Area Code 843

South Carolina

Area code 843 serves South Carolina, primarily Charleston, in the Eastern Time (ET) time zone. It has served the region since 22-Mar-1998.

Overlay Area Code

This area code is part of an overlay region, meaning the same geographic area is served by multiple area codes. Overlay codes were introduced to meet growing demand for phone numbers without requiring existing customers to change their numbers.

This area code shares its geographic region with: area code 854 (Charleston).

In service since: 22-Mar-1998

Learn more about overlay and split area codes →

Demographics & Economics

Total Population: 2,723,467
Population Density: 136 people/sq mi
above U.S. average (U.S.: 93 people/sq mi)
Median Household Income: $76,896
near U.S. median (U.S.: $75,144)
Poverty Rate: 14.5%
above U.S. average (U.S.: 11.5%)
Unemployment Rate: 4.8%
above U.S. average (U.S.: 3.6%)
Education Attainment: Bachelor's Degree+
31.3%
near U.S. average (U.S.: 33.7%)
High School or Lower
32.2%

Statistics are population-weighted aggregations from Census ACS 5-year estimates. Population figures are approximate — see Sources & Methodology for details on how area code populations are derived.

See how this area code compares to all US area codes in the Statistics dashboard.

Time Zone

Eastern Time (ET)

NANPA Relief Status

According to the latest NANPA analysis (July 2026), this area code is not currently listed as exhausting within the next 36 months. No relief planning is in progress for this NPA.

Source: NANPA NPA Relief Planning Reports · See all relief planning statuses

Current Time

Eastern Time (ET)

Prefix Utilization

Geographic Coverage

State

Major Cities

Charleston
North Charleston
Mount Pleasant
Summerville
Goose Creek
Florence
Hilton Head Island
Myrtle Beach
Bluffton
Carolina Forest
Conway
Socastee
Hanahan
North Myrtle Beach
Red Hill
Ladson
Port Royal
Moncks Corner
Beaufort
James Island
Little River
Murrells Inlet
Litchfield Beach
Hardeeville

and 121 more cities

Area Code 843 geographic coverage map (light mode)

Demographics

The estimated population served by area code 843 is approximately 2,723,467. The population density is 136 people per square mile, which is higher than the national average of 93. The median household income is $76,896, which is near the national median of $75,144. Approximately 31.3% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, compared to the national rate of 33.7%. This rate is near the national average. The poverty rate stands at 14.5%, which is higher than the national rate of 11.5%.

History

Area code 843 was established in 1998 as a geographic area code. It shares its territory with area code area code 854.

County Coverage

Population-weighted county share based on aggregated ZCTA population (100% = total mapped population for area code 843).

County	Population	Share
Charleston, SC	598,081	22.0%
Horry, SC	381,603	14.0%
Berkeley, SC	357,210	13.1%
Dorchester, SC	279,378	10.3%
Beaufort, SC	208,134	7.6%
Florence, SC	153,145	5.6%
Darlington, SC	141,297	5.2%
Georgetown, SC	95,544	3.5%
Williamsburg, SC	85,527	3.1%
Chesterfield, SC	75,527	2.8%
Dillon, SC	58,278	2.1%
Jasper, SC	55,075	2.0%
Colleton, SC	53,778	2.0%
Marlboro, SC	45,477	1.7%
Marion, SC	38,116	1.4%
Lee, SC	37,623	1.4%
Clarendon, SC	22,876	0.8%
Orangeburg, SC	12,538	0.5%
Kershaw, SC	6,445	0.2%
Sumter, SC	5,840	0.2%
Hampton, SC	5,807	0.2%
Lancaster, SC	4,049	0.1%
Bamberg, SC	2,119	0.1%

Area Code 843 Family Tree

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Total Codes

Splits

Overlays

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All Descendants

Code ▲	State	Type	In Service	Parent
854	SC	overlay	19-Oct-2015	843

Area code 843 was originally assigned in 22-Mar-1998 to serve SC. Over the years, it has generated 1 descendant area code through a combination of geographic splits and overlays as demand for telephone numbers grew.