Mount Pleasant vs Awendaw, SC: Prices, Commute, Trade-offs

The market, side by side

	Median sale	Days on market	Sale / original list	Sales in 12 months	Months of supply
Mount Pleasant (29466)	$860K	43	96.2%	963	3
Mount Pleasant (29464)	$950K	43	94.9%	940	2.6
Awendaw	$1.12M	74	95.7%	84	3.7

Residential closed sales, CHS Regional MLS via Flexmls, Nov 2025 – Oct 2026. Median of monthly medians; "sale / original list" includes price cuts. Months of supply under about 4 favors sellers.

Drive times

Without traffic, to…	From Mount Pleasant	From Awendaw
Downtown (Marion Square)	10 min	50 min
MUSC	10 min	50 min
Airport	20 min	55 min
Boeing	20 min	50 min
Closest beach	15 min	40 min

OSRM on OpenStreetMap roads, no traffic, rounded to 5 minutes, from Mount Pleasant Town Hall and US-17 at Doar Rd, Awendaw. Try your own addresses in the commute calculator.

Quick facts

Mount Pleasant

County: Charleston · Town Council sets zoning and permits
Population: 95,469 · Town limits, Census estimate July 2025
Land area: 49.53 sq mi · 2020 Census
New home permits: 480 a year · Single-family cap, extended to 2029

Awendaw

County: Charleston · Northeast corner, on US-17
Population: 1,399 · Town limits, 2020 Census
Incorporated: 1992 · Settled as Wappetaw in 1696
Protected land: About 35% · Of town land area, per the 2025 comprehensive plan

The honest trade-offs

Mount Pleasant

Pros

Close to downtown over the Ravenel Bridge, with a bike and walking path.
Harbor, creek and river access, from Shem Creek to the Wando.
Real growth controls: permit caps, an STR cap and new parkland.
Wide range of homes, from the historic Old Village to newer master plans.

Cons

US-17 and Highway 41 back up at peak hours, and the fixes take years.
Flood-prone low spots, including parts of the Old Village.
Permit caps and covenants limit what you can build or rent.
HOA or POA dues in most newer neighborhoods.

Awendaw

Pros

Direct access to Cape Romain, the Francis Marion National Forest and the Intracoastal Waterway.
Larger lots and a town actively limiting subdivision density.
About 35% of town land is protected from development.
Close enough to Mount Pleasant for shopping and services.

Cons

Real storm-surge exposure: Hugo's storm tide near Awendaw hit 19.4 feet.
Septic systems and private wells on many properties, with poor soils for septic.
One main road, with problem intersections on US-17.
Fast-changing zoning rules and a development moratorium make land plans uncertain.

Common questions

Is Awendaw more expensive than Mount Pleasant?

Yes. The median sale over Nov 2025 – Oct 2026 was about $1.12M in Awendaw, against $860K to $950K depending on ZIP in Mount Pleasant.

Which is closer to downtown Charleston, Mount Pleasant or Awendaw?

Mount Pleasant, at about 10 minutes without traffic, against about 50 from Awendaw. Rush hour can add half again or more.

Do homes sell faster in Mount Pleasant or Awendaw?

Over Nov 2025 – Oct 2026, homes averaged about 43 days on market in Mount Pleasant and about 74 in Awendaw. That's an average across all price points; it varies a lot by neighborhood and price.

Read the full guides

Living in Mount Pleasant: taxes, flood zones, schools and what your money buys
Living in Awendaw: taxes, flood zones, schools and what your money buys
Mount Pleasant vs West Ashley
Mount Pleasant vs James Island
Mount Pleasant vs Cainhoy & Wando
Downtown Charleston vs Mount Pleasant
Which Charleston area fits you? (quiz)

Sources

The facts, pros and cons above come from my two guides, where every claim is sourced. A few of those sources: