October is here: cooler mornings, pumpkin patches and a festival just about every weekend. On the market side, September was a month for patience. Homes took longer to sell than a year ago in five of the seven areas I track, while Mount Pleasant's median climbed to $945,000. Below you'll find the numbers for your part of town, what's opening and closing nearby, and a dozen things to do this month.
The market, neighborhood by neighborhood
- Mount Pleasant median, about 4% above its summer average
- $945K
- Areas where homes took longer to sell than last September
- 5 of 7
- Homes for sale in West Ashley inside I-526 vs. last September
- +21%
Every area is still under four months of inventory, and six of the seven have less supply than a year ago. But homes are taking longer to sell in five of them. The story depends on where you live.
| Area | Median sold | vs. last year | Homes sold | Active listings | Avg. days on market | Months of inventory |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Johns Island | $597,500 | -11.7% | 58 | 212 | 54 | 3.2 |
| James Island | $654,365 | +9.1% | 49 | 168 | 46 | 3.0 |
| West Ashley inside I-526 | $538,000 | -11.8% | 29 | 134 | 46 | 3.4 |
| West Ashley outside I-526 | $489,900 | +1.0% | 57 | 212 | 51 | 3.0 |
| Mount Pleasant | $945,000 | +15.7% | 146 | 426 | 45 | 2.6 |
| Summerville | $395,995 | -0.8% | 390 | 1,470 | 53 | 3.3 |
| North Charleston | $345,000 | +9.5% | 87 | 402 | 49 | 3.8 |
September 2026, residential. "vs. last year" compares to September 2025. Months of inventory = active listings divided by average monthly sales (Flexmls). Median prices swing month to month in smaller areas, so read them with the trend.
Numbers as of the send date. Late closings and different area boundaries can make these differ slightly from the live market report.
Johns Island
The median has slipped three months in a row, to $597,500, about 10% below the summer average. Sellers got 95.6% of their original asking price, down from 97.4% a year ago, so pricing right on day one matters here.
James Island
Homes took about 46 days to sell, up from roughly 30 over the summer and 40 last September. Prices held up (the median is about 3% above the summer average), and there are 10% fewer homes for sale than a year ago.
West Ashley
Inside I-526, homes for sale are up 21% from last September to 134, the most in a year, and homes took 46 days to sell versus 29 a year ago (with only 29 sales, the median dip is mostly noise). Outside I-526 was steady: the median held near $490,000 and sellers got 98.7% of list.
Mount Pleasant
The median rose to $945,000, about 4% above the summer average. The +15.7% versus last year is partly because last September was soft. Listings are down 10% from a year ago, and at 2.6 months of inventory Mount Pleasant is the tightest of these seven areas.
Summerville
A flat month, and that's fine: the median is $395,995, within 1% of last September, and sellers got 99.1% of list, the highest of these seven areas. Homes took about 53 days to sell, 8 days longer than a year ago.
North Charleston
The median has sat between $340,000 and $345,000 for four straight months, so the +9.5% versus last year mostly reflects a soft September 2025. At 3.8 months of inventory, North Charleston has the most supply of the seven areas.
What it means for you
If you own: prices are holding in most of town, but homes are taking longer to sell, so the price you start at matters more than it did a year ago.
If you're buying: with homes sitting longer in five of seven areas, there's room to negotiate, especially in North Charleston, Summerville and West Ashley inside 526.
