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City · 12,198 residents · Charleston County, South Carolina

James Island , South Carolina

In James Island, a typical home is worth $508,600 and typical rent is $1,695 a month. Compared with all of Charleston County, typical household income is 18% higher and the share of households that own their home is 24 points higher.

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  • Typical home value

    $508,600

    4% above the county

    96% above South Carolina

    • James Island
    • Charleston
    • South Carolina

  • Typical rent

    $1,695a month

    5% above the county

    44% above South Carolina

    • James Island
    • Charleston
    • South Carolina

  • Typical household income

    $104,217a year

    18% above the county

    50% above South Carolina

    • James Island
    • Charleston
    • South Carolina

  • Households that own their home

    88%

    24 points above the county

    16 points above South Carolina

    • James Island
    • Charleston
    • South Carolina

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Average 2020–2024

James Island is in Charleston County. The FHA loan limit ($690,000 for a one-unit home), the fair market rents and the help on this page are those of all of Charleston County. See the county

Data updated: October 1, 2026 11 official sources

Only here

What sets James Island apart

What this place has that others do not, from public data, most unusual first.

  1. 88% of households in James Island own their home, against 64% in Charleston County.

  2. Nearby, in North Charleston, the typical home value is $302,200: 41% less than in James Island ($508,600).

  3. James Island has the 5th highest typical home value of the 101 cities in South Carolina with more than 5,000 people ($508,600).

  4. Nearby, in Hanahan, the typical rent is $1,412: 17% less than in James Island ($1,695).

  5. The typical household income in James Island is $104,217, 18% more than in Charleston County as a whole ($88,494).

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (Average 2020–2024).

The homes here

Housing in James Island

What homes there are in James Island, what they cost, how that changed and how people live, from Census figures (2020–2024).

What homes there are

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024

Kind of home

The detached house rules in James Island: 92% of homes, more than in Charleston County (58%).

Year built

The typical home in James Island was built in 1970, 21 years before the typical one in Charleston County.

All homes, occupied or empty. A figure the Census cannot measure precisely enough here is not shown.

Census tables: B25024, B25034, B25035, B25041

What it costs here

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024

Value of owner-occupied homes
Monthly rent with utilities

With a mortgage

$2,210 a month

Charleston County: $2,167 a month

Without a mortgage

$655 a month

Charleston County: $648 a month

Owners with a mortgage

67%

Charleston County: 66%

The typical cost for an owner with a mortgage in James Island is $2,210 a month, near the figure in Charleston County ($2,167).

Value: what owners think their home is worth. Rent: rent plus utilities, for homes of every size. The FHA limit is the most an FHA loan (Federal Housing Administration) lends for a one-unit home; the fair market rent (FMR) is the one HUD uses for housing vouchers.

Census tables: B25075, B25063, B25088, B25081

How it changed

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2015–2019 and 2020–2024

Change since 2015–2019

From 2015–2019 to 2020–2024, the typical home value in James Island rose 69%; in Charleston County, it rose 55%.

Since 2015–2019, the typical rent in James Island did not change clearly, according to the Census.

Change between two 5-year periods that do not overlap, in each period's dollars, not adjusted for inflation.

Census tables: B25077, B25064, B19013

How people live

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024

MeasureJames IslandCharleston CountySouth CarolinaUnited States
Rental vacancy Unreliable estimate11.7%8.3%5.5%
Homeowner vacancy Unreliable estimate1.1%0.9%0.9%
More than one person per room Unreliable estimate1.6%2.0%3.4%
People per household 2.612.292.442.53
Drive alone 73%69%76%69%
Carpool 5%9%9%9%
Public transit Unreliable estimate1%0%3%
Walk or bike Unreliable estimate3%2%3%
Work from home 18%18%12%15%
Other means Unreliable estimate1%2%2%
Typical commute Unreliable estimate20 to 29 minutes20 to 29 minutes20 to 29 minutes

Households in James Island are bigger: 2.61 people on average; in Charleston County, 2.29.

In James Island, 73% of workers drive alone to work; in Charleston County, 69%.

Vacancy: empty homes offered for rent or for sale. Rooms: every room in the home, not only bedrooms. Commute: the minute range of the typical worker.

Census tables: B25004, B25003, B25014, B25010, B08301, B08303

Do the math

What would you pay each month for a home in James Island?

A typical home costs more than the typical income allows

We start with a typical home in James Island, worth $508,600, an FHA loan with 3.5% down and the latest average rate (7.18%). That payment would take 46% of the typical household income in James Island, which is $104,217 a year. For that payment to be 28% of income, a household would need to earn about $170,067 a year.

The calculator's FHA and conventional loan limits are those of all of Charleston County.

Your numbers

Local data
$

Starts at the typical home value in James Island. Change it to the price you have in mind.

Loan type
Your credit score

Your score changes which loans apply and FHA's minimum down payment. Your real rate also depends on your credit.

Down payment
%

That is $17,801 (3.5% of the price). The usual minimum for this loan is 3.5%.

This week's average ± a quarter or half point.

Term

National average as of November 5, 2026 (Freddie Mac); your rate may be different.

Adjust advanced details

Estimated monthly payment

Local data

$3,968

at 7.18% · 30 years

Loan amount
$499,388
Total interest
$718,502
Paid off in
November 2056

Includes $8,589 FHA upfront mortgage insurance premium.

Does it fit the income?

  • Comfortable

    up to $2,432 a month

  • Tight

    $2,432 to $3,127 a month

  • Hard

    more than $3,127 a month

    Your payment · 46%

Compared with the typical household income in James Island ($104,217 a year). Reference: HUD calls paying more than 30% of income for housing a cost burden.

Show the result as
per month$3,968
Principal & interest$3,383
Property tax$148
Home insurance$212
FHA mortgage insurance (MIP)$225

You need at least $17,801 for the down payment, plus closing costs.

Next step

This is an estimate to give you an idea, not a loan offer. Your real payment depends on your rate, your credit, and the insurance and taxes on the home you buy.

The city and its county

James Island and Charleston County

James Island is in Charleston County, South Carolina. The U.S. Census Bureau publishes its own numbers for the city: home values, rent, household income, how many households own their home and the property tax. They are American Community Survey estimates (average 2020–2024).

James Island's own numbers

Typical home value
$508,600
Typical monthly rent
$1,695
Typical yearly household income
$104,217
Households that own their home
88%
Effective property tax rate
0.35%

U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (average 2020–2024).

Numbers for all of Charleston County

FHA limit, one-unit home
$690,000
Conventional limit, one unit
$832,750
HUD fair market rent, 2 bedrooms
$1,884
Price change over 5 years (FHFA)
+71%
Homes in a high flood-risk zone
30%

HUD, FHFA and FEMA don't publish these numbers by city.

Other numbers are not published by city, only for the whole county: FHA and conventional loan limits, HUD’s fair market rents, FHFA’s price index and FEMA’s flood data. On this page, those numbers always say they are for all of Charleston County.

Everything about Charleston County

Buying

Buying a home in James Island

A typical home in James Island is worth $508,600: 4% above the county and 96% above South Carolina. With the typical household income in James Island ($104,217 a year), a typical home costs 4.9 times what the household earns in a year.

Years of income to pay for a typical home

The typical home value divided by the typical household income for one year. The lower it is, the less buying weighs.

  • James Island 4.9 years
  • Charleston 5.5 years
  • South Carolina 3.7 years
  • United States 4.1 years
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Average 2020–2024

How prices have changed in Charleston County

According to FHFA’s house price index, home prices in Charleston County rose 129% in the 10 years through 2025.

FHFA does not publish this index by city: these are the numbers for all of Charleston County.

Period County South Carolina U.S.
Last year (2025) +2.3% +3.6% +2.9%
5 years (2020–2025) +71% +60% +47%
10 years (2015–2025) +129% +104% +85%

The index follows the price of the same homes over time (sales and appraisals with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac loans). It is not the average price of a home. FHFA considers its annual county indexes experimental. Source: FHFA, 2025 data

James Island next to Charleston County, South Carolina and the U.S.

Three numbers side by side. “Typical” means the median: half are above it and half below.

Typical home value
  • James Island $508,600
  • Charleston $489,100
  • South Carolina $259,000
  • United States $332,700
Typical monthly rent
  • James Island $1,695
  • Charleston $1,620
  • South Carolina $1,180
  • United States $1,413
Typical yearly household income
  • James Island $104,217
  • Charleston $88,494
  • South Carolina $69,324
  • United States $80,734
See the full table
James Island next to Charleston County and South Carolina
Measure James Island Charleston County South Carolina U.S.
Typical home value $508,600 $489,100 $259,000 $332,700
Typical monthly rent $1,695 $1,620 $1,180 $1,413
Typical yearly household income $104,217 $88,494 $69,324 $80,734
Households that own their home 88% 64% 72% 65%
Typical yearly property tax $1,784 $1,901 $1,251 $3,119
Effective property tax rate 0.35% 0.39% 0.48% 0.94%
Renters with high rent for their income 47% 53% 52% 51%

“Typical” means the median: half are above and half are below. ▲ and ▼ say whether the city is above or below Charleston County. “High rent” is the Census measure: renter households that pay 30% or more of their income in rent.

Four ways to pay for a typical home in James Island

For a typical $508,600 home in James Island, at Freddie Mac's average rate (7.18% as of November 5, 2026) over 30 years. The monthly payment adds principal and interest, James Island's typical property tax, an example home insurance and mortgage insurance when it applies.

  • FHA, 3.5% down $3,968a month

    Least cash to close
    Down payment
    $17,801
    Cash to close
    $33,059
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    FHA MIP · $225

  • Conventional, 5% down $3,875a month

    Down payment
    $25,430
    Cash to close
    $40,688
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    PMI · $242

  • Conventional, 20% down, no PMI $3,117a month

    Down payment
    $101,720
    Cash to close
    $116,978
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    None

  • ITIN, 15% down (example) $3,587a month

    Down payment
    $76,290
    Cash to close
    $91,548
    Rate
    8.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    None

The option that asks for the least cash to close is FHA, 3.5% down.

  • Cash to close = down payment plus 3% of the price in closing costs (example).
  • Minimum score: FHA requires 580 or higher for the minimum down payment (HUD Handbook 4000.1). * Fannie Mae requires 620 when a loan is underwritten by hand; its automated system has no fixed minimum.
  • The ITIN row is an example with a rate 1 percentage point higher: ITIN loans follow no federal rule and each lender sets its own down payment and rate. Nothing in this table promises an approval.

How much house can I afford? Estimate closing costs

Taxes and floods

Two costs that change from place to place

Property tax and flood insurance raise or lower what you pay each month. Here are the numbers for James Island and for Charleston County.

Property tax

Effective rate in James Island

0.35%of the home’s value each year

$1,784 a year for the typical owner in James Island.

  • James Island 0.35%
  • Charleston 0.39%
  • South Carolina 0.48%

What South Carolina publishes Special 4% assessment ratio for your legal residence (South Carolina General Assembly (South Carolina Code of Laws))

Exemptions and deadlines in South Carolina

Flood risk in Charleston County

FEMA does not publish these numbers by city: they are for all of Charleston County.

Homes in the high-risk zone
30%
44,952
Of those, with NFIP insurance
78%
County South Carolina U.S.
Homes in the high-risk zone 30% 4% 3.5%
Of those, with NFIP insurance 78% 85% 48%

Most homeowners insurance policies do not cover flood damage.

Look up your address on FEMA’s map

Renting

Renting in James Island

Typical rent in James Island is $1,695 a month: 5% above the county. In James Island, 47% of renter households pay 30% or more of their income in rent.

HUD publishes a fair market rent for all of Charleston County, by unit size. To pay the 2-bedroom one ($1,884 a month) without spending more than 30% of your income, you would need to earn $36.23 an hour working full time.

HUD fair market rent for all of Charleston County

What you need to earn to pay it without spending more than 30% of income, working full time.

Size Fair rent a month Hourly wage Yearly income
Studio $1,661 $31.94 $66,440
1 bedroom $1,731 $33.29 $69,240
2 bedrooms $1,884 $36.23 $75,360
3 bedrooms $2,336 $44.92 $93,440
4 bedrooms $2,687 $51.67 $107,480

Includes basic utilities. It isn't the lowest or highest rent: it's a reference point. Source: HUD, Fiscal year 2027

By ZIP code

Fair market rent by ZIP code in James Island

HUD also publishes a fair market rent for each ZIP code (Small Area FMR, fiscal year 2027). James Island is in ZIP code 29412.

For 2 bedrooms it is $2,190: $306 more than the fair market rent for Charleston County ($1,884).

  • 29412 $2,190$2,720

1 of these ZIP codes crosses the city line: HUD sets the rent by ZIP code, not by city. A ZIP code counts for James Island when at least 50% of its land is inside the city or it covers at least 15% of the city (Census 2020 boundaries). Source: Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) Fiscal year 2027 Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) Source: Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file Data from 2020 data Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file

Is your rent high for your ZIP?

Free help

Help to buy or rent in James Island

You do not have to do this alone. A HUD-approved housing counseling agency helps for free or at low cost: getting ready to buy, understanding your credit, or solving a problem with your rent.

There are 5 HUD-approved agencies with an office in Charleston County; 3 say they serve in Spanish.

A man leans over the armchair where a girl is reading a book.

HUD counseling is free or low-cost

Assistance programs in James Island

No down payment, repair or rent-help program on our list is for James Island or Charleston County. The ones below are statewide in South Carolina: they work in James Island the same as in the rest of the state.

Which programs do I qualify for? All programs in South Carolina

  • Palmetto Home Advantage

    Statewide in South Carolina

    South Carolina state agency program with forgivable down payment assistance of 0%, 3% or 4% of the loan, with no monthly payments, for any buyer in all 46 counties. Offered by SC Housing (South Carolina State Housing Finance and Development Authority).

    Forgivable

    See the program Official page

  • SC Housing Homebuyer Program

    Statewide in South Carolina

    South Carolina state agency fixed-rate mortgage with forgivable help for the down payment, closing costs or prepaid expenses: a 0% second mortgage with no monthly payments, forgiven if you live in the home 15 years. Offered by SC Housing (South Carolina State Housing Finance and Development Authority).

    Forgivable

    See the program Official page

Housing counselors near James Island

The HUD-approved agencies closest to the center of James Island, in a straight line, nearest first. If one says it serves in Spanish, its card says so.

  • Charleston Trident Urban League, Inc.

    2133 N Hillside Dr, Charleston · 5 miles away

    • Budget and financial counseling
    • Budget and credit workshops
    • and 6 more
    (843) 769-8173

  • Credit.org - North Charleston, SC Branch

    5935 Rivers Ave, North Charleston · 12 miles away · Spanish

    • Mortgage delinquency and default
    • Budget and financial counseling
    • and 7 more
    (800) 431-8157

  • NSC (naca Counseling Subsidiary) - Charleston, SC

    7301 Rivers Ave, North Charleston · 15 miles away · Spanish

    • Mortgage delinquency and default
    • Budget and financial counseling
    • and 5 more
    (425) 602-6222

Every agency in Charleston County All counseling agencies in South Carolina

Help in Spanish near James Island

2 of the 3 agencies on this list say they serve in Spanish.

Ask for service in Spanish

When you call, say “Spanish, please” or ask if someone speaks Spanish. If not, ask whether they offer an interpreter.

Housing authorities of James Island

In HUD’s record, no housing authority with an office in Charleston County is named for James Island or Charleston County.

3 other authorities have an office in Charleston County: see the list Source: HUD

Cities

Other cities in Charleston County

These cities are also in Charleston County. They share its loan limits and fair market rents, but home values and rent change from one to the next.

Everything about Charleston County Housing in South Carolina

Nearby cities

The cities closest to James Island, with the typical home value.

Neighboring counties

If Charleston County is out of reach, look next door. Each number is that county's own.

Keep going

Guides for your next step

Short explanations, in plain language and with official sources, for buying or renting in James Island.

All guides
A father holds his baby and his young son by a white picket fence.

Questions

Housing questions about James Island

Short answers with the numbers for James Island and all of Charleston County. If your case is different, a HUD-approved counseling agency can guide you for free or at low cost.

How much does a typical home cost in James Island?

The typical home value in James Island is $508,600, according to the U.S. Census Bureau (average 2020–2024). For comparison, in Charleston County it is $489,100.

How much does it cost to rent in James Island?

Typical rent in James Island is $1,695 a month, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. HUD’s fair market rent for 2 bedrooms in Charleston County is $1,884.

What is the FHA loan limit in James Island?

James Island uses the FHA limit for all of Charleston County (2026): $690,000 for a one-unit home and $1,326,950 for a four-unit home.

How much property tax do owners pay in James Island?

The typical homeowner in James Island pays $1,784 a year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That is 0.35% of the home’s value; in Charleston County, the rate is 0.39%.

Where can I find free help to buy or rent in James Island?

There are 5 HUD-approved counseling agencies with an office in Charleston County. 3 say they serve in Spanish. They can help you get ready to buy, with your credit, or with rent.

Sources: American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates (Average 2020–2024); FHA mortgage limits (HUD) (2026 data); Conforming loan limits (FHFA) (2026 data); Fair Market Rents (HUD) (Fiscal year 2027); Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) (Fiscal year 2027); Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file (2020 data); HUD-approved housing counseling agencies (Retrieved November 6, 2026); Public Housing Agencies (HUD) (Retrieved November 6, 2026); Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey (PMMS) (As of November 5, 2026); FHFA House Price Index (HPI) (2025 data); Homes with flood insurance (NFIP, FEMA) (As of August 3, 2026).