The typical owner-occupied home in Charleston is worth about $88,800, 48% below the Mississippi median of $169,800 and 73% below the national median of $332,700. The median household earns $36,892 a year, so the median home costs 2.4 times the median income (3.0 times for Mississippi). 60% of occupied homes here are lived in by their owners, and 35% of those owners still have a mortgage.
Charleston at a glance
| Charleston | Mississippi | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $88,800 | $169,800 | $332,700 |
| Median property tax paid per year | – | $1,215 | $3,119 |
| Median household income | $36,892 | $56,447 | $80,734 |
| Homes lived in by their owners | 60% | 70% | 65% |
| Owner homes with a mortgage | 35% | 49% | 61% |
| Median monthly costs, owners with a mortgage | $907 | $1,394 | $1,963 |
| Those costs as a share of the owners' income | 15.4% | 19.8% | 21.0% |
| Median rent | $683 | $954 | $1,413 |
| Rent as a share of renters' income | 23.2% | 30.7% | 30.6% |
| Median year homes were built | 1978 | 1986 | 1980 |
| Vacant homes | 16.1% | 14.6% | 10.1% |
| Population | 1,979 | 2,946,779 | 334,922,499 |
What a typical home costs per month in Charleston
At this week's average 30-year rate of 7.11%, buying the median Charleston home of $88,800 with 20% down costs about $596 a month, including property taxes and insurance. With an FHA loan and 3.5% down, it's about $744, because the loan is bigger and FHA adds mortgage insurance.
Lenders usually want housing costs under about 28% of gross income, which means an income of roughly $25,555 for the 20%-down payment. That payment is 19% of the median Charleston household income of $36,892; at that income and 20% down, the 28% guideline points to a home of about $128,000.
The median rent here is $683 a month, a little more than the monthly cost of owning the median home with 20% down.
| Down payment | $17,760 |
|---|---|
| Loan amount | $71,040 |
| Principal and interest | $478 |
| Property taxes (1.10% a year) | $81 |
| Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year) | $37 |
| PMI | $0 |
| Total per month | $596 |
Change the numbers in the calculator
| Down payment | $3,108 |
|---|---|
| Loan amount | $87,192 |
| Principal and interest | $587 |
| Property taxes (1.10% a year) | $81 |
| Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year) | $37 |
| FHA mortgage insurance | $39 |
| Total per month | $744 |
Change the numbers in the calculator
Questions about home buying in Charleston
What is the median home value in Charleston?
About $88,800 for owner-occupied homes, according to the Census Bureau's 2020–2024 American Community Survey.
What income do you need to buy a home in Charleston?
For the median home with 20% down at 7.11%, the payment is about $596 a month. Keeping that under 28% of gross income takes about $25,555 a year.
More about Charleston
- Mortgage Refinance in Charleston
- Debt Relief in Charleston
- Home Equity Loans in Charleston
- Guides and quotes for mortgage refinance on our sister site, MortgageRefinance.com
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates; Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey, week of November 12, 2026. Estimates for small places have wide margins of error. About our data