Photo: Chris Pruitt · CC BY-SA 3.03,067 homes sold in Charleston in the last year, at a typical $632K
About one sale in 3 is a condo. Below: what each kind of home sells for, what your budget buys, the best months to buy, how hard you’ll have to bid, and a shortcut to every site where Charleston homes are listed.
Every place Charleston homes are listed, in one stop
We don’t copy listings: the agents’ sites have the photos and the latest price changes. Set what you want once and we open each site already filtered to Charleston.
For sale
Rent
New, land & open houses
Links open the listing sites; TownRatings isn’t paid for them and doesn’t rank one above another. Rentals and government-owned homes come from sources outside the MLS.
17% of Charleston’s sales are condos, at $285K less than a house
2105 houses and 530 condos sold in the year to May 2026. Houses sell faster.
typical sale · 2105 sold in 12 months
- Per square foot
- $353SC $205
- Days to sell
- 71
- Sold over asking
- 11%
- Listings with a price cut
- 25%
typical sale · 530 sold in 12 months
- Per square foot
- $368SC $263
- Days to sell
- 80
- Sold over asking
- 8%
- Listings with a price cut
- 21%
Multi-family (2–4 units): 63 sold, typical $1.2M
Townhouses: 369 sold, typical $453K
Too few sales in 12 months for reliable figures.
Fewer homes sell than before 2022, at 2.2 times the 2016 price
3,067 sales in the last year, against 5,209 in 2021 and a low of 2,640 in 2012. The typical sale went from $289K in 2016 to $632K.
Source: Redfin Data Center, MLS sales. Typical price and $/sq ft are the monthly medians, weighted by sales.
What $650K buys in Charleston
Check a listing against what Charleston homes sold for
Against the town’s median price per square foot over the last 12 months. A rough check: condition, lot and location within town move a price more than this can see.
Bidding wars in Charleston are back to pre-pandemic levels, but a quarter fewer homes come up for sale
We read every month of Charleston’s home sales since 2012 so you don’t have to. Each figure covers 12 months, because a single month in a town is too few sales to mean much. Latest: the year to May 2026, 3,067 sales.
If you’re buying in Charleston
- Shop in February. It brings about 388 new listings a month, close to the busiest month, with fewer bidding wars (17% over asking).
- Some room to negotiate. 23% of listings cut their price, about as many as before the pandemic.
- Offer under asking. Buyers paid 97.5% of the list price on average; 10% paid over.
- You’ll usually have time. Only 36% of homes go under contract within two weeks; the typical one takes 73 days.
Spring brings both the most homes and the most bidding wars
March has the most new listings (about 478 a month), but May is the most competitive: 23% of May sales close over asking. December has the least competition (15%) but only about 213 new listings.
Averages for each calendar month, 2015 on.
Calmer than the 2021 frenzy, and about like South Carolina as a whole
| Charleston now | 2017–19 | 2021 peak | SC now | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sold over askingShare of sales that closed above the list price | 10% | 14% | 29% | 12% |
| Gone within two weeksShare of homes under contract within 14 days | 36% | 37% | 57% | 26% |
| Listings with a price cutShare of homes for sale that cut their price | 23% | 20% | 13% | 26% |
| Price paid vs. askingAverage sale price ÷ list price | 97.5% | 97.9% | 99.3% | 97.7% |
| Days to sellMedian days from listing to contract | 73 | 78 | 53 | 82 |
1104 homes for sale on a typical day
That’s 1.6 times the 2023 low (694), 28% fewer than in 2017–19 and well under 2019’s 1675.
1 in 4 listings has cut its price
23% in the last year, against 20% in 2017–19 and 26% across South Carolina.
Since 2019, houses are up 94%, condos 104%
A house typically sold for $704K in the last year (2105 sales), a condo for $419K (530).
Median sale price, weighted by sales each month. Years with fewer than 4 sales of a type are left out.
Charleston ranks 72nd of 102 busy South Carolina markets for bidding wars
Share of sales over asking in the last year, among towns with 60 or more sales. Charleston is in the middle of the pack.
Source: Redfin Data Center, city market tracker, January 2012 to May 2026 (MLS sales, not seasonally adjusted). Ratios are weighted by homes sold; price cuts by homes for sale.
Owning the typical Charleston home costs about $3,526 a month
Price: Charleston’s typical sale, last 12 months. Property tax at Charleston’s 0.4% (median bill ÷ median value, Census ACS); insurance at 0.35% of price a year. Before PMI, HOA dues, upkeep and the tax deduction. Whether Charleston is affordable on local pay is on Cost of living.
Six things worth knowing
New listings in March
The month with the most choice. December has the fewest, about 213.
Best time to buyProperty tax, a year
Of a home’s value: the median bill over the median home value. On a $632K home, about $2,750 a year.
Taxes vs. neighborsSchools
The schools grade for Charleston, from test results, graduation and how much students grow.
Schools in CharlestonTypical commute
The average one-way trip to work for people who live in Charleston.
Work & commuteCheck the flood map
Flood insurance isn’t in a standard policy, and lenders require it in FEMA flood zones. Check the address before you make an offer.
Natural hazardsLook up any property
Assessed value, lot size and every past sale of a home you’re eyeing are public, at the town or county assessor and the registry of deeds.
Hanahan and North Charleston sell for less a square foot; Sullivan's Island and Folly Beach for far more
The busier markets within 25 miles of Charleston, by what sold. Prices, taxes and how far a paycheck goes next door are on Cost of living.
| Sold | Typical sale | $/sq ft | Over asking | Days to sell | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charleston | 3,067 | $632K | $347 | 10% | 73 |
| Mount Pleasant | 1,839 | $889K | $393 | 11% | 70 |
| North Charleston | 1,537 | $355K | $205 | 18% | 74 |
| Hanahan | 238 | $431K | $235 | 10% | 65 |
| James Island | 172 | $605K | $364 | 18% | 65 |
| Folly Beach | 91 | $1.1M | $639 | 2% | 157 |
| Sullivan's Island | 34 | $5.2M | $1,626 | 3% | 138 |
Redfin Data Center, June 2025 to May 2026. Towns with fewer than 20 sales are left out, and Redfin doesn’t report every town separately.
Post your home to Charleston, free
Selling it yourself, renting out an apartment or looking for a roommate? Post it to Charleston. People who follow the town see it, and so do people comparing Charleston with their own town. No commission, no listing fee.
Questions about buying a home in Charleston
What do homes sell for in Charleston, SC?
3,067 homes sold in the year to May 2026 at a typical $632K, $347 a square foot. Houses sold for about $704K, condos for about $419K.
Is Charleston a buyer’s or seller’s market?
A seller’s market: 1241 homes were for sale in May 2026 and 329 sold, about 3.8 months of supply. Buyers paid 97.5% of asking on average, and 23% of listings cut their price.
When is the best time to buy in Charleston?
March brings the most new listings. The sales history shows which months have fewer bidding wars.
How much are property taxes in Charleston?
About 0.4% of a home’s value a year. On a $632K home that’s near $2,750.
Where can I see homes for sale in Charleston?
Zillow, Redfin, Realtor.com and Homes.com all carry Charleston’s MLS listings; the search links above open each one filtered to Charleston.
Sales, prices, days on market and listings: Redfin Data Center (MLS, monthly, not seasonally adjusted). Property tax rate: Census American Community Survey. Two-bedroom rent: HUD Fair Market Rent. Typical home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Schools grade: TownRatings (how grades work).