Living on James Island, SC: Prices, Flooding, Commute

Monthly median sold price, James Island
Nov	$690K
Dec	$540K
Jan	$630K
Feb	$645K
Mar	$660K
Apr	$625K
May	$560K
Jun	$650K
Jul	$615K
Aug	$615K
Sep	$650K
Oct	$755K

The market right now

Over Nov 2025 – Oct 2026, the median residential sale (ZIP 29412) was about $640,000. Homes averaged 42 days on market and sold for about 95.5% of their original asking price, and there was roughly 2.9 months of supply at the latest count. Compare it with the rest of the region on the communities map.

Latest month:50 homes sold in James Island in October 2026 at a $755K median. Read the October 2026James Island report or see every month.

Which James Island are you buying in?

This is the first thing I check on any James Island address. A 29412 ZIP and a James Island street name don't tell you who governs the lot. The island is split among the Town of James Island, the City of Charleston and unincorporated Charleston County, and the lines zigzag street by street.

It matters for taxes, short-term rentals, permits and zoning. City of Charleston residents can't annex into the Town, and the Town says unincorporated county owners may be eligible to join under current law. Pull the county tax record for the exact parcel and look at the tax district before you write an offer.

Sewer, trash and fire service for most of the island, including the Town and unincorporated areas, come from the James Island Public Service District, created in 1961. Some City of Charleston and Folly Beach residents are served by it too.

Homes and what your money buys

Much of the island's housing is older and established. Riverland Terrace, off Riverland Drive along Wappoo Creek, dates to the 1940s and has smaller homes under big trees. The Country Club of Charleston was one of the island's first major neighborhoods, and Sunset Park sits on the harbor side. You'll also find newer homes and apartments along Maybank Highway near Secessionville Road.

Lots near the marsh and creeks come with more flood questions, so I always look at elevation before anything else. See the new construction directory for anything currently selling nearby.

Getting around

The James Island Connector (SC 30) opened in September 1993. Its 2.9-mile Robert B. Scarborough Bridge carries traffic over Wappoo Creek and the Ashley River straight into downtown, and it's the reason the island feels so close to the peninsula. Folly Road (SC 171) is the spine, and it's also the main route to Folly Beach, so summer weekends are slow.

Other key roads are Maybank Highway toward Johns Island, plus Camp, Harbor View, Fort Johnson and Riverland roads. Charleston County is nearing construction on a $6.3 million pedestrian project on almost 2 miles of Folly Road from the Ellis Creek Bridge to Wilton Street, with about 7,000 feet of new path and wider bike lanes (Live 5, August 2026). A separate path is planned on Folly Road and Country Club Drive near McLeod Plantation.

The bigger Rethink Folly Road safety package got smaller in 2026. The Town of James Island opted out in May after residents and businesses objected to raised medians, and items such as the Camp Road intersection work were removed. For Maybank Highway work on the Johns Island side, see the Johns Island growth tracker.

Flooding and insurance

James Island is a sea island surrounded by tidal creeks and marsh, so flood risk is real and very parcel by parcel. Charleston County's current FEMA flood maps took effect in January 2021, the first update since 2004. Hurricane Irma pushed Charleston Harbor to 9.92 feet MLLW on September 11, 2017, the third-highest tide on record at the time.

Charleston County led an island-wide drainage study with the Town and the City to build a drainage plan. Run any address through the flood zone lookup, ask for the elevation certificate and get flood and homeowners insurance quotes during your inspection period. Close to the water, wind and hail coverage can be a big part of the premium, so ask how it's handled.

Property taxes: 4% vs 6%

A home you live in as your legal residence is assessed at 4% of value. Second homes and rentals are assessed at 6%. In Charleston County, a 4% legal residence also gets relief on the 145.2 mills of school operating tax, so the same house can have a much bigger bill as a rental. Apply for the 4% ratio with the county assessor after you close.

On the county's 2026 millage card, the Town of James Island district totals 297.9 mills, but the Town credits its own millage back with local option sales tax revenue, so town property owners owe no net town tax. Unincorporated James Island in the Public Service District is 281.9 mills, and City of Charleston parcels are 300.8 mills. Those totals are before the 4% school relief and other credits.

Schools

James Island is served by Charleston County School District, whichever government covers the address. Attendance zones change, so check the exact address with the official lookup (link below).

