Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US cities and towns.

Safety17#12,992/15,637
Economy74#4,138/15,631
Housing27#10,910/14,977
Health74#4,023/15,609
Healthcare97#535/15,650
Environment33#10,299/15,453
Education84#2,438/15,649
Infrastructure90#1,580/15,650
Community85#2,412/15,651
Leisure & amenities98#287/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Charleston, South Carolina ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Charleston County value” are the county’s: the source publishes no figure for this city or town, and the county holding most of its residents stands in.

Strengths

Gyms and fitness centers · high2.5 /10k
98/100South Carolina 1.3 /10kUnited States 1.3 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsCharleston County value
Restaurants and bars · high17.5 /10k
97/100South Carolina 9.7 /10kUnited States 9.0 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsCharleston County value
New business applications · high28.4 /1k
97/100South Carolina 16.9 /1kUnited States 16.6 /1k2025U.S. Census BureauCharleston County value
Dentists · high118 /100k
96/100South Carolina 60 /100kUnited States 75 /100k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteCharleston County value
Arts, entertainment and recreation · high10.6 /10k
96/100South Carolina 5.1 /10kUnited States 5.5 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsCharleston County value
Loneliness · low29.8%
96/100South Carolina 32.7%United States 33.2%2023Centers for Disease Control and PreventionModel-based estimate

Weaknesses

Natural hazard risk · high94.4
6/100South Carolina 51.22025Federal Emergency Management AgencyCharleston County value
Income inequality (Gini index) · high0.492
7/100South Carolina 0.475United States 0.4832020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B19083
Home price to income ratio · high5.5×
14/100South Carolina 3.7×United States 4.1×2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25077
Rent-burdened households · high54.5%
17/100South Carolina 52.1%United States 51.1%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25070
Rent as share of income · high32.7%
19/100South Carolina 31.1%United States 30.6%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25071
Homicide rate · high6.4 /100k
19/100South Carolina 8.4 /100kUnited States 4.8 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionProvisional dataCharleston County value

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

PopulationRising
135,257 (2015-2019) → 154,338 (2020-2024)
+14%5 yearsCensus table B01003US 328,329,953 → 340,003,797
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
79.1% (2015-2019) → 92.8% (2020-2024)
+14 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Median household incomeImproving
$68,438 (2015-2019) → $92,414 (2020-2024)
+35%5 yearsCensus table B19013US $65,712 → $81,604
Rent-burdened householdsWorsening
48.8% (2015-2019) → 54.5% (2020-2024)
+5.7 pts5 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.6% → 51.1%
Bachelor's degree or higherImproving
53.1% (2015-2019) → 58.3% (2020-2024)
+5.2 pts5 yearsCensus table B15003US 32.1% → 35.7%
New homes permittedWorsening
9.9 /1k (2021) → 8.0 /1k (Sep 2025–Aug 2026)
−19%5 yearsUS 5.2 /1k → 4.2 /1k

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Charleston, South Carolina improved on 4 of 15 measures with a comparison and declined on 3. 8 moved within the margin of error and 0 barely changed.

Earlier (2015-2019)
Latest (2020-2024)
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among cities and towns: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts.

Improved4

Broadband+14 points79.1% → 92.8%
Uninsured−2.4 points9.4% → 7.0%
Bachelor's++5.2 points53.1% → 58.3%
Household income+35%$68,438 → $92,414

Declined3

Rent / income+3.2 points29.5% → 32.7%
Rent burden+5.7 points48.8% → 54.5%
Price / income+0.7×4.8× → 5.5×

