Charleston County

History

Charleston County was chartered in 1785 but was quickly dissolved after disputes by the residents about governance. The county was later redrawn in 1798 with the boundary lines taking effect on January 1, 1800. The county seat and largest city in both the county and state is Charleston. Both the county and town was named after King Charles II.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,357.99 square miles (3,517.2 km2), of which 917.98 square miles (2,377.6 km2) is land and 440.01 square miles (1,139.6 km2) (32.40%) is water. It is the largest county in South Carolina by total land and water area.

National protected areas

Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge

Charles Pinckney National Historic Site

Ernest F. Hollings ACE Basin National Wildlife Refuge (part)

Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie National Historical Park

Francis Marion National Forest (part)

Little Wambaw Swamp Wilderness

Wambaw Creek Wilderness (part)

Wambaw Swamp Wilderness

State and local protected areas/sites

Angel Oak Tree

Bird Key - Stono Seabird Sanctuary

Boone Hall Plantation & Gardens

Botany Bay Plantation Heritage Preserve/Wildlife Management Area

Buzzard Island Heritage Preserve

Capers Island Heritage Preserve

Crab Bank Seabird Sanctuary

Charles Towne Landing State Historic Site

Deveaux Bank Seabird Sanctuary

Dungannon Plantation Heritage Preserve/Wildlife Management Area

Edisto Beach State Park

Folly Beach County Park

Fort Lamar Heritage Preserve

Hampton Plantation State Historic Site

James Island County Park

Lighthouse Inlet Heritage Preserve

Magnolia Plantation and Gardens

Morris Island Lighthouse

North Charleston Wannamaker County Park

Santee Coastal Reserve Wildlife Management Area

Stono River County Park

Major water bodies

Ashley River

Atlantic Ocean (North Atlantic Ocean)

Cooper River

Intracoastal Waterway

Kiawah River

South Edisto River

South Santee River

Stono River

Wando River

Adjacent counties

Berkeley County – north

Georgetown County – northeast

Colleton County – west

Dorchester County – northwest

Major highways

I-26

I-526

I-526 BS

US 17

US 52

US 52 Conn.

US 52 Spur

US 78

SC 30

SC 41

SC 45

SC 61

SC 61 Conn.

SC 162

SC 165

SC 171

SC 174

SC 517

SC 642

SC 700

SC 703

Major infrastructure

Charleston International Airport (joint civil-military airport; also home to Boeing South Carolina)

North Charleston Station

Port of Charleston

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, there were 408,235 people, 173,572 households, and 95,785 families residing in the county.

The median age was 38.3 years. 19.7% of residents were under the age of 18 and 17.5% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 94.0 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 91.6 males age 18 and over.

The racial makeup of the county was 65.8% White, 22.7% Black or African American, 0.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.9% Asian, 0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 3.8% from some other race, and 5.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 7.2% of the population.

90.9% of residents lived in urban areas, while 9.1% lived in rural areas.

Among the 173,572 households in the county, 25.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 31.3% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 31.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. There were 201,884 housing units, of which 14.0% were vacant; 60.7% of occupied units were owner-occupied and 39.3% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.8% and the rental vacancy rate was 11.8%.

2010 census

At the 2010 census, there were 350,209 people, 144,309 households, and 85,692 families residing in the county. The population density was 382.3 inhabitants per square mile (147.6/km2). There were 169,984 housing units at an average density of 185.6 units per square mile (71.7 units/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 64.2% white, 29.8% black or African American, 1.3% Asian, 0.3% American Indian, 0.1% Pacific islander, 2.7% from other races, and 1.6% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 5.4% of the population. In terms of claimed ancestry, 11.3% were German, 11.0% were English, 10.2% were Irish, and 9.8% were American.

Of the 144,309 households, 27.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.5% were married couples living together, 14.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 40.6% were non-families, and 30.1% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 2.96. The median age was 35.9 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $48,433 and the median income for a family was $61,525. Males had a median income of $42,569 versus $34,195 for females. The per capita income for the county was $29,401. About 11.5% of families and 16.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 24.5% of those under age 18 and 10.8% of those age 65 or over.

