carolina?

Charleston County, South Carolina has about 309,969 residents according to the 2000 Census.

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

The typical household in Charleston County, South Carolina earns about $37,810 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 $117,700, and the typical rent is about $605 a month.

How educated are people in Charleston County, South Carolina?

About 30.7% 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 16.4% 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 14,930 residents, a change of about 5 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 →