Measured against area pay, Charleston costs less to live in than 52% of U.S. towns
Up 5% in a year, 38% below the Mississippi typical home.
Census 2020–24 home values, rents, tax bills and cost burden, measured against the median household income of Tallahatchie County, MS ($37K). How TownRatings grades cost of living
The grade compares costs with what households across Tallahatchie County earn ($37K, Census 2020–24). The typical home costs 2.4 years of area income, and 27% of renters pay 30% or more of income for housing.
In dollars
- $120Ktypical home, 38% below the Mississippi typical homeZillow, September 2026
- $840a month for a two-bedroom, utilities includedHUD Fair Market Rent, 2026
In paychecks the grade
- 2.4 yrsof area income buys the typical home; the typical U.S. town: 3.3$37K, Tallahatchie County income
- 22%of area income goes to the median rent; the typical U.S. town: 18%Census 2020–24
- 27%of renters pay 30%+ of income for housing; across Mississippi: 51%Census 2020–24
- 22%of owners do; the typical U.S. town: 20%Census 2020–24
Housing in Charleston, in brief
Prices are 27% below their 2021 peak
The typical Charleston home peaked at $164K in December 2021 and is worth about $120K now. Across Mississippi, values are at or near their high. Over five years, Charleston is down 22%. Price trend ↓
Owning can cost less than renting
With 20% down at the calculator’s rate, the typical Charleston home runs about $700 a month with tax and insurance. A two-bedroom rents for about $840. Can I afford it? ↓
Written from the data on this page. Home values are the Zillow Home Value Index, through September 2026; permits are Census figures through 2025 (2025 partly estimated); incomes, rents paid, taxes and ownership come from the Census American Community Survey.
What’s behind Charleston’s grade
Measured against what households in the area earn, Charleston is more affordable than 52% of U.S. towns. Rent pulls the grade down most; home prices hold it up.
Values have lagged Mississippi: the typical Charleston home is down 21.9% in five years, against 11.3% statewide (Zillow).
Down 21.9% in five years
Slower than Mississippi (11.3%).
Show as a table
| January | Charleston | Mississippi |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | $163,000 | $183,000 |
| 2023 | $143,000 | $186,000 |
| 2024 | $118,000 | $186,000 |
| 2025 | $124,000 | $192,000 |
| 2026 | $120,000 | $192,000 |
| September 2026 | $120,000 | $195,000 |
A typical Charleston home worth $137K in February 2021 is worth about $120K today.
Zillow Home Value Index: the typical value of all homes (middle third), smoothed and seasonally adjusted, through September 2026.
A typical home costs 2.4 years of area income
The calculator starts from the area income the grade uses. Switch to Charleston’s own median, or type yours.
That covers a typical Charleston home, with $28K to spare.
A two-bedroom rents for about $840 a month here, $140 more than owning.
An estimate, not a loan offer: payments of up to 28% of income, a 30-year fixed loan, the Mississippi typical property tax (0.72% of value a year, from the Census) and insurance of about 0.35%. Mortgage insurance, HOA fees and other debts aren’t included.
A two-bedroom rents for about $840
Renters already here pay a median of $683, so moving in tends to cost more than staying put.
Fair Market Rent a month, utilities included
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Fair Market Rents by ZIP code (Tallahatchie County, MS): the 40th-percentile rent plus utilities for a standard unit. Median rent and renters: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.
No new homes permitted in 2025
No permits for new homes were issued in Charleston in 2025. The last year with any was 2007 (2 new homes).
Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses, Charleston's population fell by 309 and no new homes were permitted.
Every year as a table
| Year | New homes | Single-family | 2+ per building | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 (Jan–Aug) | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2025 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2024 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2023 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2022 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2021 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2020 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2019 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2018 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2017 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2016 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2015 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2014 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2013 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2012 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2011 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2010 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2009 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2008 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2007 | 2 | 2 | 0 | $111,000 |
| 2006 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $56,000 |
| 2005 | 4 | 4 | 0 | $222,000 |
| 2004 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $61,000 |
| 2003 | 3 | 3 | 0 | $155,000 |
| 2002 | 2 | 2 | 0 | $104,000 |
| 2001 | 3 | 3 | 0 | $179,000 |
| 2000 | 3 | 3 | 0 | $179,000 |
Charleston's permit office didn't report to the Census in 2025, so the 2025 figures are Census estimates.
Homes authorized by building permits, counted in the year the permit was issued. U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey.
Charleston and its neighbors
One source per column.
Cost next door · one source per column
| Town | Cost | Typical home Zillow, September 2026 | Median value Census 2020–24 | Tax rate bill ÷ value | 2-bed rent HUD 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charleston | B− | $120K | $89K | — | $840 |
Questions about the cost of living in Charleston
Is Charleston expensive to live in?
Measured against what households in the area earn, Charleston costs less than 52% of U.S. towns: a B− for cost of living. The typical home costs 2.4 years of the median household income of Tallahatchie County, MS ($37K).
How much does a house cost in Charleston?
About $120K, Zillow’s typical value for September 2026, up 5.0% in a year. The Mississippi typical home is $195K.
What salary do you need to live in Charleston?
To buy the typical home with 20% down at 6.3%, about $30,000 a year, keeping the payment (about $700 a month with tax and insurance) at 28% of income. To rent a two-bedroom at 30% of income, about $34,000.
How much is rent in Charleston?
HUD puts a two-bedroom at about $840 a month with utilities, the going rate for someone moving in. Renters already here pay a median of $683 (Census 2020–24).
Are home prices in Charleston going up?
Yes: up 5.0% in the past year and -21.9% in five years, against 11.3% across Mississippi (Zillow).
Neighbors talk housing
What Charleston buyers, sellers and renters are saying.
Home values: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), Zillow Research, September 2026. Sales, days on market and supply: Redfin Data Center. Income, ownership, taxes and rent: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. New homes: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey. Fair Market Rents: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The calculator is an estimate, not a loan offer. Regional price levels: BEA; electricity: EIA. How TownRatings grades cost of living.