Airbnb market dataThrough 1,628 listingsHow we measure
Yes, with caveats. Charleston’s Airbnb market posts a robust median annual revenue of $67,257, with median occupancy at 60% and ADR at $320 (Chalet data).
Buying in Charleston?Free, with no obligation
Written from an earlier data window, so some figures differ from the live numbers above.
Chalet AI
A typical active Charleston Airbnb earned $67,257 in the 12 months to Sep 2026. The top 25% of listings averaged $128,628, about 1.9× that. The bottom 25%, which includes rarely booked listings, averaged $5,996.
$6k
Bottom 25% average
$67.3k
Typical listing
$128.6k
Top 25% average
1-bedroom homes are the most common in Charleston (37% of listings).
| Bedrooms |
|---|
The best three months, Mar, Apr and Oct, brought in 31% of a typical Charleston listing's revenue over the 12 months to Sep 2026.
Apr–Jul and Sep beat a year earlier; Aug was 7% lower
Typical monthly revenue per listing, Oct 2025–Sep 2026, against the same month a year earlier
No year-earlier data for Oct–Mar yet.
Garden District has the highest gross yield of the 6 Charleston neighborhoods we rank, at 13.3%, with typical revenue of $114,580 a year.
| # | neighborhood | Gross yield | Revenue/yr | Occupancy | Home value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Garden District | 13.3% | $114,580 | ||
| 2 | Cannonborough Elliottborough | 10.1% | $98,381 | ||
| 3 | Riverland Terrace | 5.2% | $45,381 | ||
| 4 | Westside | locked | locked | locked | locked |
| 5 | Harleston Village | locked | locked | locked | locked |
| 6 | Charlestowne | locked | locked | locked | locked |
Ranked by gross yield (typical yearly revenue ÷ median home value), last 12 months. 29 neighborhoods have fewer than 20 listings or incomplete data and aren't ranked.
Yield isn't everything: zoning and HOA rules decide which streets allow short-term rentals.
The median Charleston home is worth $591,821 (Zillow, Aug 2026), up 1.3% in a year. At typical revenue that's a 11.4% gross yield, before the mortgage, taxes and running costs.
Charleston ranks #4 of the 12 South Carolina markets we track by gross yield.
| # | Market | Gross yield | Revenue/yr | Home value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Charleston, SC | 15.0% | $46,422 | |
| 2 | Columbia, SC | 14.4% | $33,131 | |
| 3 | Myrtle Beach, SC | 11.8% | $38,194 | |
| 4 | Charleston, SC (this market) |
None listed in Charleston right now, so here are others in South Carolina.
A typical active Airbnb in Charleston, SC earned $67,257 in the 12 months to Sep 2026. The median listing was booked 60% of nights, and the average nightly rate was $320 in Sep 2026. Against a median home value of $591,821, that's a 11.4% gross yield before the mortgage, taxes and running costs.
A typical active listing earned $67,257 in the 12 months to Sep 2026. The top 25% of listings averaged $128,628 and the bottom 25% $5,996. Estimated by size: 1-bedroom about $52,068; 2-bedroom about $63,007; 3-bedroom about $79,119 and 4-bedroom about $115,316 a year.
The typical listing was booked 60% of nights in the 12 months to Sep 2026, from 77% in March to 43% in January.
Based on 1,628 Charleston short-term rental listings tracked by Chalet, with data through Sep 2026. Home values come from the Zillow Home Value Index.
Airbnb data sites count different things. Some average every listing, including ones that are rarely booked; some use a whole metro area instead of the town; some use a calendar year. We show typical figures for active listings in Charleston over the last 12 months, and label each number with what it counts. Compare like with like before comparing sites.
| Share of listings |
|---|
| Nightly rate |
|---|
| Occupancy |
|---|
| Est. revenue/yr |
|---|
| Studio | 4% | $285 | 65% | $68,016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 bedroom | 37% | $238 | 60% | $52,068 |
| 2 bedrooms | 26% | $297 | 58% | $63,007 |
| 3 bedrooms | 20% | $395 | 55% | $79,119 |
| 4 bedrooms | 11% | $589 | 54% | $115,316 |
| 5 bedrooms | 2% | $873 | 55% | $175,553 |
Estimated revenue = nightly rate × occupancy × 365, last 12 months.
Have a property in mind?
Estimate its revenue, costs and cash flow with Charleston's numbers.
| Month | Revenue | Occupancy | Nightly rate | Revenue a year earlier |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | $6,358 | 67% | $299 | |
| Nov 2025 | $5,329 | 60% | $296 | |
| Dec 2025 | $4,931 | 51% | $292 | |
| Jan 2026 | $4,034 | 43% | $266 | |
| Feb 2026 | $4,567 | 57% | $303 | |
| Mar 2026 | $7,799 | 77% | $367 | |
| Apr 2026 | $6,569 | 75% | $393 | |
| May 2026 | $6,159 | 68% | $402 | |
| Jun 2026 | $5,782 | 69% | $381 | |
| Jul 2026 | $6,008 | 68% | $358 | |
| Aug 2026 | $4,676 | 55% | $320 | |
| Sep 2026 | $5,046 | 56% | $342 |
Yes, Airbnbs are legal in Charleston, SC, but only as owner-occupied units; whole-house STRs are banned.
Yes, you must obtain both a Short Term Rental Permit and a City of Charleston Business License to operate an Airbnb in Charleston.
The total tax burden for STRs in Charleston is 14%, which includes state sales tax, accommodations taxes, and local levies. Airbnb collects and remits state sales tax (5%), state accommodations tax (2%), Charleston County accommodations tax (2%), and City of Charleston accommodations tax (2%).
The 10 largest operators in Charleston each ran 26 or more listings as of May 2025.
and 3 more
Of guests from the top 10 cities, 65% live within a day's drive. Guests book 71 days ahead on average.
and 3 more
| 11.4% |
| $67,257 |
| 5 | North Myrtle Beach, SC | 11.1% | $44,114 |
|---|
| 6 | Murrells Inlet, SC | 10.6% | $42,547 |
|---|
| 7 | Aiken, SC | 10.3% | $29,028 |
|---|
| 8 | Greenville, SC | 9.4% | $31,026 |
|---|
Buying here?
A Charleston STR agent knows which properties and streets work as short-term rentals.
Selling a Charleston Airbnb?
Get matched with a listing agent who sells short-term rentals here.
Need financing?
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March; April and October earned the most, bringing in 31% of a typical listing's revenue in the 12 months to Sep 2026.
$591,821 as of August 2026 (Zillow Home Value Index), up 1.3% in a year.
1-bedroom homes make up 37% of listings, earning an estimated $52,068 a year.
The top origin cities are Charlotte, NC (3.6% of guests); New York, NY (2.7% of guests) and Atlanta, GA (2.2% of guests). Of guests from the top 10 cities, 65% live within a day's drive.
Chalet tracks 1,628 short-term rental listings in Charleston, SC, with data through Sep 2026.
For education only, not financial, legal or investment advice. Full methodology
