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Living in Charleston

Charleston is a city in the United States, with a population of 17,062 in July 2026. The city had 6 schools in 2026. For Charleston, median gross rent was US$817 per month, while the median home value was US$137,400 in July 2026. There were 107 physicians per 100,000 residents in 2026.

Which United States-wide rules apply when you move to Charleston?

National rules stay on the country page instead of being relabelled as city data.

Visa and entry rulesPassport-specific entry and national residence context.BenefitsCountry-wide eligibility and official application routes.Taxes in United StatesNational rates and thresholds that apply in Charleston.Healthcare eligibilityCountry-wide insurance and residence conditions.

Housing and cost

Owner occupation was 48%, and the vacancy rate was 8.97% in July 2026. 49.8% of renter households spent at least 30% of income on housing in July 2026.

City-level rent is published below; no city-level cost-of-living basket is published for Charleston yet.

MetricValuePeriodSource
G02 Median Gross Rent Usd$817/month4 Jul 2026ACS median gross rent1Official
Households spending over 30% of income on rent49.78 %4 Jul 2026ACS median gross rent1Official
G02 Vacancy Rate Pct8.97 %4 Jul 2026ACS median gross rent1Official
Property crime per 100,000 residents420.3 per 100,000 people1 Jul 2026FBI CDE/UCR crime statistics10Official
Median monthly rent718.1 EUR/month31 Dec 2024Census Reporter mirror of ACS 2024 5-year tables21Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Safety City Property Crime Count277 offenses/year31 Dec 2025FBI CIUS Table 8 by City 2025 (CDE offenses-known-to-le-2025.zip)11Official

Worked out from these numbers

How international is the population?

3.9% of residents hold a foreign nationality — 681 people of 17,466 people. This counts nationality, not place of birth, so long-settled residents who naturalised are not in it.

Uses a supplemental estimate, so treat it as indicative.

Work and income

Median household income was US$49,300 a year in July 2026.

Unemployment across cities in United StatesUnemployment in Charleston is 6.1%. Of 2,065 cities with data, 1,200 have unemployment of 0 to under 5%.
unemployment rate, % · measured cities in United States per band1200 cities: 0% to under 5%12000–5742 cities: 5% to under 10%7425–10Charleston 6.1%95 cities: 10% to under 15%9510–1525 cities: 15% to under 20%2515–202 cities: 20% to under 25%220–251 city: 25% to under 30%125–30

Unemployment rate (%)

MetricValuePeriodSource
G03 Median Household Income Usd49,300 USD/year4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
G10 Broadband Cable Fiber Dsl Pct72.89 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
G10 Broadband Subscription Pct84.26 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
G10 Internet Without Subscription Pct7.41 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
G10 No Internet Pct8.11 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
G10 Satellite Internet Pct2.7 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
Median gross salary1,663 EUR/month31 Dec 2024Census Reporter ACS 2020-2024 5-year, table B20002 (underlying U.S. Census Bureau ACS)20Community estimate · Supplemental context
Median gross salary (regional)3,292 EUR/month31 Dec 2025data.bls.gov7Official
Unemployment rate6.13 %31 Dec 2024Census Reporter mirror of ACS 2024 5-year tables21Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context

Public employment service

No exact public employment office is currently linked to Charleston. The verified national service may still offer online registration, job search or an official office finder.

Country-level information

American Job Centers — Public employment service

U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration

Job Search
Open official service
Open the United States service overview

Country-level service information is not treated as proof of a physical office in Charleston. Sources checked through 10 Aug 2026.

