Where Are People Moving in Charleston, SC?
IRS county-to-county migration, 2023 tax year (released about two years after the tax year it covers).
People moving in
12,910
People moving out
11,561
Net migration
+1,804
Charleston, SC is a net gainer of residents. In the latest IRS data (2023 tax year), 12,910 people moved in and 11,561 moved out, for a net gain of +1,804. Sustained inflows like this are one of the strongest long-run signals of housing demand.
Migration is most useful read alongside the rest of the market. People move for jobs, affordability, climate, and lifestyle, and where they come from and go to says a lot about what a county is competing on. Below are the specific counties driving Charleston, SC’s flows in each direction.
Top counties people moved to Charleston, SC from
| Origin county | Returns | People |
|---|---|---|
| Berkeley, SCSouth Carolina | 2,388 | 3,878 |
| Dorchester, SCSouth Carolina | 1,530 | 2,637 |
| Mecklenburg, NCNorth Carolina | 367 | 546 |
| Richland, SCSouth Carolina | 312 | 443 |
| Greenville, SCSouth Carolina | 296 | 388 |
| Beaufort, SCSouth Carolina | 245 | 358 |
| Horry, SCSouth Carolina | 223 | 300 |
| Lexington, SCSouth Carolina | 199 | 280 |
| Fulton, GAGeorgia | 177 | 263 |
| New York, NYNew York | 152 | 215 |
Top counties people left Charleston, SC for
| Destination county | Returns | People |
|---|---|---|
| Berkeley, SCSouth Carolina | 3,268 | 5,708 |
| Dorchester, SCSouth Carolina | 2,283 | 4,144 |
| Greenville, SCSouth Carolina | 347 | 498 |
| Richland, SCSouth Carolina | 287 | 406 |
| Mecklenburg, NCNorth Carolina | 287 | 393 |
| Beaufort, SCSouth Carolina | 183 | 300 |
| Horry, SCSouth Carolina | 169 | 249 |
| Colleton, SCSouth Carolina | 154 | 297 |
| Lexington, SCSouth Carolina | 138 | 218 |
| New York, NYNew York | 128 | 137 |
“Returns” counts tax returns (a household proxy) that moved along each flow; “People” counts the individuals on those returns, when reported. IRS aggregate and foreign pseudo-rows are excluded. Informational only, not financial advice.
Frequently asked questions
Are people moving to Charleston, SC or leaving?
Charleston, SC had a net gain of +1,804 residents in the latest IRS data (2023 tax year), with 12,910 people moving in and 11,561 moving out. Net migration is inflow minus outflow.
Where are people moving to Charleston, SC from?
The largest sources of new Charleston, SC residents are Berkeley, SC, Dorchester, SC, Mecklenburg, NC. The full top-ten list of origin counties is in the table above.
Where do people leaving Charleston, SC go?
People leaving Charleston, SC most often move to Berkeley, SC, Dorchester, SC, Greenville, SC. The full top-ten list of destination counties is in the table above.
What does Charleston, SC migration mean for housing?
Migration is a leading demand signal. Sustained net inflows tend to support rents and home prices when supply cannot keep up, while net outflows can soften them. Read this alongside Charleston, SC's price forecast, building permits, and affordability on the full county dashboard before drawing a conclusion.
How current is this Charleston, SC migration data?
It comes from IRS Statistics of Income county-to-county migration data, which is released about two years after the tax year it covers; the figures above reflect the 2023 tax year. That lag is normal for this dataset, which counts actual tax returns rather than survey estimates.