Charleston County School District address lookup

Things to do

James Island County Park on Riverland Drive has a dog park, a climbing wall, the seasonal Splash Zone waterpark, a crabbing dock and a campground with 124 sites and 10 cottages on the Stono River marsh. McLeod Plantation Historic Site on Wappoo Creek opened as a county park in April 2015.

History is everywhere. Fort Johnson, where the Civil War began in 1861, sits at the end of Fort Johnson Road next to a state Department of Natural Resources center, and Fort Lamar marks the Battle of Secessionville. The Charleston Municipal Golf Course is here too, and Folly Road takes you straight to Folly Beach.

Short-term rentals depend on the parcel

Short-term rental rules change at the jurisdiction line. Inside the Town of James Island, rentals under 30 days are allowed only in a full-time owner-occupied home, with no more than three guest rooms and a permit number on every listing. In the City of Charleston, James Island is Category 3: the home must be the owner's full-time primary residence, one STR unit per property, plus an extra off-street parking space. In unincorporated Charleston County, the owner-occupied Limited Home Rental is capped at 72 days a year.

HOA covenants can be stricter than any of these. Compare all three on the short-term rental rules page.

What people like

About as close to downtown as you can get by car, via the James Island Connector.
Established neighborhoods with mature trees and a mix of older and newer homes.
Big county parks, historic sites and a direct road to Folly Beach.
Town of James Island owners pay no net town property tax.

What to weigh first

Folly Road gets heavy, especially with Folly Beach traffic.
Tidal flooding and drainage problems in low areas near the marsh.
Three governments make taxes, permits and STR rules confusing.
The Folly Road safety plan was scaled back, so some fixes are on hold.

How far is James Island from…

Drive times from Folly Rd at Camp Rd, no traffic
Destination	Drive, no traffic	Miles
Charleston International Airport	25 min	15.8
Downtown (Marion Square)	10 min	5.3
MUSC	10 min	5.4
Boeing South Carolina	25 min	13.9
Folly Beach Pier	10 min	5.8
Isle of Palms County Park	30 min	17.9
Nearest public boat landing Wappoo Cut Boat Landing	10 min	3.1

Measured from Folly Rd at Camp Rd on OpenStreetMap roads with no traffic, rounded to 5 minutes. Rush hour on the bridges and main roads can double these, so drive your commute at the time you'd actually make it.

James Island neighborhood guides

Each guide has the HOA, the homes, flood notes and what's changing nearby, with sources, plus 2026 MLS sale prices.

Meridian Place · median $407K, 21 sales
Mira Vista · median $368K, 17 sales
Riverland Terrace · median $1.07M, 26 sales
Seaside Plantation · median $750K, 24 sales

See every Charleston-area neighborhood guide

James Island compared

James Island vs Mount Pleasant: prices, drive times and trade-offs side by side

Questions I've answered about James Island

Common questions about James Island

What is the median home price in James Island?

About $640,000, the median of monthly median sold prices for residential sales in ZIP 29412, CHS Regional MLS, Nov 2025 – Oct 2026. Homes sold at about 95.5% of their original asking price after an average of 42 days on market.

Is every James Island address in the Town of James Island?

No. The island is split among the Town of James Island, the City of Charleston and unincorporated Charleston County. Check the county tax record for the exact parcel's tax district.

Does the Town of James Island charge property tax?

The Town levies a millage but credits it back in full using local option sales tax revenue, so town property owners owe no net town tax. County, school and Public Service District taxes still apply.

Can I run a short-term rental on James Island?

Only in limited cases. The Town and the City of Charleston both require the home to be the owner's full-time residence. Unincorporated county land allows an owner-occupied rental up to 72 days a year, with longer options needing a special exception.

Does James Island flood?

Some areas do, mainly low ground near tidal creeks and marsh. Hurricane Irma pushed Charleston Harbor to 9.92 feet in 2017. Check the FEMA zone and elevation certificate for each property.

How many people live in the Town of James Island?

The Census Bureau estimates 12,660 residents inside town limits as of July 1, 2025, up from 11,621 in the 2020 Census. The whole island, including city and county areas, is larger.

Sources

Market figures: residential sales, ZIP 29412, CHS Regional MLS, Nov 2025 – Oct 2026. Deemed reliable but not guaranteed. MLS city and ZIP figures follow mailing addresses, which don't match town limits. Population, taxes, roads and flood history were checked against the sources above on October 21, 2026; they change, so verify before you rely on them. School information is limited to which district serves an area and its official lookup.

Living on James Island, SC

James Island: median sold price by month

Where prices sit across James Island