Town guide

Charleston, South Carolina

Charleston is a city in Berkeley County, South Carolina, home to about 154,338 people across 115 square miles. Its ZIP codes are 29401, 29403, 29407, 29409, 29412, 29414, 29424, 29425, 29455 and 29492, and parts of 29405 are in Charleston too.

Homes sold for a median of $356 per square foot across 7 ZIP codes in the three months ending August 2026, and 6 of 7 were seller’s markets.

Population154,3381,345 per sq mi

Median home value$509,700Census, as estimated by owners

Price per sq ft$356Sold homes, 3 months to August 2026

Sold over asking13%Median of 7 ZIP codes

ZIP codes in Charleston

11 ZIP codes, 1 shared with neighboring towns

Charleston, SC29401 Balanced $1,028/sq ft +20.4% vs. last year 4.1 months of supply · 10% sold over asking Competition 23/100

All in Charleston

Charleston, SC29403 Seller’s market $586/sq ft −1.1% vs. last year 3.8 months of supply · 13% sold over asking Competition 25/100

All in Charleston

Charleston, SC29407 Seller’s market $356/sq ft −0.3% vs. last year 3.5 months of supply · 17% sold over asking Competition 37/100

Mostly Charleston

Charleston, SC29409Not enough recent sales for market figures yet.

All in Charleston

Charleston, SC29412 Seller’s market $355/sq ft −5.2% vs. last year 3.1 months of supply · 14% sold over asking Competition 36/100

Mostly Charleston; also James Island and Folly Beach

Charleston, SC29414 Seller’s market $258/sq ft −0.9% vs. last year 3.2 months of supply · 15% sold over asking Competition 37/100

Mostly Charleston; also North Charleston

Charleston, SC29424Not enough recent sales for market figures yet.

All in Charleston

Charleston, SC29425Not enough recent sales for market figures yet.

All in Charleston

Johns Island, SC29455 Seller’s market $330/sq ft +1.6% vs. last year 3.9 months of supply · 10% sold over asking Competition 26/100

Mostly Charleston; also Kiawah Island and Seabrook Island

Charleston, SC29492 Seller’s market $409/sq ft −2.5% vs. last year 2.7 months of supply · 8% sold over asking Competition 31/100

Mostly Charleston

North Charleston, SC29405 Balanced $284/sq ft −4.5% vs. last year 4.8 months of supply · 9% sold over asking Competition 20/100

Mostly North Charleston; part is in Charleston

Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Charleston. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology

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History
What it’s like to live there
Getting around
Things to do

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Charleston at a glance

City · Berkeley County, SC

Population	154,3381,345 per square mile
Land area	115 square milesplus 20 of water
Median household income	$92,414average $132,092
Median home value	$509,700as estimated by owners
Median rent	$1,722/month
Homes lived in by owners	56%
Single-family houses	48% of homes
Median year built	1995
Average household	2.18 people
Median age	36.6
Average commute	24 minutes19% work from home
Adults with a degree	58%bachelor’s or higher

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates for the place; town boundaries and ZIP code overlaps from the Census Bureau’s 2020 relationship files; market figures from Redfin, a national real estate brokerage. This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.

Around Charleston

Distances

Nearest major airport	Charleston International Airport (CHS)6 miles away
Nearest city of 250,000+	Charlotte, NC171 miles away
Nearest city of 1 million+	Philadelphia, PA563 miles away

Straight-line distances from the center of Charleston; driving is longer.

Source: Airports from OurAirports (scheduled passenger service); city centers and populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.

Who represents Charleston

U.S. Representative · South Carolina’s 6th DistrictJames E. Clyburn (D)
U.S. Representative · South Carolina’s 1st DistrictNancy Mace (R)
U.S. SenatorDarline Graham (R)
U.S. SenatorTim Scott (R)
GovernorHenry McMaster (R)
Mayor · as listed on WikidataWilliam S. Cogswell Jr.

Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.

Population over time

Charleston had 150,227 residents in the 2020 census, up 55% since 2000.

It’s the 1st largest of 474 towns in South Carolina by population.

Berkeley County grew from 30,454 residents in 1900 to 229,861 in 2020.

Berkeley County, 1900–2020

Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).

Weather by month

Average highs peak around 88°F in summer, and winter lows average 44°F. About 44.5 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year.

Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Charleston City, SC weather station (5 miles away).

Jobs in Berkeley County

61,856 jobs at 4,230 businesses in Berkeley County. The biggest industries by employees:

Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).

Health care

7,649 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Charleston’s ZIP codes.

