With 27 incorporated communities, residential areas range from the rural towns of Jamestown and St. George to the vibrant, urban areas of Charleston and North Charleston. The growing demand for housing has spawned a number of new residential opportunities throughout the region, and most price ranges are well represented. For current residential real estate listings, visit the Charleston Trident Association of Realtors.

Charleston S.C. MSA Residential Home Sales by Zip Code Area

Area Name	Zip Code	Residential Units Sold, 2010	Median Selling Price, 2010	Average Selling Price, 2010
Total Charleston S.C. MSA		8,781	$187,000	$264,320
Adams Run	29426	6	$120,000	$155,968
Awendaw	29429	16	$419,000	$480,635
Bonneau	29431	26	$80,250	$109,009
Charleston Peninsula	29401	186	$730,000	$926,917
Charleston Peninsula	29403	187	$236,000	$289,939
Cross	29436	9	$79,900	$88,572
Daniel Island/ Wando/Cainhoy	29492	334	$368,324	$456,693
Dorchester	29437	8	$101,875	$106,659
Edisto Island	29438	69	$335,000	$369,087
Folly Beach	29439	79	$412,500	$462,252
Goose Creek	29445	653	$143,550	$148,846
Hanahan	29410	200	$189,500	$191,175
Harleyville	29448	8	$151,500	$160,787
Hollywood	29449	49	$224,250	$264,182
Huger	29450	6	$152,500	$146,516
Isle Of Palms	29451	173	$634,500	$823,729
James Island	29412	530	$220,000	$253,544
Jamestown	29453	5	$90,000	$79,460
Johns Island	29455	293	$320,000	$456,691
Ladson	29456	326	$141,926	$137,403
McClellanville	29458	9	$148,050	$252,794
Moncks Corner	29461	388	$166,825	$168,404
Mount Pleasant	29464	674	$295,000	$375,198
Mount Pleasant	29466	692	$325,000	$362,510
North Charleston	29405	186	$88,700	$109,947
North Charleston	29406	204	$129,337	$116,483
North Charleston	29418	207	$118,000	$120,252
North Charleston	29420	326	$151,647	$186,683
Pineville	29468	4	$23,250	$25,250
Pinopolis	29469	3	$235,000	$184,166
Ravenel	29470	24	$284,000	$284,505
Reevesville	29471	3	$21,000	$35,000
Ridgeville	29472	40	$161,200	$166,523
Russellville	29476	NA	NA	NA
St. George	29477	17	$90,000	$108,965
St. Stephen	29479	12	$35,500	$48,079
Sullivans Island	29482	22	$1,425,000	$1,372,385
Summerville	29483	957	$159,900	$168,952
Summerville	29485	710	$164,900	$176,232
Wadmalaw Island	29487	7	$375,000	$550,000
West Ashley	29407	315	$198,900	$223,378
West Ashley	29414	544	$200,000	$210,942
Source: Charleston Trident Association of Realtors, 4/2011.

Charleston S.C. MSA Apartments, Average Monthly Rent by Sub-Market

Submarket	1-bedroom unit	2-bedroom unit	3-bedroom unit
Downtown Charleston	$681	$698	$696
West of the Ashley River	$647	$755	$877
Goose Creek	$651	$705	$863
James Island	$809	$963	$1,086
Mount Pleasant	$882	$1,014	$1,146
North Charleston	$593	$659	$767
Summerville	$634	$726	$868
Total Charleston S.C. MSA	$674	$755	$874
Source: Real Data Inc.'s March 2010 study, www.aptindex.com, 9/2010. The Charleston S.C. MSA has more than 29,000 rental apartment units. Average monthly rent prices exclude all utilities except water.

For information on current residential real estate offerings, visit the Charleston Trident Association of Realtors.

The climate of greater Charleston is considered "temperate to subtropical." On average, the region enjoys 230 days of sunshine each year, and the average growing season lasts 294 days.

