Charleston County, South Carolina
CountyPopulation: 414,711 (2023 estimate)
Located in South Carolina
County-level Census Bureau data covering income, housing, demographics, education, employment, and more. Counties are the primary administrative division in the U.S. and the most common unit for comparing local conditions across a state.
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023 (released December 2024).
Quick Facts — Charleston County
- What is the median household income in Charleston County?
- The median household income in Charleston County is $84,320 (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023).
- What is the poverty rate in Charleston County?
- The poverty rate in Charleston County is 7.2% (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
- What is the median home value in Charleston County?
- $450,800 (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
- What is the average rent in Charleston County?
- The median gross rent in Charleston County is $1,506 per month (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
- What percentage of Charleston County residents have a college degree?
- 49.0% of adults in Charleston County hold a bachelor's degree or higher (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
Population
414,711
Median Income
$84,320
Median Home Value
$450,800
Poverty Rate
7.2%
Unemployment (ACS 2023)
3.6%
Median Age
39.0 yrs
Since 2019
Median Income:
+$20,298 (+31.7%)
Home Value:
+$135,200 (+42.8%)
Poverty Rate:
-1.5 pp (-17.2%)
Bachelor's+:
+5.4 pp (+12.4%)
Unemployment:
-0.1 pp (-2.7%)
Demographics
Total Population
414,711
Median Age
39.0
Female
51.5%
Race & Ethnicity
Hispanic or Latino 7.0%
White (non-Hisp.) 64.3%
Black 23.8%
Asian 1.8%
Two or More 4.8%
Other 3.1%
Asian Subgroups (% of total pop.)
Indian
0.4%
Chinese
0.4%
Filipino
0.3%
Vietnamese
0.2%
Korean
0.1%
Hispanic Subgroups (% of total pop.)
Mexican
3.7%
Puerto Rican
0.6%
Cuban
0.2%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Income & Poverty
Median Household Income
$84,320
±$1,939
+$17,502 vs. state
Per Capita Income
$126,157
Median Family Income
$112,791
Poverty Rate
7.2%
-2.9 pp vs. state
Child Poverty Rate
11.1%
Working-Age Poverty Rate
—
SNAP Recipients
6.2%
Social Security Income
—
Retirement Income
23.5%
Household Income Distribution
< $10k
5.3%
$10–15k
2.6%
$15–25k
6.3%
$25–35k
5.7%
$35–50k
9.9%
$50–75k
15.9%
$75–100k
11.5%
$100–150k
17.9%
$150–200k
9.0%
$200k+
15.9%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Housing
Total Housing Units
206,299
Owner-Occupied
63.5%
Renter-Occupied
36.5%
Vacancy Rate
14.9%
Median Home Value
$450,800
+$214,100 vs. state
Median Gross Rent
$1,506
Owner Cost Burden (30%+)
22.2%
Renter Cost Burden (30%+)
44.2%
Home Value Distribution
< $50k
3.2%
$50–100k
2.5%
$100–200k
3.6%
$200–300k
15.5%
$300–500k
27.2%
$500k–$1M
29.9%
$1M+
13.5%
Gross Rent Distribution
< $500
3.6%
$500–1k
10.3%
$1–1.5k
35.7%
$1.5–2k
27.4%
$2–2.5k
13.4%
$2.5–3.5k
4.6%
$3.5k+
4.8%
Vehicle Availability
No vehicle
6.1%
1 vehicle
36.1%
2 vehicles
41.0%
3+
16.8%
Housing Type
Single-fam. det.
58.1%
Single-fam. att.
6.8%
2–4 units
2.7%
5–19 units
7.7%
20+ units
9.9%
Mobile home
4.9%
Housing Age
Pre-1940
5.2%
1940–1969
3.5%
1970–1999
11.4%
2000–2009
17.0%
2010+
18.2%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Education
High School or Higher
92.9%
Bachelor's or Higher
49.0%
+17.5 pp vs. state
Graduate Degree
19.0%
Some College / Associate
17.3%
Less Than High School
2.4%
Enrolled in School
—
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Employment
Labor Force Participation
66.1%
Unemployment Rate
3.6%
-1.4 pp vs. state
Work from Home
15.6%
Self-Employed
7.1%
Government Workers
16.2%
Private For-Profit
76.5%
Industry
Edu/Health
22.3%
Prof. Services
16.6%
Arts/Entmt.
11.5%
Retail
9.7%
Finance
7.5%
Manufacturing
7.2%
Construction
7.0%
Public Admin
4.6%
Transportation
4.4%
Wholesale
2.4%
Information
1.6%
Agriculture
0.6%
Occupation
Management
48.5%
Sales
19.0%
Food Prep
16.0%
Production
9.0%
Construction
7.5%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Commute
Median Travel Time
24.9 min
Drove Alone
71.8%
Carpool
7.7%
Public Transit
1.0%
Work from Home
15.6%
Walked
2.0%
Bicycle
—
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Households & Families
Total Households
175,499
Avg. Household Size
2.00
Avg. Family Size
—
Married-Couple Households
43.6%
Single-Mother Households
—
Single-Father Households
—
Living Alone
—
Households with Children
15.7%
Multigenerational
—
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Age Distribution
Under 5
5.7%
5–9
5.3%
10–14
5.5%
15–19
5.5%
20–24
5.9%
25–34
15.8%
35–44
14.3%
45–54
11.7%
55–64
6.3%
65–74
6.6%
75–84
10.8%
85+
4.7%
Under 18: 19.7%
Working age (18–64): 80.3%
65 and over: 17.5%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Social Characteristics
Immigration
Foreign Born
6.5%
Naturalized Citizen
43.3%
Speaks English Less Than Very Well
3.5%
Foreign-Born Origin
Latin America
48.5%
Asia
22.8%
Europe
18.9%
Africa
5.3%
Veterans & Disability
Veteran
8.4%
With a Disability
10.9%
Cognitive Difficulty
—
Ambulatory Difficulty
—
Health Insurance
Insured
91.1%
Uninsured
8.9%
Employer Insurance
—
Medicaid
—
Medicare
—
Technology & Mobility
Broadband Internet
86.2%
Has a Computer
95.9%
Same House 1 Year Ago
84.3%
Moved from Abroad
0.7%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Compare Charleston County
Compare to another county →Where People Move From (IRS Migration Data)
Top origins of people who moved to Charleston County in 2023, by number of tax returns filed (IRS SOI Migration Data).
| Origin | Tax Returns | People (est.) |
|---|---|---|
| Berkeley County | 2,388 | 3,878 |
| Other flows - South | 2,136 | 3,262 |
| Dorchester County | 1,530 | 2,637 |
| Other flows - Midwest | 967 | 1,444 |
| Other flows - Northeast | 792 | 1,162 |
| Other flows - West | 555 | 904 |
| Mecklenburg County | 367 | 546 |
| Richland County | 312 | 443 |
| Greenville County | 296 | 388 |
| Beaufort County | 245 | 358 |