Your monthly guide to rental conditions in Charleston Metro. This is our June 2026 report, covering May 2026 rental data: what rents looked like last month, what's driving the market, and what it means if you own a rental home.
Charleston Metro Rental Market Snapshot — May 2026
Here's where Charleston Metro rents stand as of May 2026, across all property types — apartments, condos, townhomes, and single-family homes.
The Charleston Metro median rent hit $2,074 in May 2026, up 1.0% from April, and homes are leasing in just 14 days. Rents are still down 2.0% year-over-year, but the spring rebound and tight leasing pace suggest the market is absorbing supply faster than those annual numbers imply.
| Metric | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Median Rent (All Types, Charleston Metro) | $2,074 | +1.0% MoM |
| Avg. Days on Market | 14 days | — |
| Rent Growth YoY | -2.0% | — |
Source: Doorstead market data, aggregated from public records and online rental listings, all rental property types, May 2026.
What's Driving Charleston Metro Rental Market Conditions Right Now
Charleston Metro Rental Supply and New Construction
The biggest supply story in the Charleston metro right now is the hangover from 2024's building boom and the sharp pullback that followed. Over 5,550 multifamily units hit the market in 2024 alone, the highest annual total this century, and that flood of new inventory is what's behind the 2% year-over-year rent dip you're seeing today. The good news: new starts are down 72% and units under construction fell 43% year-over-year by end of 2024, so the pressure eases from here. The pipeline still has 8,180 units actively under construction across 38 communities, plus significant BTR projects like Woodfield's 114-unit Nexton Townhomes in Summerville (targeting late 2027) and the 600-unit Magnolia Landing peninsula redevelopment along the Ashley River (vertical construction starting early 2027, opening mid-to-late 2028), but those deliveries are 18 to 30 months out.
Why People Rent in Charleston Metro
Charleston keeps filling up fast: South Carolina is the fastest-growing state in the country, and the Charleston metro is adding 32 to 42 new residents every single day. NAR flagged Charleston as a top 10 Housing Hot Spot for 2026, citing a 36% millennial household share and 6% year-over-year income growth, and the homeownership math is keeping creditworthy renters on the sidelines longer than they'd like. Buying a typical Charleston home comfortably requires about $111,283 in annual income versus $77,132 to rent comfortably, a 44% gap that pushes well-qualified tenants toward places like Mount Pleasant's Park West, Summerville off I-26, and Park Circle in North Charleston. On top of that, Charleston's tourism economy and strict short-term rental rules (whole-house STRs are banned in residential zones) funnel hospitality workers and seasonal residents directly into the conventional rental market, adding a steady demand base on top of the corporate relocatees, MUSC medical professionals, and Boeing-corridor commuters the metro attracts year-round.
What This Means for Charleston Metro Landlords
Price at market or slightly below it right now: the 2% rent dip reflects supply pressure, but 14 average days on market signals that well-priced homes are still moving fast, and you don't want to sit vacant when spring leasing season peaks in March through May. If you're in Summerville specifically, you have room to push: that submarket is running 8.9% year-over-year rent growth with vacancy under 5% for quality homes, which puts it in a different position than the broader metro. Lock in leases now through peak season, and keep an eye on the 2027 and 2028 delivery dates for Nexton Townhomes and Magnolia Landing, because when those units open they'll add real competition in the Summerville and West Ashley corridors.
Charleston Metro Rent by City — May 2026
Summerville leads the Charleston metro at 10 days on market, with Mount Pleasant and Goose Creek close behind at 11 days each, signaling strong suburban demand heading into peak leasing season. Charleston city is the clear outlier, sitting at 23 days on market, more than twice the pace of the suburbs. Three of five cities are leasing in under two weeks, making Charleston the exception in an otherwise tight metro.
| City | Median Rent | 2BR Median | 3BR Median | Avg. DOM | MoM Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charleston, SC | $2,809 | $3,168 | $4,383 | 23 days | -0.1% |
| North Charleston, SC | $1,695 | $1,835 | $2,119 | 16 days | -0.2% |
| Mount Pleasant, SC | $2,420 | $2,449 | $3,348 | 11 days | +1.9% |
| Summerville, SC | $1,740 | $1,621 | $2,200 | 10 days | +0.1% |
| Goose Creek, SC | $1,704 | $1,495 | $2,100 | 11 days | +3.4% |
| Source: Doorstead market data, aggregated from public records and online rental listings, all property types, May 2026. Median Rent is across all property types. |
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Charleston, SC: Downtown Charleston pulls the metro's highest rents, anchored by MUSC medical professionals, hospitality workers, and young professionals drawn to King Street and the French Quarter. At $2,809 median rent and 23 days to lease, the city is moving slower than most of the metro right now, and the -2.9% year-over-year dip signals some softening, though rents here remain the highest of any city in this table by a wide margin.
