Map the Block › Places › South Carolina › Charleston County
Charleston County, South Carolina in numbers: crime, income, hazards
The violent-crime rate in Charleston County was 4.3 per 1,000 residents (2021-2025 average, FBI), close to the statewide rate (4.6). Households here have a median income of $88,494 and the unemployment rate was 3.5% in August 2026. About 420,264 people live in the county.
Last updated . Crime: FBI 2021-2025. Income and housing: Census ACS 2020-2024. Unemployment: BLS August 2026. Road work: October 11, 2026.
Also on the map: income · hazard risk · Superfund · dams
What is the crime rate in Charleston County?
Police agencies in Charleston County reported an average of 2,001 violent crimes and 10,691 property crimes a year from 2021 to 2025. Per 1,000 residents, the violent-crime rate works out to 4.3: close to the South Carolina rate (4.6), and 16% higher than the national rate (3.7). For property crime the county rate is 22.9 per 1,000 (South Carolina: 21.3; U.S.: 18.1). Aggravated assaults make up 74% of the violent total. CDC death records show about 53 homicide deaths a year in the county (13.0 per 100,000), a count that includes cases police may classify differently.
| Offense (yearly average, 2021-2025) | Charleston County | Per 1,000 | South Carolina per 1,000 | U.S. per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crime | 2,001 | 4.3 | 4.6 | 3.7 |
| Murder | 46 | 0.10 | 0.09 | 0.06 |
| Rape | 163 | 0.35 | 0.39 | 0.40 |
| Robbery | 309 | 0.66 | 0.39 | 0.62 |
| Aggravated assault | 1,482 | 3.2 | 3.8 | 2.6 |
| Property crime | 10,691 | 22.9 | 21.3 | 18.1 |
| Burglary | 964 | 2.1 | 3.2 | 2.4 |
| Larceny-theft | 8,343 | 17.9 | 15.8 | 13.0 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 1,384 | 3.0 | 2.3 | 2.6 |
Most crime never reaches the police, so these are reported crimes, a floor rather than the full count. In 2024 about half of violent crimes (48%) and about 3 in 10 property crimes (31%) were reported to police (U.S. Justice Department, National Crime Victimization Survey). Rates also depend on how completely each agency reports to the FBI. County figures add up the city police and sheriff reports in the county (7 agencies; 100% of residents covered).
What is the median household income in Charleston County?
Median household income is $88,494, 28% higher than the statewide figure ($69,324). Owner-occupied homes have a median value of $489,100, and the median rent is $1,620 a month. 6.4% of households received SNAP benefits in the past year (state: 10.5%). The newest monthly figure from the Bureau of Labor Statistics is 3.5% for August 2026 (preliminary), with 8,688 people out of work and looking.
| Census ACS 2020-2024 | Charleston County | South Carolina | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 420,264 | 5,296,225 | 334,922,499 |
| Median household income | $88,494 | $69,324 | $80,734 |
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $489,100 | $250,000+ | $332,700 |
| Median gross rent | $1,620 | $1,180 | $1,413 |
| Unemployment rate (2020-2024 average) | 3.5% | 4.9% | 5.2% |
| People below the poverty line | 11.3% | 14.1% | 12.5% |
| Households receiving SNAP (food stamps) | 6.4% | 10.5% | 12.1% |
| Adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher | 50.3% | 32.1% | 35.7% |
| Homeowner households | 63.9% | 71.9% | 65.2% |
| Median age | 39.2 | 40.2 | 38.9 |
| Households with broadband internet | 88.9% | 88.8% | 91.0% |
| People without health insurance | 8.3% | 9.6% | 8.4% |
What natural hazards and environmental sites are in Charleston County?
Charleston County carries a “Relatively High” overall rating in FEMA's National Risk Index. Among the hazards we show, the highest-rated are hurricanes (Very High), coastal flooding (Very High) and earthquakes (Relatively High). The index compares counties with each other and also weighs how vulnerable and resilient a community is, so it is a long-run estimate, not a forecast.
Superfund sites
EPA lists 2 active Superfund sites (final or proposed) in Charleston County: Macalloy Corporation and Koppers Co., Inc. (Charleston Plant). 1 other site has finished cleanup and been taken off the list. A listing means EPA is managing a long-term cleanup; it does not by itself mean anyone is exposed today.
Industrial chemical releases
31 facilities in the county filed Toxics Release Inventory reports for 2024, together reporting 291,852 pounds of listed chemicals released on site. Reported releases are legal permitted amounts in most cases.
Disasters, air and water
Charleston County was covered by 5 federal major disaster declarations from 2016 through 2025 (Hurricane 5), not counting COVID-19. In 2024, 0 of 366 monitored days had an air quality index of “unhealthy for sensitive groups” or worse (EPA). Of 15 community water systems, none had an open health-based drinking-water violation in EPA's records (September 2026). EPA puts the county in radon zone 3 (low). NHTSA counted 61 traffic deaths in the county in 2024, including 13 pedestrians.
Is there road construction in Charleston County?
Charleston County had 18 highway work zones in the October 11, 2026 feed from the state DOT (0 active that day). Roads listed: US17, SC30 and SC165. 3 are on interstates. The map's construction layer is refreshed every morning.
See today's work zones on the map →
How many schools, nursing homes and parks are in Charleston County?
Charleston County has 97 public schools (2024-25) and 38 private schools (2023-24) in federal school lists. 12 nursing homes are certified by Medicare or Medicaid here; star ratings for each are on the map and on Medicare's Care Compare. USGS mapping shows 69 fire or EMS stations and 19 police or sheriff stations. National Park Service sites here: Charles Pinckney National Historic Site and Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie National Historical Park. 1 state park or recreation area: Edisto Beach State Park.
