Berkeley County, SC
Housing, jobs, water, deposits and federal obligations for this county, each figure with the release it came from. Internal point 33.21, -79.95.
Assembled 2026-10-19. Read the brief.
- 83rd pct · 504th of 3,063 US counties · median $230,451
- 86th pct · 7th of 46 South Carolina counties · median $213,114
- counties in the Charleston-North Charleston metro: Rank context is unavailable: the manifest lists 3 counties in the Charleston-North Charleston metro; fewer than 5 is too few to rank.
- 20th pct · 2,431st of 3,062 US counties · median +2.9%
- 33rd pct · 31st of 46 South Carolina counties · median +1.2%
- counties in the Charleston-North Charleston metro: Rank context is unavailable: the manifest lists 3 counties in the Charleston-North Charleston metro; fewer than 5 is too few to rank.
- 81st pct · 248th of 1,358 US counties · median $1,506
- 91st pct · 3rd of 25 South Carolina counties · median $1,574
- counties in the Charleston-North Charleston metro: Rank context is unavailable: the manifest lists 3 counties in the Charleston-North Charleston metro; fewer than 5 is too few to rank.
- 87th pct · 391st of 3,221 US counties · median 8,232
- 80th pct · 10th of 46 South Carolina counties · median 18,411
- counties in the Charleston-North Charleston metro: Rank context is unavailable: the manifest lists 3 counties in the Charleston-North Charleston metro; fewer than 5 is too few to rank.
- 90th pct · 303rd of 3,221 US counties · median $1,039
- 95th pct · 3rd of 46 South Carolina counties · median $1,061
- counties in the Charleston-North Charleston metro: Rank context is unavailable: the manifest lists 3 counties in the Charleston-North Charleston metro; fewer than 5 is too few to rank.
- 66th pct · 1,026th of 3,063 US counties · median 4.2
- 73rd pct · 13th of 46 South Carolina counties · median 4.0
- counties in the Charleston-North Charleston metro: Rank context is unavailable: the manifest lists 3 counties in the Charleston-North Charleston metro; fewer than 5 is too few to rank.
Typical home value divided by the average annual wage of one covered job.
A percentile here is a min-max scaling of average rank: the smallest published value in the cohort is 0 and the largest is 100, and tied values share the average of the ranks they span. It is not the share of entities below the value, so 0 means smallest, not none below. Entities that did not publish the metric are outside the cohort entirely and are counted in neither the rank nor its denominator.
Home values #
Typical home $378,292 (Sep 2026), -0.0% over one year, +22.0% over five
- 83rd pct · 504th of 3,063 US counties · median $230,451
- 86th pct · 7th of 46 South Carolina counties · median $213,114
- counties in the Charleston-North Charleston metro: Rank context is unavailable: the manifest lists 3 counties in the Charleston-North Charleston metro; fewer than 5 is too few to rank.
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Berkeley County, SC | $378,292 · -0.0% 1-yr |
Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), typical value of homes in the 35th to 65th percentile, smoothed and seasonally adjusted; a model estimate of value, not a sale price. Data through Zillow Research.
Rents #
Typical rent $1,972/mo (Sep 2026), +4.1% over one year; price-to-rent 16.0
- 81st pct · 248th of 1,358 US counties · median $1,506
- 91st pct · 3rd of 25 South Carolina counties · median $1,574
- counties in the Charleston-North Charleston metro: Rank context is unavailable: the manifest lists 3 counties in the Charleston-North Charleston metro; fewer than 5 is too few to rank.
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Berkeley County, SC | $1,972/mo · +4.1% 1-yr |
Zillow Observed Rent Index (ZORI), smoothed, all homes and multifamily; price-to-rent = typical home / (typical rent × 12).
What the typical home costs to carry #
Principal and interest of $2,095 a month on $378,292 at 7.40%, against an average weekly wage worth $6,214 a month: 33.7% of one job’s pay.
- payment = P·r / (1 − (1+r)^−n), P = $378,292 × 80% = $302,634, r = 7.40%/12 (Freddie Mac PMMS via FRED, 2026-10-15), n = 360 → $2,095/mo principal and interest
- wage share = payment / (avg weekly wage $1,434 × 52 / 12 = $6,214) = 34% of one average job's pay (BLS QCEW 2026 Q1, all covered jobs)
- years of wages = $378,292 / ($1,434 × 52) = 5.1
- price-to-rent = $378,292 / ($1,972 × 12) = 16.0
The wage is one covered job’s average, not a household’s income, so this is the share of a single paycheque and not a mortgage underwriting ratio.
