Population 2,327 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Kiawah Island
Household size in Kiawah Island
| Period | Kiawah Island | Charleston area | South Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.12 | 2.61 | 2.54 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 1.86 | 2.62 | 2.59 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 1.93 | 2.63 | 2.57 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 1.92 | 2.51 | 2.50 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.20 | −0.10 | −0.04 | −0.03 |
Households in Kiawah Island are small: just 1.92 people on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. That is typical of places where many people live alone or as couples, and fewer have children at home. Since 2006–10, household size has dropped from 2.12, but in a place this small, much of that may be survey noise rather than real change.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Kiawah Island
| Period | Kiawah Island | Charleston area | South Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 64.1 | 36.2 | 38.3 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 67.0 | 37.1 | 39.3 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 67.3 | 38.5 | 40.6 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 66.9 | 39.2 | 41.2 | 40.1 |
| Change | +2.8 | +3.0 | +2.9 | +2.3 |
Kiawah Island skews older: half of its residents are older than 66.9, well above the national median of 40.1. That usually means more empty nesters and retirees, and fewer young families.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Kiawah Island
| Period | Kiawah Island | Charleston area | South Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 0.6% | 12.9% | 13.0% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 6.6% | 12.3% | 13.0% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 3.5% | 10.5% | 11.8% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.7% | 10.1% | 11.7% | 11.6% |
| Change | +4.1 pts | −2.8 pts | −1.3 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 4.7% of households in Kiawah Island, well below the national share of 11.6%.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Kiawah Island
Renters in Kiawah Island
| Period | Kiawah Island | Charleston area | South Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 3.9% | 33.8% | 30.1% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 5.7% | 35.4% | 31.4% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 3.2% | 33.8% | 30.6% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 1.1% | 30.9% | 28.1% | 34.8% |
| Change | −2.8 pts | −2.8 pts | −2.0 pts | +1.5 pts |
Kiawah Island is overwhelmingly a place of homeowners: only 1.1% of households rent, far below the national share of 34.8%. Owner-heavy areas like this tend to see less turnover. More than half of owners (54.1%) have paid off their mortgages, well above the national share of 39.8%.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Kiawah Island
| Period | Kiawah Island | Charleston area | South Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 68.9% | 13.5% | 14.2% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 71.6% | 11.6% | 14.2% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 69.2% | 10.7% | 13.3% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 61.7% | 9.9% | 11.8% | 9.6% |
| Change | −7.2 pts | −3.6 pts | −2.5 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacant homes make up 61.7% of the housing in Kiawah Island, far above the national rate of 9.6%. In resort and lake areas that usually means seasonal and vacation homes; elsewhere it can point to weak demand.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Kiawah Island
| Period | Kiawah Island | Charleston area | South Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1991 | 1986 | 1984 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1993 | 1987 | 1985 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1993 | 1989 | 1987 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1994 | 1995 | 1991 | 1980 |
| Change | +4 | +9 | +7 | +6 |
Much of the housing in Kiawah Island is relatively new: half of its homes were built after 1994, compared with 1980 for the U.S. as a whole. The picture is much the same across the Charleston area.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Kiawah Island
| Period | Kiawah Island | Charleston area | South Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $2,001 | $1,002 | $780 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,722 | $1,088 | $859 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $2,057 | $1,260 | $984 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,568 | $1,767 | $1,294 | $1,571 |
| Change | −$433 | +$765 | +$514 | +$606 |
Rent in Kiawah Island runs $1,568 a month at the median, utilities included, close to the U.S. median of $1,571. Rents here are lower than in the wider Charleston area ($1,767). Rent takes 33.3% of the typical renter's income, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Kiawah Island
Bachelor's degrees in Kiawah Island
| Period | Kiawah Island | Charleston area | South Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 77.5% | 30.2% | 25.2% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 81.5% | 32.6% | 26.5% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 81.7% | 35.9% | 28.9% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 87.1% | 41.2% | 32.6% | 35.6% |
| Change | +9.5 pts | +11.0 pts | +7.4 pts | +7.2 pts |
Kiawah Island is highly educated: nearly nine in ten adults 25 and older (87.1%) hold at least a bachelor's degree, far above the national share of 35.6%.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Kiawah Island
| Period | Kiawah Island | Charleston area | South Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 100.0% | 87.9% | 84.0% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 99.6% | 89.1% | 85.7% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 100.0% | 90.9% | 87.8% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 99.0% | 92.8% | 90.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | −1.0 pts | +4.8 pts | +6.2 pts | +4.3 pts |
Finishing high school is nearly universal in Kiawah Island: 99.0% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Kiawah Island
| Period | Kiawah Island | Charleston area | South Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 4.5% | 7.8% | 9.1% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 1.2% | 9.5% | 10.6% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 3.5% | 4.3% | 5.8% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 2.0% | 3.6% | 4.9% | 5.4% |
| Change | −2.5 pts | −4.2 pts | −4.2 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Kiawah Island has been low: just 2.0% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 5.4%. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Kiawah Island compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kiawah Island | 1.92 | 66.9 | 4.7% | 1.1% | 61.7% | 1994 | $1,568 | 87.1% | 99.0% | 2.0% |
| Legareville | 2.55 | 58.7 | 4.3% | 17.2% | 20.6% | 2005 | $931 | 55.2% | 99.0% | 0.1% |
| Seabrook Island | 1.77 | 69.0 | 0.9% | 4.1% | 47.1% | 1992 | $3,493 | 77.8% | 99.5% | 0.0% |
| Wadmalaw Island | 2.50 | 53.3 | 6.3% | 6.3% | 21.4% | 1991 | $1,389 | 47.0% | 93.1% | 1.7% |
| Rockville | 2.79 | 39.4 | 13.8% | 10.1% | 26.3% | 1989 | $1,378 | 57.8% | 94.0% | 2.4% |
| Johns Island | 2.44 | 41.7 | 6.5% | 15.4% | 11.8% | 2009 | $1,581 | 54.9% | 94.4% | 1.9% |
| Folly Beach | 2.17 | 55.8 | 7.1% | 8.3% | 62.3% | 1990 | $1,807 | 64.3% | 96.8% | 1.9% |
| Yonges Island | 2.78 | 39.9 | 13.5% | 10.5% | 25.3% | 1989 | $1,390 | 55.2% | 92.9% | 2.8% |
| Fenwick Hills | 3.00 | 38.0 | 13.8% | 15.7% | 11.3% | 2008 | $1,914 | 42.3% | 92.8% | 1.8% |
| Meggett | 2.53 | 53.1 | 10.3% | 16.5% | 8.6% | 1988 | $1,539 | 30.6% | 85.4% | 8.5% |
| Hollywood | 2.44 | 52.6 | 10.3% | 13.8% | 12.5% | 1992 | $1,317 | 33.9% | 86.0% | 4.1% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Atoka, NM · Blanchard, MI · Burnsville, MS · Coosada, AL · Merrifield, MN · Pocono Pines, PA · Pine Plains, NY · Pearblossom, CA · North Newton, KS · Nichols, NY
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Kiawah Island. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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