Charleston County, South Carolina Demographics 2026

Name: Charleston County, South Carolina Demographics
Creator: U.S. Census Bureau
License: https://www.census.gov/data/developers/about/terms-of-service.html

Charleston County, South Carolina has a population of 420,264, the 3rd most populous county in South Carolina. The median household income is $88,494 and the median home value is $489,100. The poverty rate is 11.3%.

Data vintage: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates · refreshed July 2026 · Methodology & source notes

Charleston County Quick Facts

Population 420,264

Median Household Income $88,494

Median Home Value $489,100

Poverty Rate 11.3%

Unemployment Rate 3.5%

Median Age 39.2 years

Homeownership Rate 63.9%

Affordability Ratio 5.5x

Bachelor's Degree+ 50.3%

High School Graduation 93.5%

Cities/Places 19

Population 420,264 3rd of 46

Median Income $88,494 28% higher than state

Poverty Rate 11.3%

Unemployment 3.5%

How Charleston County Changed

Change from the 2019–2023 ACS period to 2020–2024. These are rolling five-year estimates, not year-over-year measurements.

Metric	2019–2023	2020–2024	Change
Population	414,711	420,264	+1.3%
Median household income	$84,320	$88,494	+5.0%
Median home value	$450,800	$489,100	+8.5%

Median Household Income

Charleston

$88,494

$69,324

National

$80,734

Median Home Value

Charleston

$489,100

$259,000

National

$332,700

Economy & Housing

Household Income Distribution

Under $25K 13.9%

$25K-$50K 15.1%

$50K-$100K 26.3%

$100K+ 44.8%

Detailed income brackets

Under $10K

5.4%

$10K-$15K

2.7%

$15K-$20K

2.5%

$20K-$25K

3.3%

$25K-$30K

2.6%

$30K-$35K

2.9%

$35K-$40K

3.4%

$40K-$45K

3.1%

$45K-$50K

3.1%

$50K-$60K

6.5%

$60K-$75K

8.5%

$75K-$100K

11.3%

$100K-$125K

9.8%

$125K-$150K

8.2%

$150K-$200K

9.5%

$200K+

17.2%

Employment

3.5% Unemployment Rate State: 4.9%|National: 5.2%

66.0% Labor Force Participation

Housing Overview

Owner 63.9%

Renter 36.1%

Affordability Index Expensive

5.5x home value to income ratio

Median gross rent $1,620/mo 22.0% of median household income annually

People & Demographics

Age Distribution

Under 18

19.5%

18-34

23.9%

35-54

26.1%

55-74

23.6%

75+

6.9%

Race & Ethnicity

Diversity Index

Moderate Diversity

Moderate diversity with one or two groups making up the majority.

State average: 55 | National average: 61

Education

Educational Attainment (Adults 25+)

Cities & Places in Charleston County

City	Population	Median Income	Poverty	Home Value
Charleston	154,338	$92,414	12.3%	$509,700
North Charleston	119,913	$62,956	14.4%	$302,200
Mount Pleasant	93,993	$124,755	6.1%	$748,500
Summerville	51,654	$81,046	10.1%	$328,100
Ladson	16,140	$78,760	12.3%	$234,900
James Island	12,198	$104,217	5.6%	$508,600
Hollywood	5,382	$73,693	12.2%	$460,100
Isle of Palms	4,362	$156,979	2.5%	$1,581,300
Ravenel	2,615	$82,738	19.0%	$238,700
Kiawah Island	2,326	$213,594	3.1%	$2,000,000+
Seabrook Island	2,204	$127,500	4.4%	$1,001,400
Sullivan's Island	2,087	$192,813	8.8%	$2,000,000+
Awendaw	1,772	$77,010	14.6%	$399,200
Meggett	1,307	$97,865	11.0%	$714,100
Folly Beach	1,267	$102,279	4.0%	$1,000,000
Lincolnville	1,064	$40,417	23.5%	$245,100
McClellanville	690	$107,083	4.1%	$477,400
Adams Run	469	$79,107	29.2%	N/A
Rockville	121	$82,500	2.5%	$459,100

Explore South Carolina Rankings

Cities by Population All cities ranked by size Richest Cities Ranked by median income Most Educated By bachelor's degree rate Most Affordable By housing affordability

Population Overview

Charleston County is located in South Carolina with a total population of 420,264. It is the 3rd most populous county out of 46 in South Carolina. The county encompasses 19 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Charleston County is 39.2 years. This is 2% lower than the state median of 40.2 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Charleston County is $88,494. This is 28% higher than the state median of $69,324. It is also 10% higher than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 11.3%. This is 20% lower than the state poverty rate of 14.1%. The unemployment rate is 3.5%. This is 29% lower than the state rate of 4.9%. The median home value is $489,100. Housing costs are 89% higher than the state median of $259,000. The home-value-to-income ratio is 5.5x. 63.9% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 11% lower than the state average of 71.9%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Charleston County is White (non-Hispanic), making up 64.5% of the population. Black or African American residents account for 22.7%.

Education

50.3% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This places Charleston County in the top 10% of all counties in the state for educational attainment. This is 57% higher than the state rate of 32.1%. Nationally, 35.7% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 93.5%. Notably, 19.8% of adults hold a graduate or professional degree, indicating a highly educated workforce.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Charleston County come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates, with comparisons drawn against South Carolina and national averages from the same dataset. See our methodology page for how each metric is defined, or data.census.gov for official tables with margins of error.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the population of Charleston County, South Carolina?

Charleston County has a population of 420,264, making it the 3rd most populous county in South Carolina.

What is the median income in Charleston County?

The median household income in Charleston County is $88,494 with a poverty rate of 11.3%.

How many cities are in Charleston County, South Carolina?

Charleston County contains 19 Census-designated places.