2018 City Population Estimates, Released May 2019 (Columbia, Charleston: transplants, move to, estimate)

[Charlestondata]

The seven largest municipalities in South Carolina as of July 1, 2018, were:

Charleston 136,208
Columbia 133,451
North Charleston 113,237
Mount Pleasant 89,338
Rock Hill 74,309
Greenville 68,563
Summerville 51,692

Charleston gained fewer than 500. Columbia lost population for the second year in a row, losing 400 this time. Hanahan had the largest percentage gain in the Charleston area. (Hey, Charleston peeps, let’s all pick up and move to Hanahan to be a part of this exciting rush of newcomers!) When a young lady who moved to Summerville from off at the age of two tells me she’s a true Charlestonian and means it (That happened two weeks ago.) (like a Lexingtonian is a true Columbian), what does it matter?

[Mutiny77]

The annual estimates serve their purpose but have also been known to be quite inaccurate in several cases. In two years we'll get the official 2020 Census numbers which will hopefully be more accurate.

[Charlestondata]

The P&C article says Charleston officials are estimating that the city’s population is 154,000. My. Pleasant officials on the other hand are saying they think their estimate is too high. But you’re correct. The census will tell us in two years.

[Charlestondata]

Actually, since the census is done in April, will the results not be published sometime in 2020?

[Mutiny77]

Originally Posted by Charlestondata

The P&C article says Charleston officials are estimating that the city’s population is 154,000.

Surely Charleston is booming, but no way the city added ~20K people in one year.

Originally Posted by Charlestondata

Actually, since the census is done in April, will the results not be published sometime in 2020?

I suppose it depends on how the Census Bureau releases the data, but you're probably right.

[Charlestondata]

Originally Posted by Mutiny77

Surely Charleston is booming, but no way the city added ~20K people in one year.



I suppose it depends on how the Census Bureau releases the data, but you're probably right.

They’re not estimating that Charleston gained that many people since the last estimate, which as you said was only an estimate itself, as all estimates are. They’re thinking the city has added that many since 2010, but they agree it’s conjecture until the official count is done.

[PalmettoOne]

Interesting that 4 of the top 7 cities are in the Charleston metro area. They are seeing growth rates on par with Raleigh and Charlotte and it wouldn't surprise me if N. Chas was edging up or surpassing Columbia in the 5-10 year range especially if Columbia doesn't push to annex areas that would be in the city limits in most any other city. Annexing NE Columbia alone would push the population up 70-100K. On another note, Charlestondata, I've seen you use the term "from off" several times. I'm curious if that terminology is widely used by transplants to the Charleston area to describe those people who move to the area after they did or is it normally reserved for usage by natives who were born and bred there? Seems if a person moved to Charleston, they would be "from off" too.

[turkeydance]

there are several Not Insignificant Population Demographics
which will not or cannot respond to surveys.

my mother, for example, will not.
she says it is "nobody's business".

she might be right.

[Charlestondata]

Originally Posted by PalmettoOne

Interesting that 4 of the top 7 cities are in the Charleston metro area. They are seeing growth rates on par with Raleigh and Charlotte and it wouldn't surprise me if N. Chas was edging up or surpassing Columbia in the 5-10 year range especially if Columbia doesn't push to annex areas that would be in the city limits in most any other city. Annexing NE Columbia alone would push the population up 70-100K. On another note, Charlestondata, I've seen you use the term "from off" several times. I'm curious if that terminology is widely used by transplants to the Charleston area to describe those people who move to the area after they did or is it normally reserved for usage by natives who were born and bred there? Seems if a person moved to Charleston, they would be "from off" too.

I’m from off to native-born Charlestonians, even though my eighth great grandparents were here in 1670 and ‘71 and other greats were here in the 1700’s and 1800’s and I’m a native South Carolinian whose mother was born and raised just 60 miles inland. Does that answer your question? But that doesn’t mean others to whom I may refer to as being from off aren’t from off.

[PalmettoOne]

Does anyone have any population figures for some of the secondary cities and towns in South Carolina and whether they have experienced any population growth or are stagnant. For instance, Orangeburg should be able to capitalize on its location (60 miles inland from Charleston and 40 miles from Columbia) but hasn't seen much, if any, population growth in decades. Same with Greenwood and Sumter I would imagine.