Research
Who Is Moving to Charleston, and What They Bring
In filing years 2022 to 2023, 17,633 tax returns moved into Charleston County from somewhere else, reporting $1.83 billion in adjusted gross income, while 15,774 returns with $1.21 billion moved out: a net gain of 1,859 returns and $628 million.
Key numbers
17,633
tax returns moved into Charleston County, covering 27,049 people and $1.83 billion of adjusted gross income
IRS county-to-county migration data, filing years 2022 to 2023
+1,859
net gain in returns after 15,774 moved out, with $628 million more income arriving than leaving
IRS inflow and outflow data, filing years 2022 to 2023; our calculation
63%
of incoming returns came from another state: 11,193 returns reporting $1.40 billion
IRS county-to-county migration data, filing years 2022 to 2023
367
returns came from Mecklenburg County, NC (Charlotte), the largest source outside the Charleston region, reporting $123.5 million
IRS county-to-county migration data, filing years 2022 to 2023
+6,373
net gain for Berkeley, Charleston and Dorchester counties combined, with $1.04 billion more income arriving than leaving
IRS inflow and outflow data, filing years 2022 to 2023; our calculation
Moving in and moving out since 2011–2012
Charleston County took in more returns than it lost in all 12 periods in this dataset. Incoming returns ranged from 11,809 in filing years 2014–2015 to 18,874 in 2016–2017.
- Moved in
- Moved out
Filing years (22–23 means 2022 to 2023)
Each pair of years compares the address on a return filed in the first year with the same filer's return in the second. The 2022 to 2023 figures use an updated IRS matching method that adds about 5 percent more returns, and the IRS warns that changes in how it processes returns affect comparisons across years, so read the trend as a direction rather than an exact change from year to year. Income figures are not adjusted for inflation. Source: IRS Statistics of Income, county-to-county migration data.
| Filing years | Moved in (returns) | Income in | Moved out (returns) | Income out | Net returns | Net income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011–2012 | 13,854 | $777M | 12,624 | $560M | +1,230 | +$217M |
| 2012–2013 | 14,512 | $923M | 12,561 | $591M | +1,951 | +$332M |
| 2013–2014 | 14,164 | $1.23B | 12,244 | $611M | +1,920 | +$618M |
| 2014–2015 | 11,809 | $712M | 9,503 | $461M | +2,306 | +$252M |
| 2015–2016 | 15,197 | $1.17B | 13,316 | $710M | +1,881 | +$464M |
| 2016–2017 | 18,874 | $1.53B | 18,214 | $1.05B | +660 | +$477M |
| 2017–2018 | 15,130 | $1.35B | 14,449 | $885M | +681 | +$470M |
| 2018–2019 | 15,095 | $1.33B | 13,652 | $854M | +1,443 | +$475M |
| 2019–2020 | 16,187 | $1.73B | 14,842 | $1.01B | +1,345 | +$719M |
| 2020–2021 | 17,023 | $1.82B | 15,956 | $1.09B | +1,067 | +$725M |
| 2021–2022 | 16,882 | $1.98B | 15,842 | $1.25B | +1,040 | +$730M |
| 2022–2023 | 17,633 | $1.83B | 15,774 | $1.21B | +1,859 | +$628M |
Where they came from
The largest single source was next door: Berkeley County sent 2,388 returns, followed by Dorchester County with 1,530. Outside the three-county region, the largest source was Mecklenburg County, NC, home to Charlotte, with 367 returns reporting $123.5 million. Next came Richland County with 312.
Most newcomers crossed a state line. 63% of incoming returns came from another state, and they reported 76% of the income that arrived.
| Rank | County moved from | Returns | Income (AGI) | Average per return |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mecklenburg County, NC | 367 | $123.5M | $337,000 |
| 2 | Richland County, SC | 312 | $21.4M | $69,000 |
| 3 | Greenville County, SC | 296 | $22.1M | $75,000 |
| 4 | Beaufort County, SC | 245 | $22.2M | $91,000 |
| 5 | Horry County, SC | 223 | $15.3M | $69,000 |
| 6 | Lexington County, SC | 199 | $14.1M | $71,000 |
| 7 | Fulton County, GA | 177 | $61.4M | $347,000 |
| 8 | New York County, NY | 152 | $60.4M | $397,000 |
| 9 | Wake County, NC | 150 | $17.1M | $114,000 |
| 10 | Cook County, IL | 147 | $26.6M | $181,000 |
What they bring
The average incoming return reported about $104,000 of adjusted gross income. Returns that came from another state averaged about $125,000, and returns that left the county averaged about $76,400.
Newcomers did not out-earn people already here. Returns filed from Charleston County in both years averaged about $135,500. The gap is between the households arriving and the households leaving.
Adjusted gross income is the income on the later year's return, so it can include pay earned before the move. It is not a measure of wealth or of money spent locally.
