Berkeley County

What Berkeley County does

Berkeley County is a public county government serving 227,907 residents across 1,234 square miles in South Carolina, headquartered in Moncks Corner. It delivers the full range of municipal services — property tax collection at the lowest millage rate in the state (41 mills), development permitting and planning, water and sanitation through its wholly-owned BCWS subsidiary, emergency medical services and 911 communications, law enforcement, roads and bridges, solid waste, mosquito abatement, parks and recreation (including Cypress Gardens), elections administration, and economic development via the "Berkeley Means Business" program.

Its technology footprint consists of an interconnected but not fully unified set of citizen-facing portals: the One Berkeley Portal for general services, the E-Review Portal for development review, the BCWS Online Portal for utility billing, the GIS Mapping Portal for spatial data, Property Insight for property lookups, and the Tax Payment System. These systems are supported by 12 physical office locations spanning Moncks Corner, Goose Creek, St. Stephen, and Summerville. The county's technology stack emphasizes self-service accessibility rather than proprietary platform differentiation.

Revenue is derived from a broadly distributed base of property taxes, service and permit fees, utility charges (water/sewer/stormwater/solid waste), and federal grants including HUD CDBG and EPA infrastructure awards. The FY 2026-2027 combined budget totals $377,388,431, with a $165.9M General Fund and a $118.3M BCWS allocation, passed without a millage increase. Customers are segmented horizontally into residents, local businesses, seven incorporated municipalities, and nonprofit/community organizations receiving CDBG pass-through funding.

Name

Berkeley County

Legal name

Berkeley County Government

Website

https://berkeleycountysc.gov

Company type

Public

Founded year

1882

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Berkeley County is a South Carolina municipal government serving 227,907 residents with property taxation, development permitting, water/sanitation, public safety, and infrastructure services, funded by a $377M FY 2026-2027 combined budget at the state's lowest millage rate.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Government Administration

NAICS

Other General Government Support (921190), Administration of Economic Programs (9261), Regulation, Licensing, and Inspection of Miscellaneous Commercial Sectors (92615), Executive, Legislative, and Other General Government Support (921)

akta.pro primary industry

Economic Development & Business Licensing (Local) (BPAIACAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

Planning, Zoning, Permitting & Code Enforcement (BPAIACAE), Taxpayer Services, Education & Outreach (BPAIADAM), Public Works Departments (Streets, Bridges, Stormwater, Fleet, Maintenance) (BPAIALAD)

Keywords

• Government administration services
• Public safety services
• Property tax collection
• Water sanitation services
• Development permitting

Headquarters

HQ city

Moncks Corner

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices12 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Property Taxes: County collects property taxes based on millage rate of 41 mills (lowest in South Carolina). FY 2026-2027 General Fund budget is $165,871,185.
2. County Budget: Total combined budget for FY 2026-2027 is $377,388,431. Includes General Fund ($165.9M), BCWS budget ($118,281,408), and other funds.
3. Tax Services: Various tax services including property tax, vehicle taxes, stormwater fees, solid waste fees, and fire fees
4. CDBG Grants: Federal Community Development Block Grant funding from HUD ($1,015,276 awarded to local organizations in 2026)
5. Federal Funding: EPA and Congressional Directed Spending awards for infrastructure ($1.6M EPA award for water infrastructure, $3M EPA grant for Bunker Hill Water Treatment Plant)
6. Service Fees: Various service fees including marriage licenses ($50), permits, inspections, EMS billing, and development review fees
7. EMS Billing: Emergency Medical Services billing for transport and medical services

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Berkeley County Government provides county government administration services to residents, businesses, and municipalities in Berkeley County, South Carolina. Core service lines include property tax collection, development permitting and review, public safety (EMS, Sheriff, 911 Communications), water and sanitation through BCWS, roads and bridges maintenance, parks and recreation, voter registration and elections, and economic development.

