How much is rent in Charleston, SC?

The median 2-bedroom in Charleston rents for $1,817 a month with utilities, $254 more than the US median. A 1-bedroom runs $1,788 and a 3-bedroom $2,021.

By Sol Lakein, founder of Slower Sundays. Updated November 2026.

$1,8172-bedroom¹US: $1,563
$1,7881-bedroom¹US: $1,362
$72,680Income for a 2-bed at 30%²A year
23%Share of typical income³For a 2-bedroom

Rent in Charleston by number of bedrooms

Median rent, utilities included, next to the US median.¹

Studio$1,727/mo
Charleston
$1,727
US
$1,365
Income to keep it at 30%: $69,080²
1 bedroom$1,788/mo
Charleston
$1,788
US
$1,362
Income to keep it at 30%: $71,520²
2 bedrooms$1,817/mo
Charleston
$1,817
US
$1,563
Income to keep it at 30%: $72,680²
3 bedrooms$2,021/mo
Charleston
$2,021
US
$1,760
Income to keep it at 30%: $80,840²
4 bedrooms$2,672/mo
Charleston
$2,672
US
$2,153
Income to keep it at 30%: $106,880²

Work out what rent you can afford · Full cost of living in Charleston

Where rent costs less than Charleston

48 of the cities we cover have a lower median 2-bedroom rent. The cheapest and the closest:¹

City	2-bedroom rent	Less than Charleston
Paducah, KY	$886	$931/mo
Terre Haute, IN	$901	$916/mo
Muncie, IN	$919	$898/mo
Baltimore, MD	$1,764	$53/mo
Atlanta, GA	$1,781	$36/mo
Dallas-Fort Worth, TX	$1,794	$23/mo

Rent in Charleston: questions people ask

How much is rent in Charleston?

Median rent with utilities, all units: $1,855 a month. By size: studio $1,727, 1 bedroom $1,788, 2 bedrooms $1,817, 3 bedrooms $2,021, 4 bedrooms $2,672 (Census ACS, 2025).

How much do you need to make to afford rent in Charleston?

To keep a 2-bedroom at 30% of income, about $72,680 a year. For a 1-bedroom, $71,520.

What share of income goes to rent in Charleston?

A year of median 2-bedroom rent equals 23% of the median household income of $93,054 (Census ACS, 2025).

Where is rent cheaper than Charleston?

Of the cities we cover, Paducah, KY ($886), Terre Haute, IN ($901), Muncie, IN ($919) have the lowest median 2-bedroom rent.

Rent elsewhere in South Carolina

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Notes on the numbers

1Rent: Census ACS 2025 1-year, table B25031, median gross rent by number of bedrooms (rent plus utilities the renter pays), 2025. Covers all renters, including long-time tenants, so new leases often cost more. $3,500+ is the highest figure the Census publishes. Census table
2Income to keep rent at 30%: a year of rent divided by 0.3, the common rule of thumb. Our arithmetic.
3Household income: Census ACS 2025 1-year, table B19013, median household income, 2025. Census table

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