Latitude	32° 54' N
Longitude	80° 02' W
Average Daily Temperature	65.7° F; 18.7° C
Average Daily High	75.2° F; 24.0° C
Average Daily Low	56.1° F; 13.4° C
Average Days with Sunshine	63%
Average Precipitation	50.08"; 127.2 cm
Average Relative Humidity	86% (AM); 56% (PM)

Monthly Averages, Charleston International Airport, Charleston S.C. MSA

Month	Temp (°F)	Temp (°C)	Relative Humidity (AM)	Relative Humidity (PM)	Precipitation (inches)	Precipitation (centimeters)
January	48.2	9.0	83%	55%	3.18	8.08
February	49.8	9.9	82%	53%	3.14	7.98
March	58.0	14.4	83%	50%	3.94	10.01
April	64.5	18.1	84%	49%	2.73	6.93
May	73.3	22.9	85%	53%	3.55	9.02
June	80.9	27.2	86%	59%	5.72	14.53
July	80.9	27.2	88%	62%	7.31	18.57
August	81.6	27.6	90%	63%	6.84	17.37
September	76.6	24.8	90%	62%	5.35	13.59
October	67.5	19.7	89%	56%	3.07	7.80
November	58.8	14.9	87%	53%	2.30	5.84
December	50.9	10.5	84%	55%	3.02	7.67
Annual	65.9	18.8	86%	56%	50.14	127.36
Source: Southeast Regional Climate Center, 5/2010.

Compared to many other thriving coastal communities, Charleston offers a reasonable cost of living according to the ACCRA Cost of Living Index. This quarterly survey compares relative living costs for middle-management households among U.S. metropolitan areas and cities. Charleston residents also get a break when it comes to taxes, with the area's state and local tax burden significantly lower than the national average.

Charleston, S.C. MSA Cost of Living Index

All Items (Composite)	98.2
Grocery Items	105.7
Housing	92.3
Utilities	96.8
Transportation	93.9
Health Care	104.2
Miscellaneous Goods and Services	101.5
U.S. Cities Baseline Index = 100
Source: ACCRA Cost of Living Index, www.coli.org, 2010 Annual Average.

Tax Burden, 2008

	South Carolina	United States
State and Local Taxes, Total (Per Capita)	$3,127	$4,283
Property ('07)	$984	$1,278
Sales & Use	$1,045	$1,386
Individual Income	$748	$918
Corporate Income	$72	$167
State and Local Taxes per $1,000 of Personal Income	$97.73	$107.37
Source: TaxFoundation.org, 5/2010

The South Carolina tax average is lower than the United States for property, sales & use, individual and corporate income. For more information on state and local tax structure, visit Taxes & Incentives or Personal Taxes.

With more than 2,000 physicians and a strong commitment to medical research, the Charleston region offers a vital health and wellness community. Several nationally recognized hospital systems serve the region, as well as numerous medical centers considered among the best in the United States. In all, more than 30,000 people are employed by the local healthcare industry.

Major Hospitals & Medical Facilities

Hospitals / Medical Facilities	Contact	Beds/Employees
East Cooper Medical Center First hospital in South Carolina to achieve five Gold Seals of Approval for heath care quality from The Joint Commission, a national health care accrediting organization.	www.eastcoopermedctr.com	130 beds; 560 employees
Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) Named "One of America's Best Hospitals" by U.S. News & World Report with nearly 300 MUSC Health physicians on the prestigious Best Doctors in America list.	www.musc.edu	700 beds; 11,000 employees
Ralph H. Johnson V.A. Medical Center Conducting prominent research focused on post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), substance abuse, affective disorders, and mental health diseases associated with aging such as Alzheimer's disease.	www.charleston.va.gov	117 beds; 950 employees
Roper St. Francis Healthcare Three area hospital facilities Ranked among the Top 100 Integrated Health Networks in the nation, earning 96 national awards recognizing high levels of patient, physician and employee satisfaction.	www.ropersaintfrancis.com	657 beds; 4,800 employees
Trident Health System (HCA) Two area hospital facilities Offering a state-of-the-art da Vinci Surgical System, a robot that allows surgeons to perform extensive surgery with very small incisions.	www.tridenthealthsystem.com	390 beds; 2,500 employees
Naval Health Clinic Charleston	www.med.navy.mil/sites/chas	87 employees

Source: Center for Business Research, 04/2010

Charleston area residents actively support the performing and visual arts – including a world-class symphony orchestra, a ballet company, several stage companies, a number of museums and a growing base of art galleries. In fact, AmericanStyle magazine lists the Charleston area as one of the top 10 art destinations in the United States.

For the outdoors enthusiast, acres of freshwater lakes, a large national forest, miles of beaches and 160 parks provide the perfect setting for numerous outdoor activities, including sailing, kayaking, fishing, hiking, hunting, windsurfing and water skiing.

To learn more about lifestyle options in the Charleston region, visit our Living & Working Here section.