Housing data for North Charleston, SC

North Charleston, SC has an estimated 119,913 residents and 54,781 homes (US Census Bureau, 2020–2024 American Community Survey).

It is a city in Charleston County.

50.2% of households rent.

The median gross rent is $1,430 a month.

Its population grew measurably since 2015–2019 (+7.5%).

Figures last updated on .

Residents
119,913 (±119)
Housing units
54,781 (±1,173)
Households that rent
50.2%
Median gross rent
$1,430
Residents since 2015–2019
+7.5%

What stands out in North Charleston

Median home value: $302,200 (±$11,654) in North Charleston, lower than in Charleston County ($489,100).

Households that rent: 50.2% (±1.8 points) in North Charleston, higher than in Charleston County (36.1%).

Working from home: 9.7% (±1.2 points) in North Charleston, lower than in Charleston County (17.7%).

Median household income: $62,956 (±$3,840) in North Charleston, lower than in Charleston County ($88,494).

Housing in North Charleston at a glance

North Charleston against Charleston County, its state and the nation

Estimate (90% margin of error)
North CharlestonCharleston CountySouth CarolinaUnited States
Residents119,913 (±119)420,264 (exact)5,296,225 (exact)334,922,499
Housing units54,781 (±1,173)209,803 (±117)2,443,039 (±311)143,775,355
Households that rent50.2% (±1.8 points)36.1% (±1.0 points)28.1% (±0.3 points)34.8%
Median gross rent$1,430 (±$30)$1,620 (±$36)$1,180 (±$9)$1,413
Median household income$62,956 (±$3,840)$88,494 (±$1,950)$69,324 (±$570)$80,734
Median home value$302,200 (±$11,654)$489,100 (±$9,282)$259,000 (±$1,421)$332,700
Median real estate taxes (a year)$1,527 (±$107)$1,901 (±$31)$1,251 (±$7)$3,119
Built before 198032.1% (±2.3 points)34.5% (±1.1 points)32.8% (±0.3 points)49.7%
Average commute24.5 minutes (±0.8)25.1 minutes (±0.5)25.6 minutes (±0.1)26.4 minutes
Households with broadband89.2% (±1.8 points)88.9% (±0.8 points)88.8% (±0.2 points)91.0%
Median age of residents34.6 years (±1.0)39.2 years (±0.3)40.2 years (±0.2)38.9 years

North Charleston covers 78.0 square miles of land, about 1,538 residents per square mile (Census Bureau Gazetteer).

How North Charleston has changed since 2015–2019

2015–2019 and 2020–2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates
2015–20192020–2024Amount of changeVerdict
Residents111,501 (±92)119,913 (±119)+7.5%Measurable increase
Housing units47,066 (±904)54,781 (±1,173)+16.4%Measurable increase
Median gross rent$1,051 (±$22)$1,430 (±$30)+36.1%Up after inflation
Median home value$174,800 (±$5,619)$302,200 (±$11,654)+72.9%Up after inflation
Median household income$45,510 (±$1,923)$62,956 (±$3,840)+38.3%Up after inflation
Median owner cost with a mortgage$1,353 (±$33)$1,652 (±$75)+22.1%No measurable change after inflation
Median real estate taxes$1,030 (±$57)$1,527 (±$107)+48.3%Up after inflation
Households that rent55.2% (±1.7 points)50.2% (±1.8 points)−5.0 percentage pointsMeasurable decrease
Rental vacancy rate9.0% (±1.5 points)9.0% (±1.8 points)0.0 percentage pointsNot a measurable change

The Census Bureau publishes 2015–2019 dollars in 2019 dollars and 2020–2024 dollars in 2024 dollars.

Prices (the CPI-U, US Bureau of Labor Statistics) rose 22.7% between 2019 and 2024, so a dollar figure’s verdict compares the two after raising the earlier one by that much, using the Census Bureau’s test for a difference.

The two periods do not overlap, as the Census Bureau recommends for 5-year estimates.

Crime reported to police in North Charleston

In 2025, the North Charleston Police Department reported 670 violent and 3,457 property crimes per 100,000 residents to the FBI.

ZIP codes in North Charleston

ZIP Code Tabulation Areas that cover this place (2020–2024 estimates)
ZIP codeShare of the ZIP’s land in this placeResidentsMedian gross rentMedian home valueMedian household income
29404100%2,334$1,939—$54,716
2940693%32,001$1,342$229,300$49,815
2940590%26,254$1,253$307,800$56,600
2941886%26,052$1,340$267,600$64,583
2942084%23,959$1,529$331,700$72,661
2945638%41,214$1,650$270,100$78,361
2948530%58,507$1,574$341,600$82,987

A ZIP code is a mail route rather than a boundary, so the Census Bureau publishes figures for ZIP Code Tabulation Areas built from census blocks; the share column says how much of each one’s land lies in this place.