What's new around town
Johns Island
- In the works: The city's zoning board voted 4-1 on Sept 2 to allow removal of 20 grand trees for 102 townhomes near River Rd and Maybank Hwy. More
- In the works: Lowcountry Land Trust and Sea Island Habitat for Humanity plan a 102-acre project: 50 single-family homes plus protected green space, over about five years. More
- In the works: The county plans to remove nine live oaks near the Stono River to add a fourth lane on Maybank Hwy between River Rd and the bridge; construction is expected in 2027. More
James Island
- New: Three Monkeys Ice Cream Parlour (ice cream, coffee and a full bar) opened Aug 1 at 915 Folly Rd. More
- New: Five Guys is targeting December or January in the former Charlotte's on Maybank space at James Island Center. More
- In the works: Riverland Oaks, a 95-townhome plan on 28 acres off Maybank Hwy, was sent back for more revisions by the city's Technical Review Committee. More
West Ashley
- New: Nirlep Indian Restaurant reopened Sept 15 at 908 Savannah Hwy after a rebuild of more than two years. More
- New: Bay Street Biergarten plans a second location on West Ashley Circle, targeting spring 2027. More
- In the works: The city's West Ashley plan includes a $38M rebuild of the W.L. Stephens Aquatic Center and about 111 acres of the Harmony Tract kept as a park. More
- Saying goodbye: Cobwebs Used Furniture closes Oct 30 after 37 years at 1008 Wappoo Rd. More
Mount Pleasant
- New: Eggs Up Grill opened Aug 26 at 608A Long Point Rd in Belle Hall Shopping Center, breakfast and lunch daily. More
- New: "Sailgate" two-hour harbor sails leave Red's Ice House on Shem Creek before college and NFL games, starting Oct 10. More
- In the works: L.L. Bean and Crate & Barrel plan their first South Carolina stores in the former Bed Bath & Beyond at Towne Centre; no opening date yet. More
Summerville
- New: Once Upon a Child, a kids' resale store, is aiming for mid-October at 143 Berkeley Circle in Azalea Square. More
- New: J. Crew Factory is listed as coming soon to Azalea Square; no opening date yet. More
- In the works: Translucent Energy plans a solar module factory at 175 McQueen Blvd: a $15.7M first phase and 167 jobs. More
- Saying goodbye: O'Charley's at 315 Azalea Square Blvd closed Sept 9 when the chain shut all its South Carolina restaurants. More
North Charleston
- New: Shake Shack opened its first South Carolina restaurant Sept 23 at Tanger Outlets. More
- New: Reenie's, Irish coastal and Lowcountry food with a 40-seat biergarten patio, is set to open mid-November at 1262 Remount Rd. More
- In the works: The city's new zoning code is about a third done: a Zoom Q&A is Oct 7 and the first section opens for public review Oct 16. More
- Saying goodbye: West Marine at 5641 Rivers Ave held a liquidation sale and was set to close around Sept 30. More
Things to do in October
- Latin American Festival (North Charleston) Sun, Oct 4, noon to 5 p.m. Music, a salsa contest and food vendors at Wannamaker County Park. $15 per car in advance. Details
- Towne Centre Play Dayz (Mount Pleasant) Tue, Oct 6, 10 a.m. to noon Free play time for kids 10 and under at The Oaks, the last one of the year. Details
- Family Archery (Johns Island) Sat, Oct 10, 1 to 2:30 p.m. A family archery lesson at Johns Island County Park, ages 8 and up. $20, registration required. Details
- Palmetto Park Jam (Mount Pleasant) Sun, Oct 11, 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Live music, food and craft vendors at Palmetto Islands County Park; leashed pets welcome. $20 per car in advance. Details
- Archaeology Movie Night (West Ashley) Fri, Oct 16, 6 to 8:30 p.m. An outdoor screening of The Adventures of Tintin (PG) with free popcorn at Charles Towne Landing. Free with park admission. Details
- North Charleston Harvest Festival (North Charleston) Sat, Oct 17, 4 to 7 p.m. Trick-or-treating, a kids zone, music and a costume contest on E Montague Ave in Park Circle. Free. Details
- Summerville Wine & Food Festival (Summerville) Sat, Oct 17, 1 to 6 p.m. Local food, wine and live music at The Pickle Bar in Nexton. $55-$65. Details
- Children's Day Festival (Mount Pleasant) Sun, Oct 18, noon to 5 p.m. Carnival rides, inflatable slides and pony rides at Park West Recreation Complex. Free admission and activities. Details
- Boone Hall Pumpkin Patch (Mount Pleasant) Fri-Sun weekends through Nov 1, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Corn maze, tractor tours, a petting zoo and pumpkin picking. $15 per person, ages 3 and up. Details
- Halloween Night Climb (James Island) Fri, Oct 30, 7 to 9 p.m. Halloween night at Palmetto Peaks climbing wall in James Island County Park, ages 5 and up. $20. Details
- Trick, Treat and Trail (North Charleston) Sat, Oct 31, 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Trail trick-or-treating, jump castles and a noon costume contest (pets too) at Wannamaker County Park. $25 per car early. Details
- James Island Connector Run (James Island) Sat, Oct 31, 8 a.m. An 8K or 5K run/walk across the Connector, benefiting Charleston Animal Society. Details
This month's list, kept current: things to do around Charleston.
On the Nov 3 ballot: Charleston County's half-cent transportation sales tax extension (info sessions Oct 5 at Bees Ferry Library, Oct 7 at Moultrie Middle and Oct 15 on Zoom), and in Dorchester County a one-cent education sales tax. Online voter registration closes Oct 4; early voting runs Oct 19-31. Transportation tax info · Dorchester tax · Voting dates
What is your home worth right now?
Online estimates miss the things that actually move price in Charleston: flood zone, lot, updates, what sold on your street last month. Tell me your address and I'll send you a real number from the MLS. No pressure, no obligation.
Market data: CHS Regional MLS via Flexmls, residential, September 2026. Johns Island, James Island and West Ashley use MLS areas 23, 21, 11 and 12; Mount Pleasant, Summerville and North Charleston use the MLS city field. Deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Around-town items link to their original reporting.