METRO AREA
Charleston Metro
Charleston-North Charleston, SC · 3 counties · 889,263 residents (2025 est.) · 2,590 sq mi
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#38Fastest growingof 918+11.2%The short version
Charleston is home to 834,267 people. The population has risen by half since 2000, adding 285,234 people. That puts it in the top 2% of US metro areas for household income. The foreign-born share is 6%. About 40% of adults have finished a four-year degree. The typical home is worth $404,179, having more than tripled since 2000.
At a glance
Average income
near the US median
US median: $82,259
Mid-age
median age 38.3
US median: 38.9
More educated
40% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 115%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01
Population & growth
834,267
+52%since 2000
from 549,033 in 2000
889,263 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Land area
2,590 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
2024834K
Age distribution, 2024
Under 55.8%(48,632)
5 to 95.8%(48,695)
10 to 146.3%(52,265)
15 to 196%(50,362)
20 to 246.1%(50,941)
25 to 3414.8%(123,390)
35 to 4414.3%(119,268)
45 to 5411.9%(99,444)
55 to 6412.5%(104,220)
65 to 7410.1%(84,617)
75 to 844.7%(39,338)
85 and over1.6%(13,095)
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02
Income & economy
$85,207
+19%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $39,322 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Households earning $100K+
55.2%
+25.3 ptssince 2009
from 29.8% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Workforce by industry, 2024
Information10.6%
Retail trade9.7%
Wholesale trade7.4%
Other services6.6%
Finance & insurance6.1%
Professional, scientific, technical5.2%
Public administration3.9%
Transportation & warehousing2%
Arts, entertainment, food1.7%
Education & health services0.9%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.5%
Construction0.4%
Manufacturing0%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03
Housing
$404,179
+115%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $103,401 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
4.7
+18%since 2009
from 4.0 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.
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-Hispanic64%(351,434)
Black30.6%(168,143)
Hispanic / Latino2.4%(13,091)
Asian1.3%(7,123)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic62.4%(520,520)
Black23.1%(192,815)
Hispanic / Latino7.8%(64,788)
Asian2.1%(17,148)
Other4.7%(38,996)
68
+9%since 2009
from 63 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
35
−4%since 2020
from 36 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
Mexican3.4%(28,653)
Central American1.2%(9,668)
Puerto Rican1.1%(9,200)
South American0.9%(7,763)
Honduran0.4%(3,260)
Cuban0.3%(2,822)
Colombian0.3%(2,244)
Venezuelan0.3%(2,243)
Guatemalan0.3%(2,186)
Spaniard0.2%(1,849)
Salvadoran0.2%(1,642)
Nicaraguan0.2%(1,404)
+ 10 more hispanic origin groups with data
Dominican0.2%(1,282)
Ecuadorian0.1%(1,089)
Panamanian0.1%(1,003)
Peruvian0.1%(671)
Argentine0.1%(520)
Bolivian0%(416)
Chilean0%(346)
Costa Rican0%(173)
Uruguayan0%(145)
Paraguayan0%(28)
Asian origin
Filipino0.7%(5,493)
Asian Indian0.4%(3,570)
Chinese0.3%(2,361)
Vietnamese0.3%(2,165)
Korean0.1%(1,084)
Japanese0.1%(552)
Bangladeshi0%(305)
Cambodian0%(261)
Pakistani0%(200)
Taiwanese0%(181)
Laotian0%(167)
Burmese0%(91)
+ 8 more asian origin groups with data
Thai0%(76)
Hmong0%(51)
Nepalese0%(49)
Sri Lankan0%(47)
Indonesian0%(33)
Uzbek0%(26)
Kazakh0%(16)
Malaysian0%(7)
Pacific Islander origin
Native Hawaiian0.1%(478)
Chamorro0%(222)
Samoan0%(207)
Chuukese0%(15)
Guamanian0%(1)
Ancestry
English13.5%(112,372)
German10.5%(87,515)
Irish9.9%(82,503)
American7.5%(62,723)
Italian4.2%(35,170)
Scottish2.4%(19,696)
French2.1%(17,458)
Polish1.9%(15,791)
Scotch-Irish1.4%(11,319)
Subsaharan African0.8%(6,876)
Norwegian0.6%(5,162)
Swedish0.6%(4,951)
+ 49 more ancestry groups with data
Dutch0.5%(4,522)
British0.5%(4,197)
Welsh0.5%(3,986)
Greek0.4%(3,661)
Arab0.4%(3,660)
French Canadian0.4%(3,368)
Russian0.4%(3,020)
West Indian0.3%(2,795)
Czech0.3%(2,298)
