Charleston and Mount Pleasant receive effectively the same standardized Area Score. Which fits you better depends on which dimensions you weight — the differences below are where they actually diverge.
Signals
Measured values
| Metric | Charleston | Mount Pleasant | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 154,338 | 93,993 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $92,414 | $124,755 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $59,875 | $73,202 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,339/sq mi | 1,893/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $509,700 | $748,500 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,722 | $2,159 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 55.6% | 73.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.4% | 3.2% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 2.1% | 2.1% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 58.3% | 68.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 12.3% | 6.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 1,446 | 194 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 9.4 | 2.1 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 35.9% | -2.0% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 88°F | 88°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 44°F | 44°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 44.3" | 44.3" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 84 mi | 81 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 25.9 min | 26.7 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 36.6 | 42.6 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 37 | 16 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 13.97 | 16.95 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 48.6% | 74.3% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 51.3% | 73.9% | 2019-20 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
Charleston
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane, earthquake, coastal flooding.
Mount Pleasant
Elevated or high exposure: coastal flooding, hurricane, earthquake.
Your best match
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Full profiles: Charleston, SC · Mount Pleasant, SC · How this is calculated: methodology