HomeSouth CarolinaCharleston CountyNorth Charleston
North Charleston, South Carolina: commercial real estate data.
North Charleston is a Census city of 119,913 people across 77.97 square miles of land, lying across Charleston County and Dorchester County. Median household income is $62,956, 49.8 percent of occupied homes are owned, and the SBA record carries 133 7(a) approvals to borrowers here worth $118.0 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
North Charleston
What North Charleston is
- Census place typecity
- Land area77.97 sq mi
- Water area3.57 sq mi
- Population per square mile of land1,538
- County holding the largest share of its areaCharleston County, 73.7 percent
- Counties this place lies inCharleston County 73.7 percent, Dorchester County 26.3 percent
North Charleston crosses a county line. The split above is measured from the Census boundary of the place against the county boundaries, by area, so it says where the ground is and not where the town hall is.
US Census Bureau, cartographic boundary file, places, 2024 vintage. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, place level, 2020-2024 5-year.
North Charleston
How many people live in North Charleston
- Population119,913
- Median age34.6
- Population under 1826,276
- Share under 1821.9 percent
- Population 65 and over14,951
- Share 65 and over12.5 percent
- Households49,185
- Family households27,351
- Share of households that are families55.6 percent
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, place level, 2020-2024 5-year.
North Charleston
Income and work in North Charleston
- Median household income$62,956
- Per capita income$36,019
- Civilian labor force63,593
- Employed60,848
- Unemployed2,745 plus or minus 555
- Unemployment rate4.3 percent plus or minus 0.9
- Adults 25 and over81,235
- Adults 25 and over with a high school diploma or higher88.7 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher28.6 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree10.6 percent
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, place level, 2020-2024 5-year.
North Charleston
Housing in North Charleston
- Housing units54,781
- Occupied units49,185
- Vacant units5,596
- Vacancy rate10.2 percent
- Owner occupied24,483
- Renter occupied24,702
- Ownership rate49.8 percent
- Median owner-occupied home value$302,200
- Median gross rent, monthly$1,430
- Annual rent as a share of median income27.3 percent
- Single family units31,268
- Share single family57.1 percent
- Units in buildings of two or more19,594
- Share in buildings of two or more35.8 percent
- Mobile homes3,872
- Median year structure built1996
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, place level, 2020-2024 5-year.
North Charleston
How North Charleston gets to work
- Workers 16 and over who commute56,360
- Commuting under 15 minutes12,621
- Share commuting under 15 minutes22.4 percent
- Commuting 30 minutes or more20,085
- Share commuting 30 minutes or more35.6 percent
- Drove alone74.0 percent
- Carpooled11.7 percent
- Public transport1.7 percent plus or minus 0.6
- Walked1.2 percent plus or minus 0.4
- Worked from home9.7 percent
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, place level, 2020-2024 5-year.
North Charleston
SBA loans in North Charleston (7(a))
- Approvals133
- Gross approval$118,032,400
- Average approval$887,462
- Median approval$350,000
- Ninetieth percentile approval$2,916,060
- Largest approval$5,000,000
- Jobs supported1,580
- Jobs per approval11.9
- Loans with a final outcome13
- Paid in full12
- Charged off1
- Median term120 months
- Share on real estate terms of 20 years or more21.1 percent
- Share to franchises10.5 percent
- Distinct lenders42
- Distinct industries by NAICS84
Counted by borrower city: approvals to borrowers whose address is in North Charleston, in any county, FY2020 to FY2026. Only 13 loans have reached a final outcome, fewer than the 30 a charge-off rate needs, so no rate is published.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
North Charleston
SBA loans in North Charleston (504)
- Approvals23
- Gross approval$30,618,000
- Average approval$1,331,217
- Median approval$832,000
- Largest approval$3,983,000
- Jobs supported447
- Loans with a final outcome7
- Charged off0
- Median term300 months
- Distinct CDCs6
Counted by borrower city: approvals to borrowers whose address is in North Charleston, in any county, FY2010 to FY2026. Only 7 loans have reached a final outcome, fewer than the 30 a charge-off rate needs, so no rate is published.
US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
North Charleston
Flood risk in North Charleston
- NFIP communityCity of North Charleston
- NFIP community number450042
- Participating in the NFIPYes
- Community Rating System classClass 5
- Currently effective map date01/29/21
The City of North Charleston participates in the National Flood Insurance Program as community 450042 and carries Community Rating System class 5, a flood insurance premium discount for policies written there.
Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26.
Charleston County, not North Charleston
Charleston County context, not North Charleston figures
- Establishments in Charleston County15,801
- Covered employment, Charleston County278,476
- Average annual pay, Charleston County$68,271
- Housing units permitted, Charleston County4,153
Every figure in this section is published for Charleston County as a whole and is not a measurement of North Charleston.
All Charleston County figures →
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023. US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages. US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Parcel detail, zoning and the flood zone at an address are not on this page; they resolve at the address in the platform. How this page was built →
Common questions
North Charleston questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in North Charleston, South Carolina?
119,913, in 49,185 households. North Charleston city covers 77.97 square miles of land, which is 1,538 people per square mile. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, place level, 2020-2024 5-year.
What county is North Charleston in?
North Charleston lies in more than one. By area it is 73.7 percent in Charleston County, 26.3 percent in Dorchester County. This page sits under Charleston County because that county holds the largest share. The split is measured from the Census boundary of the place against the county boundaries.
What is the median household income in North Charleston?
$62,956. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $302,200. Median gross rent is $1,430 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, place level, 2020-2024 5-year.
How much SBA lending goes to North Charleston businesses?
133 7(a) approvals totaling $118.0 m since FY2020, across 42 lenders, median approval $350,000, plus 23 504 approvals worth $30.6 m since FY2010. These count approvals to borrowers whose address is in North Charleston, not projects sited inside the place boundary, and they are approvals recorded in the release rather than loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans to North Charleston borrowers get paid back?
No rate is published for North Charleston. Only 13 loans have reached a final outcome, fewer than the 30 a charge-off rate needs, so no rate is published. The counts are shown instead.
Is North Charleston in the National Flood Insurance Program?
Yes. North Charleston appears in the FEMA Community Status Book as North Charleston, city of, community 450042, carrying Community Rating System class 5, which is a premium discount for exceeding the program minimum. Whether a specific parcel sits in a mapped special flood hazard area is an address level question the platform answers.
Are the county figures on this page North Charleston figures?
No, and they are labeled so. County Business Patterns, QCEW, the Building Permits Survey, BEA product and IRS migration are published for Charleston County as a whole and there is no place level equivalent. They appear in one clearly marked section as context and are never presented as measurements of North Charleston.
Is zoning published for North Charleston?
No. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning.