HomeSouth CarolinaBerkeley County
Berkeley County, South Carolina: commercial real estate data.
Berkeley County, South Carolina has a population of 246,802 across 1,099 square miles, up 15.0 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $14.30 bn in 2024, 4,230 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 191 7(a) approvals worth $119.9 m.
123 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Berkeley County
How many people live in Berkeley County
- Population246,802
- Households93,711
- Average household size2.63
- Median household income$84,358
- Median age36.9
- Median gross rent$1,654 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$310,300
- Home value to household income3.7 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income23.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher31.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree10.6 percent
- Adults 25 and over165,909
- Population under 1858,289
- Share under 1823.6 percent
- Population 65 and over36,615
- Share 65 and over14.8 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 64151,898
- Civilian labor force121,790
- Unemployment rate3.2 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over64.6 percent
- Rank by population among South Carolina counties8th of 46
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents292nd
Berkeley County is the 8th largest of 46 South Carolina counties by population. A median home costs 3.7 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 23.6 percent against 14.8 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Berkeley County
Is Berkeley County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base15.01 percent
- Census 2020 base population229,781
- Births, 20243,035
- Deaths, 20242,047
- Natural change, 2024988
- Net domestic migration, 20245,937
- Net international migration, 20241,213
- Total net migration, 20247,150
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 202425,604
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents60th
The county has grown 15.01 percent since the 2020 census base. Migration contributed more to 2024 change than births over deaths, so demand here follows people arriving rather than families forming.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Berkeley County
Where people moving to Berkeley County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving12,747
- People arriving, from those returns23,632
- Adjusted gross income arriving$1.03 bn
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$80,580
- Largest single originBerkeley County Non-migrants (82,179 households)
- Largest single destination (82,179 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Berkeley County Non-migrants | 82,179 | 169,357 | $7.07 bn |
| Other flows - Different State | 3,826 | 7,240 | $369.3 m |
| Charleston County | 3,355 | 5,952 | $226.1 m |
| Other flows - South | 1,826 | 3,383 | $134.1 m |
| Dorchester County | 1,762 | 3,395 | $97.2 m |
| Other flows - Northeast | 803 | 1,548 | $123.5 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 693 | 1,317 | $66.8 m |
| Other flows - West | 504 | 992 | $45.0 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Berkeley County Non-migrants, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Berkeley County
What the Berkeley County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$14.30 bn
- County GDP, 2023$12.95 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 202410.4 percent
- GDP change over five years60.3 percent
- Rank by GDP among South Carolina counties8th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents336th
- GDP per resident$57,949
Output grew 10.4 percent in the latest year and 60.3 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Berkeley County
Who employs people in Berkeley County
- Covered employment, annual average66,943
- Establishments reporting5,143
- Average annual pay$68,211
- Average weekly wage$1,312
- Sector 31-33, employment10,512
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$87,280
- Sector 44-45, employment8,302
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$37,450
- Sector 72, employment6,177
- Sector 72, average annual pay$24,181
- Sector 54, employment6,122
- Sector 54, average annual pay$104,447
- Sector 62, employment4,623
- Sector 23, employment4,202
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 31-33 | 10,512 | 206 | $87,280 |
| Sector 44-45 | 8,302 | 550 | $37,450 |
| Sector 72 | 6,177 | 346 | $24,181 |
| Sector 54 | 6,122 | 806 | $104,447 |
| Sector 62 | 4,623 | 438 | $61,526 |
| Sector 23 | 4,202 | 584 | $78,551 |
| Sector 48-49 | 3,839 | 244 | $60,312 |
| Sector 56 | 2,381 | 352 | $43,833 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 10,512 jobs, 15.7 percent of covered employment. Average pay per job sits below median household income, so households here typically need more than one earner.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Berkeley County
What businesses operate in Berkeley County
- Establishments, all industries4,230
- Employment at those establishments61,856
- Annual payroll$3.85 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents17.1
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Berkeley County
What is being built in Berkeley County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 20243,169
- Declared construction value permitted$978.0 m
- Single family units authorised2,573
- Multifamily units authorised596
- Multifamily share of units18.8 percent
- Average declared value per unit$308,614
- Units authorised per 1,000 households33.8
Multifamily is 18.8 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Berkeley County
How much SBA lending happens in Berkeley County
- 7(a) approvals recorded191
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$119.9 m
- Average 7(a) approval$627,741
- Median 7(a) approval$284,800
- 10th percentile approval$30,000
- 90th percentile approval$1,988,000
