Fort Johnson/Powder Magazine · Photo: Conrad Wise Chapman · Public domain190 homes sold in James Island in the last year, at a typical $600K
Almost every sale is a house. 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 James Island homes are listed.
Every place James Island 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 James Island.
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.
Houses are 90% of James Island’s sales, at a typical $612K (year to May 2026)
190 homes sold in the year to September 2026.
typical sale · 155 sold in the year to May 2026
- Per square foot
- $371SC $205
- Days to sell
- 65
- Sold over asking
- 19%
- Listings with a price cut
- 27%
Multi-family (2–4 units): 3 sold, typical $900K
Townhouses: 6 sold, typical $533K
Condos: 8 sold, typical $287K
Too few sales in 12 months for reliable figures.
Fewer homes sell than before 2021, at 2.2 times the 2016 price
190 sales in the last year, against 275 in 2020 and a low of 155 in 2012. The typical sale went from $278K in 2016 to $600K.
Source: Redfin Data Center, MLS sales; from June 2026 each month is a 3-month rolling window, its counts divided by 3. Typical price and $/sq ft are the monthly medians, weighted by sales. Redfin stopped publishing towns’ figures by property type after May 2026, so houses and condos are shown for the year to then.
What $600K buys in James Island
Check a listing against what James Island 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 James Island are more common than before the pandemic, with about as many homes for sale
We read every month of James Island’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 September 2026, 190 sales.
If you’re buying in James Island
- Shop in August. It brings about 24 new listings a month, close to the busiest month, with fewer bidding wars (19% over asking).
- Offer under asking. Buyers paid 97.9% of the list price on average; 20% paid over.
- Move fast on good ones. 45% of homes are under contract within two weeks.
Spring brings the homes; summer brings the bidding wars
March has the most new listings (about 27 a month), but June is the most competitive: 29% of June sales close over asking. July and August offer nearly as much choice with fewer homes bid up (19%). January has the least competition (15%).
Averages for each calendar month, 2015 on.
Calmer than the 2021 frenzy, and hotter than South Carolina
| James Island now | 2017–19 | 2021 peak | SC now | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sold over askingShare of sales that closed above the list price | 20% | 13% | 38% | 12% |
| Gone within two weeksShare of homes under contract within 14 days | 45% | 42% | 66% | 25% |
| Price paid vs. askingAverage sale price ÷ list price | 97.9% | 97.4% | 99.8% | 97.7% |
| Days to sellMedian days from listing to contract | 62 | 69 | 49 | 81 |
67 homes for sale on a typical day
That’s twice the 2022 low (35), 11% fewer than in 2017–19 and well under 2012’s 90.
Since 2019, houses are up 83%, condos 46%
A house typically sold for $612K in the year to May 2026 (155 sales), a condo for $287K (8).
Median sale price, weighted by sales each month. Years with fewer than 4 sales of a type are left out.
James Island ranks 14th of 124 busy South Carolina markets for bidding wars
Share of sales over asking in the last year, among towns with 60 or more sales. James Island is one of the state’s hottest markets.
Source: Redfin Data Center, city figures, January 2012 to September 2026 (MLS sales, not seasonally adjusted; from June 2026 each month is a 3-month rolling window, its counts divided by 3). Ratios are weighted by homes sold; price cuts by homes for sale.
Owning the typical James Island home costs about $3,306 a month
Price: James Island’s typical sale, last 12 months. Property tax at James Island’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 James Island 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 11.
Best time to buyProperty tax, a year
Of a home’s value: the median bill over the median home value. On a $600K home, about $2,100 a year.
Taxes vs. neighborsSchools
The schools grade for James Island, from test results, graduation and how much students grow.
Schools in James IslandTypical commute
The average one-way trip to work for people who live in James Island.
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.
Charleston sells for less a square foot; Folly Beach, Sullivan's Island, Kiawah Island and Isle of Palms for far more
The busier markets within 25 miles of James Island, 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 | 3,474 | $643K | $346 | 11% | 72 |
| Mount Pleasant | 1,947 | $893K | $397 | 10% | 70 |
| Isle of Palms | 233 | $1.9M | $941 | 4% | 89 |
| James Island | 190 | $600K | $361 | 20% | 62 |
| Kiawah Island | 132 | $1.4M | $839 | 4% | 68 |
| Folly Beach | 103 | $1.1M | $650 | 1% | 156 |
| Sullivan's Island | 35 | $5.1M | $1,542 | 0% | 136 |
Redfin Data Center, October 2025 to September 2026. Towns with fewer than 20 sales are left out, and Redfin doesn’t report every town separately.
Post your home to James Island, free
Selling it yourself, renting out an apartment or looking for a roommate? Post it to James Island. People who follow the town see it, and so do people comparing James Island with their own town. No commission, no listing fee.
Questions about buying a home in James Island
What do homes sell for in James Island, SC?
190 homes sold in the year to September 2026 at a typical $600K, $361 a square foot.
Is James Island a buyer’s or seller’s market?
A seller’s market: 70 homes were for sale in September 2026 and 17 sold, about 4 months of supply. Buyers paid 97.9% of asking on average.
When is the best time to buy in James Island?
March brings the most new listings. The sales history shows which months have fewer bidding wars.
How much are property taxes in James Island?
About 0.4% of a home’s value a year. On a $600K home that’s near $2,100.
Where can I see homes for sale in James Island?
Zillow, Redfin, Realtor.com and Homes.com all carry James Island’s MLS listings; the search links above open each one filtered to James Island.
Sales, prices, days on market and listings: Redfin Data Center (MLS, monthly, not seasonally adjusted; from June 2026 each month is a 3-month rolling window, its counts divided by 3). 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).