Rental market data · 2024 Census estimates

Charleston, SC rental yield and cash flow

In the Charleston-North Charleston, SC metro, the median owner-occupied home was valued at $430,300 and the median gross rent was $1,714 a month in 2024. That is a gross rent yield of 4.78%, rank 58 of the 100 largest metros we track.

$430,300Median home value (±$10,671)

$1,714Median gross rent / mo (±$43)

4.78%Gross rent yield

20.9Price-to-rent ratio

0.42%Median taxes ÷ median value

30%Renter-occupied homes

0.40%Monthly rent ÷ price (1% rule)

0.87MMetro population

Does the median home cash flow at today's rate?

We priced a hypothetical rental at the metro medians: $430,300 purchase, $1,714 rent, 25% down, a 30-year loan at 7.28% (Freddie Mac's 30-year average for the week of October 1, 2026), $1,787 in annual property taxes, insurance at 0.5% of price, and 5% vacancy, 10% repairs and 8% management.

At these assumptions the median-priced home runs about $1,217 a month short of covering its costs (DSCR 0.45). Rent would need to reach about $3,294, 92% above the median, to break even, or the price would need to be near $171,398 for a 1.25 DSCR. Net operating income is about $11,898 a year, a 2.77% cap rate, against $26,497 of annual debt service.

Investment-property loans usually price above the owner-occupant average this survey reports, and your insurance quote, tax bill and rent will differ from a metro median. Change any input below.

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How Charleston compares

Metros with the nearest gross yields among the 100 we track. * Cash flow uses the same assumptions as above.

Rank	Metro	Median value	Median rent	Gross yield	Price-to-rent	Cash flow / mo*
55	Bakersfield, CA	$363,600	$1,479	4.88%	20.5	-$1,143
56	Columbus, OH	$334,800	$1,359	4.87%	20.5	-$1,159
57	Baltimore, MD	$403,000	$1,633	4.86%	20.6	-$1,306
58	Charleston, SC	$430,300	$1,714	4.78%	20.9	-$1,217
59	Charlotte, NC-SC	$400,400	$1,594	4.78%	20.9	-$1,207
60	Hartford, CT	$367,100	$1,458	4.77%	21.0	-$1,446
61	Chattanooga, TN-GA	$324,500	$1,265	4.68%	21.4	-$975

What these numbers leave out

Census gross rent includes utilities when the tenant pays them, so it can overstate what a landlord collects. Median value describes owner-occupied homes, not the rental stock, and a metro median hides wide neighborhood differences. Treat this page as a screen, then underwrite the specific property.

Sources

U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 American Community Survey 1-year estimates, table B25064 (median gross rent)
U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 American Community Survey 1-year estimates, table B25077 (median value, owner-occupied housing units)
U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 American Community Survey 1-year estimates, table B25103 (median real estate taxes paid)
U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 American Community Survey 1-year estimates, table B25003 (housing tenure)
U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 American Community Survey 1-year estimates, table B01003 (total population)
Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey (30-year fixed average, week of October 1, 2026)

Data snapshot October 7, 2026. Methodology: all metros.