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Charleston, SC

Sangaree is part of the Charleston area. This page covers the whole metro.

Everyday life
Shops, cafes, and daily routines
Hobbies & activities
Trails, parks, and pastimes
Nearby scenery
Lakes, overlooks, and drives

Photos and reviews come from Google Maps and show single places, not the whole area. Reviews are the most relevant ones Google returns for each place. We show the longest highly rated review under 400 characters and, when there is one, the longest low-rated review. Google doesn't verify reviews but removes fake ones when it finds them.

Around Charleston

Meeting
Meeting · Photo: ProfReader, CC BY-SA 3.0
Charleston, SC, waterfront
Charleston, SC, waterfront · Photo: Billy Hathorn, CC BY 3.0
Charleston Columbus St port terminal
Charleston Columbus St port terminal · Photo: JonathanLamb, Public domain
Charleston Custom House East Entrance
Charleston Custom House East Entrance · Photo: Urban Versis 32, CC BY-SA 4.0
Charlestonfd
Customs House
Customs House · Photo: ProfReader, CC BY-SA 3.0
East Battery Street Charleston
East Battery Street Charleston · Photo: Chris Pruitt, CC BY-SA 3.0
Edmondston Alston with carriage tour
Edmondston Alston with carriage tour · Photo: Flickr: Spencer Means, CC BY 2.0
Eyre Crowe Subasta de esclavos
Eyre Crowe Subasta de esclavos · Photo: Eyre Crowe, Public domain
Garden wall and piazzas, the Poyas Mordecai House, Meeting Street, Charleston, SC Flickr Spencer Means
Garden wall and piazzas, the Poyas Mordecai House, Meeting Street, Charleston, SC Flickr Spencer Means · Photo: Spencer Means from New York City, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
Indians NW of South Carolina
Indians NW of South Carolina · Photo: Unknown author Unknown author, Public domain
Old slave mart facade
Old slave mart facade · Photo: Brian Stansberry, CC BY 3.0
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Where it is
Charleston
Charleston in South Carolina
South Carolina in the U.S.
State outlines: U.S. Census Bureau.

What's nearby

Within 5 miles of the center of the Charleston area.

23
grocery stores
200+
restaurants
67
coffee shops
123
parks
99
playgrounds
14
libraries
2
movie theaters
18
live theaters
30
museums
20
bookstores
48
gyms
68
bars
13
pharmacies
4
hospitals

Counts from OpenStreetMap, a volunteer map, so small or new places can be missing. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Biking and trails

Within 5 miles of the center of the Charleston area.

Bike lanes and bike paths
25 miles
more than most U.S. towns
Walking and hiking trails
70 miles
more than most U.S. towns

Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Counts depend on how well local volunteers have mapped the area, so treat them as a rough guide.

What rent costs

Of about 96,624 rented homes in the Charleston area, 79% rent for under $2,000 a month and 96% for under $3,000.

Under $1,000: 14%
$1,000 to $1,499: 37%
$1,500 to $1,999: 28%
$2,000 to $2,499: 13%
$2,500 to $2,999: 4%
$3,000 or more: 4%

Census American Community Survey 2019 to 2023 (table B25063). Gross rent includes utilities the renter pays. Today's asking rents for open apartments usually run higher.

What moving costs

Hiring movers

Average cost: $1,946

From a 2025 survey of 1,000 people who hired movers. This Old House. Your quote depends on your stuff, stairs and the time of year.

Moving in as a renter

The middle rented home in the Charleston area rents for $1,000 to $1,499 a month. First month plus a one-month deposit comes to about $2,000 to $2,998 before you get the keys.

Estimate from Census rent data (2019 to 2023, rent plus tenant-paid utilities). Deposits and fees vary by landlord and state law.

Your first weeks in South Carolina

  • Forward your mail: USPS change of address. It costs about $1 online to confirm who you are.
  • Switch your driver's license and car registration. Each state sets its own deadline, often somewhere between 10 days and a few months after you move. Find the South Carolina DMV.
  • Register to vote at your new address: South Carolina voter registration.
  • Set up power, gas, water and trash. Some cities bill water and trash together, and some ask new customers for a deposit.
  • Update your address with your bank, employer, insurance and the IRS (Form 8822 if you're not filing soon).
  • Find a doctor and dentist early. New-patient waits can be weeks, even in big cities.

Public schools

One public school district serves this county, with about 49,929 students. Which one serves a home depends on its address.

