Charleston County vs Richland County
A side-by-side comparison of Charleston County and Richland County: population, income, housing, and more.
Charleston County and Richland County are counties in South Carolina. This page compares them across population, income, housing, education, commuting, and how each has changed since 2019.
Richland County has the higher population (418,725 vs 414,711 in Charleston County). Charleston County has the higher median household income ($84,320 vs $61,699 in Richland County). Charleston County has the higher median home value ($450,800 vs $224,200 in Richland County).
Population, income & housing
| Charleston County | Richland County | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 414,711 | 418,725 |
| Median age | 39.0 yrs | 34.2 yrs |
| Median household income | $84,320 | $61,699 |
| Median home value | $450,800 | $224,200 |
| Median gross rent | $1,506 | $1,185 |
| Housing units | 206,299 | 185,196 |
| Homeownership rate | 63.5% | 60.4% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 49.0% | 41.1% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.6% | 6.6% |
Trends (ACS 5-year, 2019–2023)
| Charleston County | Richland County | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 401,165 → 414,711 (+3.4%) | 411,357 → 418,725 (+1.8%) |
| Median household income | $64,022 → $84,320 (+31.7%) | $54,767 → $61,699 (+12.7%) |
| Median home value | $315,600 → $450,800 (+42.8%) | $163,100 → $224,200 (+37.5%) |
| Median gross rent | $1,190 → $1,506 (+26.6%) | $972 → $1,185 (+21.9%) |
Charleston County
401,165414,711
$64,022$84,320
$315,600$450,800
$1,190$1,506
Richland County
411,357418,725
$54,767$61,699
$163,100$224,200
$972$1,185
Age & race/ethnicity
Age distribution (share)
| Charleston County | Richland County | |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 5.7% | 5.6% |
| 5 to 17 | 14.0% | 16.1% |
| 18 to 24 | 8.3% | 14.8% |
| 25 to 34 | 15.8% | 14.4% |
| 35 to 44 | 14.3% | 12.6% |
| 45 to 54 | 11.7% | 11.4% |
| 55 to 64 | 12.9% | 11.4% |
| 65 to 74 | 10.8% | 8.7% |
| 75 and over | 6.7% | 5.1% |
Race & ethnicity (share)
| Charleston County | Richland County | |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 64.3% | 39.9% |
| Black or African American | 23.5% | 46.9% |
| American Indian & Alaska Native | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| Asian | 1.7% | 2.9% |
| Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| Some other race | 0.4% | 0.6% |
| Two or more races | 2.9% | 3.4% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 7.0% | 6.3% |
Educational attainment (age 25+)
Share of adults 25+
| Charleston County | Richland County | |
|---|---|---|
| No high school diploma | 7.1% | 8.0% |
| High school graduate | 18.6% | 21.0% |
| Some college or associate's | 25.3% | 29.8% |
| Bachelor's degree | 30.0% | 23.6% |
| Graduate or professional degree | 19.0% | 17.5% |
Commute to work
How workers get to work (share)
| Charleston County | Richland County | |
|---|---|---|
| Drove alone | 71.8% | 72.4% |
| Carpooled | 7.7% | 8.0% |
| Public transit | 1.0% | 0.9% |
| Walked | 2.0% | 6.1% |
| Bicycle | 0.8% | 0.1% |
| Worked from home | 15.6% | 10.5% |
| Other means | 1.1% | 2.0% |
Housing
Units in structure (share)
| Charleston County | Richland County | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-unit, detached | 58.1% | 64.1% |
| 1-unit, attached | 6.8% | 3.9% |
| 2 to 4 units | 6.6% | 6.6% |
| 5 to 19 units | 13.6% | 12.0% |
| 20 or more units | 9.9% | 8.7% |
| Mobile home & other | 5.0% | 4.7% |
Poverty & households
| Charleston County | Richland County | |
|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 11.6% | 16.9% |
| Average household size | 2.30 | 2.36 |
| Mean commute (minutes) | 25 | 23 |
| Median year structure built | 1991 | 1989 |
Full profiles
2Related rankings
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