North Charleston, South Carolina Housing Market

What stands out in North Charleston?

• 31% of sellers have cut their price: among the highest share of price cuts of 763 tracked cities. Many sellers have already admitted their first price was too high.

What moves the numbers in North Charleston?

North Charleston asking prices per square foot were above the year before in 79% of months since the data starts. Within a year, the cheapest and priciest months differ by about 6.7%. That is bigger than the yearly trend, so timing your purchase matters here. Nothing in North Charleston's numbers is far from its own normal. Your return comes from the property and the price you negotiate.

How does North Charleston compare with other South Carolina markets?

Ranked among the 11 South Carolina markets we track:

• Asking price: 6th cheapest of 11. North Charleston is at $362,633. Closest: Rock Hill and Summerville.
• Buyer competition: the least competitive of 10. North Charleston is at 0.23 buyers per home. Closest: Summerville.
• Time on market: 5th shortest time on market of 11. North Charleston is at a median of 58 days on market. Closest: Charleston and Greenville.
• Price cuts: the most price cuts of 11. North Charleston is at 31% of sellers cutting. Closest: Goose Creek.

How much can you negotiate in North Charleston?

For every 100 homes still for sale, 23 are under contract. In 2017–2019 at this time of year it was 58. The rest are still waiting for a buyer. About 1 in 3 sellers has already dropped their price. Each one has learned their first price was too high. Start your offer below their new price.

North Charleston listings spend a median 58 days on the market. That is 13% longer than a year ago. There are 312 homes for sale in North Charleston. That is 8.0 times the tightest month on record, but below the peak of 322. Supply is growing against last year.

What to do about it

• Search North Charleston homes listed 60+ days ago that have already cut their price.
• Offer below the reduced price.
• Keep your inspection and financing contingencies.
• Ask the seller to pay closing costs.
• You can lose a few offers here and still win.

When do North Charleston prices dip?

Across 9 full years, North Charleston asking prices ran lowest in January, about 4.4% below the year's average. They peaked in August. The most homes for sale show up in October, about 11% above the yearly average. Shop in October for choice, and expect the softest asking prices in January.

Is now a good time to buy in North Charleston?

The median asking price is 11.6% below its Mar 2023 peak. Per square foot the gap is smaller: 6.2% below the Sep 2024 high. Part of the drop is smaller homes coming to market. Prices stopped falling about a year ago. They are flat now. Waiting will not get you a cheaper house. It might still get you a more motivated seller. North Charleston prices have risen in 89 of the last 112 months. Drops here have been short and shallow. Buying in a slow month has rarely hurt a long hold.

The discount is already here. It is not getting bigger. Buy now while sellers are still weak. Waiting for a lower price stopped working a year ago.

What numbers should you underwrite a North Charleston deal with?

• Price growth to assume — +4.5%/yr. North Charleston grew 6.7% a year over the decade. Ignore that rate. Most of it landed in the 2020 and 2021 boom. Without the boom, North Charleston grows about 4.5% a year. That is the number to type in. Prices were flat over the last year.
• Odds you cut your price to sell — 1 in 3. 31% of North Charleston listings have cut their asking price. Underwrite your exit below asking.
• Comp on price per square foot — $237/sqft. The typical North Charleston listing shrank from 2,060 to 1,600 sqft since Jul 2016. So median price hides real growth: 93% per sqft versus 51% on the median. Comp on median price and you will overpay for small homes.
• Competition when you exit — +4%. Homes for sale in North Charleston are up 4% on last year, so your resale faces more competition than today's comps did.

Read how rent-to-price works and how we read these numbers, then run the numbers on a deal.

What is the median home price in North Charleston?

The median asking price in North Charleston is about $363,000 as of Oct 2026, up 3.3% from a year ago. The typical listing is 2% larger than a year ago, and asking price per square foot is flat. So the size of homes on the market explains much of the rise. 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 North Charleston figures cover the 5 ZIP codes with a North Charleston mailing address, which can reach past city limits.

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

Buyers have more room in North Charleston than usual. We compare North Charleston with 2017–2019 at this time of year: there are 23 pending sales per 100 listings, against 58 then; there are 32% more homes for sale; 31% of sellers have cut their price, against 24% then.

Are North Charleston home prices going up or down?

The median asking price is 11.6% below its Mar 2023 peak. Per square foot the gap is smaller: 6.2% below the Sep 2024 high. Part of the drop is smaller homes coming to market. Prices stopped falling about a year ago. They are flat now. Waiting will not get you a cheaper house. It might still get you a more motivated seller.

What rent can North Charleston tenants afford?

At 30% of income, a tenant on the median income can pay about $1,602 a month. The median North Charleston household earns $64,086 a year.

What price growth should I assume for North Charleston?

Assume +4.5% a year. North Charleston grew 6.7% a year over the decade. Ignore that rate. Most of it landed in the 2020 and 2021 boom. Without the boom, North Charleston grows about 4.5% a year. That is the number to type in. Prices were flat over the last year.

What is the fair market rent in North 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.