Charleston County vs Horry County
Charleston County, South Carolina versus Horry County, South Carolina: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US counties.
Charleston County edges out Horry County on overall objective livability (46 vs 42 of 100), though each leads on different factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Charleston County | Horry County |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $79k | $60k |
| Cost of Living | $62k | $50k |
| Home Value | $415k | $235k |
| Monthly Rent | $1k | $1k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $109k | $107k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.42% | 0.35% |
| Income Tax | 6.40% | 6.36% |
| Sales Tax | 7.50% | 7.50% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 11.11% | 10.20% |
| Unemployment | 3.7% | 5.6% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 50°F | 46°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 82°F | 81°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 53.1 in | 55.2 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 0.3 in | 0.5 in |
| Sunny Days | 241 days | 263 days |
| Summer Humidity | 73°F | 71°F |
| Comfortable Days | 112 days | 95 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 98.6 | 98.2 |
| Air Quality | 47 AQI | 43 AQI |
| School Quality | 78.4 | 47.6 |
| Violent Crime | 1720/100k | 1751/100k |
| Property Crime | 2465/100k | 2356/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 409,840 | 356,578 |
| Median Age | 38.9 | 47.6 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.49 | 0.36 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.94 | 0.94 |
| Political Leaning | D+13 | R+34 |
| White (%) | 65.2% | 76.8% |
| Black (%) | 24.5% | 12.2% |
| Hispanic (%) | 5.4% | 6.3% |
| Asian (%) | 1.8% | 1.3% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 3.2% | 3.4% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 25 min | 23 min |
| Walkability | 10.5/20 | 6.9/20 |
| Airport Distance | 11 mi | 96 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 84.1% | 89.8% |
| Amenities Nearby | 6.20 | 0.00 |
| Park & Nature Access | Moderate | Moderate |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US counties: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Charleston County or Horry County more affordable?
- Horry County has the lower cost of living: its index is $50k, compared with Charleston County's $62k and Horry County's $50k. Median rent is $1k in Charleston County versus $1k in Horry County.
- Is Charleston County or Horry County safer?
- Charleston County has the lower violent crime rate. Charleston County reports 1720/100k and Horry County reports 1751/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Charleston County or Horry County?
- The median home value is $415k in Charleston County and $235k in Horry County, so homes are more affordable in Horry County.