Family and education

MetricValuePeriodSource
G07 High School Or Higher Share Pct93.45 %4 Jul 2026ACS median gross rent1Official
Schools6 schools30 Jun 2026NCES CCD public school count14Official
G07 School Enrollment Share Pct36.07 %4 Jul 2026ACS median gross rent1Official

Healthcare

MetricValuePeriodSource
G06 Mental Health Provider Ratio5 ratio30 Jun 2026HRSA mental health provider ratio13Official
Physicians per 100,000 residents107 per 100,000 people30 Jun 2026HRSA mental health provider ratio13Official
G06 Preventable Hospitalization Rate5,707 per 100,000 people30 Jun 2026HRSA mental health provider ratio13Official

Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Charleston when the national insurance or residence conditions are met.

Healthcare access follows the country-wide insurance rules; local capacity facts remain city data and are not used as proof of eligibility.

Open the official coverage guide
Country rule verified 2026-08-03.

Safety

Recorded crime across major citiesCharleston highlighted among comparable cities
Recorded crime across major cities with Charleston highlighted5,457Philadelphia5,442Houston5,218San Antonio4,012Chicago4,010Dallas3,709Austin3,158Fort Worth3,125Phoenix3,039New York2,379Charleston2,212Los Angeles2,082San Diegorecorded incidents per 100k residents
MetricValuePeriodSource
Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents2,153 offences per 100,000country median 1,58931 Dec 2024FBI Crime Data Explorer / Uniform Crime Reporting12Official
Violent crime per 100,000 residents155.1 per 100,000 people1 Jul 2026FBI CDE/UCR crime statistics10Official
Safety City Violent Crime Count44 offenses/year31 Dec 2025FBI CIUS Table 8 by City 2025 (CDE offenses-known-to-le-2025.zip)11Official

Mobility and administration

MetricValuePeriodSource
G05 Commute15.2 minutes4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
G09 Bicycle Commute Share Pct0.62 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
G09 Transit Commute Share Pct0.24 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
G09 Walk Commute Share Pct9.97 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
Nearest airportMTO3 Aug 2026OurAirports18Official
Distance to nearest airport9 km3 Aug 2026OurAirports18Official

Language courses and integration

No exact city-level course record is currently published for Charleston. These verified national programmes may still apply; use the official programme page to check local availability.

Country-level information

Adult Education and English Language Acquisition (AEFLA) — State Language Course

U.S. Department of Education

For adult learners, adult English-language learners.

EnglishIn Person, Online, Hybridvaries
Open official information

USCIS English and citizenship class finder — Civic Orientation

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services

For immigrants, future citizens.

EnglishIn Person, Onlinevaries
Open official information
Open the full United States section
National programme information is not treated as proof of a course location in Charleston.

Climate and air quality

Temperature through the yearAverage daytime high and night-time low, °C
Charleston average monthly daytime high and night-time low temperature, °C-10°0°10°20°30°40°JFMAMJJASOND31°-6°Daytime highNight-time low
Rainfall through the yearAverage monthly precipitation, mm
Charleston average monthly precipitation, mm035701051406655711211041201087279969065JFMAMJJASONDmm
Air quality vs health guidelinesAnnual means against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limits
Charleston annual air pollutant levels against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limitsCity valueWHO guidelineEU limit5256.9PM2.5µg/m³

City values from the published air-quality observations. WHO 2021 guidelines and EU limit values are published constants.

PM2.5 across cities in United StatesAnnual PM2.5 in Charleston is 6.9 µg/m³. Of 968 cities with data, 262 have annual PM2.5 of 6 to under 7 µg/m³.
annual PM2.5, µg/m³ · measured cities in United States per band1 city: 1 µg/m³ to under 2 µg/m³11–22 cities: 2 µg/m³ to under 3 µg/m³22–331 cities: 3 µg/m³ to under 4 µg/m³313–451 cities: 4 µg/m³ to under 5 µg/m³514–5135 cities: 5 µg/m³ to under 6 µg/m³1355–6262 cities: 6 µg/m³ to under 7 µg/m³2626–7Charleston 6.9252 cities: 7 µg/m³ to under 8 µg/m³2527–8124 cities: 8 µg/m³ to under 9 µg/m³1248–958 cities: 9 µg/m³ to under 10 µg/m³589–1033 cities: 10 µg/m³ to under 11 µg/m³3310–114 cities: 11 µg/m³ to under 12 µg/m³411–124 cities: 12 µg/m³ to under 13 µg/m³412–135 cities: 13 µg/m³ to under 14 µg/m³513–143 cities: 14 µg/m³ to under 15 µg/m³314–153 cities: 15 µg/m³ to under 16 µg/m³315–16

