skip to content

Money

&

Prices

Rent Tracker

Rent Inflation in Charleston, SC

The average asking rent in Charleston, SC is $2,002/month as of 2026-04. That is +2.8% compared to a year ago.

Source: Zillow Observed Rent Index (ZORI) | zillow.com/research

Current Avg Rent

$2,002/mo

as of 2026-04

Year-over-Year Change

+2.8%

24-Month Rent Trend

Monthly ZORI index values for Charleston, SC.

Month Avg Asking Rent Change from Prior Month
2026-04 $2,002 +0.40%
2026-03 $1,994 +0.61%
2026-02 $1,982 +0.71%
2026-01 $1,968 +0.56%
2025-12 $1,957 +0.00%
2025-11 $1,957 -0.31%
2025-10 $1,963 -0.36%
2025-09 $1,970 -0.45%
2025-08 $1,979 +0.00%
2025-07 $1,979 +0.20%
2025-06 $1,975 +0.66%
2025-05 $1,962 +0.72%
2025-04 $1,948 +0.67%
2025-03 $1,935 +0.57%
2025-02 $1,924 +0.37%
2025-01 $1,917 +0.10%
2024-12 $1,915 -0.47%
2024-11 $1,924 -0.57%
2024-10 $1,935 -0.36%
2024-09 $1,942 -0.15%
2024-08 $1,945 +0.31%
2024-07 $1,939 +0.83%
2024-06 $1,923 +0.94%
2024-05 $1,905

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.

Compare All Cities

Open Full Rent Tracker →

Other Cities

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