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Charleston County · South Carolina

Charleston, SC demographics

Population, income and the local tax burden that sits on top of them — sourced from the Census Bureau and the South Carolina Department of Revenue.

A crowd crossing a city street, illustrating US population and demographics data

Quick answer

Charleston, SC has a population of 155,369 and a median household income of $87,246 — about $7,271 a month before tax. That ranks 18 of 94 covered metros by income and 82 of 94 by population.

  • Population

    155,369

    City limits, ACS 5-year

  • Median household income

    $87,246

    ACS 5-year estimate

  • Combined sales tax

    9%

    South Carolina + local

  • Income rank

    #18

    of 94 covered metros

Estimated annual sales tax on a median household

A Charleston household at the median income of $87,246 spending roughly a quarter of pre-tax income on taxable retail goods would pay about $1,963 a year in sales tax at 9%. This is an illustration, not a filing figure: the taxable share of spending varies with household composition, and South Carolina exempts or discounts several categories. South Carolina exempts groceries from the state 6% but local option taxes can still apply, and residents 85 and older may claim a 1% exemption.

Method: median household income × 25% taxable share × combined rate. The 25% share is a rough national benchmark from the BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey, not a Charleston-specific measurement.

Sources

What each figure on this page comes from.

Full Charleston sales tax breakdown and calculator

Other Charleston datasets on this site.

Statewide: South Carolina cities · South Carolina ZIP codes · South Carolina sales tax · South Carolina counties