Annual PM2.5 (µg/m³)

MetricValuePeriodSource
PM2.5 — annual mean6.89 µg/m³country median 7.031 Dec 2024EPA AQS annual PM2.5 monitor data 20249Official
Average daytime high by monthJan 3.28 · Feb 6.28 · Mar 12.39 · Apr 19.61 · May 25.06 · Jun 29.72 · Jul 31.17 · Aug 30.33 · Sep 27.33 · Oct 20.5 · Nov 12.44 · Dec 5.78 °C1991–2020NOAA U.S. Monthly Climate Normals 1991-2020 — station USC00111436 (CHARLESTON)16Official · nearest-station reading
Average night-time low by monthJan -6.28 · Feb -4.11 · Mar 0.889 · Apr 6.72 · May 12.28 · Jun 17.22 · Jul 19 · Aug 18 · Sep 13.78 · Oct 7.56 · Nov 1.61 · Dec -3.28 °C1991–2020NOAA U.S. Monthly Climate Normals 1991-2020 — station USC00111436 (CHARLESTON)16Official · nearest-station reading
Average temperature by monthJan -1.5 · Feb 1.06 · Mar 6.67 · Apr 13.17 · May 18.67 · Jun 23.44 · Jul 25.11 · Aug 24.17 · Sep 20.56 · Oct 14.06 · Nov 7 · Dec 1.28 °C31 Dec 1991NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information16Official
Average precipitation by monthJan 66.29 · Feb 55.37 · Mar 71.37 · Apr 121.4 · May 104.1 · Jun 119.6 · Jul 108.2 · Aug 72.39 · Sep 78.99 · Oct 95.76 · Nov 90.42 · Dec 64.77 mm1991–2020NOAA U.S. Monthly Climate Normals 1991-2020 — station USC00115430 (MATTOON)17Official · nearest-station reading
G04 Air Quality Pm25 Max Ug M3156.8 µg/m³1 Jul 2026EPA AirData PM2.5 annual mean8Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · monitor observation
G04 Air Quality Pm25 Mean Annual Ug M39.92 µg/m³1 Jul 2026EPA AirData PM2.5 annual mean8Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · monitor observation
G04 Air Quality Pm25 Monitor Count1 monitors1 Jul 2026EPA AirData PM2.5 annual mean8Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · monitor observation
G11 Annual Precipitation Mm888.1 mm30 Jun 2026NOAA GHCN-Daily climate normals15Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · station observation
G11 Max Temp C Jul24.96 °C30 Jun 2026NOAA GHCN-Daily climate normals15Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · station observation
Average annual temperature14.09 °C30 Jun 2026NOAA GHCN-Daily climate normals15Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · station observation
G11 Min Temp C Jan2.82 °C30 Jun 2026NOAA GHCN-Daily climate normals15Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · station observation

Cities of a similar size in United States

Closest published populations, for a like-for-like comparison.

All United States cities
Ashtabula17,474 residentsCovington17,477 residentsBay City17,488 residentsBellaire17,439 residentsLady Lake17,496 residentsHavelock17,430 residents

Population and city profile

Who lives hereResidents by nationality, % of population
Charleston residents by nationalityBy nationalityNational passport96.1%Foreign residents 3.9%

Calculated from the population and foreign-resident facts on this page.

