Charleston, South Carolina population is 159,423 as of July 1, 2025 (U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2025 estimate), ranking #168 nationally and #1 in South Carolina. Cost of living runs 1.0% above the U.S. average (BEA RPP 2024); a family of four needs roughly $97,506/yr to break even (2025 modeled). This profile draws on 13 federal datasets covering population, housing, income, employment, climate, and risk.
At a glance.
2025 population
159,423
+632 in the last year
Top 1% of 19,483 U.S. cities
Census Vintage 2025
Cost of living
RPP 101.0
+1.0% vs US
Charleston-North Charleston, SC metro · BEA 2024
Family-of-4 budget
$97,507/yr
+22% vs US
Modeled 2025 · federal sources
Median HH income
$92,414
+19% vs US
ACS 2020–2024 5-yr
Median home value
$509,700
+68% vs US
ACS 2020–2024 5-yr
2-BR fair-market rent
$1,787/mo
HUD FY2026 · 40th pct
Avg July high
90°F
NOAA 1991–2020
Gigabit broadband
57%
ISP-reported, FCC BDC
How many people live in Charleston?
159,423 people live in Charleston as of July 1, 2025 (U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2025), the #168 largest U.S. city.
Source detail
2025 population
Source agency
U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division
Dataset
Census PEP
Vintage / period
Vintage 2025 (Jul 1, 2025)
Native geography
Census PEP subcounty place records for the included city universe.
Transformation
Copied from POPESTIMATE2025, joined by Census GEOID, and used for ranks, filters, and city pages.
Known limit: Annual estimate, not a decennial count; each new PEP vintage can revise the prior series.
Population grew 5.8% from the April 2020 base to mid-2025.
Vintage 2025 · annual estimates
Recent history (V2025 series, 2020 base → 2025).
2020 base: 150,746 → 2025: 159,423 (+5.8%)
Year
Population
Reference date
2020 base
150,746
April 1, 2020
2020
151,225
July 1, 2020
2021
152,328
July 1, 2021
2022
154,665
July 1, 2022
2023
156,771
July 1, 2023
2024
158,791
July 1, 2024
2025
159,423
July 1, 2025
Earlier history (2010–2019, prior Census vintage)
These figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau’s Vintage 2019 release — a separate, earlier methodology. They’re shown here as historical context only; the 2010 and 2019 values aren’t directly comparable to the 2020–2025 series above.
Population grew 14.3% from 2010 to 2019 (V2019 — see seam note below).
Charleston is the #168 largest of 19,483 U.S. cities and #1 in South Carolina.
▸ Show the analyst detail (9 rows)
Measure
Value
Note
2020 base
150,746
April 1, 2020 census base
5-yr change
+8,677
2020 base → 2025; within V2025
5-yr change %
+5.8%
within V2025 only
1-yr change
+632
2024 → 2025 estimate
1-yr change %
+0.4%
within V2025 only
Density
1,383
people per sq mi, land only
Land area
115.3
sq mi (2025 Gazetteer)
U.S. rank by population
#168
of 19,483 cities
State rank by population
#1
of 271 in South Carolina
What is the median household income in Charleston?
Median household income is 19% above the U.S. median ($92,414 vs $77,719); 12.3% live in poverty — 0.2 points below the 12.5% U.S. rate.
Median household income$92,414
US
Charleston: $92,414 — 19% above the US median of $77,719.
Scale: 10th–90th percentile of cities with ACS income data
Charleston
$92,414
United States
$77,719
Income and poverty estimates for Charleston from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year estimates (window 2020–2024). Every figure is shown with its 90% margin of error (MOE). Cells where the ± margin exceeds half the estimate are flagged "low precision." See methodology §12.
Measure
Estimate
± margin / note
Median household income
92,414+18.9% vs US
±3,404
Per capita income
59,875+38.3% vs US
±2,170
Population in poverty
12.3%
share of population for whom poverty status is determined
Median home value is 68% above the U.S. median ($509,700 vs $303,400); median rent is 28% above ($1,722 vs $1,348); price-to-income ratio is 5.5×, making it 1.4× as cost-burdened as the typical U.S. city (3.9×).
Median home value$509,700
US
Charleston: $509,700 — 68% above the US median of $303,400.
Scale: 10th–90th percentile of cities with ACS home-value data
HUD 2-BR fair-market rent$1,787/mo
US
Charleston: $1,787/mo — 66% above the US median of $1,077/mo.
Scale: 10th–90th percentile of cities with a HUD Fair Market Rent
Poverty (Census SAIPE 2024, model-based), unemployment (BLS LAUS 2024 annual averages), and remote-work share (ACS 2020–2024) for Charleston. Numbers are labeled at their native grain — place-grain when BLS publishes it, otherwise per-county. We do not compute population-weighted county averages. See methodology §13.