All 15 measures

Change of every measure of Charleston, South Carolina between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	22.8 min2015-2019	24.2 min2020-2024	+1.4 min	Within the margin of error	32%
Bachelor's degree or higher	53.1%2015-2019	58.3%2020-2024	+5.2 points	Improved	69%
Broadband subscriptions	79.1%2015-2019	92.8%2020-2024	+14 points	Improved	75%
Child poverty rate	14.7%2015-2019	16.9%2020-2024	+2.2 points	Within the margin of error	29%
Effective property tax rate	0.52%2015-2019	0.48%2020-2024	−0 points	Within the margin of error	23%
High school diploma or higher	94.9%2015-2019	96.1%2020-2024	+1.2 points	Within the margin of error	49%
Home price to income ratio	4.8×2015-2019	5.5×2020-2024	+0.7×	Declined	37%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.5002015-2019	0.4922020-2024	−0.008	Within the margin of error	58%
Median household income	$68,4382015-2019	$92,4142020-2024	+35%	Improved	65%
Poverty rate	13.2%2015-2019	12.3%2020-2024	−0.9 points	Within the margin of error	52%
Public transit commuters	0.8%2015-2019	0.7%2020-2024	−0.1 points	Within the margin of error	24%
Rent as share of income	29.5%2015-2019	32.7%2020-2024	+3.2 points	Declined	31%
Rent-burdened households	48.8%2015-2019	54.5%2020-2024	+5.7 points	Declined	35%
Unemployment rate	3.4%2015-2019	3.4%2020-2024	−0 points	Within the margin of error	51%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	9.4%2015-2019	7.0%2020-2024	−2.4 points	Improved	72%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 14640 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 15651 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Cities and towns like Charleston, South Carolina five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Charleston, South Carolina in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Charleston, South Carolina itself moved −0.7 points in standing on average over the same 10 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

154,338 residents (±200)

Men
Women

80 and over
70–79
60–69
50–59
40–49
30–39
20–29
10–19
Under 10

Share of all residents, each sex

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: 50–59 women (−1.2 points).

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B01001View table on data.census.gov

Race and Hispanic origin

154,338 residents (±200)

Charleston, South Carolina
South Carolina share

White72%110,737
Black16%24,319
Hispanic or Latino6.1%9,351

Education

109,483 residents (±1,480)

Charleston, South Carolina
South Carolina share

No high school diploma3.9%4,263
High school or GED15%16,418
Some college16%17,535

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

68,027 households (±1,349)

Charleston, South Carolina
South Carolina share

Under $25k14%9,588
$25k–50k13%8,764
$50k–75k14%9,625
$75k–100k12%8,346
$100k–150k18%12,449
$150k–200k11%7,374
$200k or more17%11,881

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: $200k or more (+8.1 points).

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B19001View table on data.census.gov

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

68,027 households (±1,349)

Charleston, South Carolina
South Carolina share

Own56%37,816
Rent44%30,211

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B25003View table on data.census.gov

Rent paid

29,427 households (±1,374)

Charleston, South Carolina
South Carolina share

Under $7506.9%2,034
$750–1,0004.1%1,216
$1,000–1,50025%7,291

Home values

37,816 homes (±1,270)

Charleston, South Carolina
South Carolina share

Under $150k3.1%1,178
$150k–250k5.5%2,092
$250k–400k23%8,589

Age of homes

77,417 homes (±1,232)

Charleston, South Carolina
South Carolina share

2010 or later26%20,379
2000–200919%14,513
1980–199921%15,891

Size of homes

77,417 homes (±1,232)

Charleston, South Carolina
South Carolina share

Studio3.3%2,557
1 bedroom15%11,663
2 bedrooms29%22,140

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

84,120 workers (±1,815)

Charleston, South Carolina
South Carolina share

Drive alone66%55,715
Carpool7.2%6,027
Public transit0.7%†620
Walk3.5%2,906
Bike1.3%1,133
Work from home19%16,340
Other1.6%†1,379

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Work from home (+12.6 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B08301View table on data.census.gov

Time to get to work

67,780 workers (±2,345)

Charleston, South Carolina
South Carolina share

Under 15 min26%17,674
15–29 min42%28,738
30–44 min19%13,145

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes pay by metro area, not by county or city. The metro area page lists its largest occupations and lets you look up any job.

Pay in the Charleston-North Charleston, SC

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

The Census Bureau publishes business counts by county, not by city, so these are the figures of Charleston County, the county holding most of Charleston's residents.