Who left, and where they went
15,774 returns left Charleston County. Many did not go far: 3,268 moved to Berkeley County and 2,283 to Dorchester County. Outside the region, the most common destination was Greenville County, with 347.
Split by direction, the county's gain comes from other states. It took in 3,396 more returns from other states than it lost to them, while it lost 1,473 more returns to other South Carolina counties than it gained from them.
The three-county picture
Counting Berkeley, Charleston and Dorchester counties as one area, and leaving out the 13,092 moves between them, 26,272 returns arrived with $2.53 billion and 19,899 left with $1.49 billion: a net gain of 6,373 returns and $1.04 billion. The three counties together also gained in all 12 periods since 2011–2012, adding a net 44,699 returns in total.
| Area | Moved in (returns) | Income in | Moved out (returns) | Income out | Net returns |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charleston County | 17,633 | $1.83B | 15,774 | $1.21B | +1,859 |
| Berkeley County | 13,326 | $968M | 10,248 | $692M | +3,078 |
| Dorchester County | 8,405 | $538M | 6,969 | $402M | +1,436 |
| Three counties combined | 26,272 | $2.53B | 19,899 | $1.49B | +6,373 |
What this means if you are moving to the Charleston area
- You are in large company. 63% of returns moving into Charleston County came from another state. The year you move usually means a part-year South Carolina return, and often one in the state you left. How a part-year return works.
- Your move date matters. South Carolina residency starts when the state becomes your permanent home, not after a set number of days, and that date splits the year's income between the two states. Keep the paperwork that shows it. Our first-year checklist.
- The state return works differently from 2026. South Carolina now starts from federal adjusted gross income and uses its own deduction and two rates, so rules from a few years ago, or from your old state, may not carry over. South Carolina income tax in 2026.
- A home here needs an application. The lower legal residence assessment ratio for the home you live in is not automatic; you apply with the county assessor. How the legal residence ratio works.
- Bringing a business? Register with the South Carolina Department of Revenue and check the business license rules of the city and county where you will work. Charleston-area business licenses.
Moving here, or just moved?
The points above are general. Bring your move date and documents to a free consultation, in person or by video, and we will tell you how the rules apply to you.
Method
The IRS Statistics of Income division matches each Form 1040 to the same filer's return the year before and compares the county on the two. A return whose county changed counts as a move out of the first county and into the second. We used the county inflow and outflow files for all 12 periods from filing years 2011–2012 to 2022–2023.
Moved in is each county's "Total Migration-US and Foreign" row in the inflow file, moved out is the same row in the outflow file, and net is the difference. For the three-county region we added the three counties' totals and took out the moves between them. Averages are adjusted gross income divided by returns. The IRS reports income in thousands of dollars, which we converted to dollars.
We checked the 2022 to 2023 Charleston County totals against the IRS's own South Carolina table, which matches the CSV files. A script computes every figure on this page from the IRS files; we keep it, the rows used and a checksum of each IRS file, and will share them on request.
Limits
- Returns are not people. A return is closer to a household; the IRS also counts the people on each return, 27,049 on returns moving into Charleston County.
- Only filers who filed a return in both years are counted. People below the filing threshold, such as some retirees, and anyone filing for the first time are missed.
- The IRS uses the mailing address on the return, which may not be where someone lives.
- The IRS does not show a county-to-county flow of fewer than 20 returns and removes some returns to protect privacy, so the origin counts are a floor.
- The 2022 to 2023 data use an updated method for matching returns that adds about 5 percent more returns than the old method, so the latest period is not exactly comparable with earlier ones.
- Filing years 2022 to 2023 are the latest the IRS has published as of the date of this study. We will update the page when the next release appears.
Sources
- IRS, SOI Tax Stats: Migration Data (all years)
- IRS, county-to-county inflow file, filing years 2022 to 2023 (CSV)
- IRS, county-to-county outflow file, filing years 2022 to 2023 (CSV)
- IRS, Migration Data Users Guide, filing years 2022 to 2023 (PDF)
- IRS, South Carolina county migration table, filing years 2022 to 2023 (Excel)
Cite this study
Haigler CPA Group, “Who Is Moving to Charleston, and What They Bring,” November 11, 2026, https://www.haiglercpagroup.com/research/charleston-migration/. Data: IRS Statistics of Income, county-to-county migration data, filing years 2011–2012 to 2022–2023.
Download the data
- Moves in and out by year, 2011–2012 to 2022–2023 (CSV)
- Top origins outside the region, 2022 to 2023 (CSV)
Free to use with credit to Haigler CPA Group and a link to this page, under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license.
Spotted an error? Tell us and we will correct it and note the change on this page.
The information on this site is general in nature and is not tax, legal, or accounting advice for your situation. Tax law changes and the right answer depends on facts we would need to review with you. Please speak with a qualified professional before acting on anything you read here.
Talk to a tax expert
Tell us what you are dealing with and we will tell you how we would handle it.