Charleston, South Carolina Housing Market

What stands out in Charleston?

• Asking price per square foot is up 8.3% on the year: among the fastest-rising asking prices per square foot of 763 tracked cities. Sellers will price off recent gains. Comp carefully.
• Asking prices swing about 15.9% between the cheapest and priciest months: among the biggest seasonal price swings of 763 tracked cities. Timing your purchase within the year matters here.

Are Charleston price gains broad or limited to a few ZIP codes?

Asking price per square foot in Charleston is up 8.3% over the last year. 5 of the 7 ZIP codes with at least 10 listings rose. 29401 led at up 14.9%, and 29406 trailed at down 2.9%. Broad gains like these are harder to fade. Over five years the pace has been 4.1% a year. Underwrite closer to that than to the last twelve months.

Is now a good time to buy in Charleston?

The median asking price is 30.1% below its Jun 2023 peak. Per square foot the gap is smaller: 9.2% below the Jun 2024 high. Part of the drop is smaller homes coming to market. Prices are rising again. Every month you wait costs money. The question is no longer when. It is which house. Charleston prices have risen in 82 of the last 112 months. Drops here have been short and shallow. Buying in a slow month has rarely hurt a long hold.

This market is turning. Which way is not settled yet. Check the monthly numbers above before you commit.

How does Charleston compare with other South Carolina markets?

Ranked among the 11 South Carolina markets we track:

• Asking price: 2nd priciest of 11. Charleston is at $656,098. Closest: Hilton Head Island and Mount Pleasant.
• Buyer competition: 5th most competitive of 10. Charleston is at 0.32 buyers per home. Closest: Greenville and Rock Hill.
• Time on market: 4th shortest time on market of 11. Charleston is at a median of 57 days on market. Closest: Columbia and North Charleston.
• Price cuts: 4th most price cuts of 11. Charleston is at 25% of sellers cutting. Closest: Summerville and Mount Pleasant.

When do Charleston prices dip?

Across 9 full years, Charleston asking prices ran lowest in January, about 7.8% below the year's average. They peaked in June. The most homes for sale show up in October, about 12% above the yearly average. Shop in October for choice, and expect the softest asking prices in January.

How much can you negotiate in Charleston?

For every 100 homes still for sale, 32 are under contract. In 2017–2019 at this time of year it was 34. The rest are still waiting for a buyer. About 1 in 4 sellers has already dropped their price. Each one has learned their first price was too high. Start your offer below their new price.

Charleston listings spend a median 57 days on the market. That is 10% longer than a year ago. There are 865 homes for sale in Charleston. That is 4.3 times the tightest month on record, but below the peak of 1,448. Supply is steady against last year.

What to do about it

• Start in 29403, 29414, and 29407, where sellers are weakest: in 29403, 29% of sellers have cut and listings spend a median 65 days on the market.
• Look for listings older than 60 days with a price cut.

What numbers should you underwrite a Charleston deal with?

• Price growth to assume — +4.1%/yr. Charleston grew 6.1% a year over the decade. Ignore that rate. Most of it landed in the 2020 and 2021 boom. Without the boom, Charleston grows about 4.1% a year. That is the number to type in. Prices rose 8.3% over the last year. Use it for timing. The five-year rate is the better guide.
• Odds you cut your price to sell — 1 in 4. 25% of Charleston listings have cut their asking price. Underwrite your exit below asking.
• Comp on price per square foot — $466/sqft. The typical Charleston listing shrank from 2,086 to 1,890 sqft since Jul 2016. So median price hides real growth: 80% per sqft versus 41% on the median. Comp on median price and you will overpay for small homes.

Read cash flow versus appreciation and how we read these numbers, then run the numbers on a deal.

What is the median home price in Charleston?

The median asking price in Charleston is about $656,000 as of Oct 2026, up 10.6% from a year ago. This is the asking price on homes listed for sale. Sites that report sold prices or estimated home values will show a different number. Our Charleston figures cover the 16 ZIP codes with a Charleston mailing address, which can reach past city limits.

Is Charleston a buyer's or seller's market in 2026?

Neither side has the upper hand in Charleston right now. We compare Charleston with 2017–2019 at this time of year: there are 32% fewer homes for sale; listings spend 23% fewer days on the market; there are 32 pending sales per 100 listings, against 34 then.

Are Charleston home prices going up or down?

The median asking price is 30.1% below its Jun 2023 peak. Per square foot the gap is smaller: 9.2% below the Jun 2024 high. Part of the drop is smaller homes coming to market. Prices are rising again. Every month you wait costs money. The question is no longer when. It is which house.

Which Charleston ZIP code has the most negotiating room?

29403. Only 24 homes under contract for every 100 still for sale. 29% of sellers there have cut their price, and listings there spend a median 65 days on the market.

What price growth should I assume for Charleston?

Assume +4.1% a year. Charleston grew 6.1% a year over the decade. Ignore that rate. Most of it landed in the 2020 and 2021 boom. Without the boom, Charleston grows about 4.1% a year. That is the number to type in. Prices rose 8.3% over the last year. Use it for timing. The five-year rate is the better guide.

What is the fair market rent in Charleston?

HUD's fiscal year 2026 fair market rent for Charleston County is $1,787 a month for 2 bedrooms and $2,222 for 3 bedrooms. The figures include tenant-paid utilities and cover the whole county.