August 2026: flat prices, slower sales, higher rates
By Brandon · September 30, 2026
The short version: Charleston-area prices aren't falling, but the market is getting slower, and mortgage rates are working against buyers.
Prices: about even with last year
The median single-family home in Charleston County sold for $767,000 in August, within half a percent of a year ago ($770,500). Berkeley County was up 1% to $423,055 and Dorchester County up 3% to $405,000. Zillow's home value index tells the same story over twelve months: the City of Charleston and Mount Pleasant are each up about 1%, while Summerville and North Charleston are slightly down.
Homes are taking longer to sell
The median Charleston County single-family home took 48 days to sell, up from 43 a year ago. In Dorchester County it was 47 days, up from 35. Sellers are also taking less: Charleston County homes closed at 94.9% of their original list price. That leaves roughly $39,000 of room on a $767,000 house, so buyers have leverage they didn't have in 2022. Closed sales were about flat in Charleston County (469), up 4% in Berkeley (424) and up 9% in Dorchester (278).
Rates are the swing factor
Freddie Mac's 30-year fixed average was 7.03% in the week of September 24, up from 6.26% a year earlier and the highest reading in the past twelve months. On a $767,000 home with 20% down, that difference alone raises the monthly principal and interest from about $3,780 to about $4,100. With prices flat, a buyer is paying more for the same house than a year ago because of the rate.
Where it's moving
- The beaches keep climbing. Zillow's twelve-month change is +10.5% for Kiawah Island, +8.6% for Isle of Palms and +7.5% for Sullivan's Island. Second-home and cash buyers care less about rates.
- James Island and West Ashley were strong in August. Their MLS-area single-family medians rose 9% (to $800,000) and 7% (to $585,000). One month is noisy, but both had more sales than a year ago.
- Johns Island and Upper Mount Pleasant were soft. Medians fell 9% (to $682,495) and 6% (to $935,000). Both also have fewer homes for sale than last year, so this looks like a change in which homes sold rather than a price break.
What I'm watching
This is a balanced market that's slowly leaning toward buyers inland. The coast is still a seller's market. If the 30-year rate stays above 7% into the fall, expect inland days on market to keep stretching and more price cuts in Summerville, Goose Creek and North Charleston. A move back toward 6.5% would pull buyers back quickly, because inventory in most areas is still below what a true buyer's market needs.
Sources: Charleston Trident Association of REALTORS® (CTAR) Local Market Updates via ShowingTime FastStats (August 2026, single-family); Zillow Home Value Index (August 2026 vs. August 2025); Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey®. Monthly payment is principal and interest only. See every number in the dashboard.