Name: Kiawah Island, SC statistics
Creator: Citytistics

Moving to Kiawah Island

Charleston County gains about 5.4 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in27,049

Moved out25,330

Net+1,719

Where people come from and where they go, top counties

Berkeley County, SC3,8785,708−1,830

Dorchester County, SC2,6374,144−1,507

Mecklenburg County, NC546393+153

Greenville County, SC388498−110

Richland County, SC443406+37

Beaufort County, SC358300+58

Horry County, SC300249+51

Colleton County, SC297

Within South Carolina, other states or abroad

Arrivals

37%62%

Leavers

53%46%

Within South CarolinaOther statesAbroad

Income per tax return

Arrivals$104K

Leavers$76K

People on tax returns who moved between counties, from IRS migration data, 2022 to 2023. Figures are for all of Charleston County; flows under 20 returns are not published.

Who moves here: 13.6% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 13.6% from another state.
Who arrives and who leaves: Households moving into Charleston County report $104,000 a year in income on average; those leaving, $76,400, so newcomers earn more than leavers.
Income you would need: $110,000 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy: Median rent is $2,750 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $4,001 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $2,000,001.
Getting to work: 32 minutes each way on average; 44.2% work from home.
If it is close but not quite: Palm Beach, FL matches it on character. Compare the two

Moved from another state1
13.6%
above the median place (median 2.0%)
Moved here in the past year1
13.6%
137% above the median place
Income of households moving in8
$104,019
47% above the median place

All 5 moving measures

Measure	Kiawah Island	Vs median
Moved here in the past year1	13.6%	137% above
Moved from another state1	13.6%	above (median 2.0%)
Net movers per 1,000 people8County figure	5.4	above (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in8County figure	$104,019	47% above
Income of households moving out8County figure	$76,444	9% above

What it costs to live here

Renters paying 30%+ is 0.0%, below the median place (median 50.6%).

Kiawah Island15.4%

Typical place20.4%

Share of the median household income that goes to the median rent. Above 30% is the usual stress line.

Income needed to rent

$110,000

a year, at the 30% line

Rent to income

15.4%

25% below the median place

Home price to income

9.4x

146% above the median place

Could you afford it?

Your household income, before tax

The median rent would take

15%

comfortably under the 30% line

Left after rent, in US prices

$186,400

a year

Vs the typical household here

Same

as the median household

Uses the median rent in Kiawah Island, $2,750 a month, and local prices for everything else (97.1 against a US average of 100). It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

Like Kiawah Island, but easier on the budget

Close matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, where rent takes a clearly smaller share of income.

Place	Rent to income	More left a year
Cherry Hills Village, CO	10.5% vs 15.4%	$43,800	Compare
El Granada, CA	11.4% vs 15.4%	$4,100	Compare
Highland Park, TX	9.3% vs 15.4%	$40,600	Compare

Moving from somewhere else? Work out the salary you would need in Kiawah Island.

Sponsored · exampleMoving to Kiawah Island? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.

Renters paying 30%+1
0.0%
below the median place (median 50.6%)
Homeownership1
98.9%
49% above the median place
Vacant homes1
68.7%
above the median place (median 7.1%)

All 16 cost and housing measures

Measure	Kiawah Island	Vs median
Median gross rent1	$2,750	101% above
Rent to income1	15.4%	25% below
Property tax rate1	0.4%	54% below
Home price to income1	9.4x	146% above
Prices vs US average2Metro figure	101.0	0% above
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms3County figure	$1,884	17% above
HUD area median income4County figure	$117,500	10% above
Property tax paid (median)1	$8,349	156% above
Median home value1	$2,000,001	above (median $319,400)
Home prices, 1-year change5County figure	2.3%	28% below
Home prices, 5-year change5County figure	70.8%	37% above
Homeownership1	98.9%	49% above
Renters paying 30%+1	0.0%	below (median 50.6%)
Owner costs with a mortgage1	$4,001	114% above
Vacant homes1	68.7%	above (median 7.1%)
Median year built1	1989	1% above

Work and pay

Income per person is $210,726, above the median place (median $40,071).

