Charleston, SC short-term rental market report (2026)
Charleston County, South Carolina. Rules, revenue, home values, demand, climate, reach and risk, each figure with its source.
- RulesModerate (3/5)
- Average revenue$73K a year
- 4-BR typical value$880K
- Gross yield8.3%
- FEMA riskRelatively High
- Demand drivers within 50 mi3
Everything STR HUB holds on Charleston, SC in one place, in the order an investor needs it: whether you can operate, what the numbers are, why and when people come, who can reach it, and what could go wrong.
Every figure comes from a named dataset listed under Sources and method, dated September 21, 2026. Where we do not hold a figure, that part of the report is left out rather than estimated.
Can you operate in Charleston?
What the rating rests on: Owner-occupancy required in many historic zones. STR license and annual inspection required.
| Rule | What we hold on file |
|---|---|
| Permit or licence | STR zoning permit |
| Occupancy limit | Based on zoning |
| Minimum stay | None |
| Zoning | Limited overlay districts only |
| Lodging and sales taxes | 7% accommodations tax |
| Penalties | Up to $1,092/day |
Operating restrictions on file
- Only allowed in specific overlay districts
- Must live on-site for some permit types
- Annual inspections required
Rules change, and a city rating does not cover HOA or deed restrictions. Confirm current requirements with the jurisdiction before you buy or list.
Which way the rules are moving
Stable. The rules we hold report no recent or pending change.
Classified from the regulation text we publish; a direction is only kept when the sentence it rests on appears word for word in that text.
The numbers
Revenue
Gross market averages from STR HUB market analytics, the same figures shown on the market page. They are before cleaning, management, utilities, taxes and financing, and an individual property can earn more or less.
Home values in Charleston County
Zillow Home Value Index: county-wide typical values for Charleston County, not list prices. A specific property can sit well above or below them.
Gross yield
Gross yield is before every operating cost and before financing. It is a screening ratio, not a cash-on-cash return.
What it costs to own
Screening figures, not a bill or a quote. The tax rate is a county-wide median for owner-occupied homes (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2018-2022); second homes and rentals are often taxed more heavily, and a purchase usually resets the assessed value. Expected annual loss is from the FEMA National Risk Index.
Housing market momentum
County-level, for-sale housing market: it says nothing directly about STR bookings. A relative ranking among tracked markets, not a forecast. Sources: Realtor.com Economic Research, U.S. Census Bureau, Zillow Home Value Index.
Why people come
3 demand drivers sit within 50 miles of Charleston. Ordered by published attendance. Attendance appears only where a source publishes it.
Outdoor activities
- Kiawah Island Golf Resort
- When
- Spring and fall golf peaks; summer family beach season.
- STR angle
- A gated barrier island near Charleston where villas and homes rent through resort and private programs. Golf groups fill spring and fall while beach families take summer, giving a long season.
Landmarks
- Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie National Historical Park
- When
- Year-round; busiest months by 2025 NPS recreation visits were Jul, Apr, Mar.
- Attendance
- 814,658 (NPS recreation visits, full calendar year 2025)
- STR angle
- The ferry to Fort Sumter is a standard half-day on a Charleston itinerary and the park gives the area a published, year-round visitor count. Fort Moultrie sits on Sullivan's Island, where rentals are scarce and largely grandfathered, which supports rates on neighbouring Isle of Palms.
- Charleston Historic District
- When
- Year-round; spring (March–May) and fall are the peaks, with summer hot and slower.
- STR angle
- Antebellum streets, house museums, food and weddings make Charleston one of the country's strongest leisure markets, with couples and wedding parties staying three to four nights. The peninsula tightly restricts short-term rentals by zone and owner-occupancy, so most investors look to the beach towns and Mount Pleasant.
When they come
Year-round climate: at least nine months of the year have an average high between 60°F and 88°F. 11 of 12 months have an average high between 60°F and 88°F. Warmest month: July (average high 88°F). Coldest: January (average low 45°F).
- Jan59°45°Cool
- Feb63°49°Comfortable
- Mar68°54°Comfortable
- Apr74°59°Comfortable
- May80°67°Comfortable
- Jun84°73°Comfortable
- Jul88°77°Comfortable
- Aug86°76°Comfortable
- Sep83°71°Comfortable
- Oct76°63°Comfortable
- Nov67°52°Comfortable
- Dec62°48°Comfortable
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average high (°F) | 59 | 63 | 68 | 74 | 80 | 84 | 88 | 86 | 83 | 76 | 67 | 62 |
| Average low (°F) | 45 | 49 | 54 | 59 | 67 | 73 | 77 | 76 | 71 | 63 | 52 | 48 |
| Precipitation (in) | 3.0 | 3.4 | 3.1 | 4.7 | 2.7 | 5.3 | 4.7 | 7.1 | 6.6 | 2.9 | 3.1 | 4.7 |
| Sunshine (hours a day) | 7.5 | 7.5 | 8.9 | 11.0 | 11.7 | 11.2 | 11.4 | 10.6 | 10.2 | 9.3 | 8.1 | 7.4 |
This is climate and events, not booking data. Monthly normals are 2019-2023 averages from the Open-Meteo Historical Weather API (ERA5 reanalysis) at the market pin. We do not hold monthly occupancy or rate data for this market.
