Census tract · Charleston County
Census Tract 38, Charleston County, South Carolina
Census Tract 38, GEOID 45019003800, in Charleston County, South Carolina, mostly within North Charleston (78% of its census blocks). 3,483 residents in the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (±657); the 2020 Census counted 3,187.
Residents, 2020-2024
3,483
±657 (90% margin)
2020 Census count: 3,187
Median household income
$64,412
±$16,713 (90% margin)
Charleston County: $88,494
Median home value
$133,100
±$23,471 (90% margin)
Charleston County: $489,100
Median gross rent
$1,453
±$139 (90% margin)
Charleston County: $1,620
Where is Census Tract 38?
Census Tract 38 is one of 99 census tracts in Charleston County, South Carolina. It covers 1.04 square miles of land, 3,073 residents per square mile in 2020. Its GEOID, 45019003800, names it uniquely (how tract numbers and GEOIDs work).
| Place | Share of the tract |
|---|---|
| North Charleston | 78% |
6 census tracts border Census Tract 38: Tract 31.11 ($63,633), Tract 33 ($34,063), Tract 37 ($45,139), Tract 39 ($56,250), Tract 40 ($62,596) and Tract 55. The figure in brackets is each tract's median household income.
Whether a tract counts as low- or moderate-income for bank lending (the Community Reinvestment Act) is set by the FFIEC against its metro area's family income: look it up in the FFIEC census geocoder.
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 block assignment files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Census Tract 38?
The 2020-2024 American Community Survey puts Census Tract 38's population at 3,483 (±657) in 1,598 households; the 2020 Census counted 3,187 residents and 1,364 housing units.
| Measure | Tract 38 | North Charleston |
|---|---|---|
| Total population | 3,483 ±657 | 119,913 |
| Households | 1,598 ±253 | 49,185 |
| Average household size | 2.18 ±0.30 | 2.36 |
| Housing units | 1,734 ±230 | 54,781 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Census Tract 38?
The median resident of Census Tract 38 is 43.1 years old; 13.4% are under 18 and 19.0% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic Black residents at 72.7%, then non-Hispanic white residents at 13.8%.
| Measure | Tract 38 | North Charleston |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 43.1 ±5.6 | 34.6 |
| Under 18 years | 13.4% ±4.4 pts | 21.9% |
| 65 years and over | 19.0% ±5.6 pts | 12.5% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 10.2% ±8.2 pts | 12.9% |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 13.8% ±6.7 pts | 38.0% |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 72.7% ±9.5 pts | 41.3% |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.3 pts | 3.1% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.3 pts | 0.1% |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.6% ±0.9 pts | 0.0% |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 2.0% ±2.0 pts | 4.0% |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.7% ±1.1 pts | 0.7% |
| Born outside the United States | 3.9% ±3.4 pts | 11.0% |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 8.1% ±6.8 pts | 15.0% |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 7.9% ±4.0 pts | 10.0% |
| With a disability | 17.2% ±5.5 pts | 12.9% |
| No health insurance coverage | 13.6% ±7.0 pts | 15.4% |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 87.4% ±5.9 pts | 88.7% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 7.9% ±4.2 pts | 28.6% |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 0.8% ±0.9 pts | 10.6% |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 96.6% ±2.5 pts | 82.3% |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Census Tract 38 earn?
Half of the 1,598 households in Census Tract 38 earn less than $64,412 a year (±$16,713), against $88,494 across Charleston County: 71st highest of the county's 93 tracts with a reliable estimate. 10.5% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Tract 38 | North Charleston |
|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $64,412 ±$16,713 | $62,956 |
| Mean household income | $67,062 ±$11,235 | $84,111 |
| Per capita income | $28,916 ±$4,076 | $36,019 |
| People below the poverty line | 10.5% ±4.8 pts | 14.4% |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 0.0% ±9.2 pts | 21.3% |
| Households receiving SNAP | 20.6% ±6.9 pts | 12.0% |
| Households with a computer | 91.4% ±4.8 pts | 96.2% |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 71.3% ±11.7 pts | 89.2% |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Census Tract 38?
Owners occupy 56.0% of Census Tract 38's occupied homes and renters 44.0%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $133,100 by its owner (±$23,471). The median renter pays $1,453 a month including utilities, and 44.9% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Tract 38 | North Charleston |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $133,100 ±$23,471 | $302,200 |
| Median gross rent | $1,453 ±$139 | $1,430 |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 44.9% ±16.4 pts | 43.8% |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,200 ±$246 | $1,652 |
| Owner-occupied homes | 56.0% ±11.0 pts | 49.8% |
| Renter-occupied homes | 44.0% ±11.0 pts | 50.2% |
| Housing units | 1,734 ±230 | 54,781 |
| Single-family detached homes | 93.8% ±5.6 pts | 49.8% |
| Mobile homes | 2.0% ±3.2 pts | 7.1% |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.8% ±1.2 pts | 3.4% |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 2.4% ±2.4 pts | 21.6% |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 2.8% ±3.6 pts | 1.2% |
| Households with no vehicle | 7.8% ±4.6 pts | 7.2% |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How do people in Census Tract 38 get to work?
67.4% of Census Tract 38's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 19.4 minutes.
| Measure | Tract 38 | North Charleston |
|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 63.3% ±8.4 pts | 69.4% |
| Unemployment rate | 2.0% ±2.1 pts | 4.3% |
| Drove alone to work | 67.4% ±10.9 pts | 74.0% |
| Carpooled | 19.8% ±10.4 pts | 11.7% |
| Public transportation | 4.7% ±4.4 pts | 1.7% |
| Walked | 0.0% ±2.4 pts | 1.2% |
| Worked from home | 8.0% ±5.7 pts | 9.7% |
| Mean travel time to work | 19.4 min ±3.2 | 24.5 min |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
How does Census Tract 38 compare with the other tracts in Charleston County?
Among Charleston County's tracts with a reliable estimate, Census Tract 38 ranks as shown below (1 = highest).
| Measure | In Charleston County | In North Charleston |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 54th of 98 | 19th of 31 |
| Residents per square mile | 25th of 98 | 12th of 31 |
| Median household income | 71st of 93 | 13th of 30 |
| Per capita income | 86th of 97 | 22nd of 31 |
| Median home value | 89th of 92 | 24th of 27 |
| Median gross rent | 56th of 86 | 16th of 31 |
| Poverty rate | 40th of 64 | 17th of 24 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 96th of 96 | 29th of 29 |
| Median age | 36th of 98 | 6th of 31 |
| Owner-occupied share | 63rd of 97 | 14th of 30 |
The tracts next to it on Charleston County's income ladder
| Tract | Rank | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 26.14 | 68th | $67,996±$6,869 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 31.06 | 69th | $65,313±$16,564 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 26.05 | 70th | $65,167±$18,082 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 38 | 71st | $64,412±$16,713 |
| Tract 31.08 | 72nd | $64,191±$17,489 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 31.11 | 73rd | $63,633±$13,970 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 32 | 74th | $63,250±$11,753 · within the margin of this tract |
"Within the margin": the two incomes differ by less than their combined 90% margins, so the survey cannot say which is higher and the ranks between them are not firm.
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Census Tract 38?
3 of the 18 figures for Census Tract 38 on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
A census tract's figures rest on a few hundred sampled households over five years, so its margins are wider than a city's. Two tracts differ only when the gap between them is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins). How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · Check it at data.census.gov
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections