To many residents' chagrin, the media's love affair with the Holy City continued in 2024. Below is a list of all the awards, accolades, and honors that were bestowed upon Charleston, its businesses, its restaurants, its people, and more.
FYI – You can click on the award name to learn more.
- America’s Most Charming Main Street: King Street - MixBook
- # 1 Best City for Renters to Live in 2024 - RentCafe
- # 1 Best City in the United States: Charleston - Travel + Leisure
- # 1 Best Golf Course in SC: The Ocean Course at Kiawah Island Golf Resort - GolfWeek
- # 1 Best New BBQ Joint in the South: Palmira Barbecue - Southern Living
- # 1 Friendliest City in the South - Southern Living
- # 2 Best Children’s Hospital for pediatric cardiology and heart surgery: MUSC's Shawn Jenkins Children’s Hospital - U.S. News & World Report
- # 2 Best Food Destination in the U.S. - TripAdvisor
- # 2 Hotel in South Carolina: The Charleston Place - U.S. News & World Report
- # 2 Best Place to Live on the East Coast - U.S. News & World Report
- # 3 Best New BBQ Joint in the South: King BBQ - Southern Living
- # 3 Best Pickleball Courts In The South: Crush Yard - Southern Living
- # 3 Growth City - U-Haul
- # 4 Best Family Beach Vacation Spot in the U.S.: Kiawah Island - Travel + Leisure
- # 4 Best Fine Dining Restarant in United States: Revival - TripAdvisor
- # 5 Best Beach of 2024: Kiawah Island's Beachwalker Park - Dr. Beach
- # 5 Best Midsize City for Soccer Fans - Wallethub
- # 5 Best Midsize College City in America - Wallethub
- # 5 Best Romantic Getaway in the U.S. - U.S. News & World Report
- # 5 Best Midsize City for Baseball Fans - Wallethub
- # 5 South Carolina’s Most Walkable Downtown: Charleston - Discover SC
- # 6 Best Dog Park in the U.S.: The Dog Park at James Island County Park - USA Today's 10Best
- # 6 Best Southern Destinations For Spotting Spring Blooms - Southern Living
- # 6 Most Iconic Bridge in America: Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge - Gunther VW
- # 7 Best City for Veterans to Live - Veterans United Home Loans
- # 7 Best City Hotel in the Continental U.S.: The Wentworth Mansion - Travel + Leisure
- # 7 Best High School in America: Academic Magnet High School - U.S. News and World Report
- # 8 Best City for Summer Jobs - Wallethub
- # 8 Best Small Real-Estate Market - Wallethub
- # 8 Friendliest City in America - Conde Nast Traveler
- # 8 Friendliest City in America - LuvLink
- # 8 Top Destination - TripAdvisor
- # 9 Best Island in the Continental U.S.: Kiawah Island - Travel + Leisure
- # 9 Best Warm Destination for Winter Travel - Wallethub
- # 9 Fall Girlfriend Getaway You'll Want To Plan Immediately - Southern Living
- # 10 Best Place to Camp in the Southeast Region: Campground at James Island County Park - The Dyrt
- # 10 Best Small City for Economic Growth: North Charleston - CoworkingCafe
- # 10 South Carolina’s Most Walkable Downtown: Summerville - Discover SC
- # 11 Best Fine Dining Restarant in United States: Peninsula Grill - TripAdvisor
- # 11 Best Golf Course in SC: Osprey Point at the Kiawah Island Golf Resort - GolfWeek
- # 13 Best Place to Live in the U.S. - U.S. News & World Report
- # 13 Most Coveted Halloween Destination - Mixbook
- # 14 Best New BBQ Joint in the South: Rancho Lewis - Southern Living
- # 14 Best New Restaurants in the South 2024: Xo Brasserie - Yelp
- # 15 Best Fine Dining Restarant in United States: Circa 1886 - TripAdvisor
- # 16 Best Fine Dining Restarant in United States: Halls Chophouse - TripAdvisor
- # 16 Best Golf Course in SC: Cougar Point at Kiawah Island Golf Resort - GolfWeek
- # 17 Best New Restaurants in the South 2024: Costa - Yelp
- # 22 Best City in the World: Charleston - Travel + Leisure
- # 23 Best Fine Dining Restarant in United States: High Cotton - TripAdvisor
- # 23 Hotel in America: The Charleston Place - U.S. News & World Report
- # 51 Best BBQ Restaurant in the U.S.: Swig and Swine - Yelp
- # 75 Top Pizza Spot in the US: The Obstinate Daughter - Yelp
- A Hidden Gem Dog Park: Riverfront Dog Park - Technobark.com
- Best Chicken Wings in South Carolina: Kung Pao Chicken Wings at The Grocery - Food Network
- Best Hole-In-The-Wall Restaurant in South Carolina: Dave's Carry Out - LoveFood
- Best Mexican Restaurant in South Carolina: MESU - Lovefood
- Best Texas-style BBQ Restaurant in the Country: Palmira Barbecue - Texas Monthly
- Best of Weddings: Hamby Catering & Events - The Knot
- Bronze medal in Belgian-Style Witbier category: Munkle Brewing's Gully Washer Wit - 2024 Great American Beer Festival
- Bronze medal in International-Style Pilsener category: Munkle Brewing's Munk Lager - 2024 Great American Beer Festival
- Four Diamond Designated Property: The Palmetto Hotel - AAA Newsroom
- Gold medal in South German-Style Hefeweizen category: Holy City Brewing's Washout Wheat - 2024 Great American Beer Festival
- Inducted into Historic Hotels of America: The Mills House - Historic Hotels of America
- Made in the South Outdoors Winner: Burls and Steel - Garden and Gun
- Made in the South Crafts Runner-up: Harland Handmade - Garden and Gun
- Made in the South Drinks Runner-up: Ceebo Brew Co. - Garden and Gun
- One of the 100 Best New Hotels of the Year: The Pinch - Travel + Leisure
- One of the Best Beach Bars in the South: The Windjammer - Southern Living
- One of the Best Christmas Light Displays + Tours for 2024: Nights of a Thousand Candles at Brookgreen Gardens - U.S. News & World Report
- One of the Best Hotels and Resorts in the World (The Gold List 2025): Zero George - Conde Nast Traveler
- One of the Best New Restaurants of 2024: Bintü Atelier - Bon Appétit
- One of the Best New Restaurants of 2024: King BBQ - Bon Appétit
- One of the 50 Best Places to Travel in 2025: Travel + Leisure
- Best Small Towns on the Atlantic Coast to Chill Out In 2024: Sullivan's Island - WorldAtlas
- 15 Most Beautiful Coastal Towns In The South: Charleston - Southern Living
- Most Popular Pasta Dish in South Carolina: Agnolotti at Le Farfalle - Yelp
- One of Fodor's Finest: The Most Incredible Hotels in the World: The Palmetto - Fodor's
- One of the 50 Best Places to Travel in 2025: Travel + Leisure
- One of the Best New Restaurants of 2024: Bintü Atelier - Esquire
- One of the Best New Restaurants of 2024: Kultura - Esquire
- One of the Most Outstanding Hotels in the World: The Charleston Place - Forbes Travel Guide
- One of the Most Outstanding Hotels in the World: Hotel Bennett - Forbes Travel Guide
- One of the Most Outstanding Hotels in the World: Market Pavilion Hotel - Forbes Travel Guide
- One of the Most Outstanding Hotels in the World: The Sanctuary at Kiawah Island Golf Resort - Forbes Travel Guide
- One of The South's Most Legendary Dive Bars: The Griffon - Southern Living
- One of the Ten Must-Try Southern Sandwiches: Crispy Catfish sandwich at Leon's Oyster Shop - Garden & Gun
- One of the Top 10 Surfing Beaches In The South: Folly Beach - Southern Living
- One of the Top 100 Best Places to Live in America: Livability
- One of the Top 100 Local Businesses in the USA: Candlefish - Yelp
- One of the Top 100 Local Businesses in the USA: Charleston Harbor Veterinarians - Yelp
- One of the Top 100 Local Businesses in the USA: Wild Blue Ropes Adventure Park - Yelp
- One of the Top 50 Haunted Attractions: Boone Hall Fright Nights - Haunted Attraction Association.
- One of the World’s Greatest Places of 2024: International African American Museum - TIME
- Silver medal in American Wheat beer-style category: Hobcaw Brewing Co.'s Mercy Cloud - 2024 Great American Beer Festival
- South Carolina's Most Beautiful Restaurant: Camellias - OpenTable
- South Carolina's Richest City: Kiawah Island - Forbes
- South Carolina's Second Richest City: Sullivan's Island - Forbes
- South Carolina's Fifth Richest City: Isle of Palms - Forbes
- South Carolina’s Most Famous Restaurant: Husk - LoveFood
- South Carolina's Ninth Richest City: Seabrook Island - Forbes
- Three MICHELIN Keys Hotel: HarbourView Inn - MICHELIN
- Three MICHELIN Keys Hotel: Hotel Bennett Charleston - MICHELIN
- Three MICHELIN Keys Hotel: Post House - MICHELIN
- Three MICHELIN Keys Hotel: The Dewberry - MICHELIN
- Three MICHELIN Keys Hotel: The Spectator Hotel - MICHELIN
- Two MICHELIN Keys Hotel: The Loutrel - MICHELIN
- Two MICHELIN Keys Hotel: The Pinch Charleston - MICHELIN
- Wine Spectator's 2024 Restaurant Awards – Costa
- Wine Spectator's 2024 Restaurant Awards – Circa 1886
- Wine Spectator's 2024 Restaurant Awards – Halls Chophouse
- Wine Spectator's 2024 Restaurant Awards – Magnolia’s
- Wine Spectator's 2024 Restaurant Awards – Peninsula Grill
- Wine Spectator's 2024 Restaurant Awards – Sorrelle
- Wine Spectator's 2024 Restaurant Awards – The Tippling House
- Wine Spectator's 2024 Restaurant Awards – Water's Edge
- Wine Spectator's 2024 Restaurant Awards – Wild Common
- Wine Spectator's 2024 Restaurant Awards – Zero Restaurant + Bar
- WTA 500 Tournament of the Year: Credit One Charleston Open - Women’s Tennis Association
