Berkeley County, SC

County

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2023 Population

238,723

3.16% 1-year growth

US Senator

Lindsey Graham

Republican Party

US Senator

Tim Scott

Republican Party

2023 Median Age

36.7

0% 1-year change

2023 Poverty Rate

10.3%

5.57% 1-year decrease

2023 Median Household Income

$82,327

5.72% 1-year growth

2023 Median Property Value

$280,300

10.7% 1-year growth

2023 Employed Population

112,707

3.66% 1-year growth

About

In 2023, Berkeley County, SC had a population of 239k people with a median age of 36.7 and a median household income of $82,327. Between 2022 and 2023 the population of Berkeley County, SC grew from 231,419 to 238,723, a 3.16% increase and its median household income grew from $77,874 to $82,327, a 5.72% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Berkeley County, SC are White (Non-Hispanic) (60.7%), Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) (22.9%), Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) (3.87%), Other (Hispanic) (3.24%), and White (Hispanic) (2.41%).

None of the households in Berkeley County, 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.

96.8% of the residents in Berkeley County, SC are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Berkeley County, SC are Kenneth Shuler School of Cosmetology-Goose Creek (128 degrees awarded in 2023).

In 2023, the median property value in Berkeley County, SC was $280,300, and the homeownership rate was 74.1%.

Most people in Berkeley County, SC drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 29.1 minutes. The average car ownership in Berkeley County, SC was 2 cars per household.

Berkeley County, SC borders Charleston County, SC, Clarendon County, SC, Dorchester County, SC, Georgetown County, SC, Orangeburg County, SC, and Williamsburg County, SC.

United States South Carolina Charleston-North Charleston, SC

Population & Diversity

Berkeley County, SC is home to a population of 239k people, from which 96.8% are citizens. As of 2023, 6.16% of Berkeley County, SC residents were born outside of the country (14.7k people).

In 2023, there were 2.65 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (145k people) in Berkeley County, SC than any other race or ethnicity. There were 54.6k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 9.25k Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

96.8%

2023 Citizenship

97.4%

2022 Citizenship

As of 2023, 96.8% of Berkeley County, SC residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.4%. In 2022, the percentage of US citizens in Berkeley County, SC was 97.4%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Berkeley County, SC

White (Non-Hispanic)
145k ± 637
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
54.6k ± 881
Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
9.25k ± 950

8.86%

Hispanic Population

21.2k people

8.86% of the people in Berkeley County, SC are hispanic (21.2k people).

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

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the County level, so we are showing data for South Carolina.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
63,986 ± 6,172 people
India
20,779 ± 3,532 people
Honduras
17,281 ± 3,222 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of South Carolina was Mexico, the natal country of 63,986 South Carolina residents, followed by India with 20,779 and Honduras with 17,281.

Foreign-Born Population

6.16%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

14.7k people

5.4%

2022 Foreign-Born Population

12.5k people

As of 2023, 6.16% of Berkeley County, SC residents (14.7k 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 Berkeley County, SC was 5.4%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Gulf War (2001-)
7,341 ± 798
Gulf War (1990s)
5,129 ± 741
Vietnam
5,088 ± 441

Berkeley County, SC has a large population of military personnel who served in Gulf War (2001-), 1.43 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of Berkeley County, SC employs 113k people. In 2023, the largest industries in Berkeley County, SC were Manufacturing (14,922 people), Retail Trade (13,053 people), and Health Care & Social Assistance (11,824 people), and the highest paying industries were Utilities ($74,738), Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($73,407), and Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($70,584).

Employment

Occupations

113k

2023 Value

± 3,187

3.66%

1 Year growth

± 3.91%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Berkeley County, SC grew at a rate of 3.66%, from 109k employees to 113k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Berkeley County, SC, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (12,748 people), Management Occupations (11,743 people), and Sales & Related Occupations (11,295 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Berkeley County, 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

113k

2023 Value

± 3,187

3.66%

1 Year growth

± 3.91%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Berkeley County, SC grew at a rate of 3.66%, from 109k employees to 113k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Berkeley County, SC, are Manufacturing (14,922 people), Retail Trade (13,053 people), and Health Care & Social Assistance (11,824 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Berkeley County, SC, though some of these residents may live in Berkeley County, SC and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$58,219

Median earning men ± $2,211

$38,696

Median earning women ± $2,588

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2023 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($78,926), Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($71,380), and Manufacturing ($68,178).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2023 are Information ($57,549), Manufacturing ($52,970), and Wholesale Trade ($52,167).

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.

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

361
Construction
308
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
249
Other Services (except Public Administration)

The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.

The visualization shows the number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll

$628k
Manufacturing
$556k
Information
$373k
Transportation and Warehousing

The chart shows the total annual payroll and the average annual payroll by industry.

Education

In 2023, universities in Berkeley County, SC awarded 128 degrees. The student population of Berkeley County, SC in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 2 male students and 126 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Berkeley County, SC are Black or African American (74 and 57.8%), followed by White (47 and 36.7%), Hispanic or Latino (5 and 3.91%), and Unknown (1 and 0.781%).

The largest universities in Berkeley County, SC by number of degrees awarded are Kenneth Shuler School of Cosmetology-Goose Creek (128 and 100%).

The most popular majors in Berkeley County, SC are Aesthetician & Skin Care Specialist (93 and 72.7%), General Cosmetology (34 and 26.6%), and Cosmetology, Barber, & Nail Instructor (1 and 0.781%).

