What kinds of homes are in Charleston, SC?

Name: Types of homes in Charleston, SC, 2020–2024
Creator: US Census Bureau
License: https://www.census.gov/data/developers/about/terms-of-service.html

Charleston, SC has 77,417 (±1,232) homes (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

That is about 672 homes per square mile of land.

47.7% are detached single-family houses.

9.1% are in buildings of two to four units.

35.5% are in buildings of five or more units.

Figures last updated on November 12, 2026.

Housing units: 77,417 (±1,232)
Detached houses: 47.7%
2–4 unit buildings: 9.1%
5+ unit buildings: 35.5%

Homes in Charleston by building size

Housing units by units in structure, 2020–2024
Building type	Charleston	Charleston County	South Carolina	United States
Single-family, detached	47.7% (±1.5 points)	58.0%	64.5%	61.3%
Single-family, attached (townhouse, rowhouse)	6.9% (±0.8 points)	6.9%	3.7%	6.2%
2 units	3.9% (±0.5 points)	2.8%	1.7%	3.4%
3 or 4 units	5.2% (±0.7 points)	4.0%	2.8%	4.3%
5 to 9 units	10.3% (±1.0 points)	7.1%	4.0%	4.5%
10 to 19 units	7.3% (±0.9 points)	5.1%	3.3%	4.3%
20 or more units	17.9% (±1.3 points)	11.0%	5.6%	10.3%
Mobile home	0.8% (±0.4 points)	4.9%	14.2%	5.6%
Boat, RV, van, etc.	0.1% (±0.1 points)	0.1%	0.2%	0.1%

In Charleston, the share of homes in buildings of five or more units is higher than in Charleston County (23.2%).

It is also higher than in South Carolina (12.9%).

It is higher than the national figure (19.1%).

Homes in buildings of 5 or more units in places near Charleston

Nearest places with a published estimate, compared with Charleston
Place	Distance	Homes in buildings of 5 or more units	Compared with this place
Charleston	—	35.5% (±1.9 points)	—
Mount Pleasant	6.4 mi	20.8% (±2.0 points)	Lower
James Island	6.7 mi	1.1% (±1.7 points)	Lower
Hanahan	7.3 mi	16.0% (±3.5 points)	Lower
North Charleston	8.2 mi	27.1% (±2.2 points)	Lower
Sullivan's Island	9.1 mi	6.2% (±4.9 points)	Lower
Folly Beach	11 mi	20.5% (±7.3 points)	Lower
Goose Creek	12 mi	16.2% (±2.6 points)	Lower
Isle of Palms	13 mi	25.3% (±5.4 points)	Lower

Nearby places with a measurably lower figure: Mount Pleasant, SC (20.8%), James Island, SC (1.1%), Hanahan, SC (16.0%).

Distance is measured in a straight line between the Census Bureau’s internal points for each place.

Homes in buildings of 5 or more units across Charleston County, place by place

Rank	Place	Homes in buildings of 5 or more units
1	Charleston	35.5% (±1.9 points)
2	North Charleston	27.1% (±2.2 points)
3	Isle of Palms	25.3% (±5.4 points)
4	Kiawah Island	24.0% (±5.9 points)
5	Seabrook Island	23.7% (±6.1 points)
6	Mount Pleasant	20.8% (±2.0 points)
7	Folly Beach	20.5% (±7.3 points)

Showing 7 of 16 places in Charleston County, ranked from highest to lowest.

Survey years: 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates).

Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.

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Questions about Charleston

How many homes are in Charleston?

Charleston, SC has an estimated 77,417 (±1,232) housing units, occupied and vacant (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

Are most homes in Charleston houses or apartments?

47.7% are detached houses and 6.9% attached houses, while 44.6% are in buildings of two or more units.

How many two-family and small multifamily homes are in Charleston?

9.1% of homes in Charleston are in buildings of two to four units, the small rental buildings that are often owner-occupied.

Sources

Selected Housing Characteristics (DP04), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Charleston city, South Carolina

To check these figures in the Census Bureau’s own API, request the variables below from the 2024 ACS 5-year data profile (acs/acs5/profile) for Charleston city, South Carolina (place:13330, in state:45).

Each estimate (E or PE) has a margin of error beside it (M or PM).

The API needs a free key.

Request a Census API key.

DP04_0001E, DP04_0001M, DP04_0007PE, DP04_0007PM, DP04_0008PE, DP04_0008PM, DP04_0009PE, DP04_0009PM, DP04_0010PE, DP04_0010PM, DP04_0011PE, DP04_0011PM, DP04_0012PE, DP04_0012PM, DP04_0013PE, DP04_0013PM, DP04_0014PE, DP04_0014PM, DP04_0015PE, DP04_0015PM

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.

Figures are published by the US Census Bureau, HUD, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the FBI; Seayora reproduces them and does not adjust them, except where a sentence says it compares dollar figures after inflation. They describe the whole place, not any one building or street, and are not an appraisal, a rent determination, a tax bill, a safety rating or legal advice.