Cost of Living in Charleston, South Carolina
Rent, everyday costs and taxes in Charleston, what each job keeps after paying them, and how the city compares with the rest of the US.
- Population
- 159,423
- Median household income
- $98,085
- Cost of living (US = 100)
- 101.0
- Unemployment rate
- 3.4%
Is Charleston a good place to live?
Charleston is hard on a single typical paycheck: after taxes, a 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs, a typical worker living alone comes up $731 a year short. It works better for higher earners and for people who share housing.
Your own pay and housing may differ. Try your job
- Cost of living1% above the US average (BEA, 2024)
- Rent$1,957 a month for a 1-bedroom (HUD)
- Taxes$1,792 of state income tax on a typical wage
Cost of living in Charleston
Prices in the Charleston-North Charleston, SC area run 1% above the US average. Housing is the biggest difference, at 20% above the US average.
- Housing20% above the US average
- Goods (food, clothing, cars)4% below the US average
- Utilities12% below the US average
- Other services (healthcare and more)2% below the US average
- All items1% above the US average
Monthly budget for one person
| Cost | Monthly | Yearly |
|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bedroom | $1,957 | $23,484 |
| Food | $476 | $5,712 |
| Transportation | $376 | $4,512 |
| Healthcare | $346 | $4,152 |
| Utilities | $230 | $2,760 |
| Total before taxes | $3,385 | $40,620 |
Rent by apartment size
| Monthly rent | Charleston | Whole metro area |
|---|---|---|
| Studio | $1,880 | $1,661 |
| 1 bedroom | $1,957 | $1,731 |
| 2 bedrooms | $2,132 | $1,884 |
| 3 bedrooms | $2,647 | $2,336 |
| 4 bedrooms | $3,038 | $2,687 |
Living in Charleston
How Charleston compares with the US on income, housing, work and commuting (Census Bureau, ACS 2024 1-year).
| Measure | Charleston | US |
|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $98,085 | $81,604 |
| Median home value | $600,300 | $360,600 |
| Median rent paid | $1,887 | $1,487 |
| Households renting | 46.4% | 34.7% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.4% | 4.6% |
| Living below the poverty line | 13.5% | 12.2% |
| Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher | 58.3% | 36.9% |
| Median age | 36.3 years | 39.2 years |
| Average commute, one way | 25.4 minutes | 27.2 minutes |
| Working from home | 16.6% | 13.3% |
| Commuting by public transit | 1.3% | 3.7% |
The 1-year survey doesn’t publish every measure for Charleston, so that figure comes from the 2020–2024 5-year estimates.
Home internet
5 providers offer home internet to at least a quarter of Charleston, led by Xfinity, T-Mobile, Verizon, AT&T. Fiber reaches 45.1% of homes and 66.8% can get gigabit speeds.
Pros and cons of living in Charleston
Pros
- Strong job market. Unemployment is 3.4%, against 4.6% nationally (ACS 2024 1-year).
- Highly educated workforce. 58.3% of adults have a bachelor's degree or higher, against 36.9% nationally.
- Higher incomes. Median household income is $98,085, against $81,604 nationally.
Cons
- Paychecks don't stretch far. A typical worker living alone comes up $731 short each year after taxes, rent and everyday costs.
- Expensive rent. Median rent is $1,887 a month, against $1,487 nationally.
- Pricey homes to buy. The median home is worth $600,300, against $360,600 nationally.
What your job keeps in Charleston
Pick a job, or enter your salary, to see what's left after federal, payroll, state and local taxes, a 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs.
- Typical salary
- $49,150
- Federal income tax
- −$3,718
- Payroll taxes
- −$3,760
- State income tax
- −$1,792
- Rent, 1-bedroom
- −$23,484
- Everyday costs
- −$17,127
a year ($61 a month) for one earner renting a 1-bedroom alone
Pay: BLS OEWS Charleston-North Charleston, SC. Rent: HUD FY2027. Taxes: 2026 federal, state and local schedules for a single filer.
A single earner renting a 1-bedroom alone. Sharing housing, or a second income, changes this a lot.
