Charleston County Demographics

A map of Charleston County's Population by Race

Race	2024 Pop	2020 Pop	2024 %	2020 %
White	270,977	263,560	64.5%	64.6%
Black	95,215	91,746	22.7%	22.5%
Hispanic	30,143	29,280	7.2%	7.2%
Multiracial	14,242	13,479	3.4%	3.3%
Asian	7,411	7,461	1.8%	1.8%
Native American/Other	2,276	2,709	0.5%	0.7%

Charleston County, South Carolina has an estimated population of 420,264, a slight increase from the 408,235 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 64.5% White, 22.7% Black, 7.2% Hispanic, 3.4% Multiracial, 1.8% Asian, and 0.5% Native American/Other. This demographic dot map shows the population of Charleston County, with one dot drawn for each person counted by the Census, color-coded by race.

Charleston is about as racially diverse as it was in the 2020 Census. It is less diverse than South Carolina overall. Demographers use a diversity index to measure the probability that two randomly selected individuals belong to different racial or ethnic groups. In Charleston County, that probability was 52.6% in 2020 and 52.6% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Charleston County is ranked the 3rd most populous county in South Carolina, out of 46 counties. Charleston County was ranked the 3rd most populous county in the 2020 Census.

Charleston County's White Population

270,977 residents of Charleston County, or 64.5% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Charleston County is slightly higher than in South Carolina overall, where 61.9% of the population is White. Charleston County ranks 16th statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 46 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Charleston County's White population has grown by an estimated 2.8%. White residents' share of Charleston County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 64.5%.

Charleston County is more White than neighboring Berkeley County (60.1% White), Dorchester County (60.6% White), Colleton County (56.5% White), and Williamsburg County (32.2% White). Charleston County is less White than neighboring Georgetown County (65.8% White).

Charleston County's Black Population

95,215 residents of Charleston County, or 22.7% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Charleston County is comparable to the share in South Carolina overall, where 24.6% of the population is Black. Charleston County ranks 34th statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 46 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Charleston County's Black population has grown by an estimated 3.8%. Black residents' share of Charleston County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 22.7%.

Charleston County is less Black than neighboring Dorchester County (24.9% Black), Colleton County (33.6% Black), Williamsburg County (63.1% Black), and Georgetown County (27.8% Black).

Charleston County's Asian Population

7,411 residents of Charleston County, or 1.8% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Charleston County is comparable to the share in South Carolina overall, where 1.7% of the population is Asian. Charleston County ranks 10th statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 46 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Charleston County's Asian population has remained roughly the same. Asian residents' share of Charleston County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 1.8%.

Charleston County is more Asian than neighboring Colleton County (0.4% Asian), Williamsburg County (0.8% Asian), and Georgetown County (0.3% Asian). Charleston County is less Asian than neighboring Berkeley County (2.5% Asian), and Dorchester County (2.1% Asian).

Charleston County's Hispanic Population

30,143 residents of Charleston County, or 7.2% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Charleston County is comparable to the share in South Carolina overall, where 7.4% of the population is Hispanic. Charleston County ranks 9th statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 46 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Charleston County's Hispanic population has grown by an estimated 2.9%. Hispanic residents' share of Charleston County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 7.2%.

Charleston County is more Hispanic than neighboring Colleton County (4.6% Hispanic), Williamsburg County (2.5% Hispanic), and Georgetown County (3.6% Hispanic). Charleston County is less Hispanic than neighboring Berkeley County (9.2% Hispanic).

Charleston County's Native American/Other Population

2,276 residents of Charleston County, or 0.5% of the population, identify as American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander/Other. The share of Native American/Other residents in Charleston County is comparable to the share in South Carolina overall, where 0.7% of the population is Native American/Other. Charleston County ranks 18th statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 46 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Charleston County's Native American/Other population has declined by an estimated 16.0%. Native American/Other residents' share of Charleston County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.5%.

Charleston County is more Native American/Other than neighboring Georgetown County (0.4% Native American/Other). Charleston County is less Native American/Other than neighboring Berkeley County (0.9% Native American/Other), Dorchester County (0.9% Native American/Other), and Colleton County (0.6% Native American/Other).

Charleston County's Multiracial Population

14,242 residents of Charleston County, or 3.4% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Charleston County is comparable to the share in South Carolina overall, where 3.7% of the population is Multiracial. Charleston County ranks 24th statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 46 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Charleston County's Multiracial population has grown by an estimated 5.7%. Multiracial residents' share of Charleston County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 3.4%.

Charleston County is more Multiracial than neighboring Williamsburg County (0.9% Multiracial), and Georgetown County (2.1% Multiracial). Charleston County is less Multiracial than neighboring Berkeley County (4.6% Multiracial), Dorchester County (4.4% Multiracial), and Colleton County (4.3% Multiracial).

Sources: Most recent population estimates are from the 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. 2020 population counts and map data are from 2020 Census State Redistricting Data. Geographic data are from Census TIGER/Line Shapefiles.