Charleston County, South Carolina
Among the top 3% of US counties for getting around.
AffordabilityAffordability: grade D, better than 12% of US counties
WeatherWeather: grade A, better than 85% of US counties
Safety & WellbeingSafety & Wellbeing: grade D, better than 12% of US counties
Getting AroundGetting Around: grade A+, better than 97% of US counties
Lifestyle & ConnectivityLifestyle & Connectivity: grade B, better than 65% of US counties
- top 2% for airport distance
- top 5% for comfortable days
- bottom 1% for natural disaster risk
Charleston County is a county in South Carolina with about 410,000 residents. It grades A+ for getting around and D for affordability. Standout strengths include airport distance, comfortable days, and walkability. It rates lower on cost of living and natural disaster risk.
Official websitecharlestoncounty.org (opens in new tab)
Climate
Hot, humid summers · Cool winters · Wet
cool
comfortable
warm
hot
warm
comf.
cool
71%59%clearovercast
Precipitation 6.4 in3.5 in
oppressive 100%dry
Livability factors
Affordability
Median Household Income$79k86th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Cost of Living$62kbetter than 4% of US counties
Home Value$415k95th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Monthly Rent$1kbetter than 5% of US counties
Monthly Owner Costs$2kbetter than 7% of US counties
Property Tax Rate0.42%better than 92% of US counties
Income Tax6.40%better than 17% of US counties
Sales Tax7.50%better than 43% of US counties
Estimated total tax burden11.11%better than 24% of US counties
Unemployment3.7%better than 71% of US counties
Weather
Winter Temp (Jan)50°F89th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Summer Temp (Jul)82°F82nd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Precipitation53.1 in82nd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Snowfall0.3 inbetter than 85% of US counties
Sunny Days241 daysbetter than 55% of US counties
Summer Humidity73°Fbetter than 6% of US counties
Comfortable Days112 daysbetter than 95% of US counties
Safety & Wellbeing
Natural Disaster Risk98.6better than 1% of US counties
Air Quality47 AQIbetter than 26% of US counties
School Quality78.4better than 82% of US counties
Violent Crime1720/100kbetter than 11% of US counties
Property Crime2465/100kbetter than 8% of US counties
Community
Population409,84095th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Median Age38.927th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Racial Diversity0.4977th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Male/Female Ratio0.9413th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Political LeaningD+1311th percentile — neutral, not ranked
White (%)65.2%30th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Black (%)24.5%88th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Hispanic (%)5.4%54th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Asian (%)1.8%82nd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Other / Multiracial (%)3.2%43rd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Getting Around
Commute Time25 minbetter than 49% of US counties
Walkability10.5/20better than 94% of US counties
Airport Distance11 mibetter than 98% of US counties
Lifestyle & Connectivity
Broadband Access84.1%better than 56% of US counties
Amenities Nearby6.20better than 73% of US counties
Park & Nature AccessModeratebetter than 48% of US counties
Frequently asked questions
- Is Charleston County an affordable place to live?
- Charleston County is relatively expensive. Its cost-of-living index is $62k, better than 4% of comparable areas.
- What is the median home value in Charleston County?
- The median home value in Charleston County is $415k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- What is the median household income in Charleston County?
- Median household income in Charleston County is $79k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- How much is rent in Charleston County?
- Median gross rent in Charleston County is $1k a month, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- Is Charleston County safe?
- Charleston County is higher-crime than most comparable areas, with a violent crime rate of 1720/100k (better than 11%). Property crime is 2465/100k.
- What is the weather like in Charleston County?
- Charleston County averages 82°F in July and 50°F in January, with 53.1 in of annual precipitation and about 241 sunny days a year.
- How are the schools in Charleston County?
- Public-school quality in Charleston County is above average, scoring better than 82% of comparable areas on a composite of graduation rates, spending, and student-teacher ratio.
- How long is the commute in Charleston County?
- The average one-way commute in Charleston County is 25 min.
Other counties in South Carolina
Explore South Carolina
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)