What is the population of Charleston city?

Charleston city has 152,014 residents on Census ACS 2019-2023 ACS 5-year estimates, ranking #1 of 475 in South Carolina.

What is the median household income in Charleston city?

Median household income in Charleston city is $90,038 a year, 14.6% above the national figure of $78,538.

How much does it cost to rent or buy in Charleston city?

Median gross rent is $1,632 a month and the median home value is $469,100, so rent absorbs about 21.8% of median household income.

Is Charleston city affordable compared with the rest of the US?

Homes cost about 5.2× the local median income here versus roughly 3.9× nationally, so Charleston city is less affordable to buy in than the typical US market, and rent takes 21.8% of median income against the 30% cost-burden line.

Aerial view of a dense city center, illustrating the US cities ZIP code directory

South Carolina · Census place 13330

Charleston, SC population, income and ZIP codes

Quick answer

The population of the city of Charleston, South Carolina (Charleston, SC — Census place “Charleston city”) is 152,014 residents, ranking #1 of 475 places in South Carolina. Median household income is $90,038, the median home is worth $469,100 and median gross rent runs $1,632 a month. Looking for the Charleston South Carolina ZIP code list? 10 ZIP codes serve Charleston, SC: 29401, 29403, 29407, 29409, 29412, 29414, 29424, 29425, 29455, 29492.

Population: 152,014Charleston city residents
Median household income: $90,038Past 12 months, inflation adjusted
Median home value: $469,100Owner-occupied units
Median gross rent: $1,632Rent plus utilities, monthly
Median age: 36.1 yrsAll residents
Homeownership rate: 55.6%Owner-occupied households

Charleston ZIP codes (South Carolina)

Census ZCTAs whose delivery area overlaps Charleston.

The Charleston SC ZIP code list below covers 10 ZIP codes. Open any one for its population, income, housing and rent profile.

What the numbers mean in Charleston city

Housing cost measured against local earnings.

A household earning the Charleston city median would spend about 21.8% of gross income on the median rent. The 30% mark is the federal threshold for cost burden, so anything above it signals a stretched rental market. The median home costs 5.2× the median household income; nationally that ratio sits near 4.5×. Poverty affects 12% of residents and 55.6% of households own their home.

Source: US Census Bureau, ACS 2019-2023 5-year estimates · rates as published for 2019-2023 ACS 5-year

Charleston city, SC in context

How this area compares with national benchmarks.

Charleston city is a mid-size city in South Carolina, with 152,014 residents counted in the Census American Community Survey 2019-2023 ACS 5-year estimates, which places it first of 475 ranked by population. The median age here is 36.1 years against 39.1 nationally, a slightly younger profile than the country as a whole. At this size the Census also publishes one-year estimates; the five-year values used here are steadier and let you compare against smaller neighbours on the same basis.

Households in Charleston city earn a median of $90,038 a year, 14.6% above the national figure of $78,538 and 70% above the $53,071 median for the 263 South Carolina cities we cover. The median is the midpoint household, not an average, so a handful of very high earners cannot drag it upward the way they distort a mean. Poverty reaches 12% of residents here, below the 12.4% national rate.

The typical owner-occupied home in Charleston city is valued at $469,100, 54.6% above the national figure and 165% above the $177,100 peer median, while median gross rent runs $1,632 a month, 16.1% above the national figure, or roughly $19,584 across a full year. A household on the local median income would put about 21.8% of gross pay toward that rent against the federal 30% cost-burden threshold, so renting here is within the standard affordability guideline. The home-price-to-income ratio works out to 5.2×, against roughly 3.9× nationally, so buying is harder here than in the average US market. 55.6% of occupied homes are owner-occupied versus 65% nationally, so the market leans more heavily on renters. Rent is reported gross — contract rent plus tenant-paid utilities — which is why it runs above the advertised price on a listing for the same unit.

All values below were released by the Census for this exact geography, with no gap-filling on our side. Small-area estimates still carry wider margins of error than state or national figures, so check the linked ACS tables before relying on them for lending, appraisal or legal work.

Compare with nearby places

Places of similar size in South Carolina.

More South Carolina coverage.

Frequently asked questions

Common questions about this area.

What is the population of Charleston city?: Charleston city has 152,014 residents on Census ACS 2019-2023 ACS 5-year estimates, ranking #1 of 475 in South Carolina.
What is the median household income in Charleston city?: Median household income in Charleston city is $90,038 a year, 14.6% above the national figure of $78,538.
How much does it cost to rent or buy in Charleston city?: Median gross rent is $1,632 a month and the median home value is $469,100, so rent absorbs about 21.8% of median household income.
Is Charleston city affordable compared with the rest of the US?: Homes cost about 5.2× the local median income here versus roughly 3.9× nationally, so Charleston city is less affordable to buy in than the typical US market, and rent takes 21.8% of median income against the 30% cost-burden line.
How current is this Charleston city data?: All figures come from the US Census Bureau American Community Survey 2019-2023 ACS 5-year five-year estimates. At this size the Census also publishes one-year estimates; the five-year values used here are steadier and let you compare against smaller neighbours on the same basis.