Product overview

Berkeley County Government operates a portfolio of interconnected online service platforms and portals rather than a unified software product. The core infrastructure includes the One Berkeley Resident Portal for general citizen services, the E-Review Portal for development and construction review services, the BCWS Online Portal for water and sanitation management, and the GIS Mapping system for spatial data. Supporting modules include Building Berkeley (infrastructure projects), Permits & Payments Online, Property Insight, and the Tax Payment System. These systems operate independently rather than as a unified platform-with-modules architecture, serving distinct government service functions for county residents, developers, and businesses.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Emergency medical services, 911 communications, and emergency management for county residents, including transport, medical response, and EMS billing.
• Property Tax Collection County-wide property tax billing and collection at 41 mills (lowest in South Carolina) with no tax increase for FY 2026-2027, serving residents and businesses including vehicles, real property, and stormwater fees.
• Water and Sanitation Services (BCWS) Water treatment (including Bunker Hill Water Treatment Plant), water distribution, wastewater collection, and solid waste disposal through Berkeley County Water and Sanitation (BCWS), the county's wholly-owned utility, on a $118,281,408 FY 2026-2027 BCWS budget.
• Development Review and Permitting Online application and review system for building permits, development plans, subdivisions, and construction inspections for developers, contractors, and property owners.
• Marriage License Services Marriage license application and issuance administered by the Probate Court ($50 filing fee; $5 per certified copy; 24-hour waiting period required after application).
• Building Inspection and Codes Enforcement Building inspection services and code enforcement for new construction, renovations, and code compliance across the county, delivered by a department of 18 employees.
• GIS Mapping and Property Insight Interactive GIS mapping portal and property lookup system providing flood zones, wetlands, parcel data, property assessments, and ownership information.
• Real Property Services Real property assessment, parcel records, and ownership information maintained by the Real Property Services Department with 25 employees.
• Voter Registration and Elections Voter registration, election administration, and poll worker coordination administered by the Registration/Election Director for county, state, and federal elections.
• Mosquito Abatement Services Countywide mosquito control, spraying, and abatement services delivered by a department of 17 employees to reduce vector-borne disease risk.
• Parks and Recreation (Cypress Gardens) County parks and recreational facilities, including the Cypress Gardens historic garden attraction, providing public access, visitor services, and educational programs.
• Solid Waste and Landfill Services Berkeley County Landfill and Convenience Centers providing solid waste disposal, recycling, and convenience drop-off services county-wide.
• Stormwater Management and Fees Stormwater utility program with usage-based fees ($36 per Equivalent Residential Unit for non-residential properties based on impervious areas) supporting floodplain management and drainage infrastructure.
• Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Services Public records request processing and legal services administered through the Legal Department.

Quantifiable outcome

• No property tax increase - millage rate remains at lowest in South Carolina
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor, core and major.

• Sangaree Special Tax DistrictminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 June 2026Special tax district receiving $1.35 million in county funding for construction of new district office ($500,000 contribution from district, $850,000 from county).
• Civitas LLCcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 June 2026Partnered with county to establish CDBG Advisory Committee to review applicants and determine eligible groups before making funding recommendations to County Council.
• Redwood MaterialsmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 June 2026Lithium-ion batteries collected at county drop-off locations (Oakley Road Convenience Center, Berkeley Electric Cooperative) are sent to Redwood Materials for recycling into electric vehicle and clean energy applications. This partnership supports safe battery disposal and environmental sustainability.
• Berkeley Electric CooperativeminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 June 2026Serves as a collection site for lithium-ion battery disposal alongside the county's Oakley Road Convenience Center, enabling residents to properly dispose of damaged, defective, or recalled batteries.
• RWEmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 May 2026RWE is developing the Sandy Run Solar project, a 198-megawatt solar facility on approximately 1,500 acres in the Cross community. The project received county council approval to lift the development moratorium. RWE will work through planning commission and additional readings for zoning approval.
• Santee CoopermajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 May 2026Utility partner for RWE's Sandy Run Solar project, serving customers facing expected energy shortfall by 2029. The solar facility will work with Santee Cooper to provide clean energy to the region.

Scale indicators20 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Charleston County: Neighboring South Carolina county and core partner in the Charleston Region. Highly comparable in service mandate, tourism exposure, port-adjacent economy, and shared regional growth dynamics.
• Horry County: South Carolina coastal county consistently ranked among the fastest-growing in the nation. Comparable scale, rapid population growth, tourism-driven economy, and infrastructure expansion challenges.
• York County: Fast-growing South Carolina county in the Charlotte metro. Comparable rapid residential and industrial growth, school-district capacity issues, and infrastructure investment cycle.
• Beaufort County: South Carolina Lowcountry coastal county with similar tourism, military, and retiree-driven growth profile. Comparable size and service-mix pressures from rapid in-migration.
• Dorchester County: Adjacent South Carolina county that shares Summerville-area growth with Berkeley. Similar mid-sized county profile, population growth pressures, and Charleston-region economic linkage.

Regional players

• Richland County: Mid-sized South Carolina county home to the state capital, Columbia. Comparable urban-rural service mix and mid-tier county budget scale.
• Spartanburg County: Upstate South Carolina county with comparable manufacturing-driven growth and BMW-anchored economic development. Similar mid-size county operational profile within the same state structure.
• Lancaster County: South Carolina county on the Charlotte metro fringe with significant Indian Land-area residential growth. Comparable rapid-growth dynamics and small-county operational constraints.
• Lexington County: South Carolina county adjacent to Columbia with comparable suburban growth dynamics and Lake Murray area development pressures.

Broad incumbents

• Greenville County: Largest county in South Carolina by population. Comparable full-service county government model with major economic development, manufacturing base, and infrastructure investment scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/BerkeleySCGov
• Facebookfacebook.com/BerkeleySCGov
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/berkeley-county-government

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Berkeley County