- Largest single approval$5,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)2,145
- Jobs per approval11.2
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active52
- Distinct industries receiving approvals98
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer13.6 percent
- Loans on real estate terms26
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter144
- Franchise loans32
- Franchise share of approvals16.8 percent
- Leading industry by approval countLimited-Service Restaurants (13)
- Most active lenderNewtek Bank, National Association (18)
- 504 approvals recorded34
- 504 gross approval dollars$45.0 m
- Average 504 approval$1,322,206
- Median 504 approval$899,000
- Distinct CDCs active4
- 504 jobs per approval14.9
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved11.3
- Most active CDCProvident Business Financial Services, Inc. (18)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals84.9 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$164.9 m
The average approval of $627,741 sits well above the median of $284,800, so a small number of large deals is pulling the mean up. The median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here actually gets. Only 13.6 percent of approvals run on real estate terms, so SBA credit here is mostly working capital and equipment rather than property acquisition.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Berkeley County
Do SBA loans in Berkeley County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded33
- Paid in full28
- Charged off5
- Charge off rate on resolved loans15.2 percent
- Status: Paid in full28
- Status: Charged off5
- Status: Exempt from disclosure118
- Status: Cancelled27
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed13
Of the 33 loans that have reached a final outcome, 15.2 percent were charged off. This is computed only over resolved loans, because a loan still running has not yet succeeded or failed and counting it either way would be wrong.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Berkeley County
Which parts of Berkeley County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending13
- SUMMERVILLE, approvals59
- CHARLESTON, approvals30
- MONCKS CORNER, approvals28
- GOOSE CREEK, approvals21
- DANIEL ISLAND, approvals16
- HANAHAN, approvals15
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| SUMMERVILLE | 59 | $39,618,000 |
| CHARLESTON | 30 | $33,084,200 |
| MONCKS CORNER | 28 | $10,774,900 |
| GOOSE CREEK | 21 | $7,639,500 |
| DANIEL ISLAND | 16 | $7,382,200 |
| HANAHAN | 15 | $6,102,000 |
| Ladson | 13 | $10,667,000 |
| SAINT STEPHEN | 3 | $2,013,500 |
SUMMERVILLE accounts for 59 approvals against 30 in CHARLESTON. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Berkeley County
How big is Berkeley County
- Land area1,099 sq mi
- Rank by land area among South Carolina counties3rd of 46
- Width, east to west53 mi
- Height, north to south46.7 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land225
- Establishments per square mile3.85
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Every item below could be filled with a plausible figure. None of them is. On a page a lender may read, a number that cannot be traced is worse than an absence, so the absences are named.
- No NFIP communities are listed for this county in the FEMA Community Status Book.
- Flood zone record counts are not held. The flood coverage export has not landed, so no count is shown rather than an estimated one.
- Traffic counts resolve in the platform, not in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here.
- Zoning is in build. Parcel level zoning is not published on this page.
Feasibility studies
When a Berkeley County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Berkeley County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population246,802
- Households93,711
- Average household size2.63
- Median household income$84,358
- Median age36.9
Common questions
Berkeley County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Berkeley County, South Carolina?
246,802, in 93,711 households, ranking 8th of 46 South Carolina counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Berkeley County growing?
The population has grown 15.01 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 3,035 births against 2,047 deaths, with net migration of 7,150. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Berkeley County?
$84,358. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $310,300, which is 3.7 times income, and median gross rent is $1,654 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Berkeley County?
4,230 establishments, employing 61,856 people with an annual payroll of $3.85 bn. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is the average wage in Berkeley County?
Average annual pay is $68,211, or $1,312 a week, across 66,943 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Berkeley County?
191 7(a) approvals totalling $119.9 m since FY2020, across 52 lenders, with a median approval of $284,800, plus 34 504 approvals worth $45.0 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Berkeley County get paid back?
Of the 33 loans that have reached a final outcome, 28 were paid in full and 5 charged off, a charge off rate of 15.2 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
What is being built in Berkeley County?
3,169 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $978.0 m. Multifamily was 18.8 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Berkeley County?
Zone 3, a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Berkeley County come from?
The largest single origin is Berkeley County Non-migrants, with 82,179 households. Arriving households report an average income of $80,580 against null for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Berkeley County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Berkeley County?
Not yet. The zoning layer is in build. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame with confirm locally attached.