Charleston’s July 2026 Housing Market: Steady Growth, Higher Prices and No Sign of a Stoppage
If you have been waiting for the Charleston housing market to make a dramatic move—either up or down—July’s numbers may feel a little anticlimactic. But honestly, that is not a bad thing.
The Charleston market continues to show steady demand, modest year-over-year growth and surprisingly strong pricing, even with mortgage rates sitting slightly above where they were this time last year. We are also approaching the time of year when real estate activity typically begins to slow. The key word, however, is slow—not stop.
Here is what buyers and sellers should know about the July 2026 Charleston housing market.
Buyer Demand Is Still Holding Up
During the most recent reported week, 267 properties went under contract across the Charleston market. That was 3% more than the same week in 2025.
For July as a whole, written sales—meaning properties that went under contract—finished 5% ahead of July 2025. Closed sales were also up 5% year over year.
Why do I pay so much attention to ratified contracts rather than just closed sales? Because a closing tells us what buyers were doing roughly five to eight weeks ago. A newly ratified contract gives us a much better look at buyer sentiment right now and offers a preview of what closed-sale activity may look like a month or two from now.
The current contract numbers tell us that buyers are still active. They may be more careful and selective than they were during the frenzy of a few years ago, but they have not disappeared.
The Seasonal Slowdown Is Coming—As It Does Every Year
Charleston is approaching week 36, around late August, when the market normally begins its annual seasonal slowdown. This is not a warning sign. It happens almost every year as summer travel winds down, school begins and the fall calendar fills up.
For sellers, this means pricing and presentation become even more important. Buyers tend to have more choices and less urgency once the peak spring and summer season passes. A home that is well priced and shows beautifully can still attract attention, but the market becomes less forgiving of homes that start too high.
For buyers, fall can bring a little breathing room. There may be fewer new listings, but there can also be less competition and more opportunity to negotiate with sellers whose homes have been on the market for a while.
Mortgage Rates Have Not Stopped the Market
Mortgage rates are now marginally higher than they were one year ago, which makes the year-over-year increases in contracts and closings even more notable. Buyers are continuing to move forward despite the higher cost of borrowing.
For someone who needs or wants to buy a home, trying to perfectly time interest rates is incredibly difficult. Home prices in Charleston are not showing signs of a meaningful broad-based decline, so waiting for a lower rate could mean paying more for the same property later.
The simplest way to think about it is this:
- If rates fall after you purchase, refinancing may be an option.
- If rates remain about the same, you can sit tight.
- If rates rise, you may be glad you bought when you did.
That does not mean anyone should stretch beyond a comfortable monthly payment. It means buyers should make decisions based on their personal timeline, finances and the quality of the home—not on an attempt to predict the exact bottom of the mortgage-rate cycle.
Charleston Home Prices Remain Elevated
The median sale price across the Charleston market was $449,000 in July. Because the median represents the middle sale rather than an average, a few very expensive transactions do not dramatically skew the number.
The upward movement we have seen during the past seven months appears to be broad-based. At the same time, the median price has remained within a relatively tight range. That may suggest buyers are reaching the upper limit of what they can or are willing to spend each month.
But that does not mean home values have stopped appreciating.
The average sold price per square foot reached $309 in July, remaining just below record levels. When the median sale price stays fairly stable while the price per square foot rises, buyers are often getting a smaller home for roughly the same total purchase price.
In plain English: buyers may not be spending dramatically more overall, but the amount of house their money buys is shrinking. That points to continued gradual appreciation beneath the headline median price.
Inventory Is Higher—but Charleston Still Favors Sellers
Active inventory stood at approximately 5,600 homes in mid-July. That is a huge improvement from the extremely limited 1,035 listings available at the market’s February 2022 low point.
Still, more inventory does not automatically mean Charleston has become a buyer’s market. Based on current sales activity, the region would need roughly 5,600 additional listings to reach a balanced market with about five months of supply.
Charleston currently has approximately 13 weeks—or about three months—of inventory. That places the overall market in mild seller’s-market territory. The most active locations and price ranges have roughly 2.5 to 3.5 months of supply, although conditions can vary enormously by neighborhood, property type and price.
About 2,400 new listings came to market in July, slightly more than in July 2025. Buyers have more choices than they did during the pandemic-era market, but desirable homes that are accurately priced can still sell quickly.
New Construction Is Playing a Major Role
New construction accounts for 38% of pending contracts in the MLS and approximately 34% of closings, despite representing only 23% of available inventory.
Its share of closed sales varies significantly by county:
- Charleston County: 15%
- Dorchester County: 43%
- Berkeley County: 49%
This reflects where land is available and where large communities continue to grow. Builders may also offer financing incentives or closing-cost assistance that an individual resale seller cannot match.
Buyers comparing new and resale homes should look beyond the base price and evaluate upgrades, lot premiums, incentives, future construction and total monthly costs.
Foreclosures Remain Almost Nonexistent
Foreclosures and short sales make up only about 1.4% of all active listings—less than the 1.8% recorded at the beginning of 2020.
Despite occasional headlines about rising mortgage delinquencies, Charleston is nowhere near a Great Recession-style distressed market. Many homeowners have substantial equity, and employment remains relatively strong. Owners with equity generally sell conventionally rather than walk away from their homes.
What Does This Mean for You?
The July numbers describe a Charleston market that is active, resilient and still slowly appreciating.
Buyers have more inventory and a little more negotiating room than they had several years ago, but they should not assume that a major price correction is around the corner. Sellers still have an advantage overall, although realistic pricing will become even more important as we enter the normal late-summer slowdown.
Most importantly, Charleston is not one single market. Conditions for a downtown condo, a Mount Pleasant luxury home, a Summerville new build and a Berkeley County starter home can be completely different.
If you are considering buying or selling, the most useful numbers are the ones for your specific neighborhood, price range and property type. I am always happy to take a closer look and help you understand what the market is doing where it matters to you.