Who can reach it
Largest counties within 150 miles
| County | Population |
|---|---|
| Richland County, SC | 416,161 |
| Charleston County, SC | 409,840 |
| Horry County, SC | 356,578 |
County populations (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2018-2022) summed for every county whose centre lies within each straight-line radius. Straight lines are shorter than roads, so read these as generous upper bounds, not drive-time counts.
What could go wrong
| Hazard | FEMA rating | Score (0-100) |
|---|---|---|
| Coastal flooding | Very High | 99.8 |
| Hurricane | Very High | 99.6 |
| Earthquake | Relatively High | 98.8 |
| Wildfire | Relatively Moderate | 93.9 |
| River flooding | Relatively Moderate | 89.9 |
| Winter weather | Relatively Moderate | 84.2 |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 71.0 |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 60.9 |
This is a county-level index, not an insurance quote or a flood-zone determination. A coastal or wildfire-fringe rental can carry far more exposure than its county average suggests. Get property-level flood, wind and wildfire quotes before you buy.
Market context
Housing and jobs in Charleston County
U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2018-2022. Vacation-home share is housing units held for seasonal, recreational or occasional use. All three describe the whole county, not one town or neighbourhood.
What is within 15 km of the Charleston pin
Counts of features mapped in OpenStreetMap within 15 km of the market pin. A fixed radius favours dense metros, and map coverage varies by area.
Similar markets
The 4 tracked markets whose numbers sit closest to Charleston's. Each links to its own report.
Closest by normalised distance across the figures both markets hold (typical 4BR value, revenue, occupancy, regulation rating, vacation-home share, tourism job share, 4+ bedroom share, amenity score, population within 300 miles, comfortable months and FEMA risk score). At most 2 of the 4 come from South Carolina, so the list is not just the neighbours. Similar numbers do not mean similar rules: check each market's regulation section.
See Charleston on the map
Open Charleston on the National STR Map to see it against its neighbours, switch overlays and run the deal calculator on your own assumptions.
Charleston STR questions, answered from the data
Is Airbnb legal in Charleston?
STR HUB rates Charleston's short-term rental rules 3/5 (Moderate) on a scale from 1 (relaxed) to 5 (very strict). Permit rule on file: STR zoning permit. Rules change, so confirm current requirements with the local jurisdiction before you buy or list.
How much does an Airbnb make in Charleston?
The average short-term rental in Charleston, SC grosses $73,000 a year, on a $285 average nightly rate and 70% occupancy. That ranks #21 of the 88 tracked markets with revenue data. It is a gross market average before cleaning, management, taxes and financing, and an individual property can earn more or less.
How much does a 4-bedroom home cost in Charleston?
The typical 4-bedroom home in Charleston County is valued at $880,193 (Zillow Home Value Index), and the typical home of any size at $612,976, with all-home values up 1.3% over the past year. These are county-wide typical values, not list prices.
What is the gross rental yield in Charleston?
8.3%: average annual short-term rental revenue of $73,000 divided by the county's typical 4-bedroom home value of $880,193. It is before every operating cost and before financing, so treat it as a screening ratio, not a cash-on-cash return.
What brings visitors to Charleston?
3 demand drivers sit within 50 miles of Charleston: Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie National Historical Park (814,658 published attendance), Charleston Historic District and Kiawah Island Golf Resort. Attendance is shown only where a source publishes it, and each driver's source is linked in the report.
Sources and method
- Regulation summary and strictness rating: STR Agent HUB regulation research.
- Revenue, nightly rate and occupancy: STR Agent HUB market analytics.
- Home values: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), county level. Data provided by Zillow Group.
- Housing, employment and population figures: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, 2018-2022.
- Natural hazard risk: FEMA National Risk Index, county level.
- Amenity counts: © OpenStreetMap contributors.
- Climate normals: Open-Meteo Historical Weather API (CC BY 4.0), 2019-2023 averages.
- Demand drivers: each entry links its own published source in the list above.
Figures come from the STR HUB national dataset dated September 21, 2026 and this page is regenerated whenever that dataset is rebuilt. County-level figures describe Charleston County as a whole, not one street or neighbourhood. The Opportunity Score (0-100) is a screening heuristic that weighs revenue (35%), regulatory climate (25%), tourism employment (15%), nearby amenities (15%) and large-home supply (10%) relative to the other tracked markets.
Confirm before you act. Short-term rental rules change. Confirm current requirements with the jurisdiction, and work with a licensed local agent who knows which properties can legally operate. This report is screening data, not investment, legal or tax advice.
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