Commercial Real Estate Market in Charleston, SC
Updated monthly: sale, lease, property records, location trend, and more… · Last update: August 31
461 active listings and 5,500 off-market properties in Charleston, SC. Commercial property asks $563/SF to buy and $28.27/SF/Yr to lease. Industrial vacancy runs 14.3%, the loosest of the segments tracked here.
Market Trends
Charleston, SC spans 232.3 square miles in Charleston County, South Carolina. Figures below refresh monthly; last updated 31 August 2026.
Office
Office vacancy in Charleston, SC runs 7.5% in 2025, up from 6.8% in 2019. Down from a 2021 peak of 10.4%.
Vacancy Rate %
Retail
Retail vacancy in Charleston, SC runs 3.6% in 2025, down from 5.2% in 2019. Down from a 2020 peak of 7.2%.
Vacancy Rate %
Industrial
Industrial vacancy in Charleston, SC runs 14.3% in 2025, up from 5.5% in 2019. Nearly 11.9x the 2022 low of 1.2%.
Vacancy Rate %
Multifamily
Multifamily vacancy in Charleston, SC runs 11.3% across the South region in 2025, up from 8.5% in 2022.
Vacancy Rate % in South region
Zoning & Land Use
Land Use Mix share of zoned land by category
- Residential 25.5%
- Planned_development 25%
- Agricultural 20.4%
- Industrial 13.5%
- Commercial 4.3%
- Civic 3.3%
- Open space 2.7%
- Mixed use 0.9%
Largest Zones share of zoned land by district
Planned Unit Development
Conservation District
Single Family Detached Dwellings Only Residential District
Agricultural District
Light Industrial District
Planned Unit Development (PUD)
This zone is intended to provide flexibility in the design of developments; to encourage comprehensive planning of developments; to permit innovation in neighborhood design that includes incorporation of open space, preservation of natural features and other amenities; to provide opportunity for a mixture of uses within a development, and to insure compatibi…
Market overview
Demographics & Economy
Charleston, SC has 301,584 residents in 144,941 households. Density runs 1,298 people per square mile. Median household income here is $78,636 and median gross rent $1,515 a month.
301,584
Population
144,941
Households
2.1
Avg Household Size
36
Median Age
44%
College-Educated
91%
High-School Grad
232.3 sq mi
ZIP Area
1,298
Density / Sq Mi
$78,636
Median Household Income
$47,044
Median Earnings
$1,515
Median Rent
$407,719
Median Home Value
Tools
Lease vs Buy Breakeven
At $28.27/SF/Yr lease vs $563/SF buy → buying wins if held > 10 years.
At a 5% gross asking yield the payback reads short relative to leasing. Assumes 30% down at 6.5% fixed, 2% a year in taxes and upkeep, 3% appreciation, 5% opportunity cost, 2% closing plus 5% selling costs, and a 3% annual rent escalator.
Nearby Markets
| Market | Average Sale Price, $/SF | Average Lease Price, $/SF/Yr |
|---|---|---|
| Wando | — | — |
| Goose Creek | — | — |
| Mount Pleasant | — | $26.36 |
| Hanahan | — | $8.31 |
Commercial property in Charleston, SC asks $563/SF.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average price per square foot for commercial property in Charleston?
Commercial property in Charleston, SC asks an average of $563 per square foot. The 5 most recent recorded sales traded at a median of $293/SF, so asking sits 92% above the achieved median.
How much does it cost to lease commercial space in Charleston?
Asking lease rates in Charleston, SC average $28.27 per square foot per year.
What is the office vacancy rate in Charleston?
Office vacancy in Charleston, SC is 7.5% as of 2025, up from 6.8% in 2019. Retail vacancy is 3.6%, below Office vacancy.
Which property type has the lowest vacancy in Charleston?
Retail has the lowest vacancy in Charleston, SC at 3.6%, inside a 3.6–7.2% band since 2019. For comparison: office 7.5%, industrial 14.3% and multifamily 11.3% (South).
Is it cheaper to lease or buy commercial space in Charleston?
Buying beats leasing in Charleston, SC if the property is held longer than 10.0 years, comparing $28.27/SF/Yr asking rent with $563/SF asking price. The model assumes 30% down at 6.5% fixed, 2% of value per year in taxes and upkeep, 3% appreciation, 5% opportunity cost on the cash and a 3% annual rent escalator.
Where does Realmo's Charleston market data come from?
Realmo compiles Charleston, SC figures from 6 recent recorded sales, 227 active sale listings, 234 active lease listings, 5,500 tracked off-market properties, the current Charleston zoning release. Sale and lease figures refresh monthly; vacancy annually. Last updated 31 August 2026.
Methodology & data sources
- Asking prices and averages
- Computed from 227 active for-sale and 234 active for-lease listings in Charleston, SC. These are ASKING figures from live listings, not closed-transaction prices, and a segment carried by a handful of listings reads as indicative rather than an average.
- Vacancy rates
- Published per-sector market series, taken at the metro level where one exists and otherwise at the Census-region level — a chart reading "in <region> region" is a regional number, not this city's.
- Zoning and land use
- The current municipal zoning release: 72,274 zoned acres across 51 districts. Shares are of zoned land, so parcels the release leaves unclassified are excluded from the mix.
- Refresh
- The monthly aggregates close at the end of the previous month, so 31 August 2026 — not today — is the honest last update.
- Known limitations
- multifamily vacancy is reported at South region level.
- Coverage
- Metrics below the 10-observation threshold fall back one geographic level. The geography used is named on each figure.
Compiled by the Realmo Data team · reviewed 31 August 2026 · report a data issue