2000 census

At the 2000 census, there were 309,969 people, 143,326 households, and 97,448 families residing in the county. The population density was 338 people per square mile (131 people/km2). There were 141,031 housing units at an average density of 154 units per square mile (59 units/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 61.9% White, 34.5% Black or African American, 0.26% Native American, 1.12% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 0.99% from other races, and 1.16% from two or more races. 2.40% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 9.6% were of American, 9.5% English, 9.1% German and 7.6% Irish ancestry.

There were 123,326 households, out of which 28.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.20% were married couples living together, 15.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.20% were non-families. 28.30% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 3.01.

In the county, the age distribution of the population shows 23.70% under the age of 18, 12.00% from 18 to 24, 30.30% from 25 to 44, 22.00% from 45 to 64, and 11.90% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.50 males.

The median income for a household in the county is $37,810, and the median income for a family was $47,139. Males had a median income of $32,681 versus $25,530 for females. The per capita income for the county was $21,393. About 12.40% of families and 16.40% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.90% of those under age 18 and 12.70% of those age 65 or over.

In the 2000 census, the county population was classified as about 86% urban. The Charleston-North Charleston Metropolitan Statistical Area includes the populations of Charleston, Berkeley, and Dorchester counties.

Law and government

From 1895 to 1973, when the state constitution was amended to provide for home rule in the counties, the counties had limited powers, under what was called "county purpose doctrine." Essentially the General Assembly governed the counties through their state legislative delegations and, with one state senator per county, the state senator was particularly powerful. In the 1940s, Charleston County adopted a council-manager form of county government to better handle its needs. In 1975 the state's Home Rule Act established a larger role for the county governments.

Charleston County has a large geographic area represented by a nine-member county council. From the turn of the 20th century into the 1960s, most African Americans were excluded from voting by the state's disenfranchising constitution and discriminatory practices. This gradually changed after passage of the federal Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Since 1969, members of the county commission have been elected in a modified at-large system for nine seats from four residency districts. Elections are held every two years for staggered four-year terms. Three Council seats are reserved for residents of the City of Charleston, three for residents of North Charleston, two for residents of West Ashley, and one for residents of East Cooper. The council elects a chairman from its members for a limited term of two years, but chairs can be re-elected.

Charleston County was "one of only three counties in South Carolina to elect its entire county council at-large. It was "the only county with a majority white population to do so." At-large positions favor candidates who can attract a majority of the votes, reducing representation from smaller portions of the population, or geographic areas.

In 1989 county residents proposed a referendum to change representation on the county council to election from single-member districts, which would have provided more opportunity for the sizable minority to elect candidates of their choice. This proposal was narrowly defeated in what both the county and the US government later defined as a racially polarized election. It was supported by 98% of the African-American minority voters; 75% of the white-majority voters rejected the referendum. In practice, the at-large system results in the dilution of votes of the significant minority of African-American voters, who comprise more than one-third of the electorate. In practice, the minority voters have been unable to elect a candidate of their choice in all but a few elections in the three decades since the system was established.

Politics

A largely urban area containing the cities of Charleston and North Charleston, Charleston County is one of the more Democratic-leaning counties in what is otherwise a solidly red state. In 2020, it voted for Joe Biden by nearly 13 points, the best Democratic performance in the county since 1944 and over 20 points more Democratic than the state as a whole. In 2024, Charleston County shifted towards Donald Trump in tandem with the rest of South Carolina, with Kamala Harris only winning the county by roughly 5.7 points, although it still voted to the left of the state by a similar margin. No Republican presidential candidate has won the county in over two decades as of 2025.

Law enforcement

Sheriff Kristin Graziano was elected in 2020, becoming the first woman and first openly gay person to serve as a sheriff in South Carolina. She was later defeated in 2024 by Carl Ritchie.

