North Charleston, SC

Census Place

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2023 Population

117,460

1.47% 1-year growth

US Senator

Lindsey Graham

Republican Party

US Senator

Tim Scott

Republican Party

2023 Median Age

34.3

1.48% 1-year increase

2023 Poverty Rate

15.5%

5.68% 1-year decrease

2023 Median Household Income

$62,789

7.27% 1-year growth

2023 Median Property Value

$267,700

10% 1-year growth

2023 Employed Population

58,697

1.97% 1-year growth

About

In 2023, North Charleston, SC had a population of 117k people with a median age of 34.3 and a median household income of $62,789. Between 2022 and 2023 the population of North Charleston, SC grew from 115,755 to 117,460, a 1.47% increase and its median household income grew from $58,534 to $62,789, a 7.27% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in North Charleston, SC are Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) (41.6%), White (Non-Hispanic) (37%), Other (Hispanic) (6.7%), Asian (Non-Hispanic) (3.49%), and Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) (2.95%).

None of the households in North Charleston, SC reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

92.3% of the residents in North Charleston, SC are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in North Charleston, SC are Trident Technical College (2,375 degrees awarded in 2023), Charleston Southern University (723 degrees), and Miller-Motte College-Charleston (230 degrees).

In 2023, the median property value in North Charleston, SC was $267,700, and the homeownership rate was 48.5%.

Most people in North Charleston, SC drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 24.5 minutes. The average car ownership in North Charleston, SC was 2 cars per household.

Photo by Harvey Craft

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Population & Diversity

North Charleston, SC is home to a population of 117k people, from which 92.3% are citizens. As of 2023, 12.2% of North Charleston, SC residents were born outside of the country (14.3k people).

In 2023, there were 1.12 times more Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) residents (48.9k people) in North Charleston, SC than any other race or ethnicity. There were 43.5k White (Non-Hispanic) and 7.87k Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

92.3%

2023 Citizenship

93.2%

2022 Citizenship

As of 2023, 92.3% of North Charleston, SC residents were US citizens, which is lower than the national average of 93.4%. In 2022, the percentage of US citizens in North Charleston, SC was 93.2%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in North Charleston, SC compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in North Charleston, SC

Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
48.9k ± 2.14k
White (Non-Hispanic)
43.5k ± 1.91k
Other (Hispanic)
7.87k ± 1.3k

12.8%

Hispanic Population

15.1k people

12.8% of the people in North Charleston, SC are hispanic (15.1k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in North Charleston, SC as a share of the total population.

Foreign-Born Population

12.2%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

14.3k people

10.5%

2022 Foreign-Born Population

12.2k people

As of 2023, 12.2% of North Charleston, SC residents (14.3k people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 13.8%. In 2022, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in North Charleston, SC was 10.5%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in North Charleston, SC compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Gulf War (2001-)
3,601 ± 670
Vietnam
1,756 ± 305
Gulf War (1990s)
1,752 ± 387

North Charleston, SC has a large population of military personnel who served in Gulf War (2001-), 2.05 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of North Charleston, SC employs 58.7k people. In 2023, the largest industries in North Charleston, SC were Health Care & Social Assistance (7,536 people), Retail Trade (6,474 people), and Accommodation & Food Services (5,937 people), and the highest paying industries were Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($68,982), Manufacturing ($54,825), and Information ($54,500).

Employment

Occupations

58.7k

2023 Value

± 2,423

1.97%

1 Year growth

± 5.64%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in North Charleston, SC grew at a rate of 1.97%, from 57.6k employees to 58.7k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in North Charleston, SC, are Management Occupations (5,975 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (5,881 people), and Sales & Related Occupations (4,974 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of North Charleston, SC.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for South Carolina.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in South Carolina (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

Industries

Employment by Industries

58.7k

2023 Value

± 2,423

1.97%

1 Year growth

± 5.64%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in North Charleston, SC grew at a rate of 1.97%, from 57.6k employees to 58.7k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in North Charleston, SC, are Health Care & Social Assistance (7,536 people), Retail Trade (6,474 people), and Accommodation & Food Services (5,937 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of North Charleston, SC, though some of these residents may live in North Charleston, SC and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$48,636

Median earning men ± $2,474

$36,457

Median earning women ± $1,594

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2023 are Information ($68,241), Public Administration ($65,925), and Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($61,628).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2023 are Information ($53,833), Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($43,800), and Manufacturing ($42,378).

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for South Carolina.

Y-Axis

2.54%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 2.26M people employed in South Carolina. This represents a 2.54% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 13.4%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in South Carolina.

Education

In 2023, universities in North Charleston, SC awarded 3,646 degrees. The student population of North Charleston, SC in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 6,511 male students and 11,681 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in North Charleston, SC are White (1,748 and 48.1%), followed by Black or African American (966 and 26.6%), Unknown (509 and 14%), and Hispanic or Latino (164 and 4.51%).

The largest universities in North Charleston, SC by number of degrees awarded are Trident Technical College (2,375 and 65.1%), Charleston Southern University (723 and 19.8%), and Miller-Motte College-Charleston (230 and 6.31%).

