Rents are 3% below what Charleston's 10-year trend predicts — a better deal than its own history suggests.
Rent by unit size
These are HUD Fair Market Rents, the payment standard for a Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8). They often differ from the $2,288 market median above, and that is expected: FMR is the 40th percentile of standard-quality units and counts gross rent, so it includes essential utilities such as electricity, water, gas, sewer, and trash. The market median is asking rent, which usually excludes utilities. HUD sets FMR once a year; market rent here updates monthly.
Source: HUD Small Area Fair Market Rents. Read the methodology →
12-month history
Last updated: October 17, 2026
What the numbers show
January. Asking rents in Charleston usually run 1.1% below trend in January and 0.9% above it in July, about $46 a month apart at today's median. Based on 11 years of data.
Rent in Charleston is at its highest level since Zillow's records here began in January 2015.
Rent in Charleston changed +5.2% over the year to September 2026. Across the 54 South Carolina cities Zillow tracks, the typical change was +3.1%.
From 2019 to 2024, rent in Charleston rose 47% while median household income rose 35% ($68,438 to $92,414). Rent outpaced income.
Rent in Charleston is 54.4% higher than in March 2020. Across the US, rent is up 37.3% over the same stretch.
Rent has risen 14 months in a row, and rose in 12 of the last 12 months.
30% of the median household income ($92,414) is $2,310 a month. That covers HUD's Fair Market Rent for up to a 2-bedroom ($2,123); a 3-bedroom is $2,630.
The priciest of 7 ZIP codes in Charleston, 29401 ($3,776/mo), costs 2.2 times the cheapest, 29407 ($1,752/mo).
North Charleston, 10 miles away, rents for 24% less ($1,742/mo), about $6,600 a year in savings.
From Zillow's monthly rent index (ZORI) for Charleston. The seasonal pattern compares Zillow’s seasonally adjusted and unadjusted series. Income is the Census median household income (5-year estimates). Fair Market Rents are HUD’s, which include utilities.
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Who lives here
Charleston, SC is majority owner-occupied, skews toward younger working-age adults, has a median income above the national average, 58.3% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates
How Charleston, SC has changed in 5 years
Across the past five years, the going rent in Charleston, SC has shifted from $1,560 to $2,288, up 46.7% since 2021. Census figures show median household income at $92,414 today, compared with $76,556 five years earlier. Because rent grew faster than wages over the same span, the affordability picture has tightened relative to 2021. Census counts show Charleston, SC adding about 6,410 residents over the five-year window, up 4.3% on net. Bachelor's-degree-or-higher attainment moved from 55.7% to 58.3% across the same window. The combined trend lines point to a market that has changed measurably from where it stood in early 2021.
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Can you afford rent in Charleston on your salary?
At $2,288/mo, how Charleston rent compares to typical pay (30% rule).
Charleston rent by bedroom count
Median rent for each apartment size in Charleston. Click any size for full breakdown.
Tips for renters in Charleston
Last updated: October 17, 2026
The median rent in Charleston is $2,288/mo as of October 2026. A studio apartment averages $1,844/mo while a 2-bedroom runs $2,123/mo. One-bedroom apartments average $1,919/mo and 3-bedroom units go for $2,630/mo.
At 30% of local median household income ($92,414/yr), Charleston ranks as moderate compared to the national benchmark of 30%. Rents have increased 5.2% over the past year.
Frequently asked questions
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Which nearby cities are cheaper to rent in than Charleston?
At $2,288/mo, rent takes ~30% of Charleston's median household income ($92,414/yr). The standard benchmark is 30%.
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Estimated from ZIP-level data
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