Medicare in Charleston County
Charleston County includes communities such as Charleston and Mount Pleasant. The U.S. Census Bureau's 2023 population estimates put the county's 65-and-older population at 78,368 (U.S. Census Bureau, 2023 population estimates). Hospital care for many residents runs through MUSC Health University Medical Center and Roper Hospital in Charleston, and Roper St. Francis Mount Pleasant Hospital.
Medicare Advantage and Part D plan availability and provider networks are set county by county, so a plan offered in one part of South Carolina may not be offered in Charleston County. We check what is available at your ZIP code and whether your doctors and hospitals are in the plan's network before you enroll. Honorbrook is based in Tysons, Virginia, and works with Charleston County residents by phone or video.
The numbers behind Medicare in Charleston County
| Charleston County | South Carolina | |
|---|---|---|
| Residents age 65 and older | 78,368 | 1,037,931 statewide |
| Share of residents age 65+ | 18.5% | 19.3% statewide |
| People with Medicare | 87,614 | 1,294,203 statewide |
| Enrolled in Medicare Advantage | 31,445 | 604,910 statewide |
| Medicare Advantage share | 35.9% | 46.7% statewide |
Data: U.S. Census Bureau (2023 population estimates); CMS, September 2026. Medicare Advantage share is enrollees divided by people with Medicare.
Charleston County ranks 3rd of 46 South Carolina counties by number of residents age 65 and older, with about 78,368 people in that age group, or 18.5% of residents (statewide: 19.3%). Another 27,795 residents are age 60 to 64 and will reach Medicare eligibility within about five years (see our turning 65 guide). By age, the 65-and-older group splits 60% ages 65 to 74, 31% ages 75 to 84 and 9% age 85 and up (Census 2023). Medicare Advantage enrollment in Charleston County is 35.9% of people with Medicare, lower than the South Carolina average of 46.7%. Averages cannot choose a plan for you. Medicare Advantage and Original Medicare with a Medigap plan each suit different people, depending on doctors, medicines and how you prefer to handle costs, and we compare both at your ZIP code.
Who has Medicare in Charleston County
Charleston County is a metro county; the U.S. Department of Agriculture describes it as: counties in metro areas of 250,000 to 1 million population. Metro counties usually have more hospitals and more insurers competing for Medicare members, so there can be more plans to compare.
CMS counts 85,709 Medicare beneficiaries in Charleston County (2023). Their average age is 74, about the same as the South Carolina average of 73. About 5% are “dual eligible,” meaning they have both Medicare and Medicaid, lower than the state figure of 7%.
Among people in Original Medicare in Charleston County, CMS reported about 571 emergency room visits and 187 inpatient hospital stays per 1,000 beneficiaries in 2023, which is close to the state average for emergency visits (563) and close to it for hospital stays (202). About 9% received home health care. These figures describe how people use care under Original Medicare; they do not show what any plan covers or costs.
Sources: CMS Medicare Geographic Variation, 2023; USDA Rural-Urban Continuum Codes, 2023.
Where people live in Charleston County
Census Bureau 2023 estimates put the biggest communities in Charleston County at Charleston (139,285), Mount Pleasant (95,232), North Charleston (91,663), James Island (11,903), Hollywood (5,445), Isle of Palms (4,370), counting only the part of each community inside the county.
We look up plans by ZIP code. In Charleston County, that means areas such as 29401, 29403, 29404, 29405, 29406, 29407, 29409, 29412, 29414, 29418, 29424, 29425, 29426, 29429 and 11 more, based on Census ZIP Code Tabulation Areas that lie mostly in the county.
Questions about your Medicare options?
Reach out to us: fill out our short form or call (571) 354-0146, and a licensed agent will compare the plans available to you, check your doctors and drugs, and stay with you each year at renewal. For general Medicare information, the federal helpline is 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227).
Medicare resources from official sources
- Medicare Plan Finder on Medicare.gov, searchable by ZIP code.
- HealthCare.gov if you are not yet on Medicare.
- Medicare Care Compare for hospitals and doctors.
- Social Security: Medicare to enroll or check status.
- South Carolina Department of Insurance: South Carolina’s insurance regulator, including agent license lookup.
Coverage we offer Charleston County residents
We work with many carriers, which lets us compare more than one option for Charleston County households, including Medicare Supplement (Medigap), Part D drug plans, ACA health insurance, ICHRA, group health insurance, life insurance, final expense insurance, annuities and Medicare Advantage.
Let's check your Charleston County options together
We will confirm your doctors and prescriptions before you enroll, by phone or video.
Get my plan comparisonPlain-English Medicare answers
- Do you really need a Medicare agent?
- When can you switch Medicare plans? Every enrollment window
- How to read your Medicare Annual Notice of Change
- Medicare 101 for families
Charleston County compared with similar South Carolina counties
| County | Residents 65+ | Medicare Advantage share | Dual eligible share | Area type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Richland County | 61,710 | 43.1% | 7% | Metro |
| Greenville County | 95,536 | 49.4% | 5% | Metro |
| Spartanburg County | 58,315 | 54.3% | 9% | Metro |
| Beaufort County | 58,041 | 32.6% | 2% | Metro |
| Lexington County | 54,364 | 42.3% | 6% | Metro |
| Horry County | 107,430 | 45.7% | 5% | Metro |
See every South Carolina county in our South Carolina directory or go to our South Carolina Medicare hub.