MetricValuePeriodSource
Foreign-resident share1.52 %31 Dec 2020Census Reporter (underlying U.S. Census ACS)5Official
Foreign residents681 people31 Dec 2024Census Reporter mirror of ACS 2024 5-year tables21Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Population density742.9 people/km²31 Dec 2025Census Reporter / U.S. Census Bureau6Official
Population17,466 people31 Dec 2025U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program19Official
Safety City Crime Covered Population17,307 people31 Dec 2025FBI CIUS Table 8 by City 2025 (CDE offenses-known-to-le-2025.zip)11Official

Is Charleston a good place to live?

There is no universal answer. The profile scores below show who the available published evidence may suit; they are a decision aid, not a personal recommendation.

Try your profile
Remote worker48%strong on work, weak on air quality · range 38–58%
Skilled employee62%strong on work, weak on safety · range 52–72%
Student49%strong on education, weak on work · range 38–60%
Family52%strong on family, weak on cost · range 42–62%
Retirement49%strong on safety, weak on admin · range 38–60%
Foreign residents681 people31 Dec 2024Independent source · Census Reporter mirror of ACS 2024 5-year tables
Population17,466 people31 Dec 2025Official source · U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program
Households spending over 30% of income on rent49.78 %4 Jul 2026Official source · ACS median gross rent
Median monthly rent718.1 EUR/month31 Dec 2024Independent source · Census Reporter mirror of ACS 2024 5-year tables
Property crime per 100,000 residents420.3 per 100,000 people1 Jul 2026Official source · FBI CDE/UCR crime statistics
Median gross salary1,663 EUR/month31 Dec 2024Community source · Census Reporter ACS 2020-2024 5-year, table B20002 (underlying U.S. Census Bureau ACS)
Every value keeps its source, geographic scope and verification date · Last checked 2026-09-11

Additional context

MetricValuePeriodSource
G02 Median Home Value Usd137,400 USD4 Jul 2026ACS median gross rent1Official
Owner-occupied homes47.99 %4 Jul 2026ACS median gross rent1Official
G03 Labour63.25 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
Residents born abroad3.99 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
G05 Naturalized Citizen Share Pct2.47 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
G05 Non Citizen Share Pct1.52 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
G06 Flu Vaccination Coverage Pct61.86 %30 Jun 2026CDC BRFSS flu vaccination coverage3Official
G06 Mammography Screening Pct70.1 %30 Jun 2026CDC mammography screening rate4Official
G06 Uninsured Share Pct5.32 %4 Jul 2026ACS median gross rent1Official
G07 Bachelors Or Higher Share Pct33.32 %4 Jul 2026ACS median gross rent1Official
G08 Reporting Agency Count1 agencies1 Jul 2026FBI CDE/UCR crime statistics10Official
G09 Households With Vehicle Available Pct91.43 %4 Jul 2026ACS median gross rent1Official
G09 Ntd Agency Count2 agencies4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
G09 Ntd Total Unlinked Passenger Trips 202242,385 trips4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
G09 Ntd Total Vehicles Operated Max Service 202221 vehicles4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
G09 Total Workers 16plus8,605 workers4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
G09 Work From Home Share Pct8.87 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
G10 Cellular Data Plan Pct80.8 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official

Common questions

Answered from the published values on this page, each with its source and date.

What is the typical salary around Charleston?

The median gross salary is 3,292 EUR/month. Source: data.bls.gov.

What is the unemployment rate in Charleston?

The unemployment rate is 6.13 %. This is a supplemental estimate, not an official municipal measurement. Source: Census Reporter mirror of ACS 2024 5-year tables.

Is the air quality good in Charleston?

The annual PM2.5 mean is 6.89 µg/m³. The WHO 2021 guideline is 5 µg/m³ and the EU limit value is 25 µg/m³, so this reading is above the WHO guideline but within the EU limit. Source: EPA AQS annual PM2.5 monitor data 2024.

How safe is Charleston?

Police recorded 2,153 offences per 100,000. This counts all offences, so it is not comparable with a violent-crime-only rate from another source. Source: FBI Crime Data Explorer / Uniform Crime Reporting.

