Charleston, SC

Census Place

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2022 Population
149,960
1.37% 1-year growth
US Senator
Lindsey Graham
Republican Party
US Senator
Tim Scott
Republican Party
2022 Median Age
36.3
2.25% 1-year increase
2022 Poverty Rate
12.6%
5.03% 1-year increase
2022 Median Household Income
$83,891
9.58% 1-year growth
2022 Median Property Value
$438,900
18.8% 1-year growth
2022 Employed Population
81,674
1.49% 1-year growth

About

In 2022, Charleston, SC had a population of 150k people with a median age of 36.3 and a median household income of $83,891. Between 2021 and 2022 the population of Charleston, SC grew from 147,928 to 149,960, a 1.37% increase and its median household income grew from $76,556 to $83,891, a 9.58% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Charleston, SC are White (Non-Hispanic) (71.6%), Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) (18.1%), Two+ (Non-Hispanic) (2.73%), White (Hispanic) (2.13%), and Asian (Non-Hispanic) (2.11%).

None of the households in Charleston, SC reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

97.6% of the residents in Charleston, SC are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Charleston, SC are College of Charleston (2,414 degrees awarded in 2022), Citadel Military College of South Carolina (1,158 degrees), and Medical University of South Carolina (1,084 degrees).

In 2022, the median property value in Charleston, SC was $438,900, and the homeownership rate was 55.6%.

Most people in Charleston, SC drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 23 minutes. The average car ownership in Charleston, SC was 2 cars per household.

About the photo: The Old Market

Population & Diversity

Charleston, SC is home to a population of 150k people, from which 97.6% are citizens. As of 2022, 5.33% of Charleston, SC residents were born outside of the country (7.99k people).

In 2022, there were 3.95 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (107k people) in Charleston, SC than any other race or ethnicity. There were 27.2k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 4.1k Two+ (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Citizenship

97.6%
2022 Citizenship
97.8%
2021 Citizenship

As of 2022, 97.6% of Charleston, SC residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.5%. In 2021, the percentage of US citizens in Charleston, SC was 97.8%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Charleston, SC compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Charleston, SC
  1. White (Non-Hispanic)
    107k ± 2.11k
  2. Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
    27.2k ± 1.84k
  3. Two+ (Non-Hispanic)
    4.1k ± 596
4.83%
Hispanic Population
7.25k people

In 2022, there were 3.95 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (107k people) in Charleston, SC than any other race or ethnicity. There were 27.2k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 4.1k Two+ (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

4.83% of the people in Charleston, SC are hispanic (7.25k people).

The following chart shows the 7 races represented in Charleston, SC as a share of the total population.

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Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the Place level, so we are showing data for South Carolina.
Most Common Origin
  1. Mexico
    58,419 ± 5,900 people
  2. India
    18,341 ± 3,319 people
  3. Honduras
    13,844 ± 2,885 people

In 2022, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of South Carolina was Mexico, the natal country of 58,419 South Carolina residents, followed by India with 18,341 and Honduras with 13,844.

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Foreign-Born Population

5.33%
2022 Foreign-Born Population
7.99k people
5.01%
2021 Foreign-Born Population
7.42k people

As of 2022, 5.33% of Charleston, SC residents (7.99k people) were born outside of the United States, which is lower than the national average of 13.6%. In 2021, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Charleston, SC was 5.01%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Charleston, SC compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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Veterans

Most Common Service Period
  1. Vietnam
    2,897 ± 463
  2. Gulf War (2001-)
    2,130 ± 376
  3. Gulf War (1990s)
    1,579 ± 343

Charleston, SC has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.36 times greater than any other conflict.

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Economy

The economy of Charleston, SC employs 81.7k people. The largest industries in Charleston, SC are Health Care & Social Assistance (11,532 people), Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services (10,218 people), and Educational Services (8,635 people), and the highest paying industries are Management of Companies & Enterprises ($97,422), Utilities ($86,506), and Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($76,307).

Males in South Carolina have an average income that is 1.37 times higher than the average income of females, which is $52,636. The income inequality in South Carolina (measured using the Gini index) is 0.464, which is lower than than the national average.

Occupations

81.7k
2022 Value
± 2,616
1.49%
1 Year growth
± 4.45%

From 2021 to 2022, employment in Charleston, SC grew at a rate of 1.49%, from 80.5k employees to 81.7k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Charleston, SC, are Management Occupations (11,839 people), Sales & Related Occupations (9,483 people), and Office & Administrative Support Occupations (6,635 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Charleston, SC.

