FACTS FIGURES & DETAILS RELATED TO CHARLESTON, SC

TOP EMPLOYERS (STACK-RANKED):

Rank Employer Employees
1The US Navy9,514
2Medical University of SC7,500
3Charleston Air Force Base5,600
4Charleston County School District5,150
5CareAlliance Health Services4,500
6Berkeley County School District3,538
7Roper St. Francis2,900
8Piggly Wiggly Carolina Co., Inc.2,500
9Charleston County2,250
10Trident Medical Center2,000
11MeadWestvaco Corp.1,600
12City of Charleston1,100
13VA Medical Center1,100
14SCE&G/SCANA1,000
15City of North Charleston900
16Detyens Shipyards, Inc.800
17Kiawah Island Golf Resort700
18Prudential Carolina Real Estate700
19Verizon Wireless700
20Global Aeronautica650
21U.S. Coast Guard650

CHARLESTON COUNTY PROFILE:

Total Area (land & water)1,357 sq. miles
Population (estimated)321,014
Population Growth Rate8.7%
Total Households125,386
Civilian Labor Force177,730
Unemployment Rate4.4%
Median Household Income$34,969.00
Avg. Household Income$47.278.00
Gross Retail Sales$9.7Billion
County SeatCharleston
Form of GovernmentCouncil/Administrator

BY AGE GROUP (CHARLESTON REGION):

Age  0 - 1927.6%
Age 20 - 247.0%
Age 25 - 3415.0%
Age 35 - 5429.5%
Age 55 - 6410.7%
Age 65+10.2%

POPULATION BY GENDER:

Female51.3%
Male48.7%

MEDIAN AGE:

Across Demographic35.3 years old

RACIAL COMPOSITION (CHARLESTON REGION):

White65.6%
Black/African American30.0%
Hispanic/Latino3.0%
Asian1.5%
Other Race0.8%
American Indian &Alaskan Native0.2%
Native Hawaiian & Other Pacific Islander0.1%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2004; Center of Business Research

AVERAGE VISITOR EXPENDITURE (PER PERSON/PER DAY):

Accommodations$99.00
Food & Beverage$55.35
Shopping$52.05
Recreation (golf, tennis, fishing, etc.)$43.02
Other Entertainment$22.84
Event Tickets$21.14
Sightseeing/Tour$18.93
Total$237.79*
* Each of the above categories, including total trip expenditures, was asked as separate questions.  As a result, the sum of these categories does not equal the total trip expenditures depicted.
Source: Center for Business Research

MARKET FACTS:

Top Origins of Visitors:

  1. South Carolina
  2. North Carolina
  3. Georgia
  4. Pennsylvania
  5. Ohio
  6. Florida
  7. New York
  8. Virginia
  9. Tennessee
  10. New Jersey

Charleston Area's Greatest Assets:

  1. Historical Attraction
  2. Food
  3. Climate
  4. Overall Ambience
  5. Natural Attractions
  6. Friendly People
  7. Water Activities
  8. Shopping

Top Reasons for Visiting Charleston:

  1. Historic Sites/Attraction
  2. Historic Charm
  3. Easily Accessible Destination
  4. Price/Value Relationship
  5. Shopping
  6. Restaurants
  7. Beaches
  8. Arts/Cultural Events
Source: Charleston Area Convention and Visitors Bureau

HISTORICAL FUN FACTS - CHARLESTON SC:

  • AMERICA'S FIRST MUSEUM - The Charleston Museum was founded in Charleston in 1773.

  • GEORGE GERSHWIN - Composed his well-known Opera, "Porgy and Bess" while living on Folly Beach, SC.  Porgy and Bess are buried in the James Island Presbyterian Church graveyard.

  • THE YEAR 1670 - Though Charleston, SC was first settled in 1670, Charleston officially became a city in 1783.

  • COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON - Chartered in 1785, the College of Charleston is the oldest municipal college in America. Three of its founding members were signers of the Declaration of Independence (Edward Rutledge, Arthur Middleton, and Thomas Heyward), and three others were future signers of the United States Constitution (John Rutledge, Charles Pinckney, and Charles Cotesworth Pinckney).

  • AUGUST 31, 1886 - The City of Charleston was nearly destroyed by an earthquake measuring 7.5 on the Richter scale, and felt as far away as Boston, MA and Bermuda.  The "quake" caused $6M in damages.  At the time, the total buildings that encompassed the city were only valued at $24M.

  • FIRST BATTLE OF THE CIVIL WAR - Took place at Fort Sumter in the Charleston Harbor.

  • THE KINGS HIGHWAY - A route that covers 1,300 miles along the East Coast of the United States joins Charleston, SC with Boston, MA. The road was named in honor of Charles II of England, who directed his colonial governors to build it in 1650. Eighty-five years later the road became a continuous wagon road.

  • THE CHARLESTON - In 1925 a new dance craze was launched in Charleston's pubs and dance halls, and the "Charleston" soon spread across the nation.

MAJOR SHOPPING COMPLEXES:

  • Citadel Mall
  • Mount Pleasant Towne Centre
  • Northwoods Mall
  • Tanger Outlet Center