Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Charleston, South Carolina
A $469,000 home here costs
$3,420per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $2,411. The real number is $1,009 higher every month — 42% more than the payment most buyers budget for.
Where every dollar goes
Only the first line is a mortgage payment. Change any assumption above and every figure below recalculates.
Charleston against Charleston County and South Carolina
| Measure | Charleston | Charleston County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $469,100 | $450,800 |
| Median property tax | $2,144 | $1,864 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.457% | 0.413% |
| Median gross rent | $1,632 | $1,506 |
| Population | 152,014 | 414,711 |
Charleston extends across 2 counties. Figures here use Charleston County, where most of its housing sits.
The weather behind that power bill
Charleston sits in Charleston County, which averages a high of 87.5°F in its hottest month and a low of 43.6°F in its coldest, with 44.26" of precipitation a year and 37% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 2,448 cooling and 1,623 heating degree days, which is what sets the $145 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Charleston County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Charleston County
Full Charleston County cost breakdown · Every county in South Carolina
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Charleston?
A $469,000 home in Charleston, South Carolina costs approximately $3,420 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $2,411 principal and interest, $179 property tax, $226 homeowners insurance, $213 utilities and $391 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Charleston?
Charleston has an effective property tax rate of 0.457%, based on a median home value of $469,100 and median real estate taxes of $2,144. That is higher than the Charleston County average of 0.413%.
What is the average home price in Charleston?
The median owner-occupied home value in Charleston, South Carolina is $469,100, against $450,800 across Charleston County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Charleston?
Median gross rent in Charleston is $1,632 a month, against $3,420 to own the median home all in. Renting costs less month to month here, though renting builds no equity.
Sources & methodology
- Median home value, real estate taxes, gross rent and population for Charleston — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for South Carolina.
- Electricity price — EIA Electric Power Monthly Table 5.6.A.
- Mortgage rate — Freddie Mac PMMS, refreshed weekly.
- Maintenance (1%/yr) and water and sewer ($68/mo) are national estimates. Every assumption above is editable.