Charleston city, South Carolina
CityPopulation: 152,014 (2023 estimate)
Located in South Carolina , South Carolina
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 $90,038 (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023).
- What is the poverty rate in Charleston city?
- The poverty rate in Charleston city is 6.3% (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
- What is the median home value in Charleston city?
- $469,100 (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
- What is the average rent in Charleston city?
- The median gross rent in Charleston city is $1,632 per month (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
- What percentage of Charleston city residents have a college degree?
- 57.7% of adults in Charleston city hold a bachelor's degree or higher (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
Population
152,014
Median Income
$90,038
Median Home Value
$469,100
Poverty Rate
6.3%
Unemployment (ACS 2023)
3.4%
Median Age
36.0 yrs
Since 2019
Median Income:
+$21,600 (+31.6%)
Home Value:
+$138,500 (+41.9%)
Poverty Rate:
-0.2 pp (-3.1%)
Bachelor's+:
+4.6 pp (+8.7%)
Unemployment:
0.0 pp (+0%)
Demographics
Total Population
152,014
Median Age
36.0
Female
52.5%
Race & Ethnicity
Hispanic or Latino 5.9%
White (non-Hisp.) 70.6%
Black 17.4%
Asian 2.2%
Two or More 5.0%
Other 1.9%
Asian Subgroups (% of total pop.)
Chinese
0.7%
Indian
0.5%
Filipino
0.4%
Korean
0.1%
Vietnamese
0.1%
Hispanic Subgroups (% of total pop.)
Mexican
2.6%
Puerto Rican
0.7%
Cuban
0.2%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Income & Poverty
Median Household Income
$90,038
±$4,110
+$23,220 vs. state
Per Capita Income
$127,007
Median Family Income
$125,480
Poverty Rate
6.3%
-3.8 pp vs. state
Child Poverty Rate
10.8%
Working-Age Poverty Rate
—
SNAP Recipients
5.2%
Social Security Income
—
Retirement Income
21.5%
Household Income Distribution
< $10k
5.2%
$10–15k
2.5%
$15–25k
6.1%
$25–35k
4.3%
$35–50k
9.6%
$50–75k
14.7%
$75–100k
12.7%
$100–150k
18.6%
$150–200k
10.0%
$200k+
16.4%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Housing
Total Housing Units
75,826
Owner-Occupied
55.6%
Renter-Occupied
44.4%
Vacancy Rate
12.4%
Median Home Value
$469,100
+$232,400 vs. state
Median Gross Rent
$1,632
Owner Cost Burden (30%+)
21.1%
Renter Cost Burden (30%+)
44.0%
Home Value Distribution
< $50k
1.4%
$50–100k
0.7%
$100–200k
1.4%
$200–300k
12.8%
$300–500k
37.1%
$500k–$1M
31.3%
$1M+
13.1%
Gross Rent Distribution
< $500
4.4%
$500–1k
7.5%
$1–1.5k
29.8%
$1.5–2k
31.4%
$2–2.5k
16.4%
$2.5–3.5k
4.4%
$3.5k+
6.1%
Vehicle Availability
No vehicle
7.5%
1 vehicle
37.2%
2 vehicles
41.9%
3+
13.4%
Housing Type
Single-fam. det.
47.9%
Single-fam. att.
6.8%
2–4 units
3.8%
5–19 units
10.6%
20+ units
16.1%
Mobile home
0.9%
Housing Age
Pre-1940
10.8%
1940–1969
3.0%
1970–1999
7.5%
2000–2009
19.1%
2010+
22.7%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Education
High School or Higher
95.9%
Bachelor's or Higher
57.7%
+26.2 pp vs. state
Graduate Degree
22.2%
Some College / Associate
16.0%
Less Than High School
1.2%
Enrolled in School
—
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Employment
Labor Force Participation
67.9%
Unemployment Rate
3.4%
-1.6 pp vs. state
Work from Home
17.6%
Self-Employed
6.6%
Government Workers
16.5%
Private For-Profit
76.7%
Industry
Edu/Health
24.1%
Prof. Services
17.8%
Arts/Entmt.
12.0%
Retail
9.1%
Finance
7.8%
Manufacturing
6.4%
Construction
5.6%
Public Admin
4.7%
Transportation
3.6%
Wholesale
2.2%
Information
2.0%
Agriculture
0.2%
Occupation
Management
53.1%
Sales
19.6%
Food Prep
15.1%
Production
7.3%
Construction
5.0%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Commute
Median Travel Time
23.8 min
Drove Alone
68.1%
Carpool
6.5%
Public Transit
0.9%
Work from Home
17.6%
Walked
4.1%
Bicycle
—
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Households & Families
Total Households
66,408
Avg. Household Size
2.00
Avg. Family Size
—
Married-Couple Households
41.1%
Single-Mother Households
—
Single-Father Households
—
Living Alone
—
Households with Children
14.7%
Multigenerational
—
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Age Distribution
Under 5
5.1%
5–9
5.1%
10–14
4.5%
15–19
6.0%
20–24
8.7%
25–34
19.0%
35–44
14.1%
45–54
10.2%
55–64
5.4%
65–74
5.9%
75–84
9.5%
85+
4.5%
Under 18: 17.5%
Working age (18–64): 82.5%
65 and over: 16.1%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Social Characteristics
Immigration
Foreign Born
5.4%
Naturalized Citizen
52.7%
Speaks English Less Than Very Well
2.1%
Foreign-Born Origin
Latin America
37.1%
Asia
29.6%
Europe
21.5%
Africa
6.2%
Veterans & Disability
Veteran
6.8%
With a Disability
9.7%
Cognitive Difficulty
—
Ambulatory Difficulty
—
Health Insurance
Insured
93.6%
Uninsured
6.4%
Employer Insurance
—
Medicaid
—
Medicare
—
Technology & Mobility
Broadband Internet
91.1%
Has a Computer
96.9%
Same House 1 Year Ago
80.8%
Moved from Abroad
0.7%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023