Chinese Population in South Carolina by City : 2025 Ranking & Insights

The Chinese population in South Carolina totals 19,213, according to recent U.S. Census estimates. Leading cities include Charleston (1,492), followed by North Charleston (1,115) and Columbia (820), each hosting visible segments of the community. While these urban centers anchor much of the population, the statewide total points to a broader presence in unincorporated areas and smaller towns beyond major city boundaries. The analysis below explores how Chinese residents are distributed across South Carolina''s urban and rural landscape.

Top 5 cities with the largest Chinese population in South Carolina

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  • 1
    Charleston
    Chinese population in Charleston is 1,492
    0.98% of Charleston population is Chinese
  • 2
    North Charleston
    Chinese population in North Charleston is 1,115
    0.95% of North Charleston population is Chinese
  • 3
    Columbia
    Chinese population in Columbia is 820
    0.59% of Columbia population is Chinese
  • 4
    Greenville
    Chinese population in Greenville is 675
    0.94% of Greenville population is Chinese
  • 5
    Mount Pleasant
    Chinese population in Mount Pleasant is 465
    0.50% of Mount Pleasant population is Chinese

Overview of Chinese population in South Carolina

  • Population Count and Percentage: American Community Survey data indicate South Carolina contains 19,213 Chinese residents (0.37% of 5.2 million total state population), positioning the state at the 47th percentile nationally among U.S. states for Chinese population concentrations.
  • Comparison to State and National Averages: U.S. Census surveys show South Carolina's Chinese demographic representation of 0.37% remains below the national average of 1.6%, positioning the state below typical U.S. demographic distribution patterns.
  • Share of Total National Population: Official American Community Survey data indicates South Carolina contains 19,213 Chinese residents, representing less than 1% of the nation's total Chinese population of 5.4 million, constituting a minimal fraction of the national demographic community relative to the state's overall population size.
  • Population Density per Square Mile: U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey data shows South Carolina's density of 0.64 Chinese Americans per square mile remains below the national average of 1.5 per square mile, indicating relatively sparse distribution compared to national demographic concentrations.
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186 Cities in South Carolina Ranked by Chinese Population

View Methodology
American Community Survey data [1] show Chinese population in South Carolina present in Charleston, North Charleston, and Columbia, along with several other incorporated cities reporting non-zero populations. The table below provides broader statistics, including total population figures, density measures, and demographic distributions based on current ACS data for all incorporated cities included in this analysis*.
cities in South Carolina ranked by Chinese population count
Rank by Chinese Population
City
Chinese Population
% of Total City Population
% of Total South Carolina Chinese Population
5 Year Rank Trend
1 Charleston 1,492 0.98% 7.77%
2 North Charleston 1,115 0.95% 5.80%
3 Columbia 820 0.59% 4.27%
4 Greenville 675 0.94% 3.51%
5 Mount Pleasant 465 0.50% 2.42%
6 Goose Creek 431 0.92% 2.24%
7 Anderson 337 1.14% 1.75%
8 275 0.70% 1.43%
9 273 1.54% 1.42%
10 254 0.59% 1.32%
11 251 0.78% 1.31%
12 235 4.43% 1.22%
12 235 0.63% 1.22%
13 227 1.28% 1.18%
14 221 0.30% 1.15%
15 206 0.91% 1.07%
16 196 0.52% 1.02%
17 195 0.49% 1.01%
18 152 0.30% 0.79%
19 138 0.57% 0.72%
20 119 2.25% 0.62%
21 117 1.12% 0.61%
22 104 0.33% 0.54%
23 103 0.27% 0.54%
24 91 2.09% 0.47%
25 83 0.61% 0.43%
25 83 0.33% 0.43%
26 80 0.31% 0.42%
27 59 1.28% 0.31%
27 59 0.68% 0.31%
28 52 0.48% 0.27%
29 48 1.42% 0.25%
29 48 0.19% 0.25%
30 47 0.42% 0.24%
31 46 0.86% 0.24%
32 44 0.70% 0.23%
32 44 0.49% 0.23%
33 38 0.47% 0.20%
34 37 0.19% 0.19%
35 28 1.43% 0.15%
36 27 4.13% 0.14%
37 26 0.28% 0.14%
38 23 0.33% 0.12%
39 22 0.71% 0.11%
40 20 0.13% 0.10%
41 19 0.09% 0.10%
42 16 0.26% 0.08%
42 16 0.06% 0.08%
43 13 0.17% 0.07%
43 13 0.05% 0.07%
43 13 0.21% 0.07%
44 11 0.94% 0.06%
45 10 0.07% 0.05%
46 9 0.91% 0.05%
46 9 0.43% 0.05%
47 8 0.53% 0.04%
47 8 0.03% 0.04%
48 3 0.21% 0.02%
49 1 0.03% 0.01%
49 1 0.14% 0.01%
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Methodology

This ranking list is based on data from the American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates, conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau. The ACS is one of the most reliable sources for understanding population trends across different locations, and it provides estimates for various racial and ethnic groups at city, county, state and all geography levels down to the Census block group.
This list ranks city in South Carolina by their Chinese population, using the most recent ACS data available.

How the Census defines Chinese population

The U.S. Census Bureau allows people to self-identify their ancestry, meaning individuals can write upto ancestries when responding to the survey. In this ranking, we include everyone who identifies as having Chinese ancestry, whether alone or in combination with another ancestry.
Here are a few important things to know about how ancestry is reported:
  • Some people identify as Chinese alone, while others identify as Chinese along with another race (such as Chinese and German).
  • We’ve used the “Chinese alone or in any combination” category unless noted otherwise, which gives a broader picture of the Chinese population in each area.

How We Ranked the Data

This ranking is based on the total number of people who identified as Chinese alone or in combination in city. To provide additional context, we’ve also included two key percentages:
  1. % of Total City Population – This shows what percentage of the total state population identifies as Chinese .
  2. % of Total South Carolina Chinese Population – This tells us how much of the entire U.S. Chinese population lives in that state.
To keep things simple, all population numbers have been rounded to the nearest whole number, and percentages are rounded to one decimal place. Because of rounding, some percentages may not add up to exactly 100%.

Things to Keep in Mind

Like all survey-based data, ACS estimates come with some limitations. Here are a few things to be aware of:
  • In places with very small Chinese populations, the numbers may not be reported at all due to privacy protections or sampling variability in the survey.
  • Since the ACS is based on a sample, the numbers are estimates, not exact counts. That means they may slightly differ from other sources like the decennial U.S. Census.
  • City that don’t have any reported Chinese population are not included in the ranking but are listed separately below for reference.
This ranking is meant to provide a clear, data-driven look at where Chinese populations are most concentrated while keeping the numbers easy to understand.

Sources

  1. 2019-2023 5-Year Estimates.
  2. 2023.