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Charleston, SC

City in Charleston County, South Carolina. ZIP codes: 29401, 29403, 29405, 29407, 29409, 29412 and more.

Population

154,338

Land area

115.2sq mi

People per sq mi

1,339

ZIP codes

11

Charleston and its ZIP codes

Full map

Charleston at a glance

  • Charleston is about 7.6 times as dense as South Carolina as a whole.
  • It is the most populous city in South Carolina.
  • Households here earn a median of $92,414 a year, 33% more than the South Carolina figure of $69,324.
  • A typical owner-occupied home is valued at $509,700 (97% above South Carolina) and median rent is $1,722 a month.

Local data for Charleston, SC

Counts from official public data

Housing and community stats

Charleston, SC, American Community Survey 2020-2024

Full profile

Median household income

$92,414

Poverty rate

12.3%

Median home value

$509,700

Median rent

$1,722/mo

Homeownership

55.6%

Bachelor's or higher

58.3%

Median age

36.6

Average commute

24.2 min

Largest reported origins and ancestries: German Americans (19,272), Irish Americans (18,843), Italian Americans (7,881).

Home values and rentsIncome, education and commute

Economy and federal money

Jobs, pay, income and spending are for Charleston County. PPP loans are for Charleston.

Details

Unemployment rate

3.0%

Sep 2026, -0.7 pts in a year

Average annual pay

$72,198

283,985 jobs, 2025

Income per person

$90,550

BEA, 2024

Federal spending

$4.7B

FY 2026, $11,441 per person

PPP loans

$724M

9,353 loans, 86,667 jobs reported

Charleston County economyFederal spendingPPP loans

How people get to work

Charleston, SC, workers 16 and older. American Community Survey 5-year estimates

  • Drove alone66.2%
  • Carpooled7.2%
  • Public transit0.7%
  • Walked3.5%
  • Bicycle1.3%
  • Taxi, ride-hailing, motorcycle or other1.6%
  • Worked from home19.4%

Average one-way commute: 24.2 minutes for people who do not work from home.

Environment and hazard risk

Charleston, SC, from FEMA, NOAA and EPA

Full report

Natural hazard risk

Relatively High

Top: coastal flooding

Storm events since 1996

1,288

Countywide, mostly thunderstorm wind

Flood insurance policies

46,856

31.7% of homes, county

July high / Jan low

88° / 44°F

44.3 inches of rain a year

Hazards, floods and storm historyCheck a flood zone77 historic places

Health statistics

Share of adults in Charleston, SC, CDC PLACES estimates

All 40 measures

Obesity

28.7%

U.S. 33.3% -4.6 pts

Diabetes

9.5%

U.S. 12.1% -2.6 pts

Smoking

9.5%

U.S. 12.8% -3.3 pts

Uninsured (18-64)

8.7%

U.S. 11.1% -2.4 pts

ZIP codes in Charleston

11 in or overlapping Charleston. Population shown

·

Cities near Charleston

NameDistanceLand area (sq mi)
James IslandTown6.4 mi4.8
Sullivan's IslandTown8.1 mi2.5
HanahanCity8.6 mi10.5
Folly BeachCity11 mi12.5
Mount PleasantTown11 mi49.7
Goose CreekCity12 mi43.4
Isle of PalmsCity12 mi4.4
HollywoodTown14 mi23.5
North CharlestonCity15 mi78
RavenelTown16 mi13.2
LadsonCensus-designated place16 mi6.9
Kiawah IslandTown17 mi11.2
LincolnvilleTown17 mi1.2
SangareeCensus-designated place17 mi2
MeggettTown19 mi18.1
SummervilleTown19 mi22.6

Frequently asked questions

What county is Charleston, SC in?
Charleston is in Charleston County, South Carolina.
What ZIP codes are in Charleston, SC?
ZIP codes in or overlapping Charleston include 29401, 29403, 29405, 29407, 29409, 29412, 29414, 29424, 29425, 29455, 29492.
What is the population of Charleston, SC?
About 154,338 people live in Charleston, based on American Community Survey 5-year estimates.
What cities are near Charleston?
Nearby places include James Island (6.4 mi), Sullivan's Island (8.1 mi), Hanahan (8.6 mi), Folly Beach (11 mi), Mount Pleasant (11 mi).

Source: U.S. Census Bureau (TIGER/Line boundaries, American Community Survey) · Data as of 12/31/2023

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