Numbers for context
Here’s a look at how the Charleston area gained population, from April 2010 through July 2012, compared with other parts of the United States:
There are 381 metropolitan areas in the U.S. Among them, the tri-county Charleston metro area was number 12 for population growth.
There are 3,194 counties in the U.S. Berkeley County was 35th fastest for population growth. Dorchester County was 97th. Charleston County just missed the top-100 list.
South Carolina’s population increased by 2.1 percent, or 98,359 people, during this time. The tri-county area population grew by 4.9 percent, or 32,831 people.
Most of the area’s growth came from “net domestic migration” — more people moving in from other U.S. locations than were moving out.
New census estimates show the tri-county area was the 12th-fastest-growing metropolitan area in the nation. Berkeley and Dorchester counties made a top-100 list of fastest-growing U.S. counties.