Income per person1
$210,726
above the median place (median $40,071)
Works from home1
44.2%
255% above the median place
Median household income1
$213,594
166% above the median place

All 10 work and pay measures

Measure	Kiawah Island	Vs median
Median household income1	$213,594	166% above
Income per person1	$210,726	above (median $40,071)
Unemployment1County figure	3.5%	29% below
Average annual pay6County figure	$72,198	9% above
Pay growth, 1 year6County figure	5.8%	57% above
Jobs6County figure	283,985	88% above
Poverty rate1	3.1%	71% below
Mean commute1	32 min	29% above
Works from home1	44.2%	255% above
Commutes by transit1County figure	0.9%	1% above

Who lives here

Bachelor's or higher is 87.3%, 172% above the median place.

Bachelor's or higher1
87.3%
172% above the median place
Median age1
66.8
71% above the median place
High school or higher1
98.9%
7% above the median place

More about who lives here, against the typical place

Household size1.9 −23%

Homes with broadband97.3% +5%

Born abroad3.6% −59%

All 9 people measures

Measure	Kiawah Island	Vs median
Population1	2,326	6646th largest
Population change since 20207	-0.1%	below (median 1.1%)
Median age1	66.8	71% above
Bachelor's or higher1	87.3%	172% above
High school or higher1	98.9%	7% above
Household size1	1.9	23% below
Born abroad1	3.6%	59% below
No health insurance1County figure	8.3%	30% above
Homes with broadband1	97.3%	5% above

Life in Kiawah Island

1 site is on the National Register of Historic Places, 44 of them National Historic Landmarks.

Bass Pond Site listed 1979

Out the door, against the typical place

Parks per 10k residents30.1 3.0×

Playgrounds per 10k8.6 −9%

Grocery stores per 10k12.9 6.1×

Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k47.3 4.2×

Libraries per 10k0.0 −100%

Named paths and bike trails6 km 3.2×

Bus and rail stops per sq mi0.0 −100%

Mapped by volunteers in OpenStreetMap inside the city limits (Census boundaries), so coverage is fuller in some places than others. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.

Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)

Restaurants and bars33.9 +63%

Shops49.6 +64%

Arts, recreation and fitness7.5 +83%

Doctors' offices and clinics29.8 +48%

Child care centers2.4 +4%

Counts businesses with paid staff, so small owner-run shops are not included.

Restaurants and bars per 10k9
33.9
63% above the median place
Shops per 10k9
49.6
64% above the median place
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k9
7.5
83% above the median place

All 16 schools and local life measures

Measure	Kiawah Island	Vs median
Public schools12County figure	94	above (median 9)
Public school students12County figure	54,127	above (median 4,897)
Students per teacher12County figure	13.9	10% below
Restaurants and bars per 10k9County figure	33.9	63% above
Shops per 10k9County figure	49.6	64% above
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k9County figure	7.5	83% above
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k9County figure	29.8	48% above
Child care centers per 10k9County figure	2.4	4% above
Parks per 10k10	30.1	196% above
Playgrounds per 10k10	8.6	9% below
Grocery stores per 10k10	12.9	above (median 2.1)
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k10	47.3	324% above
Libraries per 10k10	0.0	below (median 0.9)
Named paths and bike trails10	6.4	220% above
Transit stops per sq mi10	0.0	below (median 0.2)
National Register listings11	1	92% below

Safety, weather and risk

Hurricane risk is 99.6, 41% above the median place.

No crime figure yet. Either the city police department did not report to the FBI for the latest year, or our monthly fetch has not reached Kiawah Island. Larger places are fetched first.

Hurricane risk14
99.6
41% above the median place
Natural hazard risk14
98.6
7% above the median place
Average temperature13
66°F
20% above the median place

All 11 weather and risk measures

Measure	Kiawah Island	Vs median
July average high13County figure	91°F	4% above
January average low13County figure	39°F	54% above
Average temperature13County figure	66°F	20% above
Annual precipitation13County figure	50.1 in	14% above
Natural hazard risk14County figure	98.6	7% above
Hurricane risk14County figure	99.6	41% above
Tornado risk14County figure	71.0	13% below
Wildfire risk14County figure	93.9	53% above
Heat wave risk14County figure	82.7	8% below
Median air quality index15County figure	47	9% above
Good air days15County figure	60.8%	11% below

How it is changing

Five-year survey estimates, one point per release.