Emergency services

Volunteer Rescue Squad

The Volunteer Rescue Squad consists of over 50 members and a physician. Members are certified in a variety of emergency skills, and many members are first responders.

EMS and local hospitals

Emergency medical services (EMS) for the city are provided by Charleston County Emergency Medical Services (CCEMS) & Berkeley County Emergency Medical Services (BCEMS). The city is served by the EMS and 911 services of both Charleston and Berkeley counties since the city is part of both counties.

Charleston is the primary medical center for the eastern portion of the state. The city has several major hospitals located in the downtown area: Medical University of South Carolina Medical Center (MUSC), Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center, and Roper Hospital. MUSC is the state's first school of medicine, the largest medical university in the state, and the sixth-oldest continually operating school of medicine in the United States. The downtown medical district is experiencing rapid growth of biotechnology and medical research industries coupled with substantial expansions of all the major hospitals. Additionally, more expansions are planned or underway at another major hospital located in the West Ashley portion of the city: Bon Secours-St Francis Xavier Hospital. The Trident Medical Center, located in North Charleston, and East Cooper Medical Center, located in Mount Pleasant, also serve the needs of residents of the city of Charleston.

Economy

In 2022, the GDP of Charleston County was $41 billion (approx. $100,607 per capital). In chained 2017 dollars, its real GDP was $35.1 billion (about $85,956 per capita). From 2022 through 2024, its unemployment rate has fluctuated between 2-3.3%.

As of April 2024, some of the largest employers within the county include Boeing, Booz Allen Hamilton, Charleston County School District, College of Charleston, CVS Pharmacy, Harris Teeter, Medical University of South Carolina, Mercedes-Benz Group, Publix, United States Department of Defense, United States Department of Veterans Affairs, and Walmart.

Education

Charleston County School District is the school district for the entire county.

Recreation

The Charleston County Park and Recreation Commission (CCPRC) operates numerous facilities within Charleston County.

Beach parks

Kiawah Beachwalker County Park, Kiawah Island, South Carolina

Isle of Palms County Park, Isle of Palms, South Carolina

Folly Beach County Park, Folly Beach, South Carolina

Fishing piers

Folly Beach Fishing Pier, Folly Beach, South Carolina

Mt. Pleasant Pier, Mount Pleasant, South Carolina

Marinas and boat landings

Cooper River Marina

Multiple county-wide boat landings

Day parks

Palmetto Islands County Park, Mount Pleasant, South Carolina

Caw Caw Nature and History Interpretive Center, Ravenel, South Carolina

North Charleston Wannamaker County Park, North Charleston, South Carolina

Mullet Hall Equestrian Center, Johns Island, South Carolina

James Island County Park, Charleston, South Carolina

Old Towne Creek County Park, West Ashley, Charleston, South Carolina

Communities

Communities by Population ranking

The incorporated cities and towns of the county as well as the census-designated places are listed below by population. The population ranking is based on the 2020 census of Charleston County.

† = county seat

Unincorporated communities

Ashley River

Barrelville

Edisto Island

Johns Island

Former communities

Atlanticville

Clementia

Districts

Awendaw-McClellanville Consolidated Fire District, made up of unincorporated parts of Northern Charleston County, the Town of Awendaw, and the Town of McClellanville.

James Island Public Service District, made up of unincorporated parts of the island.

North Charleston Public Service District, responsible for sewer lines and treatment in the City of North Charleston.

St. John's Fire District, serving Kiawah Island, Seabrook Island, unincorporated John's Island, and Wadmalaw Island.

Saint Andrews Public Service District, made up of unincorporated parts of West Ashley.

St. Pauls Fire District, made up of all of the Towns of Hollywood, Ravenel, Meggett and unincorporated parts of the southern end of Charleston County.

West Ashley

Notable people

Pernessa C. Seele (born 1954), immunologist, founder and CEO of the Balm in Gilead, Inc., an international organization based in Harlem, New York