Nearest hospitals

Charleston Va Medical CenterVA hospital · emergency room · CMS rating 5 of 5 · Charleston3.8 miles
Musc Medical CenterGeneral hospital · emergency room · CMS rating 2 of 5 · Charleston4.0 miles
Roper HospitalGeneral hospital · emergency room · CMS rating 4 of 5 · Charleston4.1 miles

Providers with an office here

Primary care doctors	907
Specialist doctors	2,678
Dentists	346
Nurse practitioners and physician assistants	1,440
Mental health providers	1,588
Physical and occupational therapists	510
Optometrists	60
Chiropractors	120
Pharmacies	86

Source: Hospitals from CMS Hospital General Information (ratings are CMS overall star ratings); straight-line distances; providers from the CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), by practice address and primary specialty.

Places in and around Charleston

Parks (155 nearby)

Charles Towne Landing State Historic Site · 399 acres2.3 mi
West Ashley Park · 63 acres5.2 mi
Hampton Park · 40 acres2.8 mi
Park Circle · 35 acres3.1 mi
Governor's Park · 34 acres4.5 mi
Ingevity-Westrock Park · 32 acres4.7 mi

Grocery stores (44 nearby)

Publix2.2 mi
Food Lion2.6 mi
Food Lion2.7 mi
Food Lion2.7 mi

Pharmacies (21 nearby)

CVS Pharmacy1.7 mi
Park Circle Pharmacy2.6 mi
CVS Pharmacy2.6 mi
CVS Pharmacy3.3 mi

Libraries (18 nearby)

Charleston County Public Library Cooper River Memorial Branch1.4 mi
Charleston County Public Library John L Dart Branch Library2.6 mi
Daniel Library2.9 mi
Saint Andrews Regional Library3.3 mi
Palmer Campus Library3.4 mi

Museums (29 nearby)

Charleston Apple Museum2.6 mi
The Citadel Daniel Museum2.9 mi
North Charleston Fire Museum3.6 mi
TiNY Tennis Museum3.6 mi
Macaulay Museum of Dental History3.8 mi

Theaters and performance venues (20 nearby)

Wit's End Comedy Lounge1.1 mi
North Charleston Performing Arts Caenter3.4 mi
Woolfe Street Playhouse3.7 mi
PURE Theatre3.7 mi
Davies Auditorium3.9 mi

Counts are within about 7 miles of the center of town.

Source: Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (openstreetmap.org/copyright), as mapped by volunteers; it can miss places or include closed ones.

Colleges, teams and notable people

Established in 1670.

Colleges and universities

College of Charleston
Medical University of South Carolina
Charleston Southern University
American College of the Building Arts

Sports teams

Charleston Battery USL Championship

Notable people born here

Andy Dick (1965) · American comedian and actor
Robert F. Furchgott (1916) · American biochemist (1916-2009)
Robert Jordan (1948) · American fantasy writer (1948–2007)
James F. Byrnes (1882) · American politician (1882–1972)
Catherine Coleman (1960) · American astronaut, chemist, United States Air Force officer
Will Patton (1954) · American actor
Thomas Gibson (1962) · American actor and director
Tim Scott (1965) · United States Senator from South Carolina since 2013

Source: Wikidata (wikidata.org), the free knowledge base; people are listed by place of birth.

Schools in Charleston

Public schools here are run by Charleston 01, Berkeley 01, Orangeburg. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.

Public schools (38)

School	Grades	Students	Type	Distance
Angel Oak ElementaryJohns Island	Pre-K–5	828	Public	11.0 mi
Ashley River Creative Arts ElementaryCharleston	Pre-K–5	618	Public	4.0 mi
Charleston Development AcademyCharleston	Pre-K–8	151	Charter	3.5 mi
Charleston ProgressiveCharleston	Pre-K–5	184	Public	3.8 mi
Devon Forest ElementaryGoose Creek	Pre-K–5	925	Public	15.1 mi
Drayton Hall ElementaryCharleston	Pre-K–5	640	Public	6.0 mi
Harbor View ElementaryCharleston	Pre-K–5	621	Public	5.7 mi
James Island ElementaryCharleston	Pre-K–5	580	Public	9.4 mi
James Simons MontessoriCharleston	Pre-K–8	392	Public	2.9 mi
Memminger ElementaryCharleston	Pre-K–5	438	Public	4.5 mi
Mitchell ElementaryCharleston	Pre-K–5	188	Public	3.3 mi
Montessori Community SchoolCharleston	Pre-K–8	280	Public	5.1 mi
Mt. Zion ElementaryJohns Island	Pre-K–5	295	Public	11.9 mi
Murray-LaSaine MontessoriCharleston	Pre-K–8	347	Public	6.6 mi
Oakland ElementaryCharleston	Pre-K–5	556	Public	5.3 mi
Orange Grove Charter SchoolCharleston	Pre-K–8	1,170	Charter	2.1 mi
Pattison's Academy for Comprehensive EducationCharleston	Pre-K–12	53	Charter	4.4 mi
Philip Simmons ElementaryWando	Pre-K–4	535	Public	8.2 mi
Sanders-Clyde ElementaryCharleston	Pre-K–5	369	Public	3.2 mi
Springfield ElementaryCharleston	Pre-K–5	679	Public	5.2 mi
St. Andrew's School of Math and ScienceCharleston	Pre-K–5	769	Public	4.2 mi
Stiles Point ElementaryCharleston	Pre-K–5	866	Public	7.4 mi
Stono Park ElementaryCharleston	Pre-K–5	337	Public	4.8 mi
Carolina Voyager CharterCharleston	K–8	402	Charter	4.4 mi
Daniel Island SchoolCharleston	K–8	1,151	Public	3.6 mi
Buist AcademyCharleston	3–8	521	Public	4.2 mi
Philip Simmons MiddleWando	5–8	473	Public	8.2 mi
C. E. Williams Middle School for Creative and Scientific ArtCharleston	6–8	1,299	Public	6.5 mi
Camp Road MiddleCharleston	6–8	901	Public	7.2 mi
Charleston Charter School for Math and ScienceCharleston	6–12	573	Charter	2.7 mi

