HomeSouth CarolinaCharleston County
Charleston County, South Carolina: commercial real estate data.
Charleston County, South Carolina has a population of 420,264 across 916 square miles, up 5.5 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $50.46 bn in 2024, 15,801 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 568 7(a) approvals worth $354.6 m.
123 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Charleston County
How many people live in Charleston County
- Population420,264
- Households178,975
- Average household size2.35
- Median household income$88,494
- Median age39.2
- Median gross rent$1,620 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$489,100
- Home value to household income5.5 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income22.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher50.3 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree19.8 percent
- Adults 25 and over303,597
- Population under 1881,885
- Share under 1819.5 percent
- Population 65 and over75,028
- Share 65 and over17.9 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 64263,351
- Civilian labor force225,887
- Unemployment rate3.5 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over66.8 percent
- Rank by population among South Carolina counties3rd of 46
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents176th
Charleston County is the 3rd largest of 46 South Carolina counties by population. A median home costs 5.5 times median household income, which is a stretched ownership market and usually shows up as rental demand. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 19.5 percent against 17.9 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Charleston County
Is Charleston County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base5.50 percent
- Census 2020 base population408,530
- Births, 20244,965
- Deaths, 20243,747
- Natural change, 20241,218
- Net domestic migration, 20241,247
- Net international migration, 20242,748
- Total net migration, 20243,995
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 20249,222
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents472nd
The county has grown 5.50 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.
Charleston County
Where people moving to Charleston County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving16,882
- People arriving, from those returns26,991
- Adjusted gross income arriving$1.98 bn
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$117,050
- Largest single originCharleston County Non-migrants (151,303 households)
- Largest single destination (151,303 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charleston County Non-migrants | 151,303 | 285,466 | $22.80 bn |
| Other flows - Different State | 4,361 | 7,070 | $459.5 m |
| Berkeley County | 2,196 | 3,699 | $127.3 m |
| Other flows - South | 2,107 | 3,329 | $216.2 m |
| Dorchester County | 1,437 | 2,515 | $69.7 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 852 | 1,388 | $87.8 m |
| Other flows - Northeast | 826 | 1,337 | $99.3 m |
| Other flows - West | 576 | 1,016 | $56.2 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Charleston 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.
Charleston County
What the Charleston County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$50.46 bn
- County GDP, 2023$46.78 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20247.9 percent
- GDP change over five years49.9 percent
- Rank by GDP among South Carolina counties1st
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents115th
- GDP per resident$120,072
Output grew 7.9 percent in the latest year and 49.9 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.
Charleston County
Who employs people in Charleston County
- Covered employment, annual average278,476
- Establishments reporting22,449
- Average annual pay$68,271
- Average weekly wage$1,313
- Sector 72, employment36,782
- Sector 72, average annual pay$33,658
- Sector 62, employment31,933
- Sector 62, average annual pay$68,426
- Sector 44-45, employment30,266
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$43,782
- Sector 54, employment21,342
- Sector 54, average annual pay$104,365
- Sector 56, employment19,698
- Sector 31-33, employment17,539
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 72 | 36,782 | 1,675 | $33,658 |
| Sector 62 | 31,933 | 2,098 | $68,426 |
| Sector 44-45 | 30,266 | 2,258 | $43,782 |
| Sector 54 | 21,342 | 4,352 | $104,365 |
| Sector 56 | 19,698 | 1,449 | $47,340 |
| Sector 31-33 | 17,539 | 730 | $95,867 |
| Sector 23 | 15,708 | 1,762 | $83,765 |
| Sector 48-49 | 10,195 | 645 | $62,993 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 36,782 jobs, 13.2 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.
Charleston County
What businesses operate in Charleston County
- Establishments, all industries15,801
- Employment at those establishments226,330
- Annual payroll$13.51 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents37.6
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.
Charleston County
What is being built in Charleston County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 20244,153
- Declared construction value permitted$1.25 bn
- Single family units authorised3,052
- Multifamily units authorised1,101
- Multifamily share of units26.5 percent
- Average declared value per unit$300,331
- Units authorised per 1,000 households23.2
Multifamily is 26.5 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Charleston County
How much SBA lending happens in Charleston County
- 7(a) approvals recorded568
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$354.6 m
- Average 7(a) approval$624,352
- Median 7(a) approval$300,000
- 10th percentile approval$30,000
- 90th percentile approval$1,600,000
- Largest single approval$5,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)6,153
- Jobs per approval10.8
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active87
- Distinct industries receiving approvals186
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer15.0 percent
- Loans on real estate terms85
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter435
- Franchise loans106
- Franchise share of approvals18.7 percent
- Leading industry by approval countFull-Service Restaurants (31)
- Most active lenderTD Bank, National Association (71)
- 504 approvals recorded107
- 504 gross approval dollars$97.7 m
- Average 504 approval$912,720
- Median 504 approval$625,000
- Distinct CDCs active6
- 504 jobs per approval15.2
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved16.6
- Most active CDCProvident Business Financial Services, Inc. (64)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals84.1 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$452.3 m
The average approval of $624,352 sits well above the median of $300,000, 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 15.0 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.
Charleston County
Do SBA loans in Charleston County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded83
- Paid in full77
- Charged off6
- Charge off rate on resolved loans7.2 percent
- Status: Paid in full77
- Status: Exempt from disclosure384
- Status: Cancelled64
- Status: Charged off6
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed37
| NAICS | Industry | Resolved loans | Charged off | Charge off rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 722511 | Full-Service Restaurants | 10 | 0 | 0.0% |
Of the 83 loans that have reached a final outcome, 7.2 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. Among industries with at least ten resolved loans, Full-Service Restaurants carries the highest charge off rate at 0.0 percent.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Charleston County
Which parts of Charleston County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending23
- CHARLESTON, approvals218
- Mount Pleasant, approvals140
- NORTH CHARLESTON, approvals117
- Johns Island, approvals43
- LADSON, approvals11
- ISLE OF PALMS, approvals6
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| CHARLESTON | 218 | $119,028,700 |
| Mount Pleasant | 140 | $70,122,400 |
| NORTH CHARLESTON | 117 | $105,404,500 |
| Johns Island | 43 | $23,506,700 |
| LADSON | 11 | $9,105,300 |
| ISLE OF PALMS | 6 | $6,709,600 |
| Mt. Pleasant | 5 | $5,680,700 |
| AWENDAW | 5 | $775,000 |
CHARLESTON accounts for 218 approvals against 140 in Mount Pleasant. 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.
Charleston County
How big is Charleston County
- Land area916 sq mi
- Rank by land area among South Carolina counties7th of 46
- Width, east to west68.4 mi
- Height, north to south49.4 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary4
- Residents per square mile of land459
- Establishments per square mile17.25
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 Charleston 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 Charleston County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population420,264
- Households178,975
- Average household size2.35
- Median household income$88,494
- Median age39.2
Common questions
Charleston County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Charleston County, South Carolina?
420,264, in 178,975 households, ranking 3rd of 46 South Carolina counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Charleston County growing?
The population has grown 5.50 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 4,965 births against 3,747 deaths, with net migration of 3,995. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Charleston County?
$88,494. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $489,100, which is 5.5 times income, and median gross rent is $1,620 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Charleston County?
15,801 establishments, employing 226,330 people with an annual payroll of $13.51 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 Charleston County?
Average annual pay is $68,271, or $1,313 a week, across 278,476 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Charleston County?
568 7(a) approvals totalling $354.6 m since FY2020, across 87 lenders, with a median approval of $300,000, plus 107 504 approvals worth $97.7 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Charleston County get paid back?
Of the 83 loans that have reached a final outcome, 77 were paid in full and 6 charged off, a charge off rate of 7.2 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
What is being built in Charleston County?
4,153 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $1.25 bn. Multifamily was 26.5 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Charleston 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 Charleston County come from?
The largest single origin is Charleston County Non-migrants, with 151,303 households. Arriving households report an average income of $117,050 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 Charleston 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 Charleston 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.