Estimate. Principal and interest on the typical home with 20% down over 30 years at this week's Freddie Mac average rate; compared with the average weekly wage of all jobs covered by unemployment insurance in the area (BLS QCEW), which is pay per job, not household income.
Jobs & wages #
71,182 jobs at 5,371 employers (2026 Q1); +1.9% jobs and +2.7% average weekly wage over the year
- 87th pct · 391st of 3,221 US counties · median 8,232
- 80th pct · 10th of 46 South Carolina counties · median 18,411
- counties in the Charleston-North Charleston metro: Rank context is unavailable: the manifest lists 3 counties in the Charleston-North Charleston metro; fewer than 5 is too few to rank.
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Berkeley County, SC | 71,182 jobs · $1,434/wk · +1.9% YoY |
| NAICS sector | Jobs | Avg weekly wage | Location quotient | Jobs over the year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 9,953 | $1,828 | 1.74 | -1.9% |
| Retail trade | 9,185 | $723 | 1.32 | +0.0% |
| Professional and technical services | 6,638 | $2,262 | 1.35 | +0.3% |
| Accommodation and food services | 6,613 | $458 | 1.03 | +5.0% |
| Health care and social assistance | 5,654 | $1,249 | 0.53 | +9.5% |
| Construction | 5,294 | $1,638 | 1.42 | +14.4% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 3,789 | $1,112 | 1.26 | -1.2% |
| Wholesale trade | 2,636 | $1,573 | 0.97 | +2.7% |
| Administrative and waste services | 2,253 | $1,016 | 0.56 | -5.2% |
| Other services | 2,053 | $1,068 | 0.97 | +1.5% |
| Information | 2,051 | $4,422 | 1.56 | +3.6% |
| Finance and insurance | 1,582 | $2,238 | 0.55 | -1.1% |
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, all ownerships, total covered employment in the quarter's third month; over-the-year changes as published. Suppressed cells stay blank.
Drought #
D1 moderate drought
Sites found: 5, searched within 0 km of this place’s internal point. That is a disc around a point, not the area itself: sites outside the boundary are included, and sites inside it further than 0 km away are not.
US Drought Monitor current week; the highest class of any polygon containing the point.
Reservoirs #
4 USGS reservoir gauges, no capacity figures to weight
Sites found: 4, searched within 150 km of this place’s internal point. That is a disc around a point, not the area itself: sites outside the boundary are included, and sites inside it further than 150 km away are not.
| Site | Reading | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| LAKE MOULTRIE NEAR PINOPOLIS, SC | 73.7 ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 5 km |
| LK MOULTRIE AT REDIVERSION NR RUSSELLVILLE, SC | 72.3 ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 22 km |
| LAKE MARION NEAR PINEVILLE, SC | 73.9 ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 33 km |
| LAKE MARION NEAR ELLOREE, SC | 73.9 ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 64 km |
Σ(capacity × percent full) / Σ capacity over TWDB reservoirs within 150 km. Texas only; elsewhere USGS reservoir elevation/storage is listed without a capacity to normalise by.
Stream gauges #
77 gauges · 0 flooding · 24 with quality panels averaging 76 % · 21 stale
Sites found: 77, searched within 75 km of this place’s internal point. That is a disc around a point, not the area itself: sites outside the boundary are included, and sites inside it further than 75 km away are not.
| Site | Reading | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| COOPER R AT FILBIN CREEK AT NORTH CHARLESTON, SC | stage 12.7 ft · quality 67 % (3) | 35 km |
| SAMPIT RIVER BELOW US 17 NEAR GEORGETOWN, SC | stage 15.8 ft · quality 50 % (2) | 64 km |
| WANDO RIVER ABOVE MT PLEASANT, SC | flow -69,000 ft³/s · quality 67 % (3) | 39 km |
| STONO RIVER AT MAIN RD BELOW RANTOWLES, SC | stage 16.0 ft · quality 50 % (2) | 49 km |
| COOPER R AT CUSTOMS HOUSE AUX AT CHARLESTON, SC | stage 21.1 ft · quality 50 % (2) · STALE | 48 km |
| ASHLEY RIVER NEAR NORTH CHARLESTON, SC | stage 10.5 ft · quality 67 % (3) | 42 km |
| COOPER RIVER AT S. ADGERS WHARF AT CHARLESTON, SC | stage 20.6 ft · quality 50 % (2) · no flooding | 48 km |
| WANDO RIVER AT CAINHOY BELOW WANDO, SC | stage 14.3 ft · quality 67 % (3) | 34 km |
| SOUTH SANTEE R AT STATE PIER NR MCCLELLANVILLE, SC | stage 22.9 ft · quality 50 % (2) | 56 km |
| SKRINE CREEK NEAR MCCLELLENVILLE, SC | stage 9.41 ft · quality 67 % (3) | 52 km |
USGS latest readings screened against EPA freshwater criteria (DO ≥ 5 mg/L, pH 6.5–9, conductance, turbidity, temperature); NWS flood categories where a NWPS gauge is co-located.