Charleston County has 15,801 employer establishments, 371 for every 10,000 residents (1.49× the US rate of 248; 1.62× South Carolina's), with 226,330 paid employees at an average annual pay of $59,680. The Census Bureau also counts 50,352 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 15,801; 50,352 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 371; US 248 · South Carolina 228
Paid employees: 226,330
Average annual pay: $59,680; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Charleston County by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Ambulatory health care services	1,253	29.4	1.41×More than typical	13,688	$80,526	2,604
Restaurants and other eating places	1,194	28	1.52×More than typical	26,214	$27,569	251
Lessors of real estate	1,188	27.9	2.26×More than typical	4,075	$69,935	7,838
Specialty trade contractors	839	19.7	1.27×More than typical	8,115	$68,890	2,476
Full-service restaurants	657	15.4	2.01×More than typical	16,628	$31,507	113
Real estate agents and brokers	605	14.2	2.92×More than typical	1,171	$80,917	2,015
Construction of buildings	554	13	1.72×More than typical	3,585	$93,600	1,151
Legal services	514	12.1	2.24×More than typical	4,263	$102,238	687
Management, scientific and technical consulting	463	10.9	1.62×More than typical	2,929	$112,544	2,595
Offices of physicians	459	10.8	1.66×More than typical	6,532	$105,710	810
Clothing and accessories stores	416	9.8	2.69×More than typical	4,611	$26,579	421
Services to buildings and dwellings	415	9.7	1.44×More than typical	5,102	$35,591	2,331

Rank places for an industry Open Charleston County

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 426,447 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contracts performed here

In FY2026, an estimated $238M of federal contract obligations were for work performed in Charleston, South Carolina: $1,542 per resident (US $2,007).

Obligations: $238M; −48% vs FY2025
Per resident: $1,542; US $2,007
Sole-source: 16%; US 30%
Single offer: 7.4%; US 8.7%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

Department of the Navy$55M23%
U.S. Coast Guard$53.1M22%
Department of the Army$50.4M21%
Department of Veterans Affairs$44.6M19%
Defense Logistics Agency$11.4M4.8%
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration$10.3M4.3%
Department of the Air Force$7.3M3.1%
Public Buildings Service$7M2.9%

Top recipients

BRASFIELD & GORRIE LLC$29.3M12%
EOS INC$21.8M9.1%
DETYENS SHIPYARDS INC$21.4M9.0%
SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH CORPORATION$18.3M7.7%
CHANDLER CONSTRUCTION SERVICES, INC.$16.5M6.9%

Spending by fiscal year

234.1MFY2017
243.2MFY2018
377.3MFY2019
495.9MFY2020
280.5MFY2021
203.2MFY2022
229.1MFY2023
245.5M

Top industries (NAICS)

Nonresidential building construction · 2362$62.8M26%
Architectural, engineering, and related services · 5413$36.8M15%
Ship and boat building · 3366$24.8M10%
Engine, turbine, and power transmission equipment manufacturing · 3336$21.1M8.9%
Utility system construction · 2371$16.5M6.9%
Computer systems design and related services · 5415

Part of this section could not be loaded in time.

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 9, 2026, loaded Oct 9, 2026.

How this is estimated

Agencies report each contract action's place of performance as a county and a ZIP code. A ZIP code's money is split among the cities it covers by the share of its land inside each (Census 2020 ZIP code tabulation areas); the part outside city limits stays with the county.

The place of performance is what the contracting agency reports, often the contractor's office rather than where the work happens.
Shares are of land, not of people or businesses: a ZIP code that is mostly rural land but has its offices in town gives the town less than it should.
ZIP codes that are not mapped areas (post office boxes, the unique ZIP codes of large federal sites and companies) stay with their county, unless one city covers nearly all of it.
Counts of actions and awards include those only partly in Charleston, South Carolina, so they do not add up across cities.

Charleston, South Carolina's figures are part of those of Charleston County, SC and Berkeley County, SC ($2.4B in FY2026), never added to them: 9.8% of that total.

Grants and other federal assistance are counted by county here, not split among cities: Charleston is mostly in Charleston County.

See federal money in Charleston County

Representation in Congress

Members serving today, with their record in the current Congress (party-unity votes cast with their caucus, roll calls missed). Not a grade.

Charleston, South Carolina is split between congressional districts: each representative is shown with the share of its residents in their district (current boundaries).

House

Senate

Explore Congress The 2026 races

County

A city can lie in several counties. Some indicators are published for counties only: the page marks them.

Metro area

The metro or micro area the city belongs to.

Charleston-North Charleston, SC75

Other cities and towns in Charleston County

Largest first.

Similar cities and towns

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/4513330

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends