Health Profile of Charleston County, South Carolina
Charleston County Health Score
The Map AI Health Index is a score that reflects local life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and physical environment to help you quickly compare the overall health and well-being of different areas.
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B
Charleston County Around averageAmong the top 3 healthiest counties in South Carolina
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Charleston County | South Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 77.6 | 75.8 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 8.3% | 9.6% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 14.9% | 19.6% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Charleston County is 77.6 years, about 1.8 years longer than the South Carolina average of 75.8 years. The uninsured rate is 8.3%, lower than the South Carolina average of 9.6%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 14.9% of residents, lower than the South Carolina average of 19.6%.
Population by Age
Older residents
146,967 residents in Charleston County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 7,930 2,736 men · 5,194 women
- 75–84 18,834 8,005 men · 10,829 women
- 65–74 40,118 18,430 men · 21,687 women
- 50–64 80,085 37,974 men · 42,110 women
Younger residents
79,754 residents in Charleston County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 23,513 11,705 boys · 11,808 girls
- 7–12 22,444 11,415 boys · 11,029 girls
- 3–7 18,722 9,667 boys · 9,054 girls
- 0–3 15,075 7,745 boys · 7,330 girls
About 21,071 residents in Charleston County (5.0% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 77.6 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Charleston County | South Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 11.0% | 14.2% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 5.8% | 6.4% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 5.7% | 7.4% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 31.3% | 39.9% | 34.3% |
The rate of heart disease in Charleston County is about 23% lower than in South Carolina. The rate of diabetes in Charleston County is about 23% lower than in South Carolina. The rate of obesity in Charleston County is about 22% lower than in South Carolina.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Charleston County | South Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 15.8% | 21.5% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 20.5% | 16.0% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 21.2% | 30.0% | 25.1% |
The rate of sedentary lifestyle in Charleston County is about 30% lower than in South Carolina. The rate of binge drinking in Charleston County is about 29% higher than in South Carolina. The rate of smoking in Charleston County is about 27% lower than in South Carolina.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 535,199 cigarettes a day, 16.1 million a month, or 195.3 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 5.9 million minutes a day and 2.1 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Charleston County is 77.6 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.14 lifetimes a day, or 53 lifetimes a year.
* Source: Shaw M, Mitchell R, Dorling D. "Time for a smoke? One cigarette reduces your life by 11 minutes." BMJ. 2000;320:53.
Illustrative only. This is not an estimate of how many people actually die from smoking each day or year - it's a rough, order-of-magnitude comparison meant to help grasp the scale of smoking in this area. We take no responsibility for any decisions made based on this figure.
Air Quality
| Metric | Charleston County | South Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 6.70 | 6.97 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 6.7 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Charleston County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Charleston County, SC Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Charleston County, SC is the largest of the 6 counties compared here, 420,867 residents against a local median of 64,818. Where Charleston County, SC breaks from the counties next to it is uninsured, sitting 19% below the local median of 10.2% at 8.3%. That is the better end of the local range on this measure.
Obesity tells the same story from another angle: 31.3% against a local median of 37.9%, 18% below it. Every measure here with a clear better direction points the same way, so Charleston County, SC is not trading one advantage for another, it reads stronger than its neighbours across the board. The counties themselves spread 5.8% on uninsured, so Charleston County, SC sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Charleston County, SC has the lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charleston County, SC | 420,867 | 77.6 yrs #2/6 | 8.3% #1/6 | 31.3% #1/6 |
| Berkeley County, SC | 246,888 | 77.0 yrs | 9.3% | 37.9% |
| Dorchester County, SC | 166,443 | 78.0 yrs | 10.2% | 37.2% |
| Colleton County, SC | 38,792 | 73.5 yrs | 15.0% | 39.8% |
| Williamsburg County, SC | 30,282 | 73.2 yrs | 10.9% | 44.7% |
| Georgetown County, SC | 64,818 | 76.3 yrs | 9.8% | 36.3% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Charleston County, South Carolina has an overall health index grade of B, making it notably better than South Carolina, and somewhat better than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in Charleston County, South Carolina.
How healthy is Charleston County, South Carolina?
Charleston County, South Carolina has a Map AI Health Index grade of B, based on life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and the physical environment; a B grade means residents are somewhat healthier than the U.S. average.
Is Charleston County, South Carolina one of the healthiest counties in South Carolina?
Charleston County ranks 2nd healthiest out of 46 counties in South Carolina by the Map AI Health Index, which measures life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and the physical environment.
What is the life expectancy in Charleston County, South Carolina?
People in Charleston County, South Carolina can expect to live 77.6 years on average, 1.8 years longer than the South Carolina average of 75.8.
What is the uninsured rate in Charleston County, South Carolina?
8.3% of residents in Charleston County, South Carolina have no health insurance, about 1 in 12 people, 1.4 points below the South Carolina rate of 9.6%.
What is the obesity rate in Charleston County, South Carolina?
31.3% of adults in Charleston County, South Carolina are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, 8.7 points below the South Carolina rate of 39.9%.
What health issue is more common in Charleston County, South Carolina than elsewhere?
Compared with South Carolina as a whole, binge drinking stands out most: the adult rate here is 20.5%, about 29% higher than the South Carolina rate of 16.0%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Charleston County, South Carolina go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 535,199 cigarettes a day, 16.1 million a month, or 195.3 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 5.9 million minutes a day and 2.1 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Charleston County is 77.6 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.14 lifetimes a day, or 53 lifetimes a year.
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