Groundwater #
8 wells in 0 named aquifers:
Sites found: 8, searched within 75 km of this place’s internal point. That is a disc around a point, not the area itself: sites outside the boundary are included, and sites inside it further than 75 km away are not.
| Site | Reading | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| USGS-331022080021801 | depth 68.8 ft · 2023-09-30 | 9 km |
| USGS-330218080080700 | depth 138.2 ft · 1992-06-15 | 25 km |
| USGS-330247079340300 | depth 15.4 ft · 2026-10-18 | 40 km |
| USGS-324729079472001 | depth 64.5 ft · 2026-05-20 | 46 km |
| USGS-324741080041400 | depth 30.8 ft · 2001-09-13 | 47 km |
| USGS-330256080354500 | depth 50.1 ft · 2001-09-29 | 63 km |
| USGS-332424079171800 | depth 143.8 ft · 2001-09-30 | 66 km |
| USGS-334410079310200 | depth 55.1 ft · 1992-09-29 | 71 km |
USGS latest daily water levels. A single latest reading says where the table is, not which way it is moving; select a well for its 365-day trace.
Water stress #
low (0.25)
Σ wᵢ·termᵢ / Σ wᵢ = 0.35×0.25 + 0.2×0.24 / 0.55
Banks & federal dollars #
$2.4 bn in deposits at 36 offices of 18 banks (SOD June 2026); HHI 1,091, moderately concentrated. $2.7 bn federal obligations in FY2026 (direct payments $1.6 bn, contracts $1.0 bn), $37,489 per covered job
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| SouthState Bank, National Association | $508.3 m · 20.8% share · 3 offices | |
| First-Citizens Bank & Trust Company | $361.1 m · 14.8% share · 4 offices | |
| Wells Fargo Bank, National Association | $244.2 m · 10.0% share · 2 offices | |
| Berkeley, SC | $2.7 bn FY2026 · $37,489/job | |
| MULTIPLE RECIPIENTS | $1.6 bn · top recipient FY2026 |
| Institution | Deposits | Share | Offices |
|---|---|---|---|
| SouthState Bank, National Association | $508,337,000 | 20.8% | 3 |
| First-Citizens Bank & Trust Company | $361,062,000 | 14.8% | 4 |
| Wells Fargo Bank, National Association | $244,161,000 | 10.0% | 2 |
| Pinnacle Bank | $239,394,000 | 9.8% | 3 |
| Farmers and Merchants Bank of South Carolina | $220,281,000 | 9.0% | 3 |
| JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association | $174,272,000 | 7.1% | 4 |
| Truist Bank | $156,055,000 | 6.4% | 2 |
| Bank of America, National Association | $135,388,000 | 5.5% | 1 |
| Southern First Bank | $81,602,000 | 3.3% | 1 |
| Fifth Third Bank, National Association | $66,304,000 | 2.7% | 3 |
Deposit concentration is 1,091 across 18 banks, which the 1995 Department of Justice bank merger screen calls moderately concentrated.
HHI = Σ (share %)² over 18 banks with deposits in the county = 20.8² + 14.8² + 10.0² + … (15 more) = 1,091
FDIC Summary of Deposits: deposits at every insured office as of June 30, annual; HHI is the sum of squared county deposit shares (DOJ 1995 bank merger screen: 1000 / 1800). USAspending: obligations by place of performance for the latest complete federal fiscal year (Oct 1 to Sep 30), what agencies committed, not what they paid out; recipients are legal entities. Per-job divides obligations by BLS QCEW covered employment.
Federal obligations #
USAspending place-of-performance obligations for FY2026, by awarding agency.
| Awarding agency | Obligations |
|---|---|
| Social Security Administration | $1,128,432,697 |
| Department of Veterans Affairs | $634,586,618 |
| Department of Defense | $454,933,139 |
| Department of Health and Human Services | $391,142,299 |
| Department of Transportation | $39,535,512 |
| Department of Housing and Urban Development | $6,203,760 |
| General Services Administration | $4,741,235 |
| Railroad Retirement Board | $4,133,982 |
| Department of Agriculture | $2,258,859 |
| Federal Communications Commission | $1,881,268 |
| Department of Education | $426,305 |
| Department of Justice | $221,623 |
That is $37,489 per covered job, against 71,182 jobs in the 2026 Q1 QCEW quarter.
per job = FY2026 obligations $2.7 bn / 71,182 covered jobs (BLS QCEW 2026 Q1, all ownerships) = $37,489
USAspending obligations are recorded where the work is performed, so a prime award performed here is counted here even when the recipient is headquartered elsewhere. Recipients are legal entities, never people.