Admissions & Enrollments

Enrollments by Gender and Races

In 2023 there were 128 students enrolled in Berkeley County, SC, 1.56% men and 98.4% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in Black or African American with 68 records, of which 98.5% were women and 1.47% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Aesthetician & Skin Care Specialist
93 degrees awarded
Cosmetology, Barber, & Nail Instructor
1 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Certificate of at least 1 but less than 2 academic years recipients in Berkeley County, SC was Aesthetician & Skin Care Specialist with 93 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Certificate of at least 1 but less than 2 academic years from schools in Berkeley County, SC according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Kenneth Shuler School of Cosmetology-Goose Creek

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

128 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Kenneth Shuler School of Cosmetology-Goose Creek with 128 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

In 2023, 2 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Berkeley County, SC, which is 0.0159 times less than the 126 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2023, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was Black or African American students. These 74 degrees mean that there were 1.57 times more degrees awarded to Black or African American students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, White, with 47 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.

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 Berkeley County, SC was $280,300 in 2023, which is 0.924 times smaller than the national average of $303,400. Between 2022 and 2023 the median property value increased from $253,100 to $280,300, a 10.7% increase. The homeownership rate in Berkeley County, SC is 74.1%, which is higher than the national average of 65%.

People in Berkeley County, SC have an average commute time of 29.1 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Berkeley County, SC is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Median household income in Berkeley County, SC is $82,327. In 2023, the tract with the highest Median Household Income in Berkeley County, SC was Census Tract 208.12, Berkeley County, SC with a value of $122,900, followed by Census Tract 207.21, Berkeley County, SC and Census Tract 208.07, Berkeley County, SC, with respective values of $116,971 and $107,418.

In 2024, 12.9% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Berkeley County, SC. From 2014 to 2024, the indicator declined 1.09%.

Housing

Property

$280,300

Median Property Value 2023

±$5,688

$66,951

Median Property Taxes

±$2,212

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 Berkeley County, SC the largest share of households pay taxes in the $800 - $1,499 range.

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

Rent vs Own

74.1%

Homeownership

2023

68.6%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2023

In 2023, 74.1% of the housing units in Berkeley County, SC were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 74%.

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

Equity

Income by Location

Use the dropdown to filter by race/ethnicity.

Race/Ethnicity

Highest Median Household Income (Total)

Census Tract 208.12, Berkeley County, SC
Census Tract 207.21, Berkeley County, SC
Census Tract 208.07, Berkeley County, SC

In 2023, the tract with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Berkeley County, SC was Census Tract 208.12, Berkeley County, SC with a value of $122,900, followed by Census Tract 207.21, Berkeley County, SC and Census Tract 208.07, Berkeley County, SC, with respective values of $116,971 and $107,418.

The following map shows all of the tracts in Berkeley County, 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.

$82,327

Median Household Income

± $1,936

90.3k

Number of Households

± 2,589

In 2023, the median household income of the 90.3k households in Berkeley County, SC grew to $82,327 from the previous year's value of $77,874.

The following chart displays the households in Berkeley County, 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 Berkeley County, SC is from South Carolina.

0.464

2023 Wage GINI in South Carolina

0.464

2022 Wage GINI in South Carolina

In 2023, the income inequality in South Carolina was 0.464 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.102% decline from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for South Carolina was lower than than the national average of 0.476. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in South Carolina in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in South Carolina across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2023

Drove Alone (78.5%)
Worked At Home (10.2%)
Carpooled (7.94%)

In 2023, 78.5% of workers in Berkeley County, SC drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (10.2%) and those who carpooled to work (7.94%).

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

29.1 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Berkeley County, SC have a longer commute time (29.1 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.6 minutes). Additionally, 2.23% of the workforce in Berkeley County, SC have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

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

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2024, 12.9% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Berkeley County, SC. From 2014 to 2024, the indicator declined 1.09%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the population living with severe housing problems.

Poverty & Diversity

10.3% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Berkeley County, SC (24.2k out of 234k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is lower than the national average of 12.4%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 35 - 44, followed by Females 25 - 34 and then Females 55 - 64.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Berkeley County, SC is White, followed by Black 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.

Children in Poverty

In 2024, 12.4% of the children was living in poverty in Berkeley County, SC. From 2014 to 2024, the indicator declined 8.5%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the children 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.

Security

Crimes & Accidents

Indicator

In 2022, the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population was 338 in Berkeley County, SC. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator declined 144 per 100,000 population.

The graph shows the trend in the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population.

Health

90.1% of the population of Berkeley County, SC has health coverage, with 44.1% on employee plans, 13.7% on Medicaid, 9.35% on Medicare, 17.8% on non-group plans, and 5.18% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Berkeley County, SC see 3,035 patients per year on average, which represents a 0.979% decrease from the previous year (3,065 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 3312 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 664 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.4% were men and 51.6% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

3,035 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Berkeley County, SC

Primary care physicians in Berkeley County, SC see an average of 3,035 patients per year. This represents a 0.979% decrease from the previous year (3,065 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Berkeley County, SC in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Health Care Diversity

In 2023, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 25.9% under 18 years, 20.1% between 18 and 34 years, 39.1% between 35 and 64 years, and 14.9% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.4% were men and 51.6% were women.

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

Uninsured People

9.89%

Uninsured

44.1%

Employer Coverage

13.7%

Medicaid

9.35%

Medicare

17.8%

Non-Group

5.18%

Military or VA

Between 2022 and 2023, the percent of uninsured citizens in Berkeley County, SC declined by 3.1% from 10.2% to 9.89%.

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

Health Indicators

Health Outcomes

Indicator

In 2024, the number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was 49.4 in Berkeley County, SC.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Berkeley County, SC.

Health Behaviors

Indicator

In 2024, the percentage of the adult population (age 18 and older) that reports a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 30 kg/m2 (age-adjusted) was 39.7% in Berkeley County, SC.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Berkeley County, SC.