How many people live in Charleston?

The published population is 17,466 people. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program.

How many foreign residents live in Charleston?

681 people residents hold a foreign nationality. This is a supplemental estimate, not an official municipal measurement. Source: Census Reporter mirror of ACS 2024 5-year tables.

Is Charleston a good place to live?

Charleston may suit different people for different reasons. The page's profile scores compare published cost, work, housing, safety, healthcare and other available factors; they are a decision aid, not a universal recommendation.

Cite this page

Open a format to select or copy this ImmigrationDB compilation citation. The native disclosure and text fallback work without JavaScript.

APA citation
ImmigrationDB. (2026, September 12). Charleston (17), United States: rent, salary [ImmigrationDB compilation; snapshot approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0; version approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/us/charleston-il/ Retrieved 2026-09-12. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
BibTeX citation
@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_charleston-17-united-states-rent-salary_592f8c83c636,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Charleston (17), United States: rent, salary},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-09-12},
  version = {approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0},
  snapshot = {approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/us/charleston-il/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-09-12. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}
Markdown citation
[Charleston (17), United States: rent, salary](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/us/charleston-il/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; snapshot approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0; version approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0; retrieved 2026-09-12; built 2026-09-12.

This citation identifies the ImmigrationDB compilation/page. Underlying source publishers and datasets retain their own terms; inspect the Sources section and cite those records separately. View the underlying source records.

Sources

JSON Markdown
  1. ACS median gross rent api.censusreporter.org · checked 2026-07-04
  2. ACS total population api.censusreporter.org · checked 2026-07-04
  3. CDC BRFSS flu vaccination coverage data.cdc.gov · checked 2026-06-30
  4. CDC mammography screening rate data.cdc.gov · checked 2026-06-30
  5. Census Reporter (underlying U.S. Census ACS) api.censusreporter.org · checked 2026-08-03
  6. Census Reporter / U.S. Census Bureau api.censusreporter.org · checked 2026-08-03
  7. data.bls.gov data.bls.gov · checked 2026-08-27
  8. EPA AirData PM2.5 annual mean aqs.epa.gov · checked 2026-07-01
  9. EPA AQS annual PM2.5 monitor data 2024 aqs.epa.gov · checked 2026-07-26
  10. FBI CDE/UCR crime statistics cde.ucr.cjis.gov · checked 2026-07-01
Show 11 more sources
  1. FBI CIUS Table 8 by City 2025 (CDE offenses-known-to-le-2025.zip) cde.ucr.cjis.gov · checked 2026-09-05
  2. FBI Crime Data Explorer / Uniform Crime Reporting cde.ucr.cjis.gov · checked 2026-08-04
  3. HRSA mental health provider ratio data.hrsa.gov · checked 2026-06-30
  4. NCES CCD public school count nces.ed.gov · checked 2026-06-30
  5. NOAA GHCN-Daily climate normals ncei.noaa.gov · checked 2026-06-30
  6. NOAA U.S. Monthly Climate Normals 1991-2020 — station USC00111436 (CHARLESTON) NOAA U.S. Monthly Climate Normals 1991-2020 · ncei.noaa.gov · checked 2026-07-31
  7. NOAA U.S. Monthly Climate Normals 1991-2020 — station USC00115430 (MATTOON) NOAA U.S. Monthly Climate Normals 1991-2020 · ncei.noaa.gov · checked 2026-07-31
  8. OurAirports davidmegginson.github.io · checked 2026-08-03
  9. U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program www2.census.gov · checked 2026-08-03
  10. Census Reporter ACS 2020-2024 5-year, table B20002 (underlying U.S. Census Bureau ACS) api.censusreporter.org · checked 2026-09-11
  11. Census Reporter mirror of ACS 2024 5-year tables api.censusreporter.org · checked 2026-07-26

Spotted a number that looks wrong? Every value here carries its source and date — tell us what you found and we will re-check it against the source.