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Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for false.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in South Carolina (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

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Employment by Industries

81.7k
2022 Value
± 2,616
1.49%
1 Year growth
± 4.45%

From 2021 to 2022, employment in Charleston, SC grew at a rate of 1.49%, from 80.5k employees to 81.7k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Charleston, SC, are Health Care & Social Assistance (11,532 people), Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services (10,218 people), and Educational Services (8,635 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Charleston, SC, though some of these residents may live in Charleston, SC and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

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Median Earnings by Industry

$59,631
Median earning men ± $2,006
$46,419
Median earning women ± $1,044

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2022 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($84,491), Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($84,015), and Wholesale Trade ($83,684).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2022 are Wholesale Trade ($69,025), Construction ($66,708), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($57,018).

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Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for South Carolina.
Y-Axis
2.54%
Year-over-year growth
Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 2.26M people employed in South Carolina. This represents a 2.54% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 13.4%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in South Carolina.

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Civics

In the 2020 presidential election, the popular vote in South Carolina went to Donald J. Trump with 55.1% of the vote. The runner-up was Joseph R Biden Jr. (43.4%), followed by Jo Jorgensen (1.11%).

Lindsey Graham and Tim Scott are the senators currently representing the state of South Carolina. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

South Carolina is currently represented by 7 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

US Senators from South Carolina

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for South Carolina.
Lindsey Graham
Senator from South Carolina2
Assumed office on January 3, 2003
Tim Scott
Senator from South Carolina3
Assumed office on January 2, 2013
Appointed to the seat following the resignation of Jim DeMint.

Lindsey Graham and Tim Scott are the senators currently representing South Carolina.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in South Carolina over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

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US Representatives from South Carolina

South Carolina is currently represented by 7 members in the U.S. house.

Members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms, and the following chart shows the how the members for South Carolina have changed over time starting in 2008.

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Education

In 2022, universities in Charleston, SC awarded 4,903 degrees. The student population of Charleston, SC in 2022 is skewed towards women, with 7,666 male students and 10,959 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Charleston, SC are White (3,760 and 77.4%), followed by Black or African American (352 and 7.25%), Hispanic or Latino (319 and 6.57%), and Two or More Races (169 and 3.48%).

The largest universities in Charleston, SC by number of degrees awarded are College of Charleston (2,414 and 49.2%), Citadel Military College of South Carolina (1,158 and 23.6%), and Medical University of South Carolina (1,084 and 22.1%).

The most popular majors in Charleston, SC are General Business (285 and 5.81%), General Business Administration & Management (214 and 4.36%), and General Psychology (210 and 4.28%).

The median tuition costs in Charleston, SC are $19,872 for private four year colleges, and $12,518 and $30,857 respectively, for public four year colleges for in-state students and out-of-state students.

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University
Measure

In 2022 in Charleston, SC, the percentage of applicants admitted was 77.8%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 15.4%. The number of students enrolled in 2022 was 18,625 (41.2% men and 58.8% women).

The line chart  shows the evolution of the percentage of applicants admitted, admitted who enrolled or the number of students enrolled according to the option selected in the upper button.

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Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2022 there were 18,625 students enrolled in Charleston, SC, 41.2% men and 58.8% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 14,197 records, of which 58.7% were women and 41.3% men.

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Concentrations

Most Common
  1. 209 degrees awarded
  2. 181 degrees awarded
  3. 178 degrees awarded

In 2022, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Charleston, SC was Registered Nursing with 209 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Bachelors Degree from schools in Charleston, SC according to their major.

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Universities

Gender
Race
Largest Universities by degrees awarded
  1. 2,414 degrees awarded
  2. 1,158 degrees awarded
  3. 1,084 degrees awarded

In 2022, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was College of Charleston with 2,414 degrees awarded.

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Student Diversity

University

In 2022, 2,049 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Charleston, SC, which is 0.718 times less than the 2,854 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2022 the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 3,760 degrees mean that there were 10.7 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Black or African American, with 352 degrees awarded.

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Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

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Average Net Price by Sector

Universities

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($19,872) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2022.

Public, 4-year or above ($1,325) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2022.

Public, 4-year or above ($4,703) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

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Educational Pyramid

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for South Carolina.
Measure

In 2022, 0.83% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 0.688% of women were in the same situation.

This visualization shows the gender distribution of the population according to the academic level reached.