Measure
Value
Grain
Unemployment rate (annual avg)
3.3%
Charleston (BLS sub-state LAUS)
Civilian labor force
89,340
2024 annual avg
Worked from home
19.4%+38.7% vs US
share of workers 16+ commuting from home · U.S. median: 14% · ACS
County context — Charleston spans 2 counties; all are listed (no weighted average):
County
Poverty rate
Median HH income
Unemployment
Berkeley County
8.9%
$86,187
3.7%
Charleston County
10.3%
$92,635
3.4%
Top industries by private employment — NAICS supersectors rolled up from Charleston's linked 2 counties in the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW, 2024 annual averages). See methodology §11.
#
Industry (NAICS supersector)
Private employment
Avg weekly wage
#1
Accommodation and food services (72)
42,959
$620 / wk
#2
Retail trade (44-45)
38,568
$815 / wk
#3
Health care and social assistance (62)
36,556
$1,299 / wk
#4
Manufacturing (31-33)
28,051
$1,781 / wk
#5
Professional and technical services (54)
27,464
$2,007 / wk
What workers earn in the Charleston-North Charleston, SC metro — top occupations by employment plus six curated benchmarks (registered nurse, software developer, elementary teacher, general manager, retail salesperson, truck driver). Wages are metro-area medians from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025). See methodology §25.
Retail Salespersons is the largest tracked occupation in the Charleston-North Charleston, SC metro (11,930 jobs, median $34,090/yr).
▸ Show all 13 occupations
Occupation
Employment
Median annual
Median hourly
Fast Food and Counter Workers
10,850
$28,500
$13.70
Waiters and Waitresses
9,580
$19,340
$9.30
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand
8,100
$38,090
$18.31
Cashiers
7,960
$30,130
$14.49
Customer Service Representatives
7,940
$44,000
$21.15
Office Clerks, General
6,890
$39,250
$18.87
Cooks, Restaurant
6,040
$36,710
$17.65
Retail Salespersons · benchmark
11,930
$34,090
$16.39
Registered Nurses · benchmark
9,760
$92,800
$44.62
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers · benchmark
6,020
$55,150
$26.52
General and Operations Managers · benchmark
6,000
$109,260
$52.53
Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education · benchmark
All items run within 1 point of the U.S. average (RPP 101.0); rents stand out at RPP 119.8 (19.8% above the U.S. average).
Cost of living (RPP, all items)RPP 101.0
US
Charleston's cost of living runs 1.0% above the U.S. average (RPP 101.0 vs 100).
Scale: 10th–90th percentile of metro/non-metro areas with a BEA price parity
BEA Regional Price Parity (all items)
RPP 101.0
+1.0% vs U.S. average · BEA 2024 · Charleston-North Charleston, SC metro
HUD Fair Market Rent, 2-BR
$1,787/mo
FY2026 · Charleston-North Charleston, SC MSA
State income tax (top marginal rate)
6.20%
3 brackets · TY2025
Family-of-four monthly budget total
$8,126/mo
3BR rent + food + childcare + taxes + transport · federal sources
Single-adult monthly budget total
$4,770/mo
1BR rent + food + taxes + transport · federal sources
Local income tax
—
not applicable in South Carolina · no modeled local income tax
Household budget figures are arithmetic floors using current federal sources at the grains documented in methodology. Not a recommended salary, not a poverty threshold, not a composite score.
6.0% foreign-born (U.S. median 14%); Spanish is the most-spoken language at home other than English (4.1% of residents 5+).
A quick read on Charleston's residents — nativity and languages spoken at home shown above, from the ACS 5-Year 2020–2024. The full demographic breakdown (age, race and ethnicity, household types, and educational attainment, each with its margin of error) lives on the demographics page.
These are K-12 public school districts. Higher education (colleges and universities) is not represented in this dataset.
Public school districts serving Charleston, from the NCES EDGE Geographic Relationship Files (GRF25, 2024–25 school year boundaries). The join is many-to-many — large cities often span multiple districts, and one district often serves multiple cities. Sorted primary district first. See methodology §12 for the consolidated-city fallback and Milford CT special case.
Source: NCES EDGE GRF25 · school year 2024–25 · methodology →
What is the climate like in Charleston?
Hottest month: July (90°F avg high). Coldest: January (40°F avg low). Annual precipitation: 49.4 in.
30-year climate normals (1991-2020) for Charleston from the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. See methodology §15 for the gridded vs. station source path.
Average monthly highs & lows · 30-year normal (NOAA 1991–2020). Every number on this chart is an average.
bar = avg daily high → avg daily lowprecip in inches below each barprecip in millimeters below each bar
Composite risk spans 94.8–98.6/100 across 2 counties; most-cited top hazard is Hurricane (in 1 of 2).
Natural-hazard exposure for Charleston from the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency's National Risk Index (FEMA NRI December 2025 v1.20.0). NRI is an expected-annual-loss composite calibrated on 1996–2019 historical losses, published at the U.S. county grain. See methodology §17.
Charleston spans 2 counties. We list each separately because hurricane, flood, and fire risk varies meaningfully across county lines — manufacturing a single “city-level” risk score would hide that signal.
County
NRI composite
Rating
Top hazards
Berkeley County
94.8
Relatively High
Hurricane 98.3 Very High · Earthquake 97.7 Relatively Moderate · Wildfire 89.8 Relatively Moderate
Charleston County
98.6
Relatively High
Coastal Flooding 99.8 Very High · Hurricane 99.6 Very High · Earthquake 98.8 Relatively High
Source: FEMA National Risk Index · FEMA NRI December 2025 v1.20.0 · methodology →
How fast is home internet in Charleston?