Median gross rent

Up 33.8% from 2019 to 2022.

Median household income

Up 10.2% from 2019 to 2024.

Median home value

Up 30.5% from 2019 to 2024.

Population estimate

Down 0.0% from 2020 to 2025.

Citytistics measures

Paycheck stretch

$186,000

left a year after rent, in US prices. Better than 98% of places

Pay vs rent

-8.2 pts

a year, rent outrunning pay. Better than 1% of places

Family fit

of 100 on cost, space and class size

Growth

of 100 on population and income growth

Measures only Citytistics publishes, built from the figures on this page. Scores of 100 beat every place we track. Formulas

Kiawah Island in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 17% of the median income in 2030, up from 15% now.

Citytistics projections to 2030: each figure's own trend, blended with the typical trend across the places we rate, eased toward long-run US growth and carried forward from the latest release. The range is where 80% of places landed when we tested the same method on past releases.

Measure	Latest	2030 projection	Likely range	Avg. per year
Median rent	$2,750/mo (2022)	$3,880/mo	$3,080 to $4,870/mo	+4.4%
Median household income	$213,594 (2024)	$267,500	$226,000 to $316,500	+3.8%
Median home value	$2,000,001 (2024)	$2,775,000	$2,015,000 to $3,823,000	+5.6%
Population	2,014 (2025)	2,030	1,950 to 2,120	+0.2%

The median home would be worth 10.4 years of the median income in 2030, against 9.4 now.

A projection of recent trends, not a prediction of the economy or advice to buy or sell. How we project.

Places like Kiawah Island

The closest matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, and the places nearby.

Place	Rent	Income
Palm Beach, FL	$2,311	$168,403	Compare
Sausalito, CA	$3,501	$182,357	Compare
Paradise Valley, AZ	$3,501	$247,159	Compare
Palos Verdes Estates, CA	$3,217	$242,014	Compare

Nearby

Compare Kiawah Island with

Common questions

Is Kiawah Island a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. After the median rent, and with prices for everything else adjusted to the US average, the median household has about $186,000 a year left, more than in 97% of the 1,875 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the highest of 89 South Carolina places. Between the 2019 and 2022 surveys, rent rose 10.2% a year while household income rose 2%, so rent outran pay by more than in 96% of places its size. It is the 2nd-highest of 101 South Carolina places. On cost, space and class size it scores 67 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is Kiawah Island expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 15.4% of the median household income, against 20.4% in the typical place we track. Housing is a lighter load here than usual. The median home is valued at $2,000,001.

What salary do you need to live in Kiawah Island?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $110,000 a year. Work it out from your current city.

What places are similar to Kiawah Island?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Palm Beach, FL, Sausalito, CA, Paradise Valley, AZ and Palos Verdes Estates, CA.

Sources and methods

The small numbers beside each measure point here. Every dataset is public; links go to the publisher.

American Community Survey 5-year estimates · US Census Bureau · 2020 to 2024 estimatesTables B01002, B01003, B05002, B07003, B08013, B08301, B15003, B17001, B19013, B19301, B23025, B25002, B25003, B25010, B25035, B25064, B25070, B25077, B25088, B25103, B28002, S2701
Regional Price Parities · US Bureau of Economic Analysis · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
Fair Market Rents · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2027
Income Limits · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2026
House Price Index · Federal Housing Finance Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · US Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2025 annual averages
Population Estimates · US Census Bureau · Vintage 2025
SOI Tax Stats, county-to-county migration · Internal Revenue Service · Tax years 2022 to 2023Counts tax returns and the people on them; flows under 20 returns are suppressed.
County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
1991-2020 climate normals · NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · Series updated 2026-11-05Averages for 1991 to 2020 computed from NOAA's county climate series (nClimDiv).nClimDiv county series
National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps
Air Quality System, annual AQI by county · US Environmental Protection Agency · 2025 dataAirData download files

Derived by Citytistics from the tables above: rent to income (B25064, B19013); property tax rate (B25103, B25077); home price to income (B25077, B19013).

What stands out compares Kiawah Island with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for Kiawah Island itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/kiawah-island-south-carolina

Citytistics. “Kiawah Island, South Carolina.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/kiawah-island-south-carolina/

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

Kiawah Island

What stands out about Kiawah Island