Carolina Forest, South Carolina Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Carolina Forest, SC Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
-
B
Health Around average
-
B
Income Around average
-
B
Education Around average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | Carolina Forest | South Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 24,923 | 5,295,781 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 1441.9 | 165.5 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 4.14% | 1.16% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 42.0 | 40.4 | 37.3 |
| Households | 9,355 | 2,118,015 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Carolina Forest grew by 139.8% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 24,923 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Carolina Forest is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 23.4% of residents. That is 2.2 points above South Carolina as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 5,824 23.4% +2.2 pts
- Millennials 29–44 5,669 22.7% +1.8 pts
- Gen X 45–60 4,886 19.6% -0.6 pts
- Boomers 61–79 4,177 16.8% -1.7 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below South Carolina, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 51.1% of the people living in Carolina Forest and men 48.9%.
- Women 51.1% South Carolina 51.2%
- Men 48.9% South Carolina 48.8%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Carolina Forest
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Carolina Forest has a the economy index of B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | Carolina Forest | South Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $78,534 | $69,383 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.13% | 5.01% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 6.3% | 4.8% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Carolina Forest is about 13% higher than in South Carolina.
Housing
| Metric | Carolina Forest | South Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $434,223 | $239,609 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,646 | $1,179 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 77.1% | 71.9% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Carolina Forest is about 22.0 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,646 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Carolina Forest spend about 38 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 158 hours, about 6.6 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Carolina Forest | South Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 19.0 | 22.3 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 38.0 | 44.5 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 158 | 186 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,908 | $5,753 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 11.9% | 11.5% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 12,220 | 9,507 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 3,100 | 1,499 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in Carolina Forest is 19 minutes, shorter than the 22 minutes in South Carolina.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Carolina Forest has a education index of B, which means it is quite educated.
| Metric | Carolina Forest | South Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 32.1% | 28.2% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.65 | 2.44 | 2.53 |
Health
Carolina Forest has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Carolina Forest | South Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 80.3 | 75.8 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 11.0% | 19.6% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 18.1% | 21.5% | 19.0% |
Carolina Forest, SC Compared With Nearby Cities
How Carolina Forest, SC compares with the 2 cities closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carolina Forest, SC | 24,923 | $78,534 #1/3 | $434,223 #2/3 | 19.0 min #2/3 |
| Myrtle Beach, SC | 35,303 | $56,153 | $260,342 | 16.1 min |
| Socastee, SC | 22,859 | $59,962 | $1,071,168 | 20.1 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Carolina Forest, South Carolina.
How many people live in Carolina Forest, South Carolina?
About 24,923 people live in Carolina Forest, South Carolina, in 9,355 households of 2.7 people on average. The median age is 42.0, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 5 years.
Is Carolina Forest, South Carolina urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Carolina Forest, South Carolina has 1,442 people per square mile, a density typical of urban and suburban areas. That is about 17 times the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Carolina Forest, South Carolina?
The median home costs 5.5 times the median household income ($434,223 against $78,534), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $1,646 a month takes about 25% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Analyze any area in the US
Get local demographics for any address, aggregated by drive time or radius, on the interactive map.
Explore the map →