10 non-satellite ISPs serve the area; 57% of locations have gigabit-capable service per ISP filings.
Fixed broadband availability for Charleston from the U.S. Federal Communications Commission's Broadband Data Collection (BDC), as of June 30, 2025. Every speed and provider count below is an ISP-reported advertised maximum — not measured throughput. Actual delivered speeds typically run 60–80% of advertised. See methodology §16.
Measure
Value
Note
Providers serving this city
10 + satellite
distinct ISPs, excluding satellite-only
Fiber providers
8
offer fiber-to-the-premises somewhere in the BDC
Units with ≥100/20 Mbps fixed
100.0%
share of broadband-serviceable units, ISP-reported max
Locations with ≥100 Mbps upload
56.6%
derived: max(fiber ≥100/20, gigabit). Fiber is symmetric; gigabit is ≥100 up by definition
Units with ≥1 Gbps fixed
56.6%
share of broadband-serviceable units, ISP-reported max
Total broadband-serviceable units
93,405
residential locations in the FCC Fabric (not households)
Source: FCC BDC · as of June 30, 2025 · methodology →
How much crime is reported in Charleston?
In 2024, law enforcement reported 561 violent and 3,172 property offenses in the Charleston jurisdiction — a violent-crime rate of 357.6 per 100,000, about even with the U.S. estimate of 359.1.
Reported offenses known to law enforcement from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program (CIUS Table 8), 2024. Figures describe the FBI agency jurisdiction: Charleston — an FBI jurisdiction population of 156,898, versus the Census place population of 159,423. The rate per 100,000 is the FBI's own (count ÷ that jurisdiction population), never divided by the Census place figure. These are reported crimes under voluntary participation — not measured or victimization crime — and the FBI cautions against using them to rank or compare places. See methodology §31.
Offenses known, 2024
Count
Rate /100k
U.S. rate
Violent crime
561
357.6
359.1
Property crime
3,172
2,021.7
1,760.1
▸ Offense breakdown and 3-year trend
Offense, 2024
Count
Murder and nonnegligent manslaughter
7
Rape
44
Robbery
67
Aggravated assault
443
Burglary
219
Larceny-theft
2,599
Motor vehicle theft
354
Arson (12-month reporters only)
16
Year
Violent /100k
Property /100k
Jurisdiction pop.
2022
374.9
1,889.4
152,324
2023
402.2
1,977.3
155,159
2024
357.6
2,021.7
156,898
Only years the agency reported a complete 12 months appear; the FBI does not estimate missing agency-years, so a gap is a non-reporting year, not zero crime.
U.S. rate is the FBI national estimate (imputes non-reporting agencies); the city figures are reported-only. Source: FBI UCR CIUS Table 8 (2022–2024) · FBI agency jurisdiction: Charleston · methodology → · FBI Crime Data Explorer →
In-state context.
Charleston sits at state rank #1 among 271 cities in South Carolina. Nearby in the state ranking:
Just above in the profiled set: Alexandria, VA · #167 · 160,662 residents.
Just below in the profiled set: Salinas, CA · #169 · 159,134 residents.
Quick travel facts for Charleston
Quick travel facts.
Nearest commercial airport
Charleston International Airport(CHS) ·
6 mi 10 km from city centroid
Best months to visit
Apr, Nov · months when the avg high sits in 65–80°F and precipitation is at or below the city's median monthly precip
Sources: elevation from USGS Elevation Point Query Service (3DEP) · nearest airport from OurAirports CSV (FAA-aligned, type=large/medium, scheduled_service=yes) · best months derived from NOAA 1991-2020 normals · methodology →
Frequently asked questions about Charleston.
How many people live in Charleston, SC?
Charleston has 159,423 residents as of July 1, 2025, making it the #168 largest city in the United States and #1 in South Carolina. Source: U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2025.
Is Charleston growing or shrinking?
Charleston has grown 5.8% since the April 2020 census baseline, adding 8,677 residents, including a 0.4% increase from 2024 to 2025. Source: Census PEP Vintage 2025.
What was Charleston's population in the 2020 census?
Charleston spans Berkeley County, Charleston County in South Carolina.
How big is Charleston?
Charleston covers 115.3 square miles of land, with a population density of about 1,383 residents per square mile. Source: Census Gazetteer 2025.
What is the median household income in Charleston?
$92,414, about 19% above the U.S. median. Source: ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024.
SourceU.S. Census · PEP
VintageV2025
Reference2025-07-01
Place typeIncorporated place
GEOID4513330
Last build2026-07-02
Sources · provenance
Every listed dataset is used on this page.
The GEOID for Charleston is 4513330. These are the official datasets used by this profile's main data modules; click "methodology" for inclusion rules and the V2019 ↔ V2025 seam, or "source" for the raw publisher page. The headline population value above includes a source-detail disclosure with publisher, dataset, vintage, native geography, transformation, and caveat.
