Charleston County, South Carolina

County Distress Index: Normal · 46.5 | 424,367 people · 41st most distressed in South Carolina
American Default Research

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Charleston County, SC falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 46.5 — 1860th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Housing Cost Burden, where a large share of households spend more than 30% of income on housing. Within South Carolina, it ranks 41st of 46 counties. It scores lower than all 4 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Charleston County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 83.5 — worse than roughly 84% of U.S. counties.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 83.5
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 90
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 88
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 75
Homeownership Rate 88
Rent-to-Income Ratio 76
Debt & Delinquency 47.8
Debt in Collections 53
Medical Debt 63
Student Loan Delinquency 50
Auto Loan Delinquency 68
Credit Card Delinquency 37
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 16
Employment & Wages 47.1
Unemployment Rate 55
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 84
Business Formation Rate 2
Community Vulnerability 33.1
Uninsured Rate 57
Disability Rate 9
Income & Poverty 21.3
Poverty Rate 29
Income vs. State Median 4
Child Poverty Rate 31

Scores are percentile-based: 50 = national median, higher = more distressed. The median line is shown on each bar.

Neighbors and Peers

How Charleston County compares to its 4 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Charleston County
Charleston County, SC 46.5 Normal —
Colleton County, SC 72.0 Serious +25.5
Dorchester County, SC 54.7 Elevated +8.2
Georgetown County, SC 52.6 Elevated +6.1
Berkeley County, SC 50.5 Elevated +3.9

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Charleston County
Knox County, TN 46.5 Normal -0.1
Stark County, OH 46.4 Normal -0.1
Essex County, MA 46.4 Normal -0.2
South Central Connecticut Planning Region, CT 46.7 Normal +0.2
Sussex County, DE 46.3 Normal -0.2

Download Data

Export all distress indicators for Charleston County as a CSV file.

Find Help in Charleston County

HUD-Approved Housing Counselors

Free foreclosure prevention and financial counseling near Charleston County.

CHARLESTON TRIDENT URBAN LEAGUE, INC.
Charleston
843-769-8173
Financial CounselingFinancial CounselingFair HousingPost-Purchase
CREDIT.ORG - NORTH CHARLESTON, SC BRANCH
North Charleston
843-574-8668 Website
Reverse Mortgage
INCREASING H.O.P.E. FINANCIAL TRAINING CENTER
North Charleston
843-225-4343 Website
Foreclosure PreventionFinancial CounselingFinancial CounselingFair Housing
NSC (NACA COUNSELING SUBSIDIARY) - CHARLESTON, SC
North Charleston
843-556-0497 Website
Foreclosure PreventionFinancial CounselingFair HousingPost-Purchase
ORIGIN SC
North Charleston
843-628-3000 Website
Foreclosure PreventionMortgage HelpFinancial CounselingFinancial Counseling

See all counselors in South Carolina →

Find an Attorney

South Carolina Bar — Lawyer Referral Service offers a lawyer referral service for bankruptcy, foreclosure defense, and consumer rights.

South Carolina Bar — Lawyer Referral Service 803-799-7100

Free Legal Aid

Legal aid organizations serving Charleston County residents at no cost.

SC Legal Services (Palmetto Legal Services / Greater Columbia Community Relations Council) 1-888-346-5592
Upstate Legal Services 864-679-3232
Pro Bono Legal Services — SC Bar 803-799-6653
Charleston Pro Bono Legal Services 843-853-3304
South Carolina Legal Services, Inc. (888) 346-5592

American Default Research does not endorse, rate, or rank any provider. Verify attorney credentials with your state bar.

Need legal help? Find a foreclosure defense attorney in South Carolina →

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for Charleston County, South Carolina?

    Charleston County has a County Distress Index score of 46.5 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 1,860th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 41st in South Carolina out of 46 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Charleston County?

    The primary driver of distress in Charleston County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 83.5 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Charleston County compare to neighboring counties?

    Charleston County (46.5) can be compared to its 4 neighboring counties: Colleton County, SC (72.0); Dorchester County, SC (54.7); Georgetown County, SC (52.6).

  • How is the County Distress Index calculated?

    The County Distress Index uses percentile-rank averaging across five domains: Debt & Delinquency, Income & Poverty, Housing Cost Burden, Employment & Wages, and Community Vulnerability. Each county's indicators are ranked against all 3,144 U.S. counties. A score of 50 means the county is at the national median; higher scores indicate greater distress.

  • What is the population of Charleston County?

    Charleston County, South Carolina has a population of approximately 424,367 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a large county.