And 8 more.

Private schools (24)

School	Grades	Students	Affiliation	Distance
Addlestone Hebrew AcademyCharleston	Pre-K–8	60	Jewish	3.3 mi
Ashley Hall SchoolCharleston	Pre-K–12	543	Nonsectarian	3.9 mi
Blessed Sacrament Catholic SchoolCharleston	Pre-K–8	231	Roman Catholic	4.0 mi
Charles Towne Montessori SchoolCharleston	Pre-K–6	37	Nonsectarian	4.3 mi
Charleston Collegiate SchoolJohns Island	Pre-K–12	363	Nonsectarian	10.3 mi
First Baptist School of CharlestonCharleston	Pre-K–12	501	Baptist	5.0 mi
James Island Christian SchoolCharleston	Pre-K–8	221	Christian (no specific denomination)	5.5 mi
James Island Christian SchoolCharleston	Pre-K–8	218	Christian (no specific denomination)	5.5 mi
Meeting Street AcademyCharleston	Pre-K–5	209	Nonsectarian	2.7 mi
Montessori School of Johns IslandJohns Island	Pre-K–K	3	Nonsectarian	10.8 mi
Nativity SchoolCharleston	Pre-K–8	91	Roman Catholic	7.8 mi
Ne Miles Early Childhood Development CenterCharleston	Pre-K–K	2	Nonsectarian	4.4 mi
Oak Grove MontessoriCharleston	Pre-K–K	21	Nonsectarian	4.1 mi
Sundrops Montessori - Daniel IslandCharleston	Pre-K–K	7	Nonsectarian	5.3 mi
The Charleston Catholic SchoolCharleston	Pre-K–8	163	Roman Catholic	3.0 mi
Trinity Montessori SchoolCharleston	Pre-K–6	22	Christian (no specific denomination)	2.2 mi
Addlestone Hebrew AcademyCharleston	K–8	61	Jewish	3.3 mi
Adventist Christian Academy of CharlestonCharleston	K–8	29	Seventh-day Adventist	5.7 mi
Charleston Day SchoolCharleston	K–8	246	Nonsectarian	4.6 mi
Mason Preparatory SchoolCharleston	K–8	300	Christian (no specific denomination)	4.3 mi
The Cooper SchoolCharleston	K–8	153	Nonsectarian	3.6 mi
Porter-Gaud SchoolCharleston	1–12	1,071	Episcopal	4.5 mi
Bishop England High SchoolCharleston	9–12	718	Roman Catholic	3.4 mi
Harvest Time International AcademyCharleston	12	2	Pentecostal	3.0 mi

Source: U.S. Department of Education, NCES: Common Core of Data (2024-2025) for public schools; Private School Universe Survey (2023-2024) for private schools. Listed by address; we don’t rate schools.

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Towns near Charleston

All South Carolina towns →

Hanahan, SCCity · 21,452 people6 miles away North Charleston, SCCity · 119,913 people8 miles away James Island, SCTown · 12,198 people8 miles away Kiawah Island, SCTown · 2,326 people9 miles away Seabrook Island, SCTown · 2,204 people9 miles away Sullivan's Island, SCTown · 2,087 people9 miles away Folly Beach, SCCity · 1,267 people9 miles away Mount Pleasant, SCTown · 93,993 people10 miles away

More for Charleston buyers

Berkeley County property taxes Berkeley County loan limits Closing costs in South Carolina Hottest ZIP codes in South Carolina Towns like Charleston

Town boundaries don’t always match ZIP codes: a ZIP code can cross into neighboring towns, and a town can share a ZIP code with its neighbors. Facts describe the town itself; market figures describe whole ZIP codes.