Hungarian0.3%(2,236)
Lebanese0.2%(1,998)
Brazilian0.2%(1,954)
Ukrainian0.2%(1,858)
Portuguese0.2%(1,856)
Swiss0.2%(1,519)
Danish0.2%(1,473)
Jamaican0.2%(1,416)
Austrian0.2%(1,396)
Croatian0.1%(1,010)
Slovak0.1%(991)
Finnish0.1%(961)
Lithuanian0.1%(869)
Turkish0.1%(758)
Canadian0.1%(681)
Nigerian0.1%(650)
Armenian0.1%(633)
Australian0.1%(576)
Romanian0.1%(556)
Serbian0.1%(534)
Kenyan0.1%(533)
Haitian0.1%(529)
Moroccan0%(402)
Egyptian0%(358)
Trinidadian & Tobagonian0%(340)
Belgian0%(315)
Iranian0%(312)
Syrian0%(304)
Slovene0%(279)
Ethiopian0%(272)
Palestinian0%(215)
Ghanaian0%(111)
Israeli0%(109)
Latvian0%(102)
Bulgarian0%(82)
Cape Verdean0%(53)
Guyanese0%(43)
Iraqi0%(27)
Jordanian0%(21)
Barbadian0%(14)
Section 05
Education
High school or higher
92.5%
+11.2 ptssince 2000
from 81.3% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Section 06
Commute & transportation
Section 07
Work & employment
Women 20-64 in the labor force
75.4%
+1.5 ptssince 2020
from 73.9% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Section 08
People & community
Computer in household
96.2%
+3.1 ptssince 2020
from 93.1% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married35.7%(118,406)
Married53.5%(177,442)
Widowed2.6%(8,684)
Divorced8.2%(27,331)
Women 15+
Never married30.6%(108,038)
Married49%(173,021)
Widowed8%(28,231)
Divorced12.3%(43,522)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09
Health coverage
Direct-purchase
16.4%
+2.9 ptssince 2020
from 13.5% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
VA health care
3.9%
+0.2 ptssince 2020
from 3.6% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
72.1%
+1.3 ptssince 2020
from 70.9% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
33.0%
+0.9 ptssince 2020
from 32.1% 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)34.2%(22,098)
Gulf War (1990s)32.2%(20,800)
Vietnam era28.1%(18,152)
Korean War3.5%(2,243)
World War II0.4%(235)
Share of the 64,665 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
In this metro
Largest cities
CharlestonCENTRAL159,423North CharlestonCENTRAL129,245Mount Pleasant95,469Summerville53,177Goose Creek52,010Hanahan22,415Moncks Corner20,612Ladson16,140James Island12,660Sangaree8,681Hollywood5,652Isle of Palms4,377Ravenel2,728Seabrook Island2,171Folly Beach2,081Kiawah Island2,014Sullivan's Island1,961St. George1,868Pimlico1,765St. Stephen1,623Bonneau Beach1,516Awendaw1,502Meggett1,484Lincolnville1,241Ridgeville1,230Pinopolis854Harleyville773McClellanville642Adams Run469Bonneau437
The 30 most populous of 35 cities and towns in this metro. CENTRAL marks the metro's principal cities.
What's inside
3 component counties
Drill deeper
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CHARLESTON VS
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CHARLESTON VS
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CHARLESTON VS
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Frequently asked
How many people live in Charleston-North Charleston, SC?
Charleston-North Charleston, SC has about 834,267 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.
What is the median household income in Charleston-North Charleston, SC?
The typical household in Charleston-North Charleston, SC earns about $85,207 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.
Is Charleston-North Charleston, SC expensive?
In Charleston-North Charleston, SC, the median home is worth about $404,179, and the typical rent is about $1,599 a month.
How educated are people in Charleston-North Charleston, SC?
About 40.5% of adults age 25 and over in Charleston-North Charleston, SC hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the poverty rate in Charleston-North Charleston, SC?
About 10.9% of people in Charleston-North Charleston, SC live below the federal poverty line.
Has Charleston-North Charleston, SC grown since 1990?
Yes, Charleston-North Charleston, SC has grown since 1990. The population has added about 327,392 residents, a change of about 65 percent over that period.
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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · METRO ROLLUP OF COMPONENT COUNTIES · UPDATED 2024