James Island, SC vs North Charleston, SC

Side-by-side comparison from the latest government data.

MetricJames Island, SCNorth Charleston, SC
Population12,198119,913
Median Household Income$104,217$62,956
Median Rent—$1,430/mo
Median Home Value$508,600$302,200
Cost of Living (US = 100)101101
Renters Paying 30%+ of Income38.8%53.1%
Poverty Rate5.6%14.4%
Unemployment Rate3.6% (county)3.8%
Violent Crime Rate /100k240*668
Property Crime Rate /100k870*3,455
Median AQI4747
Good AQI Days /yr222222
Summer Highs86°F90°F
Winter Lows46°F41°F
Snowfall0 in/yr0 in/yr
Avg Commute22.5 min24.5 min
Hospitals—2
Avg Hospital Rating—3.0 / 5
Students per Teacher16.513.4
College Degree Rate49.5%28.6%
Foreign-Born %2.9%11%
Population Growth (2020–2025)+5.6%+12.5%

Green = clearly better (more than 5% apart). Population, growth, weather, hospital count and foreign-born share aren’t scored.
* Rate of the agency that polices James Island (the city has no police department of its own), so it isn’t scored.