Charleston Area Market Update: September 2026 Monthly Recap
September 2026 Charleston-area MLS recap: 1,271 sales, 3.8 months of supply, median prices by county, and what 7% mortgage rates mean this fall.
Data pulled directly from Flexmls (Charleston Trident MLS) for September 1 through 30, 2026, covering residential properties in Charleston, Berkeley, and Dorchester counties, and compared with September 2025. Numbers reflect the MLS as of October 2, 2026; a few late-reported closings can still nudge them. This month we lead with median prices, the middle sale in each county, because in a market with this much coastal high end, the average tells you more about the luxury mix than about a typical home.
September by the numbers
The tri-county area closed 1,271 residential sales in September, down just 1.2% from 1,287 a year ago. Buyers went under contract on 1,185 homes, up 4.6%, while 1,776 new listings came on the market, down 2.4%. Active inventory ended the month at 4,880 listings, up 1.6%.
Run active inventory against September’s sales pace and you get about 3.8 months of supply, almost identical to 3.7 months last September. A balanced market is generally 5 to 6 months, so the region still leans toward sellers. It just leans a lot less than it did in June, when about 1,867 homes closed and supply sat near 2.7 months. Some of that is the usual fall slowdown, and it showed up right on schedule.
Medians tell the real price story
| County | Median sold price | vs. Sept 2025 | Average sold price | vs. Sept 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charleston | $620,000 | +2.2% | $995,144 | +14.4% |
| Berkeley | $415,000 | +4.0% | $623,983 | +20.4% |
| Dorchester | $365,000 | -5.2% | $391,820 | -5.8% |
If you only read the averages, Berkeley prices jumped 20% and Charleston County climbed 14%. The medians say the typical home gained 2% to 4%. That difference is the whole story.
In Charleston County, the average sale now sits about 61% above the median, up from about 43% a year ago. Berkeley’s gap widened from about 30% to about 50%. When the average pulls away from the median like that, more high-end homes closed, not every home gained value. Daniel Island, which sits in Berkeley County within the City of Charleston, and the islands and waterfront in Charleston County do a lot of that pulling.
Dorchester is the one county where the average and median moved together, and both moved down. The September median of $365,000 was the lowest monthly figure since February. That deserves a watch, but not a panic: it is one month on 252 sales, and Dorchester’s median has bounced between about $363,000 and $400,000 over the past year.
Days on market and the negotiation gap
Sold homes averaged 52 days on market in both Charleston and Berkeley counties and 44 days in Dorchester, each up to a couple of days slower than last September.
The more useful number is how close sellers got to their price. Charleston County sellers collected 97.2% of their final list price, but only 94.7% of their original list price. Berkeley and Dorchester both landed near 99% of final list and 96.8% of original list. That gap between original and final list is price reductions. It is widest in Charleston County, where the homes that sold had been on the market about 64 days in total once relistings are counted.
A few submarkets
- Mount Pleasant: 146 sales at a $945,000 median with about 2.9 months of supply, the tightest of the areas below.
- James Island: 49 sales at a $654,365 median with about 3.4 months of supply.
- Summerville addresses: 390 sales at a $395,995 median with about 3.8 months of supply. The Summerville mailing address covers ground in all three counties, including Nexton and Cane Bay.
- Isle of Palms: 12 sales against 43 active listings, roughly 4.4 months of supply at its 12-month sales pace.
The rate story arrives in October
The biggest change in September was not in the MLS. The Federal Reserve raised rates at its September meeting, and Freddie Mac’s weekly survey put the 30-year fixed at 7.03% on September 24, the first reading above 7% since January 2025. By October 1 it had reached 7.28%, up from 6.71% at the start of September.
Most September closings locked their rates back in July and August, when the survey sat in the mid 6% range, so these numbers barely feel it yet. October and November closings will. The 4.6% increase in pending sales is a decent sign that buyers were active right up to the spike. Whether that holds is the thing to watch next month.
What this means if you are buying or selling
If you are selling, price for the market you are actually in. The averages make this look like a hot year, and the medians say it is a steady one. In Charleston County especially, the distance between original and final list price shows what starting too high costs. Homes priced right at launch avoid the reductions and the extra weeks.
If you are buying, you have a little more room than you did in the spring, and in Dorchester County noticeably more than a year ago, where supply rose from about 3.4 to 4.2 months. The tradeoff is the rate. A jump from the high 6% range to above 7% changes a monthly payment in a way you will feel, so get a fresh preapproval and talk through buydowns and seller credits with your lender. Our financing page is a good place to start.
If you want these numbers for one specific neighborhood and price range, I am happy to pull them. The county view is a starting point. Your street is the answer.
For the latest numbers, see the Charleston housing market page, updated monthly.
Frequently asked questions
Is it a buyer's or seller's market in Charleston in September 2026?
Still seller-leaning, but less than in the spring. Across Charleston, Berkeley, and Dorchester counties there was about 3.8 months of supply in September 2026, nearly the same as September 2025. A balanced market is usually 5 to 6 months. Buyers have more room than they did in June, when supply was closer to 2.7 months, and Charleston County sellers averaged about 94.7% of their original list price, which shows real negotiation.
What is the median home price in the Charleston area?
In September 2026 the median sold price for residential properties was $620,000 in Charleston County, $415,000 in Berkeley County, and $365,000 in Dorchester County. Medians rose 2.2% in Charleston County and 4.0% in Berkeley County year over year, and fell 5.2% in Dorchester County. Averages ran much higher in Charleston and Berkeley because of luxury sales, so the median is the better guide to a typical home.
How many homes sold in the Charleston area in September 2026?
1,271 residential properties closed across Charleston, Berkeley, and Dorchester counties, down 1.2% from 1,287 in September 2025. Pending sales rose 4.6% to 1,185 and active inventory rose 1.6% to 4,880 listings.
How long does it take to sell a home in Charleston right now?
Sold homes averaged 52 days on market in Charleston and Berkeley counties and 44 days in Dorchester County in September 2026. In Charleston County, sold homes averaged about 64 days when relistings are counted, and sold at 94.7% of their original list price, so pricing correctly at launch shortens the timeline.
How do higher mortgage rates affect the Charleston market?
Freddie Mac's 30-year average passed 7% in late September 2026 and reached 7.28% on October 1, up from 6.71% at the start of the month. Most September closings had locked lower rates earlier, so the effect shows up in October and November sales. Higher rates raise monthly payments, which tends to slow buyer demand and increase the value of seller credits and rate buydowns.