Population 2,574 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Sullivans Island
Household size in Sullivans Island
| Period | Sullivans Island | Charleston area | South Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.50 | 2.61 | 2.54 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.55 | 2.62 | 2.59 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.56 | 2.63 | 2.57 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.54 | 2.51 | 2.50 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.04 | −0.10 | −0.04 | −0.03 |
The average household in Sullivans Island has 2.54 people, a bit under the U.S. average of 2.65. The Charleston area as a whole looks much the same.
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 Sullivans Island
| Period | Sullivans Island | Charleston area | South Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 43.8 | 36.2 | 38.3 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 48.1 | 37.1 | 39.3 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 46.8 | 38.5 | 40.6 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 52.8 | 39.2 | 41.2 | 40.1 |
| Change | +9.0 | +3.0 | +2.9 | +2.3 |
Sullivans Island skews older: half of its residents are older than 52.8, well above the national median of 40.1. That usually means more empty nesters and retirees, and fewer young families. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 43.8, but in a place this small, survey estimates can swing a lot from one release to the next.
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 Sullivans Island
| Period | Sullivans Island | Charleston area | South Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.7% | 12.9% | 13.0% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 5.5% | 12.3% | 13.0% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 4.7% | 10.5% | 11.8% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 6.4% | 10.1% | 11.7% | 11.6% |
| Change | −0.3 pts | −2.8 pts | −1.3 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are relatively rare in Sullivans Island: 6.4% of households, against 11.6% nationally.
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 Sullivans Island
Renters in Sullivans Island
| Period | Sullivans Island | Charleston area | South Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 20.7% | 33.8% | 30.1% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 18.2% | 35.4% | 31.4% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 21.0% | 33.8% | 30.6% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 14.0% | 30.9% | 28.1% | 34.8% |
| Change | −6.7 pts | −2.8 pts | −2.0 pts | +1.5 pts |
Only 14.0% of households in Sullivans Island rent their homes, far below the national share of 34.8%, so most residents are owners who tend to stay put. Among homeowners, 30.9% have no mortgage at all, below 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 Sullivans Island
| Period | Sullivans Island | Charleston area | South Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 26.1% | 13.5% | 14.2% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 21.3% | 11.6% | 14.2% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 21.3% | 10.7% | 13.3% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 21.0% | 9.9% | 11.8% | 9.6% |
| Change | −5.2 pts | −3.6 pts | −2.5 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacant homes make up 21.0% of the housing in Sullivans 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 Sullivans Island
| Period | Sullivans Island | Charleston area | South Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1972 | 1986 | 1984 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1985 | 1987 | 1985 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1979 | 1989 | 1987 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1981 | 1995 | 1991 | 1980 |
| Change | +9 | +9 | +7 | +6 |
Homes in Sullivans Island are about the same age as the nation's housing: the median home was built in 1981, versus 1980 nationally. Homes here are older than in the Charleston area overall, where the median home dates to 1995.
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 Sullivans Island
| Period | Sullivans Island | Charleston area | South Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,679 | $1,002 | $780 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,830 | $1,088 | $859 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $2,080 | $1,260 | $984 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $2,390 | $1,767 | $1,294 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$710 | +$765 | +$514 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Sullivans Island costs $2,390 a month with utilities, well above the national median of $1,571. Rent takes 33.5% 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 Sullivans Island
Bachelor's degrees in Sullivans Island
| Period | Sullivans Island | Charleston area | South Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 75.0% | 30.2% | 25.2% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 71.0% | 32.6% | 26.5% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 75.8% | 35.9% | 28.9% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 81.6% | 41.2% | 32.6% | 35.6% |
| Change | +6.5 pts | +11.0 pts | +7.4 pts | +7.2 pts |
Sullivans Island is highly educated: about eight in ten adults 25 and older (81.6%) 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 Sullivans Island
| Period | Sullivans Island | Charleston area | South Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 99.2% | 87.9% | 84.0% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 97.3% | 89.1% | 85.7% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 98.3% | 90.9% | 87.8% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 99.8% | 92.8% | 90.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | +0.6 pts | +4.8 pts | +6.2 pts | +4.3 pts |
Finishing high school is nearly universal in Sullivans Island: 99.8% 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 Sullivans Island
| Period | Sullivans Island | Charleston area | South Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.0% | 7.8% | 9.1% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 2.8% | 9.5% | 10.6% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.3% | 4.3% | 5.8% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 1.5% | 3.6% | 4.9% | 5.4% |
| Change | −0.5 pts | −4.2 pts | −4.2 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Sullivans Island has been low: just 1.5% 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).
Sullivans 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sullivans Island | 2.54 | 52.8 | 6.4% | 14.0% | 21.0% | 1981 | $2,390 | 81.6% | 99.8% | 1.5% |
| Isle Of Palms | 2.28 | 51.4 | 3.0% | 7.1% | 37.1% | 1992 | $2,823 | 69.2% | 99.9% | 1.2% |
| Mount Pleasant | 2.45 | 42.8 | 5.5% | 26.9% | 10.2% | 1999 | $2,439 | 67.5% | 97.3% | 3.2% |
| Charleston area | 2.51 | 39.2 | 10.1% | 30.9% | 9.9% | 1995 | $1,767 | 41.2% | 92.8% | 3.6% |
| Folly Beach | 2.17 | 55.8 | 7.1% | 8.3% | 62.3% | 1990 | $1,807 | 64.3% | 96.8% | 1.9% |
| Johns Island | 2.44 | 41.7 | 6.5% | 15.4% | 11.8% | 2009 | $1,581 | 54.9% | 94.4% | 1.9% |
| Charleston Afb | 2.40 | 27.1 | 13.5% | 84.4% | 17.0% | 1999 | $1,902 | 38.8% | 88.0% | 0.7% |
| Fenwick Hills | 3.00 | 38.0 | 13.8% | 15.7% | 11.3% | 2008 | $1,914 | 42.3% | 92.8% | 1.8% |
| Legareville | 2.55 | 58.7 | 4.3% | 17.2% | 20.6% | 2005 | $931 | 55.2% | 99.0% | 0.1% |
| Red Top | 2.69 | 40.9 | 15.7% | 12.6% | 13.3% | 2004 | $1,839 | 51.8% | 95.7% | 1.4% |
| Kiawah Island | 1.92 | 66.9 | 4.7% | 1.1% | 61.7% | 1994 | $1,568 | 87.1% | 99.0% | 2.0% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Baird, TX · Lesage, WV · Star Valley, AZ · Frederic, WI · Empire, CA · East Uniontown, PA · Duquesne, MO · Creola, AL · Carlisle, AR · Belle Plaine, IA
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 Sullivans 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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