Places near North Charleston

Nearest places with Census figures, by straight-line distance
PlaceDistanceMedian gross rentMedian home valueHouseholds that rent
Hanahan3.8 mi$1,412$374,80031.9%
Goose Creek6.2 mi$1,690$306,00031.8%
Ladson6.8 mi$1,785$234,90023.4%
Lincolnville8.1 mi—$245,10040.1%
Charleston8.2 mi$1,722$509,70044.4%
Sangaree8.7 mi$1,419$251,80014.9%
Summerville9.0 mi$1,526$328,10030.9%
Ravenel14 mi$1,115$238,70013.5%

Places in South Carolina most like North Charleston

PlaceMedian gross rentMedian home valueMedian household incomeHouseholds that rent
Rock Hill$1,341$295,100$68,77145.8%
Travelers Rest$1,033$284,800$54,58340.1%
Duncan$1,032$211,400$52,50043.3%
Mauldin$1,490$258,500$82,33132.0%
Valley Falls$1,021$256,600$55,66149.5%
Columbia$1,204$264,300$55,52954.5%

Matched on rent, home value, income, the share who rent, the age of the homes, the share in apartment buildings and the commute, each measured against the spread across South Carolina.

HUD Fair Market Rent for North Charleston, fiscal year 2027

Charleston-North Charleston, SC MSA, dollars a month
Studio1 bedroom2 bedrooms3 bedrooms4 bedrooms
$1,661$1,731$1,884$2,336$2,687

HUD also publishes a Small Area Fair Market Rent for each ZIP code in the area; the Fair Market Rent page for this place lists its ZIP codes.

HUD income limits for North Charleston, fiscal year 2026

Charleston-North Charleston, SC MSA, annual household income
Household sizeExtremely low (30%)Very low (50%)Low (80%)
1 person$24,700$41,150$65,800
2 people$28,200$47,000$75,200
3 people$31,750$52,900$84,600
4 people$35,250$58,750$94,000
5 people$38,680$63,450$101,550
6 people$44,360$68,150$109,050
7 people$50,040$72,850$116,600
8 people$55,720$77,550$124,100

These are the limits HUD sets for its housing programs in the Charleston-North Charleston, SC MSA, where HUD’s median family income for fiscal year 2026 is $117,500.

A program can use its own limits; tax-credit and local programs often do.

Survey years: 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates), compared with 2015–2019.

Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.

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Questions about North Charleston

What is the average rent in North Charleston, SC?

The Census Bureau publishes the median rather than the average: the median gross rent in North Charleston is $1,430 (±$30) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey), so half of renting households pay less and half pay more.

How much is a one-bedroom apartment in North Charleston?

The median gross rent for a one-bedroom home in North Charleston, SC is $1,297 (±$50) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

Are renters in North Charleston rent-burdened?

55.4% of renting households in North Charleston pay 30% or more of their income in gross rent, the share housing researchers usually call rent-burdened (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

How many renters are there in North Charleston?

North Charleston has an estimated 24,702 (±1,066) renting households, 50.2% of its occupied homes (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

What is the median household income in North Charleston?

The median household income in North Charleston is $62,956 (±$3,840) a year (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

What is the average home value in North Charleston, SC?

The Census Bureau publishes the median: $302,200 (±$11,654) for owner-occupied homes in North Charleston (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

Is North Charleston growing?

In North Charleston, the number of residents went from 111,501 in 2015–2019 to 119,913 in 2020–2024 (+7.5%), a measurable increase.

What ZIP codes are in North Charleston?

The ZIP codes that cover North Charleston are 29404, 29406, 29405, 29418, 29420, 29456, 29485.

What is the median rent in ZIP code 29404?

The median gross rent in ZIP Code Tabulation Area 29404 is $1,939 (±$128) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

Sources

To check these figures in the Census Bureau’s own API, request the variables below from the 2024 ACS 5-year data profile (acs/acs5/profile) for North Charleston city, South Carolina (place:50875, in state:45).

Each estimate (E or PE) has a margin of error beside it (M or PM).

The 2015–2019 figures are B01003_001E, B01003_001M, B25064_001E, B25064_001M from the 2019 release.

The API needs a free key.

Request a Census API key.

DP05_0001E, DP05_0001M, DP04_0001E, DP04_0001M, DP04_0047PE, DP04_0047PM, DP04_0134E, DP04_0134M, DP03_0062E, DP03_0062M, DP04_0089E, DP04_0089M

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.

Figures are published by the US Census Bureau, HUD, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the FBI; Seayora reproduces them and does not adjust them, except where a sentence says it compares dollar figures after inflation. They describe the whole place, not any one building or street, and are not an appraisal, a rent determination, a tax bill, a safety rating or legal advice.

Figures last updated on .

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