Gun shops, liquor stores and Planned Parenthood in Charleston County
Gun shops
15 gun shops with a public storefront are on the map in Charleston County (14 from the ATF licensee list, 1 from OpenStreetMap), plus 29 more licensed dealers without a public storefront (not shown). 10 of them are pawnshops licensed to sell guns. On the ATF list: Big Bucks Pawn Shop (Ladson), Cash America Pawn (N Charleston), Gene's Jewelry And Pawn (North Charleston), Grady Ervin Field Sport LLC (Charleston), Haddrells Point Tackle & Supply (Mt Pleasant), Joint Base Charleston Exchange (Charleston), Low Country Pawn & Jewelry (Charleston), Mega Pawn INC (North Charleston) and 6 more.
Liquor stores
87 liquor stores are on the map in Charleston County: ABC Liquor Store, Abc Package Store, ABC Store (2 locations), Alchemist Wine and Spirits (Mt Pleasant), Ashley Liquor, Atlantic Spirits (Summerville), Bags Liquor & Spirits (North Charleston), Barrel House Spirits Park Circle and 78 more. South Carolina has no complete public liquor licence list we can use, so this count also draws on OpenStreetMap and Overture Maps and may miss some stores or include closed ones.
Planned Parenthood
One Planned Parenthood health center is on the map in Charleston County: Planned Parenthood South Atlantic (Charleston).
See them on the map: gun shops · liquor stores · Planned Parenthood →
Sources: ATF licensee list (Sept 2026); state liquor licence lists, OpenStreetMap and Overture Maps (non-official; partial in some states); HHS Title X directory and CMS NPPES.
Common questions
What is the crime rate in Charleston County?
Charleston County averaged 2,001 reported violent crimes a year in 2021-2025, or 4.3 per 1,000 residents, close to the South Carolina rate (4.6). The property-crime rate was 22.9 per 1,000 (FBI Uniform Crime Reporting).
What is the median household income in Charleston County?
$88,494 (Census American Community Survey, 2020-2024 average), compared with $69,324 for South Carolina and $80,734 nationally.
What is the unemployment rate in Charleston County?
The newest monthly figure from the Bureau of Labor Statistics is 3.5% for August 2026 (preliminary), with 8,688 people out of work and looking.
What natural hazards affect Charleston County?
Charleston County carries a “Relatively High” overall rating in FEMA's National Risk Index. Among the hazards we show, the highest-rated are hurricanes (Very High), coastal flooding (Very High) and earthquakes (Relatively High).
Are there Superfund sites in Charleston County?
EPA lists 2 active Superfund sites (final or proposed) in Charleston County: Macalloy Corporation and Koppers Co., Inc. (Charleston Plant). 1 other site has finished cleanup and been taken off the list.
Is there road construction in Charleston County right now?
Charleston County had 18 highway work zones in the October 11, 2026 feed from the state DOT (0 active that day). Roads listed: US17, SC30 and SC165. 3 are on interstates.
How many nursing homes are in Charleston County?
12 Medicare- or Medicaid-certified nursing homes (CMS provider data, September 2026).
How does Charleston County compare with neighboring counties?
| County | Population | Violent crimes per 1,000 (2021-25) | Median household income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Berkeley County | 246,802 | 3.2 | $84,358 |
| Colleton County | 38,783 | 6.7 | $51,114 |
| Dorchester County | 167,201 | 2.9 | $78,198 |
| Georgetown County | 64,811 | 4.3 | $68,713 |
Cities in Charleston County with their own page: Charleston, North Charleston, Mount Pleasant.
More: South Carolina statewide numbers · Sex-offender registry search (U.S. Justice Department, NSOPW)
Where do these numbers come from?
- Crime: FBI Uniform Crime Reporting 2021-2025 (agency level, Return A), averaged and summed by county by Map the Block; Census population; state and national rates: FBI estimated crimes 2021-2025.
- Income, housing, education: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year, table B19013 (median household income) and related tables.
- Monthly unemployment: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS), county data, not seasonally adjusted. Public domain.
- Hazards: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), county scores; disasters: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
- Superfund: U.S. EPA, Superfund site boundaries and NPL status (October 2026). Dams: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, National Inventory of Dams (public map service, October 2026). Chemical releases: U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory, reporting year 2024 (basic data file).
- Air and water: U.S. EPA AirData, annual AQI by county 2024; EPA Air Quality Design Values 2023-2025 (June 2026); U.S. EPA SDWIS via ECHO drinking-water download (September 30, 2026). Traffic deaths: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) 2024; Census population.
- Work zones: State departments of transportation, via the U.S. DOT Work Zone Data Exchange (WZDx) and state 511 feeds; refreshed every morning (snapshot October 11, 2026).
- Schools: National Center for Education Statistics, EDGE public school locations 2024-25; budgets: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances, fiscal year 2024; National Center for Education Statistics, EDGE Private School geocodes (Private School Survey 2023-24). Nursing homes: U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Nursing Home Provider Information and Penalties (September 2026). Stations: U.S. Geological Survey, National Structures Dataset (Fire Stations/EMS Stations), October 2026 pull.
- Parks: USGS Protected Areas Database of the U.S. (PAD-US 4.1); state park agencies' open data (CA, NY, PA, TN, TX, FL, NJ, KY, HI, UT, MT and others); OpenStreetMap contributors for some hours, phones, fees and camping; U.S. National Park Service: unit boundaries (Land Resources Division), Acreage Report (Sept 30, 2026), park pages on nps.gov (hours, fees), Visitor Use Statistics (2025).
Map the Block shows public statistics about places, not people, and does not rate or rank neighborhoods as places to live. Figures are as published by each source; check the source before relying on a number.
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