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North Charleston, SC: Park Circle has attracted families and young professionals with its walkable streets, new restaurants, and easy access to downtown and the airport at price points well below the rest of the metro. At $1,695 median rent and just 16 days to lease, North Charleston is moving quickly, and the -1.4% year-over-year change is a modest pullback rather than a meaningful correction.
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Mount Pleasant, SC: Family renters anchor this submarket, drawn by the East Cooper school cluster and neighborhoods like I'On and Dunes West with strong long-term lease tenure. At $2,420 median rent and 11 days to lease, Mount Pleasant is one of the fastest-moving cities in the metro, and the +1.9% month-over-month gain suggests spring demand is giving rents a lift even as the year-over-year figure sits at -3.9%.
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Summerville, SC: At $1,740 median rent and just 10 days to lease, Summerville is the tightest market in this table, and the +3.5% year-over-year rent growth sets it apart from every other city listed here, all of which are flat or negative on an annual basis. Month-over-month rents are roughly flat (+0.1%), but the annual trajectory tells a clearer story: Summerville is outperforming the metro.
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Goose Creek, SC: At $1,704 median rent and 11 days to lease, Goose Creek is clearing inventory quickly, on par with Mount Pleasant for leasing speed despite sitting at a much lower price point. The +3.4% month-over-month bounce is notable, though the -5.4% year-over-year figure suggests rents are recovering from a steeper pullback rather than building on sustained growth.
Charleston Metro Rent by Bedroom Count and Property Type — May 2026
Rent by Bedroom Count in Charleston Metro
Three-bedroom homes across the Charleston metro rent for a median of $2,830 per month, making them the most common target for landlords weighing whether a larger property pencils out. The step up to four bedrooms adds another $674, landing at $3,504, while the full range runs from $1,673 for one-bedrooms to $3,504 at the top. That $1,710 spread between the smallest and largest unit sizes tells landlords something concrete: rent scales sharply with size in this market, so owners of larger single-family homes capture meaningfully more income without needing to stretch on occupancy.
| Bedroom Count in Charleston Metro | Median Rent (May 2026) |
|---|---|
| Studio | $1,794 |
| 1-Bedroom | $1,673 |
| 2-Bedroom | $2,114 |
| 3-Bedroom | $2,830 |
| 4-Bedroom | $3,504 |
| Source: Doorstead market data, aggregated from public records and online rental listings across all property types, Charleston Metro, May 2026. |
Rent by Property Type in Charleston Metro
Single-family homes in the Charleston Metro command a $2,838 median rent in May 2026, which is $764 (36.8%) above the blended metro median of $2,074. Across all four property types, rents span nearly $900, from apartments at $1,939 up to single-family at $2,838, with townhouses sitting in the middle at $2,521 and condos close to the blended median at $2,008. Apartments lease fastest at just 9 days on market, well below the 14-day metro average, while townhouses take the longest at 36 days. For landlords, the data shows single-family continues to attract the strongest rent premiums, but that advantage comes with slower lease-up times than apartments or the metro as a whole.
| Property Type in Charleston Metro | Median Rent | Avg. Days on Market | MoM Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| All Property Types (Blended) | $2,074 | 14 days | +1.0% |
| Single Family | $2,838 | 25 days | +1.1% |
| Condo | $2,008 | 25 days | -2.6% |
| Townhouse | $2,521 | 36 days | +0.7% |
| Apartment | $1,939 | 9 days | +0.4% |
| Source: Doorstead market data, aggregated from public records and online rental listings, Charleston Metro, May 2026. |
Data Sources & Methodology
- Rental market data: Median rents, days on market, listing counts, and rent change figures. Sourced from county public records, deed and tax assessor data, and rental listings on publicly accessible platforms.
- Doorstead Platform Data: Internal leasing outcomes from Doorstead-managed rental homes across all property types, including days to lease. Trailing 12 months.
Data refreshed monthly. Doorstead benchmarks reflect managed properties only and may not be representative of the broader Charleston Metro rental market.