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Data on this report is based on areas within the legal city boundary, outlined in black on the map. Any additional neighborhoods shown on the map are associated with the city by name and are included for reference only.

Charleston, SC
Real Estate & Demographic Data






Charleston profile


Living in Charleston



Charleston is a relatively large coastal city (i.e. on the ocean, a bay, or inlet) located in the state of South Carolina. With a population of 153,672 people and 47 associated neighborhoods, Charleston is the largest community in South Carolina. There's nothing like the smell of a brand new house, and in Charleston, you'll find that a large proportion of houses were recently built. New growth in residential real estate is an indication that people are choosing to move to Charleston, and putting down their money on brand new construction. Charleston’s real estate is, on average, some of the newest in the nation. Charleston does seem to be experiencing an influx of affluent people, because the median household income is $83,891.00.

Charleston home prices are not only among the most expensive in South Carolina, but Charleston real estate also consistently ranks among the most expensive in America.

Also of interest is that Charleston has more people living here who work in computers and math than 95% of the places in the US.

A relatively large number of people in Charleston telecommute to their jobs. Overall, about 14.61% of the workforce works from home. While this may seem like a small number, as a fraction of the total workforce it ranks among the highest in the country. These workers are often telecommuters who work in knowledge-based, white-collar professions. For example, Silicon Valley has large numbers of people who telecommute. Other at-home workers may be self-employed people who operate small businesses out of their homes.

Another interesting thing about Charleston, despite not being a huge city, is that there is a relatively high proportion of people living here who are young, single, and upwardly-mobile professionals. This makes it a good choice for other relocating single professionals. Here, these young singles will find many others like themselves, with opportunities for friendships, socializing, romance, and fun.

Charleston is also nautical, which means that parts of it are somewhat historic and touch the ocean or tidal bodies of water, such as inlets and bays. Such areas are often places that visitors and locals go for waterfront activities or taking in the scenery.

If knowledge is power, Charleston is a pretty powerful place. 57.39% of the adults in Charleston have earned a 4-year college degree, masters degree, MD, law degree, or even PhD. Compare that to the national average of 21.84% for all cities and towns.

The per capita income in Charleston in 2022 was $55,890, which is wealthy relative to South Carolina and the nation. This equates to an annual income of $223,560 for a family of four. However, Charleston contains both very wealthy and poor people as well.

Charleston is a very ethnically-diverse city. The people who call Charleston home describe themselves as belonging to a variety of racial and ethnic groups. The greatest number of Charleston residents report their race to be White, followed by Black or African-American. Important ancestries of people in Charleston include English, German, Irish, Italian, and French.

The most common language spoken in Charleston is English. Other important languages spoken here include Spanish and German/Yiddish.