Charleston 01 · Charleston
49,929 students · 13.2 students per teacher · 82 schools · grades Pre-K to 12

NCES Common Core of Data 2022-23, National Center for Education Statistics. Varro doesn't rate or rank schools. For test results and programs, see each district's site and your state's school report card.

Childcare and colleges

Daycare and preschool

South Carolina keeps an official list of licensed childcare, with inspection reports and openings in many states. In a lot of towns, infant spots fill up months ahead, so it helps to get on waitlists before you move.

Typical full-time prices in this county (2022)
AgeDaycare centerHome daycare
Infant (under 2)$202/week
about $10,500 a year
$139/week
about $7,200 a year
Toddler (2)$188/week
about $9,800 a year
Preschool (3 to 4)$184/week
about $9,600 a year
$134/week
about $7,000 a year
School-age$139/week
about $7,200 a year

For an infant at a center: $202/week here, $185 across SC, $259 across the U.S.. Full-time infant care at a center here costs about 10% of a typical family's income. These are 2022 prices, the newest the government has published by county, and prices have gone up since.

U.S. Department of Labor, National Database of Childcare Prices, 2022. Middle (median) price for full-time care. State and U.S. figures average the county prices, weighted by population (Census 2024).
Search licensed childcare in South Carolina →
Link via childcare.gov (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services).

6 colleges in the county around Charleston. Prices are yearly tuition and fees for full-time undergrads, before financial aid.

Trident Technical College · Charleston
Public, 2-year (community college) · 14,025 students · $4,564 in-district, $8,606 out-of-state
College of Charleston · Charleston
Public, 4-year · 11,729 students · $12,978 in-state, $36,858 out-of-state
Citadel Military College of South Carolina · Charleston
Public, 4-year · 3,727 students · $12,570 in-state, $37,370 out-of-state
Charleston Southern University · Charleston
Private nonprofit, 4-year · 3,545 students · $31,030 a year
Medical University of South Carolina · Charleston
Public, 4-year · 3,117 students · $16,972 in-state, $30,380 out-of-state

Moving for school? Public colleges charge state residents much less, and community colleges often charge even less to people who live in their district. Most states want you to have lived there about 12 months, for reasons other than school, before you count as a resident for tuition. The rules differ by state, so check with the college's registrar.

IPEDS 2023-24, National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS). Degree-granting public and nonprofit schools with 100+ students. Varro doesn't rank colleges.

The facts behind it
Typical home value
$431,797
What a typical home sells for across the Charleston area.
Source: Zillow Home Value Index, August 2026
Average commute
27 minutes one way
How long residents' trips to work take on average, counting every job and way of getting there. U.S. average: about 27 minutes.
Source: U.S. Census (American Community Survey), 2023
Homeowners insurance
About $2,974 a year
The statewide average for a typical policy in SC. Your own quote will depend on the home.
Source: Statewide estimate, 2026
Natural disaster risk
Relatively High
FEMA's overall rating for the county, covering floods, storms, wildfire, earthquakes and more.
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025
Hail risk
Relatively Low
FEMA's rating for hail damage in the county, compared with other U.S. counties.
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025
Hospitals nearby
4 within 5 miles
Hospitals mapped within 5 miles of the center. Emergency and specialty care vary, so check which ones fit your needs.
Source: OpenStreetMap (ODbL)
Drug overdose deaths (county)
22.5 per 100,000 people a year
97 deaths in the 12 months ending March 2026. SC average: 22.9 per 100,000. U.S.: 19.9. Counts are by where people lived, and recent months may still be updated.
Source: CDC National Center for Health Statistics, provisional counts through March 2026; Census population estimates 2024
People without housing (local count)
About 3.7 per 10,000 residents
HUD's one-night count in January 2025 found 434 people without housing in the Charleston/Low Country area (7 counties): 149 in shelters and 285 outside, down from 476 in 2024. SC: 8 per 10,000. U.S.: 21.9. One-night counts miss people, and how areas count differs.
Source: HUD Point-in-Time Count, January 2025 (HUD, 2025 report to Congress); Census population estimates 2024
Median household income
$84,320
Half of households in the county earn more than this, half earn less.
Source: U.S. Census (American Community Survey), 2023
Property tax
0.41% of home value a year
About $410 a year for every $100,000 of home value.
Source: U.S. Census (American Community Survey), 2023
State income tax
Graduated, up to 5.21%
SC's state income tax. Some cities and counties add their own.
Source: 2026

More towns in South Carolina →