Berkeley County, South Carolina

SC · FIPS 45015 Republican

Located in South Carolina, Berkeley County has a population of 246,802 residents and a median age of 36.9 years, making it the #292 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 9.9%. The median home value is $310,300, and the median household income is $84,358, which is 12% above the national median.

246,802
Population
#292 of 3,222
$84,358
Median Income
+12.3% #441 of 3,222
36.9 years
Median Age
-5.1% #2,765 of 3,222
9.9%
Poverty Rate
-21.3% #776 of 3,222

Demographics

Berkeley County has a population of 246,802, making it the #292 most populous county in the US. The median age is 36.9 years, which is 5.1% below the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

93.3%
Native Born
6.7%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Berkeley County is $84,358, ranking #441 out of 3,222 counties — 12.3% above the national median. The poverty rate is 9.9% and unemployment stands at 3.0%.

Income#441
$84,358
+12.3%
vs nation
86th percentile
Per Capita#724
$40,958
-0.7%
vs nation
78th percentile
Poverty#776
9.9%
-21.3%
vs nation
76th percentile
Unemployment#669
3.0%
-43.3%
vs nation
79th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Berkeley County is $310,300 (+10.1% vs national). Renters pay a median of $1,654/mo and the homeownership rate is 74.5%.

Home Value#576
$310,300
+10.1%
vs nation
82th percentile
Rent#158
$1,654
+42.2%
vs nation
95th percentile
Homeownership#1,607
74.5%
+15.8%
vs nation
50th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Berkeley County, 31.0% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 8.1% below the national average, ranking #705 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
31.0% −8.1% vs nation
Rank #705 of 3,222
78th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Berkeley County is 76.7 years. 15.3% of adults report poor or fair health and 9.7% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#1,023
76.7
+2.0%
vs nation
67th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#624
15.3%
-21.8%
vs nation
80th percentile
Diabetes#1,690
11.0%
-1.2%
vs nation
46th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#1,508
37.4%
+0.2%
vs nation
52th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#850
5.3
-6.4%
vs nation
73th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#714
3.9
-12.3%
vs nation
77th percentile
Uninsured Rate#1,621
9.7%
-7.7%
vs nation
48th percentile
Physical Inactivity#798
22.8%
-13.6%
vs nation
75th percentile
Food Insecurity#527
11.0%
-23.6%
vs nation
83th percentile

Substance Use

14.6% of adults in Berkeley County smoke , 36.6% are obese , and 20.8% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 33.6 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#563
14.6%
-18.7%
vs nation
82th percentile
Adult Obesity#1,057
36.6%
-3.4%
vs nation
66th percentile
Excessive Drinking#1,894
20.8%
+4.5%
vs nation
40th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#1,336
33.6
+3.8%
vs nation
37th percentile

Safety

The homicide rate in Berkeley County is 8.7 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 14.9 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 19.0 per 100,000.

Homicide Rate#1,061
8.7
+8.1%
vs nation
31th percentile
Suicide Rate#739
14.9
-24.3%
vs nation
71th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#1,569
19.2
+7.4%
vs nation
36th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#1,468
19.0
-6.2%
vs nation
48th percentile

Families & Children

12.6% of children in Berkeley County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 5.2 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 17.2 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Infant Mortality#350
5.2
-22.9%
vs nation
74th percentile
Teen Birth Rate#1,170
17.2
-21.1%
vs nation
61th percentile
Child Poverty#701
12.6%
-33.7%
vs nation
78th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Berkeley County is 63.8%. The mean commute time is 32.5 min, which is 17.9% above the national average.

Voter Turnout
63.8% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
32.5 min +17.9% vs nation
Rank #526 of 3,222
84th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Berkeley County voted Republican with a margin of 16.3%. The vote was 41.1% Dem / 57.4% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 4.7 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +16.3%
41.1% 57.4%
Dem 112,834 votes Rep
2020 REP +11.6%
43.3% 54.9%
Dem 104,458 votes Rep
2016 REP +17.4%
38.6% 56%
Dem 78,919 votes Rep
2012 REP +18.8%
39.7% 58.5%
Dem 61,111 votes Rep
2008 REP +13.1%
42.8% 55.9%
Dem 64,781 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Berkeley County, South Carolina

Berkeley County, South Carolina has a total population of 246,802, making it the 292nd most populous county in the United States. The median age in Berkeley County is 36.9 years, which is 5.1% below the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Berkeley County is $84,358, which ranks #441 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 12.3% above the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 9.9%, lower than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 3.0%.

The median home value in Berkeley County is $310,300, 10.1% above the national median. Renters in Berkeley County pay a median gross rent of $1,654 per month. The homeownership rate is 74.5%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Berkeley County, 31.0% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 8.1% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 90.8% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 32.5 min.

Berkeley County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 60.1% of the population, followed by Black (non-Hispanic) (22.7%) and Hispanic or Latino (9.2%).

All data for Berkeley County, South Carolina comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates. These figures are estimates based on survey sampling and are subject to margin of error. For the most detailed and up-to-date data, visit the Census Bureau's official data portal.