The most popular majors in North Charleston, SC are Liberal Arts & Sciences (522 and 14.3%), Registered Nursing (251 and 6.88%), and Truck, Bus, & Commercial Vehicle Operator & Instructor (236 and 6.47%).

The median tuition cost in North Charleston, SC for private four year colleges is $30,380.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2023 in North Charleston, SC, the percentage of applicants admitted was 76.4%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 16.9%. The number of students enrolled in 2023 was 18,192 (35.8% men and 64.2% women).

The line chart shows the evolution of the percentage of applicants admitted, admitted who enrolled or the number of students enrolled according to the option selected in the upper button.

Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2023 there were 18,192 students enrolled in North Charleston, SC, 35.8% men and 64.2% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 9,493 records, of which 61% were women and 39% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Registered Nursing
171 degrees awarded
General Business Administration & Management
71 degrees awarded
Liberal Arts & Sciences
449 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Associates Degree recipients in North Charleston, SC was Registered Nursing with 171 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Associates Degree from schools in North Charleston, SC according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

Trident Technical College
2,375 degrees awarded
Charleston Southern University
723 degrees awarded
Miller-Motte College-Charleston
230 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Trident Technical College with 2,375 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2023, 1,255 men were awarded degrees from institutions in North Charleston, SC, which is 0.525 times less than the 2,391 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2023, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 1,748 degrees mean that there were 1.81 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Black or African American, with 966 degrees awarded.

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Universities

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($30,380) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Private for-profit, 2-year ($1,800) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Private for-profit, 2-year ($2,000) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

Working Population

Educational Pyramid

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for South Carolina.

Measure

In 2023, 0.922% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 0.743% of women were in the same situation.

This visualization shows the gender distribution of the population according to the academic level reached.

Educational Attainment

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for South Carolina.

Race

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population in 2023 were High School or Equivalent (1.19M), Some college (897k), and Bachelors Degree (746k).

This visualization illustrates the percentage distribution of the population according to the highest educational level reached. You can filter the data by race by using the selector above.

Housing & Living

The median property value in North Charleston, SC was $267,700 in 2023, which is 0.882 times smaller than the national average of $303,400. Between 2022 and 2023 the median property value increased from $243,300 to $267,700, a 10% increase. The homeownership rate in North Charleston, SC is 48.5%, which is lower than the national average of 65%.

People in North Charleston, SC have an average commute time of 24.5 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in North Charleston, SC is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$267,700

Median Property Value 2023

±$9,394

$23,058

Median Property Taxes

±$1,333

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In North Charleston, SC the largest share of households pay taxes in the $800 - $1,499 range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in North Charleston, SC compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

48.5%

Homeownership

2023

67.3%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2023

In 2023, 48.5% of the housing units in North Charleston, SC were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 49.4%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in North Charleston, SC compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Income by Location

Use the dropdown to filter by race/ethnicity.

Race/Ethnicity

The following map shows all of the places in North Charleston, SC colored by their Median Household Income (Total).

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$62,789

Median Household Income

± $2,684

47.5k

Number of Households

± 2,071

In 2023, the median household income of the 47.5k households in North Charleston, SC grew to $62,789 from the previous year's value of $58,534.

The following chart displays the households in North Charleston, SC distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $75k - $100k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for North Charleston, SC is from North Charleston, SC.

N/A Wage GINI in N/A

In N/A, the income inequality in N/A was N/A according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a N/A N/A from N/A to N/A, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat N/A even. The GINI for N/A was N/A than the national average of 0.476. In other words, wages are distributed N/A evenly in N/A in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in North Charleston, SC across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2023

Drove Alone (76.6%)
Carpooled (10.4%)
Worked At Home (8.41%)

In 2023, 76.6% of workers in North Charleston, SC drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (10.4%) and those who worked at home (8.41%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

24.5 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in North Charleston, SC have a shorter commute time (24.5 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.6 minutes). Additionally, 1.06% of the workforce in North Charleston, SC have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in North Charleston, SC compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in North Charleston, SC distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in North Charleston, SC have 2 cars.

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

15.5% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in North Charleston, SC (17.5k out of 113k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.4%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 25 - 34, followed by Females 35 - 44 and then Males < 5.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in North Charleston, SC is Black, followed by White and Hispanic.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Health

83.2% of the population of North Charleston, SC has health coverage, with 39.7% on employee plans, 17% on Medicaid, 7.37% on Medicare, 14.2% on non-group plans, and 4.94% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in South Carolina see 1,485 patients per year on average, which represents a 0.27% increase from the previous year (1,481 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1682 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 462 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.6% were men and 51.4% were women.

Coverage

Health Care Diversity

In 2023, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 24.7% under 18 years, 25.5% between 18 and 34 years, 37.2% between 35 and 64 years, and 12.6% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.6% were men and 51.4% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

16.8%

Uninsured

39.7%

Employer Coverage

17%

Medicaid

7.37%

Medicare

14.2%

Non-Group

4.94%

Military or VA

Between 2022 and 2023, the percent of uninsured citizens in North Charleston, SC grew by 4.13% from 16.2% to 16.8%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in North Charleston, SC changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

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