National context, not this county #
These are United States, single-gauge, single-state and port series. None of them is keyed to this county.
| Series | Latest | As of | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mississippi River at Memphis, stage · ft | not published | not published | |
| Mississippi River at St. Louis, stage · ft | not published | not published | |
| Ohio River at Louisville, stage · ft | 17.95 | 2026-10-18 | -2.6% |
| Missouri River at St. Joseph, stage · ft | not published | not published | |
| Colorado River below Hoover Dam, flow (Hoover releases) · ft³/s | 5,170.00 | 2026-02-05 | -25.3% |
| Texas reservoirs, statewide percent full · % | 72.20 | 2026-10-19 | +0.0% |
| Laredo truck crossings, monthly · trucks | 258,700.00 | 2026-08-01 | -0.4% |
| Los Angeles + Long Beach container volume, annual · TEU | 10,513,167.00 | 2023-01-01 | -13.5% |
| Containerships waiting for a berth, all US ports · ships | 7.00 | 2026-10-13 | +133.3% |
| Shanghai to Los Angeles container rate · $ per 40 ft box | 7,848.00 | 2026-09-01 | +14.9% |
| US diesel retail price · $ per gallon | unavailable | not published | |
| WTI crude oil, spot · $ per barrel | 101.91 | 2026-10-14 | +1.0% |
| 30-year fixed mortgage rate · % | 7.40 | 2026-10-15 | +0.0% |
| Housing starts, annual rate · thousands of units | 1,275.00 | 2026-08-01 | -2.6% |
| Building permits, annual rate · thousands of units | 1,403.00 | 2026-08-01 | -2.1% |
| Case-Shiller US home price index · index, Jan 2000 = 100 | 337.31 | 2026-07-01 | +0.1% |
| Unemployment rate · % | 4.20 | 2026-09-01 | +2.4% |
| US goods and services trade balance, monthly · $ millions | -105,572.00 | 2026-08-01 | -13.7% |
| Retail sales excluding food services, monthly · $ millions | 652,115.00 | 2026-09-01 | +0.7% |
The indicator registry has no county-keyed series and no geographic selection: every entry is national, a named gauge, a single state or a port. They are here as the backdrop the county's own numbers move against, and they are never this county's readings.
What changed #
Berkeley County, SC: 9 findings, 1 at a watch level and 8 noted
watchBerkeley County, SC's typical home value is -0.0% against a year earlier, a watch level here: typical home value below a year ago (arithmetic on Zillow ZHVI, county and metro files; not an official level). The previous published period is not in this table, so this is a standing level rather than a change.
Period 2026-09.Show the arithmetic
- test: home.yoyPct = -0.04208691628796479 < 0
arithmetic on Zillow ZHVI, county and metro files; not an official level
noteBerkeley County, SC's average weekly wage was 2.7% higher than the same quarter a year earlier in 2026 Q1, on BLS QCEW's published over-the-year change.
Period 2026 Q1.Show the arithmetic
- +2.7 % = BLS QCEW over-the-year percent change for 2026 Q1, as published
- the newest QCEW file carries no year-earlier level, so no move from one level to another is printed
BLS QCEW over-the-year percent change, as published
noteBerkeley County, SC's covered employment was 1.9% higher than the same quarter a year earlier in 2026 Q1, on BLS QCEW's published over-the-year change.
Period 2026 Q1.Show the arithmetic
- +1.9 % = BLS QCEW over-the-year percent change for 2026 Q1, as published
- the newest QCEW file carries no year-earlier level, so no move from one level to another is printed
BLS QCEW over-the-year percent change, as published
noteBerkeley County, SC's average weekly wage of $1,434 ranks 3rd of 46 South Carolina counties, against a median of $1,061.
Period 2026 Q1.Show the arithmetic
- 96 on the 0-to-100 scale across 46 South Carolina counties that published jobs.avgWeeklyWage
position among the entities that published this metric this period; not an official level
noteBerkeley County, SC's typical asking rent of $1,972 ranks 3rd of 25 South Carolina counties, against a median of $1,574.
Period 2026-09.Show the arithmetic
- 92 on the 0-to-100 scale across 25 South Carolina counties that published rent.latest
position among the entities that published this metric this period; not an official level
Read all 9 findings in the full brief
Every finding is produced by a fixed rule table and a fixed sentence for each rule. Nothing here is generated prose.