The Charleston Tri-County Area

The Charleston area consists of Charleston, Dorchester, and Berkeley counties.  Each county maintains several attractive bedroom communities and residential developments.  Property cost, taxes, and utilities vary from community to community.

Historic downtown Charleston is located at the tip of the Charleston Peninsula. The Cooper River to the east and the Ashley River to the west serve as dividing lines to the adjoining communities. Locals refer to the communities as East Cooper and West Ashley respectively.

Mt. Pleasant, Isle of Palms, and Sullivan’s Island are east of the Cooper.  West Ashley, James Island, Johns Island, and Folly Beach are west of the Ashley. The Cooper and Wando Rivers separate Daniel Island from North Charleston and East Cooper.  North Charleston, Hanahan, Goose Creek, Summerville, and Moncks Corner are located on the mainland.  The main arteries of I-26, which runs east and west, and the I-526 connector, which runs north and south, bring everything within a 25-30 minute driving range.

Charleston County

Charleston County and the city of Charleston, its county seat, are the most historic locations in the state. Charleston is the second largest city in South Carolina next to Columbia, South Carolina’s capital.

The Charleston economy continues to be sound and growing. The economic boom is most evident in the vast, newly connected lands of Daniel Island and Cainhoy. Located just to the east and north of peninsular, these areas were annexed in 1991 into the city of Charleston. Daniel Island, which is 4,500 acres, is now being developed as a planned, environmentally sensitive community.

Charleston County includes Mt. Pleasant, Sullivan’s Island, the Isle of Palms, and North Charleston. Mt. Pleasant is a major bedroom community to the Charleston Peninsula and a viable community unto itself.  Due south of Mt. Pleasant and across the Intracoastal Waterway, Sullivan's Island is one of Mt. Pleasant's three true barrier islands (Isle of Palms and the private island of Dewees are the other two). Sullivan’s Island is largely a quiet, residential island of old and new beach houses with a few restaurants and pubs crowded along Middle Street.

The Isle of Palms is an increasingly popular resort and residential island. In 1998, the year-round population was about 5,000, but when you add the seasonal renters and the day visitors, the island can host thousands of additional people on any given summer day. Its proximity to Charleston is one of the reasons; its six miles of wide, sparkling beach is another attraction.

North Charleston, only incorporated in 1972, is geographically the third-largest city in South Carolina, with a population of 72,000. Its reputation as the hub of the Lowcountry is justified; it's clearly the business and transportation center for the lower half of the state. The international airport and the Amtrak station are here. Also, Interstate 26 and the Mark Clark Expressway (Interstate 526) make getting anywhere in the Lowcountry a snap.

For additional information visit the Charleston Visitor’s Bureau at www.charlestoncvb.com.

Berkeley County

Just to the north of Charleston County, Berkeley is the fastest-growing county in all of South Carolina. The biggest boom came in the early 1980s, when major new industrial concerns invested more than $1.7 billion in the county economy.

The greatest concentration of population and residential and commercial development has been in the southern portion of the county near Moncks Corner. Berkeley's central town, however, remains Goose Creek. Other county towns include Hanahan and Moncks Corner. Total population of these towns is more than 46,000, according to latest estimates.

Currently, industrial development is concentrated along U.S. Highway 52 north of Goose Creek and on the island formed by the Cooper River and the Black River and its tributary branches. The major Berkeley County employers are Santee Cooper (electric utility), Bayer Corp. (manufacturing) and Alumax of South Carolina (aluminum).

Much of the northern portion of Berkeley County is still productive, cultivated farmland. Most of the eastern and western portions of the county boast beautiful pine forests--one of the county's most distinctive features.

For more information on Berkeley County visit, http://www.sciway.net/cnty/berkeley.html.

Dorchester County

Dorchester's $127 million in economic development during 1997 largely came from the expansion of existing industries. The major employers in Dorchester County include the Robert Bosch Corp. (anti-lock braking systems), LINQ Industrial Fabrics (woven polypropylene fabrics), Lieber Correctional Institute and Winn-Dixie grocery stores.  

Although St. George, with its 1998 population of about 1,906 is the county seat, the part of Dorchester County currently seeing the greatest amount of economic growth is Summerville. With a 1998 population of 24,292 the town's healthy mix of retail, commercial, and tourist-related businesses along with light manufacturing concerns seems to be attracting both newcomers and business investors.

For more information on Dorchester County visit, http://www.dorchestercounty.net.