Brian McClure
Jun 4, 2026
Stat of the Week
For many Charlestonians, keeping up with the cost of living is becoming an increasingly difficult thing to do. Across the region, housing, utilities, insurance, and other everyday costs continue to climb. So much so that according to the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), even if you make $65,800 a year, you are now considered low income under federal guidelines.
For reference, Charleston County School District (CCSD) recently approved a budget to increase starting teacher pay to $67,500, an increase of $2,700. If it were not for that timely raise, a new teacher starting out in CCSD would, according to HUD, be considered low income. To be clear, even with that increase, teachers are still grossly underpaid. Yet while they may not be officially designated by HUD as low income today, still, many teacher assistants, support staff, firefighters, law enforcement, city and county employees, and other white and blue collar workers remain low income even while incomes rise.
According to HUD, the low-income threshold for a one-person household in the Charleston region increased from $58,900 in 2023 to $65,800 in 2025. On the one hand, incomes are inching higher. On the other, the cost of living outpaces income and wage growth. This means that even if a teacher or city employee gets a raise, all that extra cash is going to cover higher utility bills, higher rents, higher gas bills, and other costs.
HUD's designation is important because it helps policymakers, advocates, and residents understand who is most affected by housing costs, which households qualify for assistance, and how economic conditions change over time. HUD’s low income threshold also determines eligibility for a range of government programs and housing supports, including subsidized rents, down payment assistance, and workforce housing programs.
A closer look at the data reveals how household incomes stack up against the region's rising cost of living.
Notably, the data shows substantial racial inequities in income across the Charleston Metro area. Black households across Charleston are more likely than White households to have incomes below the federal low-income threshold. Approximately 61 percent of Black households earn less than $65,800 annually, compared to 28 percent of White households.
Further, a closer look at the American Community Survey data reveals a broader pattern of racial inequity in household income. The median income for Black households in Charleston is approximately $47,000, compared to approximately $98,000 for white households. This means the typical Black household earns less than half as much as the typical white household. Figure 1 and Figure 2 show how household incomes are inequitably distributed.
FIGURE 1- In Charleston County, 61 percent of Black Households fall below the new HUD low income line.
FIGURE 2- In Charleston County, 28 percent of White Households fall below the new HUD low income line.
These differences reflect long-standing racial inequities in income, wealth, homeownership, educational opportunity, and access to higher-paying jobs.
They capture how rapidly housing and living costs have risen across the Charleston region. It also highlights the extent to which many households, particularly Black households, remain economically vulnerable even as the region continues to experience population growth and economic expansion.
We will continue tracking how changes in housing costs, incomes, and wealth shape economic opportunity in Charleston County.