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METRO AREA · 2000 CENSUS

Charleston Metro

Charleston-North Charleston, SC · 3 counties · 549,033 residents · 2,590.18 sq mi
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The short version

Charleston has roughly average household income, with a median household income of $39,322. Population has held roughly steady since 1990. Median home value is $103,401.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $42,589
Mid-age
median age 33.9
US median: 35.2
Average education
25% 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
549,033
+8%since 1990
from 506,875 in 1990
1990 – 2025
Population density
212 / sq mi
+8%since 1990
from 196 / sq mi in 1990
Median age
33.9
+14%since 1990
from 29.7 in 1990
US average: 35.2
Population, 1990 – 2024
474K572K671K769K867K1990201020202024Charleston
2024834K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2000
Under 56.7%(36,518)
US avg: 6.8%
5 to 97.2%(39,530)
US avg: 7.3%
10 to 147.6%(41,576)
US avg: 7.3%
15 to 197.8%(43,092)
US avg: 7.2%
20 to 247.7%(42,072)
US avg: 6.7%
25 to 3414.7%(80,723)
US avg: 14.2%
35 to 4416.1%(88,362)
US avg: 16%
45 to 5413.4%(73,307)
US avg: 13.4%
55 to 648.6%(46,943)
US avg: 8.6%
65 to 745.8%(32,005)
US avg: 6.5%
75 to 843.5%(19,301)
US avg: 4.4%
85 and over1%(5,604)
US avg: 1.5%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$39,322
+6%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $28,079 in 1990
US average: $42,589
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$19,772
+60%since 1990
from $12,334 in 1990
US average: $21,522
Poverty rate
14.0%
−1.1 ptssince 1990
from 15.1% in 1990
US average: 12.4%
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$103,401
+9%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $72,031 in 1990
US average: $120,530
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$587
+3%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $432 in 1990
US average: $602
Owner-occupied
66.9%
+4.0 ptssince 1990
from 62.9% in 1990
33.1% rent
RELATED:See current rent listings in Charleston on RentDataNow
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

1990
White, non-Hispanic67.9%(344,007)
Black30.2%(153,219)
Hispanic / Latino1.4%(7,150)
Asian1.2%(5,881)
2000
White, non-Hispanic64%(351,434)
Black30.6%(168,143)
Hispanic / Latino2.4%(13,091)
Asian1.3%(7,123)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

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

Hispanic origin
Mexican3.4%(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)
Uruguayan0%(145)
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)
Cambodian0%(261)
Pakistani0%(200)
Taiwanese0%(181)
Laotian0%(167)
Burmese0%(91)
+ 8 more asian origin groups with data
Thai0%(76)
Hmong0%(51)
Nepalese0%(49)
Uzbek0%(26)
Kazakh0%(16)
Pacific Islander origin
Chamorro0%(222)
Samoan0%(207)
Chuukese0%(15)
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)
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)
Belgian0%(315)
Iranian0%(312)
Syrian0%(304)
Slovene0%(279)
Ethiopian0%(272)
Ghanaian0%(111)
Israeli0%(109)
Latvian0%(102)
Bulgarian0%(82)
Guyanese0%(43)
Iraqi0%(27)
Jordanian0%(21)
Barbadian0%(14)
RANKED:Largest English population · Largest German population · Largest Irish population · Largest American population · Largest Italian population
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
24.8%
+6.1 ptssince 1990
from 18.8% in 1990
US average: 24.4%
High school or higher
81.3%
+5.6 ptssince 1990
from 75.7% in 1990
US average: 80.3%
Graduate degree
8.6%
+2.3 ptssince 1990
from 6.3% in 1990
US average: 8.8%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
16.1 min
−32%since 1990
from 23.6 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 married32.8%(68,419)
Married56.6%(118,092)
Widowed2.6%(5,421)
Divorced8.1%(16,809)
Women 15+
Never married26.4%(58,739)
Married53.3%(118,597)
Widowed9.9%(21,921)
Divorced10.4%(23,170)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2000
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

Charleston CountyCENTRAL436,200Berkeley CountyCENTRAL274,666Dorchester CountyCENTRAL178,397
Drill deeper

Metros similar to Charleston

Allentown
Pop 887,615
Boise City
Pop 864,243
Albany
Pop 915,835
Omaha
Pop 1,009,836
Places similar to Charleston
Head to head

Compare Charleston side by side

CHARLESTON VS
Allentown
Income$85,100+116%
Home value$302,579+193%
Population887,615same
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
CHARLESTON VS
Boise City
Income$85,629+118%
Home value$469,641+354%
Population864,243−3%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
CHARLESTON VS
Albany
Income$88,339+125%
Home value$288,584+179%
Population915,835+3%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
CHARLESTON VS
Omaha
Income$85,433+117%
Home value$267,787+159%
Population1,009,836+14%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Charleston-North Charleston, SC?

Charleston-North Charleston, SC has about 549,033 residents according to the 2000 Census.

What is the median household income in Charleston-North Charleston, SC?

The typical household in Charleston-North Charleston, SC earns about $39,322 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 $103,401, and the typical rent is about $587 a month.

How educated are people in Charleston-North Charleston, SC?

About 24.8% 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 14.0% 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 42,158 residents, a change of about 8 percent over that period.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · METRO ROLLUP OF COMPONENT COUNTIES · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →