Poverty and living standards in Charleston, South Carolina: official figures
12.3% of residents of Charleston (18,295 people) had incomes below the federal poverty line in the 2020-2024 American Community Survey, 409th lowest of 823 US cities of 50,000 or more (US: 12.5%; South Carolina: 14.1%).
How many children live in poverty in Charleston?
16.9% of children under 18 in Charleston lived below the poverty line in 2020-2024 (4,468 children), 355th highest of 823 US cities of 50,000 or more (US: 16.1%; South Carolina: 19.4%).
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · saved copyWhat is the poverty rate for older people in Charleston?
By age, the poverty rate in Charleston was 15.3% for children under 6 and 8.2% for residents aged 60 and over in 2020-2024 (US: 17.2% and 11.0%).
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · saved copyHow many people in Charleston live in deep poverty?
9,443 people in Charleston, 6.4% of residents, had incomes below half the poverty line in 2020-2024, 353rd highest of 823 US cities of 50,000 or more (US: 6.0%).
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · saved copyHow many renters in Charleston are cost-burdened?
54.5% of renting households in Charleston spent 30% or more of their income on rent and utilities in 2020-2024 (15,658 households), 337th highest of 823 US cities of 50,000 or more (US: 51.1%; South Carolina: 52.1%).
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · saved copyHow many households in Charleston spend half their income on rent?
27.8% of renting households in Charleston spent half or more of their income on rent and utilities, 346th highest of 823 US cities of 50,000 or more (US: 25.9%).
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · saved copyHow many people in Charleston are food insecure?
An estimated 11.5% of adults in Charleston experienced food insecurity in the past year, joint 113th lowest of 592 US cities of 50,000 or more with an estimate, and 9.7% housing insecurity (CDC PLACES model-based estimate for 2023, age-adjusted).
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · saved copyHow Charleston compares with other cities in the United States
Residents below the poverty line (2020-2024)
Charleston ranks 415 of 823, highest first.
| Rank | City | Residents below the poverty line |
|---|---|---|
| 412 | Garden Grove | 12.3% |
| 413 | Fullerton | 12.3% |
| 414 | Clarksville | 12.3% |
| 415 | Charleston | 12.3% |
| 416 | Vallejo | 12.2% |
| 417 | Escondido | 12.2% |
| 418 | Rancho Cordova | 12.2% |
Children under 18 below the poverty line (2020-2024)
Charleston ranks 355 of 823, highest first.
| Rank | City | Children under 18 below the poverty line |
|---|---|---|
| 352 | Tamarac | 16.9% |
| 353 | Palm Coast | 16.9% |
| 354 | Spokane Valley | 16.9% |
| 355 | Charleston | 16.9% |
| 356 | Tempe | 16.9% |
| 357 | Jacksonville | 16.9% |
| 358 | Charlotte | 16.8% |
Residents with incomes below half the poverty line (2020-2024)
Charleston ranks 353 of 823, highest first.
| Rank | City | Residents with incomes below half the poverty line |
|---|---|---|
| 350 | Durham | 6.4% |
| 351 | Portland | 6.4% |
| 352 | Columbus | 6.4% |
| 353 | Charleston | 6.4% |
| 354 | Waukegan | 6.3% |
| 355 | Gresham | 6.3% |
| 356 | Cleveland | 6.3% |
Renting households spending 30% or more of income on rent (2020-2024)
Charleston ranks 337 of 823, highest first.
| Rank | City | Renting households spending 30% or more of income on rent |
|---|---|---|
| 334 | Porterville | 54.6% |
| 335 | Virginia Beach | 54.6% |
| 336 | Yonkers | 54.5% |
| 337 | Charleston | 54.5% |
| 338 | Beaumont | 54.5% |
| 339 | Brockton | 54.5% |
| 340 | South Gate | 54.4% |
Adults experiencing food insecurity (age-adjusted model estimate) (2023)
Charleston ranks 479 of 592, highest first.
| Rank | City | Adults experiencing food insecurity (age-adjusted model estimate) |
|---|---|---|
| 476 | Tinley Park | 11.8% |
| 477 | Coeur d'Alene | 11.7% |
| 478 | Boise City | 11.6% |
| 479 | Charleston | 11.5% |
| 480 | Torrance | 11.5% |
| 481 | Milpitas | 11.4% |
| 482 | Petaluma | 11.4% |
More on Charleston: overview · economy and jobs · health · education and schools · government budget · all cities in the United States
Sources
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: PLACES: Place Data (GIS Friendly Format), 2025 release: model-based age-adjusted prevalence among adults, for every place (data.cdc.gov API, columns used), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 b2174bcc660f…)
- U.S. Census Bureau: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, table B17020: Poverty Status in the Past 12 Months by Age (Summary File rows for the US, the states and the listed cities, copied unchanged from the full file, sha256 e79a292f34605560506b7f4b5c8ea242c9d6e203c8e95ba675565ddb7758571e), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 41bab025d213…)
- U.S. Census Bureau: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, table C17002: Ratio of Income to Poverty Level in the Past 12 Months (Summary File rows for the US, the states and the listed cities, copied unchanged from the full file, sha256 dc3dc675113683ec3ff2a0e29a840f43e03268151d7f14b922658d7306da5187), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 31aa364bfddf…)
- U.S. Census Bureau: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, table B25070: Gross Rent as a Percentage of Household Income in the Past 12 Months (Summary File rows for the US, the states and the listed cities, copied unchanged from the full file, sha256 862ccc17d913305d11e6f802ce4518d76b30585ea0b05b251cd8cf21f8661386), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 4f8d499d9e95…)
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