What the most common jobs keep here
The 10 jobs we cover with the most workers in the Charleston-North Charleston, SC area.
| Job | Median pay | You keep |
|---|---|---|
| Software engineer | $132,150 | $54,208 |
| Project manager | $94,730 | $30,334 |
| Registered nurse | $92,800 | $29,093 |
| Accountant | $79,350 | $20,438 |
| Teacher | $62,483 | $9,182 |
| Police officer | $60,570 | $7,760 |
| Truck driver | $55,150 | $3,730 |
| Auto mechanic | $49,120 | −$753 |
| Medical assistant | $45,600 | −$3,370 |
| Nursing assistant | $38,810 | −$8,419 |
Other jobs, A–Z
What each keeps in Charleston on its median pay. Pick one in the calculator above for the full breakdown.
- Carpenter $183
- Civil engineer $32,915
- Data scientist $28,572
- Dental assistant −$813
- Dental hygienist $30,232
- Dentist $47,298
- Diesel mechanic $8,079
- Electrician $6,600
- Financial analyst $29,839
- Firefighter −$2,456
- HVAC technician $6,154
- Lawyer $51,171
- Licensed practical nurse $10,384
- Lineman $18,006
- Mechanical engineer $40,689
- Nurse practitioner $51,483
- Occupational therapist $32,779
- Paralegal $5,127
- Paramedic $5,990
- Pharmacist $62,812
- Pharmacy technician −$3,303
- Physical therapist $34,723
- Physician assistant $52,194
- Plumber $5,373
- Radiologic technologist $16,177
- Respiratory therapist $20,477
- Social worker $3,391
- Speech-language pathologist $32,948
- Veterinarian $47,960
- Welder $4,406
Compare Charleston with other cities
Compare Charleston with another city: any city or state, any of our 40 jobs.
Moving to Charleston
5 licensed interstate movers are based in Charleston, and 6 more elsewhere in the Charleston-North Charleston, SC area (FMCSA, household-goods authority).
Questions people ask
Is Charleston, SC a good place to live?
Charleston is hard on a single typical paycheck: after taxes, a 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs, a typical worker living alone comes up $731 a year short. It works better for higher earners and for people who share housing. The typical worker here earns $49,150 and would be $731 short a year after federal, payroll and state taxes, a 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs, renting alone.
What is the cost of living in Charleston?
Prices in the Charleston-North Charleston, SC area are 1% above the US average (BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024). A 1-bedroom rents for $1,957 a month (HUD fair market rent, FY2027), and everyday costs for one person, covering food, transportation, healthcare and utilities, come to about $1,427 a month.
How much do you need to earn to live in Charleston?
A single person renting a 1-bedroom alone needs about $50,200 a year before tax to cover taxes, rent and everyday costs, with nothing left over. The typical worker in the Charleston-North Charleston, SC area earns $49,150.
What is the average rent in Charleston?
HUD's fair market rent for FY2027 is $1,880 for a studio, $1,957 for a 1-bedroom and $2,132 for a 2-bedroom. The Census Bureau puts the median rent paid in Charleston at $1,887 a month (2024).
Does Charleston have a state or city income tax?
Yes. On a typical wage of $49,150, South Carolina state income tax comes to about $1,792 a year. Charleston has no local income tax on wages.
What internet providers serve Charleston?
5 providers offer home internet to at least a quarter of Charleston, led by Xfinity, T-Mobile, Verizon, AT&T. 45.1% of homes can get fiber and 66.8% can get gigabit speeds (FCC National Broadband Map).
Sources and method
Everyday costs: BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey 2024 (one-person households) × CPI-U to August 2026 × BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. Taxes assume a single filer with the standard deduction and wage income only.
- Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 population estimates
- Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 1-year estimates
- Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates
- BLS OEWS May 2025, metropolitan area estimates
- HUD Small Area Fair Market Rents, FY2027
- BLS Consumer Expenditure Surveys 2024, Table 1400 (size of consumer unit)
- BLS Consumer Price Index (CPI-U)
- BEA Regional Price Parities by MSA, 2024
- FCC National Broadband Map, fixed broadband availability (data as of December 31, 2025, released 2026-09-29)
- FMCSA Carrier - All With History (operating authority and insurance)
Data compiled October 13, 2026. How we calculate