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Educational Attainment

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for South Carolina.
Race

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population in 2022 were High School or Equivalent (1.18M), Some college (892k), and Bachelors Degree (705k).

This visualization illustrates the percentage distribution of the population according to the highest educational level reached. You can filter the data by race by using the selector above.

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Housing & Living

The median property value in Charleston, SC was $438,900 in 2022, which is 1.56 times larger than the national average of $281,900. Between 2021 and 2022 the median property value increased from $369,500 to $438,900, a 18.8% increase. The homeownership rate in Charleston, SC is 55.6%, which is approximately the same as the national average of 64.8%.

People in Charleston, SC have an average commute time of 23 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Charleston, SC is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Median household income in Charleston, SC is $83,891. In 2022, the place with the highest median household income in Charleston, SC was Census Tract 2 with a value of $180,491, followed by Census Tract 30 and Census Tract 28.02, with respective values of $129,412 and $111,917.

Property

$438,900
Median Property Value 2022
±$9,945
$36,251
Median Property Taxes
±$1,438

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Charleston, SC the largest share of households pay taxes in the $800 - $1,499 range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Charleston, SC compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

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Rent vs Own

55.6%
Homeownership
2022
65%
Homeowners with Mortgage
2022

In 2022, 55.6% of the housing units in Charleston, SC were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 56%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Charleston, SC compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

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Income by Location

Use the dropdown to filter by race/ethnicity.
Race/Ethnicity
Highest Median Household Income (Total)
  1. Census Tract 2
  2. Census Tract 30
  3. Census Tract 28.02

In 2022, the place with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Charleston, SC was Census Tract 2 with a value of $180,491, followed by Census Tract 30 and Census Tract 28.02, with respective values of $129,412 and $111,917.

The following map shows all of the places in Charleston, SC colored by their Median Household Income (Total).

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Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.
$83,891
Median Household Income
± $3,935
65.2k
Number of Households
± 2,284

In 2022, the median household income of the 65.2k households in Charleston, SC grew to $83,891 from the previous year's value of $76,556.

The following chart displays the households in Charleston, SC distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $200k+ range.

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Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Charleston, SC is from South Carolina.
0.464
2022 Wage GINI in South Carolina
0.463
2021 Wage GINI in South Carolina

In 2022, the income inequality in South Carolina was 0.464 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.334% growth from 2021 to 2022, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat less even. The GINI for South Carolina was lower than than the national average of 0.478. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in South Carolina in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in South Carolina across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

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Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2022
  1. Drove Alone (70.9%)
  2. Worked At Home (14.6%)
  3. Carpooled (6.5%)

In 2022, 70.9% of workers in Charleston, SC drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (14.6%) and those who carpooled to work (6.5%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

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Commute Time

23 minutes
Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Charleston, SC have a shorter commute time (23 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.7 minutes). Additionally, 1.38% of the workforce in Charleston, SC have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Charleston, SC compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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Car Ownership

2 cars
Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Charleston, SC distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Charleston, SC have 2 cars.

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Poverty & Diversity

12.6% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Charleston, SC (18.2k out of 144k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 18 - 24, followed by Females 25 - 34 and then Males 18 - 24.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Charleston, SC is White, followed by Black and Hispanic.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

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Health

93.5% of the population of Charleston, SC has health coverage, with 55.1% on employee plans, 8.02% on Medicaid, 11.7% on Medicare, 16.5% on non-group plans, and 2.18% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Charleston County, SC see 801 patients per year on average, which represents a 0.125% increase from the previous year (800 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 883 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 245 patients per year.

Patient to Clinician Ratios

Data is only available at the country level. Showing data for Charleston County, SC.
801 to 1
Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Charleston County, SC

Primary care physicians in Charleston County, SC see an average of 801 patients per year. This represents a 0.125% increase from the previous year (800 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Charleston County, SC in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

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Health Care Diversity

In 2022, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 18.5% under 18 years, 29.6% between 18 and 34 years, 35.8% between 35 and 64 years, and 16.2% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 45.8% were men and 54.2% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

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Uninsured People

6.53%
Uninsured
55.1%
Employer Coverage
8.02%
Medicaid
11.7%
Medicare
16.5%
Non-Group
2.18%
Military or VA

Between 2021 and 2022, the percent of uninsured citizens in Charleston, SC declined by 4.55% from 6.84% to 6.53%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Charleston, SC changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

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