NAICS 56

Administrative and Support Services in Charleston-North Charleston, SC

Metro Market Score 64.4 (Difficult), ranked #218 of 267 metros. 2,022 establishments, 24,279 jobs.

Metro Market Score 64.4

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Difficult

ⓘ Lower is better. Relative to national administrative and support services average.

Charleston-North Charleston scores 64.4 on the Metro Market Score for administrative and support services, placing it in the bottom quartile. High wage costs, strong existing competition, or slowing growth contribute to tougher entry conditions compared to most metros.

Industry Concentration

87.3

LQ: 1.07

Rank #233 of 267 metros

Wage Competitiveness

47.9

$47,228 avg wage

Growth Trend

↓ 37.8

Employment growth index

Rank #167 of 267 metros

Wage Pressure

59.7

YoY wage change index

2,022 Administrative and Support Services Firms in Charleston-North Charleston

2,022

Establishments

+6.9% YoY

24,279

Total Employment

-3.7% YoY

$47,228

Average Annual Wage

+4.7% YoY

1.07

Location Quotient

Above national avg

Within South Carolina

#6 of 7

administrative and support services metros in state

South Carolina state rank

#26 of 51

for administrative and support services entry risk

vs State Median

+4.8

worse than median (59.6)

Charleston-North Charleston vs South Carolina Statewide

How this metro's administrative and support services market compares to South Carolina overall. The state ranks #26/51 for entry risk.

Measure	Charleston-North Charleston	SC Statewide
Overall Score	64.4 Difficult	41.9 Moderate
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#218 of 267 metros	#26 of 51 states

Metro and state scores use different methodologies (metro has 4 QCEW-based metrics; state adds BDS survival and momentum data). Direct score comparisons are approximate.

Other Industries in Charleston-North Charleston

Healthcare and Social Assistance 36.4 Retail Trade 49.4 Construction 49.8 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 58.6 Other Services 59.5 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 62.7 Accommodation and Food Services 63.4 Finance and Insurance 70.0 Information 73.8

Administrative and Support Services in Other South Carolina Metros

Sumter 39.4 #51/267 Florence 53.4 #140/267 Spartanburg 54.1 #148/267 Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal 59.6 #190/267 Greenville-Anderson-Greer 63.1 #213/267 Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach 72.8 #254/267

Administrative and Support Services Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Charleston-North Charleston's 64.4 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY 64.1 #217/267 Colorado Springs, CO 64.7 #219/267 Carson City, NV 65.2 #220/267 Providence-Warwick, RI 65.3 #221/267 Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA 63.5 #216/267 Naples-Marco Island, FL 63.5 #215/267 San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA 63.4 #214/267 Knoxville, TN 65.6 #222/267 Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC 63.1 #213/267 Jacksonville, NC 63.0 #212/267

Administrative and Support Services in States Bordering South Carolina

State-level entry risk for administrative and support services in adjacent states. Use this to weigh cross-border options.

North Carolina 42.8 #32/51 Georgia 43.4 #37/51

Browse Administrative and Support Services in Other States

State-level entry risk reports for administrative and support services across all 51 markets, sorted by rank.

About Metro Market Score: A weighted composite of industry concentration (25%), wage competitiveness (25%), wage pressure (20%), and employment growth trend (30%). Lower scores indicate more favorable conditions. For Charleston-North Charleston's administrative and support services sector, the industry concentration component (87.3) has the strongest pull on the composite. Metro scores use QCEW data only (no BDS survival data at metro level). Read full methodology →

Data Sources

Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW), Bureau of Labor Statistics. MSA-level establishment counts, employment, wages, and location quotients for the Charleston-North Charleston, SC MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment