Charleston County · South Carolina · South · 154k residents
Charleston, SC: cost of living, taxes & quality of life
Residential facts for Charleston: housing, taxes, monthly costs, climate, schools, and household income, with the South Carolina median as the yardstick. Compare it live against any of 3,000 US cities.
Data coverage: Curated city row; coverage varies by fact.
The median home value in Charleston is $550,000, 91% above the South Carolina median. A two-bedroom rents for about $2,050/mo. Day-to-day costs index at 108 against a national baseline of 100. The median household here earns $78,000 a year.
What the numbers show
Source-confirmed findingsLimited coverage: This profile does not yet have enough source-confirmed local data for a city brief.
This profile does not yet have enough source-confirmed local data for a city brief.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates(2024 ACS 5-year; tables B01003, B15003, B19013, B25077). Geography: Census place where available. This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
WhereToHQ calculates the comparisons. Figures are estimates for context, not a guarantee or personal financial advice. Read the methodology or send a correction.
What makes this place distinctive
A factual snapshot of the place, based on the profile data. It is not a tourism or cultural claim.
A harbor city where Lowcountry food, Gullah Geechee heritage, and preserved architecture shape the mood.
Known for: Historic streets, coastal food, Civil War history, and nearby beaches.
Calendar note: Spoleto Festival USA is the city’s defining annual arts event.
Story source: Explore Charleston
- Scale: A mid-sized city with a population between 50,000 and 250,000 in the profile data.
- Setting: The profile places Charleston about 5 miles from the nearest tracked ocean.
- Climate signal: The profile records 230 sunny days.
- Daily pace: The profile records a walk score of 41 and an average commute of 25 minutes.
WhereToHQ derives these signals from the committed city dataset. Read the methodology for coverage and source limits.
Compare Charleston side by side
Cost of living index
108
Median home value
$550,000
2-bedroom rent
$2,050/mo
Median household income
$78,000
Housing momentum
How fast Charleston's housing market is moving, ranked against the US cities we track.
50/100
Steady
Ranks Charleston's home-price and rent growth against the US cities we cover. The label is relative pace, not a direction, so a market can rank low while some figures still rise. A higher score moves faster, it is not cheaper or better. Not investment or relocation advice.
Adjusted by Charleston's cost-of-living index versus the US average.
| Median home value | $550,000 |
| Price per sq. ft. | $320 |
| Property tax rate | 0.5% |
| 1-bedroom rent | $1,750/mo |
| 2-bedroom rent | $2,050/mo |
| State & local income tax | 3.39% |
| Sales tax | 9% |
| Cost of living index | 108 |
| Groceries index | 103 |
| Utilities | $185/mo |
| Transit pass | $40/mo |
| Gas price | $3.00/gal |
| Healthcare index | 100 |
| Childcare (per child) | $1,150/mo |
| Median household income | $78,000 |
| Unemployment rate | 3% |
| Population | 154k |
| Crime index | 42/100 |
| School rating | 6.5/10 |
| Walkability | 41/100 |
| Disaster risk | 99/100 |
| Avg. commute | 25 min |
| Sunny days / year | 230 days |
| July high | 88°F |
| January low | 44°F |
| Annual snowfall | — |
| Home price YoY | +0.7% |
| Home price MoM | 0.0% |
| Rent YoY | +2.5% |
| Rent MoM | +0.3% |
| Ocean coast | 5 mi |
| Big lake | 118 mi |
| Mountains | 245 mi |
| Major airport | 10 mi |
| Ski resort | 256 mi |
Popular comparisons
Nearby
- Mount Pleasant, SC · 94k
- Hanahan, SC · 21k
- North Charleston, SC · 120k
- Goose Creek, SC · 48k
- Ladson, SC · 16k
Similar size
- Columbia, SC · 140k
- Rock Hill, SC · 75k
- Greenville, SC · 73k
- Summerville, SC · 52k
- Sumter, SC · 43k
Real listings in Charleston
Homes on Zillow ↗Realtor.com ↗Rentals on Zillow ↗Apartments.com ↗
Links open third-party listing searches. WhereToHQ has no paid relationship with these sites.
- What is the cost of living in Charleston, SC?
- Charleston indexes at 108 for day-to-day costs against a national baseline of 100, with a typical two-bedroom renting for $2,050/mo and a median home value of $550,000.
- How much does a house cost in Charleston?
- The median home value in Charleston is $550,000, 91% above the South Carolina median (compiled estimate; individual listings vary).
- How much is rent in Charleston?
- A two-bedroom in Charleston rents for about $2,050/mo.