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

The Korean population in South Carolina totals 11,010, according to recent U.S. Census estimates. Leading cities include Columbia (627), followed by Charleston (453) and North Charleston (318), 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 Korean residents are distributed across South Carolina''s urban and rural landscape.

Top 5 cities with the largest Korean population in South Carolina

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  • 1
    Columbia
    Korean population in Columbia is 627
    0.45% of Columbia population is Korean
  • 2
    Charleston
    Korean population in Charleston is 453
    0.30% of Charleston population is Korean
  • 3
    North Charleston
    Korean population in North Charleston is 318
    0.27% of North Charleston population is Korean
  • 4
    Greenville
    Korean population in Greenville is 308
    0.43% of Greenville population is Korean
  • 5
    Rock Hill
    Korean population in Rock Hill is 289
    0.39% of Rock Hill population is Korean

Overview of Korean population in South Carolina

  • Population Count and Percentage: American Community Survey data indicate South Carolina contains 11,010 Korean residents (0.21% of 5.2 million total state population), positioning the state at the 43rd percentile nationally among U.S. states for Korean population concentrations.
  • Comparison to State and National Averages: U.S. Census surveys show South Carolina's Korean demographic representation of 0.21% remains below the national average of 0.6%, positioning the state below typical U.S. demographic distribution patterns.
  • Share of Total National Population: Official American Community Survey data indicates South Carolina contains 11,010 Korean residents, representing less than 1% of the nation's total Korean population of 2.0 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 document South Carolina contains 0.37 Korean per square mile, below the national average of 0.57 per square mile, while maintaining moderate community presence relative to national concentration standards.
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186 Cities in South Carolina Ranked by Korean Population

View Methodology
American Community Survey data [1] show Korean population in South Carolina present in Columbia, Charleston, and North Charleston, 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 Korean population count
Rank by Korean Population
City
Korean Population
% of Total City Population
% of Total South Carolina Korean Population
5 Year Rank Trend
1 Columbia 627 0.45% 5.69%
2 Charleston 453 0.30% 4.11%
3 North Charleston 318 0.27% 2.89%
4 Greenville 308 0.43% 2.80%
5 Rock Hill 289 0.39% 2.62%
6 Hanahan 243 1.15% 2.21%
7 Mount Pleasant 142 0.15% 1.29%
8 139 0.30% 1.26%
9 137 0.35% 1.24%
10 128 0.32% 1.16%
11 115 0.46% 1.04%
12 113 0.75% 1.03%
13 106 0.44% 0.96%
14 99 0.35% 0.90%
15 92 0.52% 0.84%
16 84 0.28% 0.76%
17 82 0.57% 0.74%
18 80 0.19% 0.73%
19 73 1.38% 0.66%
20 66 0.48% 0.60%
21 65 0.37% 0.59%
22 64 0.27% 0.58%
23 61 1.15% 0.55%
24 60 0.45% 0.55%
25 55 0.14% 0.50%
26 54 0.11% 0.49%
27 50 0.74% 0.45%
27 50 0.48% 0.45%
28 43 0.14% 0.39%
28 43 0.17% 0.39%
29 40 1.29% 0.36%
30 35 0.28% 0.32%
31 30 0.08% 0.27%
32 26 0.20% 0.24%
33 21 0.33% 0.19%
34 20 0.22% 0.18%
34 20 1.02% 0.18%
35 19 0.06% 0.17%
35 19 0.07% 0.17%
36 18 0.43% 0.16%
37 15 0.20% 0.14%
37 15 0.61% 0.14%
38 11 0.08% 0.10%
39 10 0.32% 0.09%
40 9 0.51% 0.08%
41 8 0.49% 0.07%
41 8 0.38% 0.07%
42 7 0.09% 0.06%
43 6 0.28% 0.05%
44 5 0.19% 0.05%
44 5 0.35% 0.05%
44 5 0.26% 0.05%
45 4 0.05% 0.04%
46 3 0.36% 0.03%
46 3 0.26% 0.03%
47 1 0.05% 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 Korean population, using the most recent ACS data available.

How the Census defines Korean 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 Korean 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 Korean alone, while others identify as Korean along with another race (such as Korean and German).
  • We’ve used the “Korean alone or in any combination” category unless noted otherwise, which gives a broader picture of the Korean population in each area.

How We Ranked the Data

This ranking is based on the total number of people who identified as Korean 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 Korean .
  2. % of Total South Carolina Korean Population – This tells us how much of the entire U.S. Korean 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 Korean 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 Korean 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 Korean populations are most concentrated while keeping the numbers easy to understand.

Sources

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