Census Bureau data for Charleston city from the American Community Survey. "Cities" in Census data include incorporated places, towns, villages, and census-designated places (CDPs) — all places where the Census collects community-level estimates.
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023 (released December 2024).
Quick Facts — Charleston city
- What is the median household income in Charleston city?
- The median household income in Charleston city is $49,057 (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023).
- What is the poverty rate in Charleston city?
- The poverty rate in Charleston city is 15.7% (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
- What is the median home value in Charleston city?
- $133,700 (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
- What is the average rent in Charleston city?
- The median gross rent in Charleston city is $819 per month (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
- What percentage of Charleston city residents have a college degree?
- 34.2% of adults in Charleston city hold a bachelor's degree or higher (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
Population
17,212
Median Income
$49,057
Median Home Value
$133,700
Poverty Rate
15.7%
Unemployment (ACS 2023)
5.9%
Median Age
28.0 yrs
Since 2019
Median Income:
+$8,194 (+20.1%)
Home Value:
+$28,800 (+27.5%)
Poverty Rate:
-2.4 pp (-13.3%)
Bachelor's+:
-0.5 pp (-1.4%)
Unemployment:
+0.4 pp (+7.3%)
Demographics
Total Population
17,212
Median Age
28.0
Female
51.4%
Race & Ethnicity
Hispanic or Latino 4.8%
White (non-Hisp.) 82.6%
Black 7.9%
Asian 2.0%
Two or More 2.8%
Other 1.1%
Asian Subgroups (% of total pop.)
Indian
1.4%
Chinese
0.3%
Korean
0.1%
Hispanic Subgroups (% of total pop.)
Mexican
2.7%
Puerto Rican
0.4%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Income & Poverty
Median Household Income
$49,057
±$2,907
-$32,645 vs. state
Per Capita Income
$63,946
Median Family Income
$66,356
Poverty Rate
15.7%
+7.5 pp vs. state
Child Poverty Rate
23.7%
Working-Age Poverty Rate
—
SNAP Recipients
14.8%
Social Security Income
—
Retirement Income
21.8%
Household Income Distribution
< $10k
10.7%
$10–15k
4.5%
$15–25k
10.6%
$25–35k
10.9%
$35–50k
15.0%
$50–75k
15.0%
$75–100k
10.8%
$100–150k
11.4%
$150–200k
8.2%
$200k+
3.0%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Housing
Total Housing Units
8,411
Owner-Occupied
46.7%
Renter-Occupied
53.3%
Vacancy Rate
12.6%
Median Home Value
$133,700
-$116,800 vs. state
Median Gross Rent
$819
Owner Cost Burden (30%+)
18.9%
Renter Cost Burden (30%+)
43.6%
Home Value Distribution
< $50k
6.2%
$50–100k
29.9%
$100–200k
23.9%
$200–300k
10.9%
$300–500k
6.0%
$500k–$1M
1.8%
$1M+
0.5%
Gross Rent Distribution
< $500
8.9%
$500–1k
66.1%
$1–1.5k
20.8%
$1.5–2k
4.1%
$2.5–3.5k
0.2%
Vehicle Availability
No vehicle
7.6%
1 vehicle
42.0%
2 vehicles
32.9%
3+
17.5%
Housing Type
Single-fam. det.
52.5%
Single-fam. att.
3.3%
2–4 units
7.2%
5–19 units
9.1%
20+ units
11.4%
Mobile home
2.9%
Housing Age
Pre-1940
16.8%
1940–1969
2.8%
1970–1999
16.9%
2000–2009
7.1%
2010+
6.1%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Education
High School or Higher
92.4%
Bachelor's or Higher
34.2%
-3.0 pp vs. state
Graduate Degree
16.0%
Some College / Associate
22.0%
Less Than High School
2.4%
Enrolled in School
—
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Employment
Labor Force Participation
65.5%
Unemployment Rate
5.9%
+0.1 pp vs. state
Work from Home
9.1%
Self-Employed
5.7%
Government Workers
19.0%
Private For-Profit
75.3%
Industry
Edu/Health
34.4%
Retail
16.1%
Arts/Entmt.
13.2%
Manufacturing
8.0%
Prof. Services
4.7%
Construction
4.4%
Public Admin
3.4%
Finance
2.7%
Transportation
2.4%
Information
2.2%
Wholesale
1.3%
Agriculture
0.3%
Occupation
Management
34.8%
Food Prep
24.3%
Sales
18.2%
Production
14.7%
Construction
8.0%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Commute
Median Travel Time
15.1 min
Drove Alone
69.7%
Carpool
7.9%
Public Transit
0.0%
Work from Home
9.1%
Walked
11.2%
Bicycle
—
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Households & Families
Total Households
7,352
Avg. Household Size
1.00
Avg. Family Size
—
Married-Couple Households
37.5%
Single-Mother Households
—
Single-Father Households
—
Living Alone
—
Households with Children
9.8%
Multigenerational
—
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Age Distribution
Under 5
4.2%
5–9
3.4%
10–14
3.0%
15–19
10.2%
20–24
23.9%
25–34
13.5%
35–44
8.4%
45–54
8.6%
55–64
4.9%
65–74
5.7%
75–84
6.8%
85+
4.7%
Under 18: 12.1%
Working age (18–64): 87.9%
65 and over: 14.1%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Social Characteristics
Immigration
Foreign Born
4.1%
Naturalized Citizen
47.3%
Speaks English Less Than Very Well
1.0%
Foreign-Born Origin
Asia
49.7%
Latin America
30.3%
Europe
10.6%
Africa
7.4%
Veterans & Disability
Veteran
4.9%
With a Disability
16.8%
Cognitive Difficulty
—
Ambulatory Difficulty
—
Health Insurance
Insured
95.0%
Uninsured
5.0%
Employer Insurance
—
Medicaid
—
Medicare
—
Technology & Mobility
Broadband Internet
85.3%
Has a Computer
95.8%
Same House 1 Year Ago
75.1%
Moved from Abroad
0.4%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023