Town guide

Kiawah Island, South Carolina

Kiawah Island is a town in Charleston County, South Carolina, home to about 2,326 people across 11 square miles. It has no ZIP code of its own: it’s part of 29455.

Homes sold for a median of $330 per square foot in the three months ending August 2026, a seller’s market.

Population2,326208 per sq mi
Median home value$2M+Census, as estimated by owners
Price per sq ft$330Sold homes, 3 months to August 2026
Sold over asking10%Latest 3 months

ZIP codes in Kiawah Island

1 ZIP code, 1 shared with neighboring towns

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

The Kiawah Island guide is on the way

We’re writing up Kiawah Island’s story and what everyday life there is like, for people thinking about moving in.

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

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Around Kiawah Island

Distances

Nearest major airportCharleston International Airport (CHS)8 miles away
Nearest city of 250,000+Charlotte, NC172 miles away
Nearest city of 1 million+Philadelphia, PA570 miles away

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

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

Who represents Kiawah Island

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

Kiawah Island had 2,013 residents in the 2020 census, up 73% since 2000.

It’s the 180th largest of 474 towns in South Carolina by population.

Charleston County grew from 88,006 residents in 1900 to 408,235 in 2020.

Kiawah Island population by census2000: 1,163, 2010: 1,626, 2020: 2,0131,16320001,62620102,0132020

Charleston County, 1900–2020

Charleston County population, 1900 to 20201900: 88,006, 1910: 88,594, 1920: 108,450, 1930: 101,050, 1940: 121,105, 1950: 164,856, 1960: 216,382, 1970: 247,650, 1980: 276,974, 1990: 295,039, 2000: 309,969, 2010: 350,209, 2020: 408,23588K’00’10108K’20’30121K’40’50216K’60’70277K’80’90310K’00’10408K’20

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

Weather by month

Average highs peak around 91°F in summer, and winter lows average 39°F. About 52.7 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year, with about 0 inches of snow.

Average high and low temperature and precipitation by month near Kiawah IslandJan: high 60°F, low 39°F, 3.4 in; Feb: high 64°F, low 42°F, 3.1 in; Mar: high 70°F, low 47°F, 3.4 in; Apr: high 77°F, low 55°F, 3.3 in; May: high 84°F, low 63°F, 3.3 in; Jun: high 89°F, low 70°F, 6.2 in; Jul: high 91°F, low 74°F, 6.6 in; Aug: high 90°F, low 73°F, 7 in; Sep: high 85°F, low 68°F, 6 in; Oct: high 78°F, low 58°F, 4.3 in; Nov: high 69°F, low 47°F, 2.7 in; Dec: high 63°F, low 42°F, 3.4 in60°39°Jan3.464°42°Feb3.170°47°Mar3.477°55°Apr3.384°63°May3.389°70°Jun6.291°74°Jul6.690°73°Aug7.085°68°Sep6.078°58°Oct4.369°47°Nov2.763°42°Dec3.4Rain and melted snow, inches

Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Charleston Intl Ap, SC weather station (8 miles away).

Jobs in Charleston County

226,330 jobs at 15,801 businesses in Charleston County. The biggest industries by employees:

Largest industries in Charleston CountyHotels and restaurants: 36,908 jobs; Health care and social assistance: 36,658 jobs; Retail trade: 29,490 jobs; Professional services: 21,487 jobs; Administrative and support: 16,540 jobs; Manufacturing: 15,287 jobs; Construction: 13,514 jobs; Transportation and warehousing: 10,298 jobsHotels and restaurants 16% Health care and social assistance 16% Retail trade 13% Professional services 10% Administrative and support 7% Manufacturing 7% Construction 6% Transportation and warehousing 5%

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

Health care

150 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Kiawah Island.

Nearest hospitals

  • Bon Secours-St. Francis Xavier HospitalGeneral hospital · emergency room · CMS rating 3 of 5 · Charleston4.1 miles
  • Charleston Va Medical CenterVA hospital · emergency room · CMS rating 5 of 5 · Charleston9.0 miles
  • Roper HospitalGeneral hospital · emergency room · CMS rating 4 of 5 · Charleston9.3 miles

Providers with an office here

Primary care doctors27
Specialist doctors7
Dentists11
Nurse practitioners and physician assistants32
Mental health providers26
Physical and occupational therapists36
Optometrists1
Chiropractors10
Pharmacies9

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 Kiawah Island

Parks (3 nearby)

  • Stono River County Park · 26 acres0.4 mi
  • Carolina Bay Park · 5 acres2.3 mi
  • St Andrews Park · 3 acres1.7 mi

Grocery stores (2 nearby)

  • Publix0.9 mi
  • Stono Market2.2 mi

Pharmacies (1 nearby)

  • Walgreens0.7 mi

Libraries

  • Bees Ferry West Ashley Library2.5 mi
  • John's Island Regional Library5.1 mi
  • Saint Andrews Regional Library5.6 mi
  • Dorchester Road Library6.3 mi

Counts are within about 2.5 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.

Schools in Kiawah Island

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

Public schools (4)
SchoolGradesStudentsTypeDistance
Angel Oak ElementaryJohns IslandPre-K–5828Public4.8 mi
Devon Forest ElementaryGoose CreekPre-K–5925Public17.1 mi
Mt. Zion ElementaryJohns IslandPre-K–5295Public8.8 mi
St. Johns HighJohns Island9–12390Public4.7 mi
Private schools (2)
SchoolGradesStudentsAffiliationDistance
Charleston Collegiate SchoolJohns IslandPre-K–12363Nonsectarian6.1 mi
Montessori School of Johns IslandJohns IslandPre-K–K3Nonsectarian4.2 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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Where Kiawah Island is

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Towns near Kiawah Island

All South Carolina towns →

Shares ZIP codes with Charleston and Seabrook Island.

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.