ZIP 29401
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12-month history
Last updated: October 17, 2026
What the numbers show
October. Asking rents in ZIP 29401 usually run 2.7% below trend in October and 2.2% above it in April, about $185 a month apart at today's median. Based on 9 years of data.
Rent in ZIP 29401 is at its highest level since Zillow's records here began in October 2017.
Rent in ZIP 29401 changed +3.3% over the year to September 2026. Across the 101 South Carolina ZIP codes Zillow tracks, the typical change was +3.4%.
From 2019 to 2024, rent in ZIP 29401 rose 77.4% while median household income rose 25.3% ($79,539 to $99,667). Rent outpaced income.
Rent in ZIP 29401 is 87.3% higher than in March 2020. Across the US, rent is up 37.3% over the same stretch.
Rent rose in 8 of the last 12 months.
30% of the median household income ($99,667) is $2,492 a month. That covers HUD's Fair Market Rent for up to a 2-bedroom ($2,320); a 3-bedroom is $2,890.
7th cheapest of 7 ZIP codes in Charleston.
ZIP 29403, 2 miles away, rents for 27% less ($2,751/mo), about $12,300 a year in savings.
From Zillow's monthly rent index (ZORI) for ZIP 29401. 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.
Who lives here
ZIP 29401 (Charleston, SC) is majority owner-occupied, skews toward younger working-age adults, has a median income above the national average, 74.7% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates
How ZIP 29401 in Charleston, SC has changed in 5 years
Across the past five years, the going rent in ZIP 29401 in Charleston, SC has shifted from $2,159 to $3,776, up 74.9% since 2021. Census figures show median household income at $99,667 today, compared with $88,311 five years earlier. Because rent grew faster than wages over the same span, the affordability picture has tightened relative to 2021. Census counts show ZIP 29401 in Charleston, SC adding about 752 residents over the five-year window, up 8.8% on net. The renter share has eased from 42% to 39.8%, with owner-occupied housing accounting for the remainder. Bachelor's-degree-or-higher attainment moved from 77.1% to 74.7% 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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Tips for renters in ZIP 29401
Last updated: October 17, 2026
ZIP code 29401 covers Charleston, SC. The median rent here is $3,776/mo as of October 2026. A 1-bedroom rents for a median of $2,120/mo. A 2-bedroom rents for a median of $2,320/mo.
At 45% of local median household income ($99,667/yr), ZIP 29401 ranks as moderate compared to the national benchmark of 30%. Rents have increased 3.3% over the past year.
Frequently asked questions
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How does ZIP 29401 compare to other ZIPs in South Carolina?
How does ZIP 29401 compare to the rest of Charleston?
At $3,776/mo, rent takes ~45% of ZIP 29401's median household income ($99,667/yr). The standard benchmark is 30%.
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