Berkeley County, South Carolina
Among the top 13% of US counties for weather.
AffordabilityAffordability: grade D, better than 11% of US counties
WeatherWeather: grade A, better than 87% of US counties
Safety & WellbeingSafety & Wellbeing: grade D, better than 15% of US counties
Getting AroundGetting Around: grade B, better than 65% of US counties
Lifestyle & ConnectivityLifestyle & Connectivity: grade C, better than 33% of US counties
- top 5% for airport distance
- top 5% for comfortable days
- bottom 3% for cost of living
Berkeley County is a county in South Carolina with about 231,000 residents. It grades A for weather and D for affordability. Standout strengths include airport distance, comfortable days, and annual snowfall. It rates lower on natural disaster risk and cost of living.
- The median home value in Berkeley County is $253k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- Median household income in Berkeley County is $78k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- Median gross rent in Berkeley County is $1k a month, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- Berkeley County has a violent crime rate of 1519/100k, per the FBI Uniform Crime Reports.
- The average one-way commute in Berkeley County is 29 min, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
Climate
Hot, humid summers · Cool winters · Wet
cool
comfortable
warm
hot
warm
comf.
cool
70%59%clearovercast
Precipitation 6.3 in3.4 in
oppressive 97%dry
Livability factors
Affordability
Median Household Income$78k85th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Cost of Living$65kbetter than 3% of US counties
Home Value$253k81st percentile — neutral, not ranked
Monthly Rent$1kbetter than 6% of US counties
Monthly Owner Costs$64kbetter than 9% of US counties
Property Tax Rate0.51%better than 86% of US counties
Income Tax6.40%better than 17% of US counties
Sales Tax7.50%better than 43% of US counties
Estimated total tax burden10.52%better than 32% of US counties
Unemployment3.8%better than 69% of US counties
Weather
Winter Temp (Jan)50°F89th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Summer Temp (Jul)82°F81st percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Precipitation52.5 in80th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Snowfall0.1 inbetter than 90% of US counties
Sunny Days241 daysbetter than 55% of US counties
Summer Humidity73°Fbetter than 6% of US counties
Comfortable Days109 daysbetter than 95% of US counties
Safety & Wellbeing
Natural Disaster Risk94.8better than 5% of US counties
Air Quality36 AQIbetter than 80% of US counties
School Quality40.7better than 17% of US counties
Violent Crime1519/100kbetter than 15% of US counties
Property Crime1750/100kbetter than 19% of US counties
Community
Population231,41991st percentile — neutral, not ranked
Median Age36.715th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Racial Diversity0.5384th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Male/Female Ratio1.0050th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Political LeaningR+1224th percentile — neutral, not ranked
White (%)62.1%26th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Black (%)23.1%87th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Hispanic (%)7.3%64th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Asian (%)2.3%86th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Other / Multiracial (%)5.2%80th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Getting Around
Commute Time29 minbetter than 21% of US counties
Walkability6.4/20better than 60% of US counties
Airport Distance20 mibetter than 95% of US counties
Lifestyle & Connectivity
Broadband Access86.1%better than 68% of US counties
Amenities Nearby0.04better than 24% of US counties
Park & Nature AccessModeratebetter than 34% of US counties
Data sources
- EPA Air Quality (AQI)
- EPA Smart Location Database
- EPI Family Budget Calculator
- FAA airport enplanements
- FBI Uniform Crime Reports
- FEMA National Risk Index
- MIT Election Data Lab (2020)
- NCES School Finance Survey
- NOAA Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA nClimGrid
- OpenStreetMap
- Tax Foundation + state revenue depts
- U.S. Census ACS (5-Year)
- USGS Protected Areas (PAD-US)
Frequently asked questions
- Is Berkeley County an affordable place to live?
- Berkeley County is relatively expensive. Its cost-of-living index is $65k, better than 3% of comparable areas. Median rent is $1k.
- Is Berkeley County safe?
- Berkeley County is higher-crime than most comparable areas, with a violent crime rate of 1519/100k (better than 15%). Property crime is 1750/100k.
- What is the weather like in Berkeley County?
- Berkeley County averages 82°F in July and 50°F in January, with 52.5 in of annual precipitation and about 241 sunny days a year.
- How are the schools in Berkeley County?
- Public-school quality in Berkeley County is below average, scoring better than 17% of comparable areas on a composite of graduation rates, spending, and student-teacher ratio.
- How long is the commute in Berkeley County?
- The average one-way commute in Berkeley County is 29 min.