Rent Tracker
Rent Inflation in Charleston, SC
The average asking rent in Charleston, SC is $2,062/month as of 2026-08. That is +4.2% compared to a year ago.
Source: Zillow Observed Rent Index (ZORI) | zillow.com/research
Current Avg Rent
$2,062/mo
as of 2026-08
Year-over-Year Change
+4.2%
24-Month Rent Trend
Monthly ZORI index values for Charleston, SC.
| Month | Avg Asking Rent | Change from Prior Month |
|---|---|---|
| 2026-08 | $2,062 | +0.34% |
| 2026-07 | $2,055 | +0.49% |
| 2026-06 | $2,045 | +1.14% |
| 2026-05 | $2,022 | +0.55% |
| 2026-04 | $2,011 | +0.35% |
| 2026-03 | $2,004 | +0.60% |
| 2026-02 | $1,992 | +0.66% |
| 2026-01 | $1,979 | +0.61% |
| 2025-12 | $1,967 | +0.20% |
| 2025-11 | $1,963 | -0.10% |
| 2025-10 | $1,965 | -0.25% |
| 2025-09 | $1,970 | -0.45% |
| 2025-08 | $1,979 | -0.15% |
| 2025-07 | $1,982 | +0.10% |
| 2025-06 | $1,980 | +0.51% |
| 2025-05 | $1,970 | +0.66% |
| 2025-04 | $1,957 | +0.62% |
| 2025-03 | $1,945 | +0.57% |
| 2025-02 | $1,934 | +0.31% |
| 2025-01 | $1,928 | +0.05% |
| 2024-12 | $1,927 | -0.41% |
| 2024-11 | $1,935 | -0.51% |
| 2024-10 | $1,945 | -0.26% |
| 2024-09 | $1,950 | — |
Why Rent Inflation Matters
Shelter is the single largest component of the official CPI, accounting for roughly one-third of the index. But the BLS shelter index tends to lag real-market rent changes by 12–18 months because it measures rents paid by all tenants — including long-term renters locked into old leases. ZORI measures asking rents for new leases, making it a timelier signal of where CPI shelter inflation is headed.
When ZORI is rising sharply in your city, it is a leading indicator that official shelter inflation — and therefore overall CPI — will remain elevated in coming months.
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Data Source
Rent data uses the Zillow Observed Rent Index (ZORI), a smoothed measure of typical market-rate asking rents updated monthly by Zillow Research. ZORI covers single-family homes, condos, and co-ops and reflects asking rents for new leases — making it a more timely indicator than the lagged BLS shelter index. zillow.com/research | Money & Prices