City guide · South Carolina

Moving to or from Charleston

Living costs, weather, taxes and the routes we price, with a modelled price for each. Then get written estimates for your own move.

Get my free estimates or call (866) 483-0163

Charleston at a glance

Cost of living index: 104 (US = 100)
Typical 2-bedroom rent: $2,100 a month
Average high (yearly): 77°F
Average low (yearly): 57°F
Precipitation: 51.5 in a year
State income tax (top rate): 6.2%
Sales tax (state and local average): 7.5%

Weather figures are yearly averages. Sources are listed at the foot of the page.

What a move to or from Charleston costs

The routes we price from and to Charleston, each with the modelled price for a 2-bedroom home. Open one for the distance, timing and what changes between the two cities.

Popular routes from Charleston

Popular routes to Charleston

A modelled range from our cost model (road distance, typical volume for the home size and a season factor), not a quote. Written estimates come from licensed movers through the 8 Top Movers moving team.

What to plan for in Charleston

Thinking about moving to or from Charleston, SC? Here is the practical picture. The cost-of-living index is 104 (100 is the US average), a typical two-bedroom rents for about $2,100 a month, and across the year the average daily high is 77°F with an average low of 57°F. South Carolina's top state income tax rate is 6.2%, and the average combined state and local sales tax is 7.5%. This guide covers living costs, weather and timing, utilities, and the routes we price, each with a modelled price.

Red maples in full autumn colour lining a quiet curving suburban street with lawns and sidewalks under a blue sky — Photo: Daniel Case / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (photo source, opens in a new tab)CC BY-SA 4.0 license for this photo (opens in a new tab)

Photo location: Monroe, New York.

Cost of living in Charleston
Charleston's cost-of-living index is 104 against a national baseline of 100, and a two-bedroom rental runs roughly $2,100 a month. South Carolina's top state income tax rate is 6.2%, and the average combined state and local sales tax is 7.5%. Build your first-year budget around these figures, not just the cost of the move.
Weather and timing
Across the year, Charleston's average daily high is 77°F and the average low is 57°F. These are yearly averages, so summer days run hotter and winter nights colder. Expect about 51.5 inches of precipitation a year. This metro sees heavy annual precipitation — target a drier stretch to protect boxes and floors. Our cost model prices May through September, the busy moving season, higher than the rest of the year. If your dates can move, ask the movers to quote an October-to-April date as well and compare the written estimates side by side.
Setting up utilities in Charleston
Line up your utilities before move day. In the Charleston–North Charleston area the main providers include Dominion Energy, Charleston Water System. Schedule electricity and gas to start the day before you arrive so you never walk into a dark home.
Leaving South Carolina, or staying in it
A mover that carries your things across a state line must be registered with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and have a USDOT number, which you can look up on FMCSA's website before you book. The rules for a move that stays inside South Carolina are set by the state and vary, so ask the mover which state licence or permit, if any, covers your move. Either way, get the estimate in writing and make sure the company name on it matches the registration.

How to check any mover on FMCSA

Before you book, check the mover on the public federal record. It takes a few minutes and works for any company, whoever sent you the estimate.

Ask for the USDOT number
A mover that carries household goods across a state line needs a USDOT number from FMCSA. It belongs on the written estimate.
Look it up on SAFER
Enter the number in FMCSA's SAFER company snapshot. The legal name there should match the company on your estimate.
Check the operating status
The snapshot shows whether the company is authorized to operate. If it is not, or the name does not match, keep looking.
Know your rights
FMCSA's Protect Your Move pages explain estimates, valuation and claims. For a move inside one state, also check that state's mover licence.

Look up a USDOT number on SAFER FMCSA Protect Your Move

Our top choice list

Our top picks and affiliated movers from our network. Each one is listed on 8 Top Movers, whose moving team handles the estimate requests from this site.

Global Elegance Moving and Logistics shares ownership with 8 Top Movers.

See the full list

We may be compensated by movers in our network. Nobody pays for placement.

Questions about moving to Charleston

Is Charleston expensive to live in?

Charleston has a cost-of-living index of 104 (100 is the US average), with a typical two-bedroom rent around $2,100 a month.

What's the weather like in Charleston?

Across the year, the average daily high is 77°F and the average low is 57°F, with roughly 51.5 inches of precipitation. Those are yearly averages from NOAA's 1991-2020 climate normals, so summer days run hotter and winter nights colder.

When is the best time to move to Charleston?

Our cost model prices May through September, the busy moving season, higher than the rest of the year. If your dates can move, ask the movers to quote an October-to-April date as well and compare the written estimates side by side.

How do I get a real price for a move to or from Charleston?

Ask for written estimates. When you ask for estimates here, the 8 Top Movers moving team gets rates from the licensed movers in its network and brings back written estimates. You never pay us, and asking is never a booking.

Sources

MERIC / BestPlaces metro cost index, 2025, retrieved 2026-01-15
Zillow Observed Rent Index (metro), 2025, retrieved 2026-01-15
NOAA 1991-2020 Climate Normals, retrieved 2026-01-15
State public utility commission service-territory maps, 2025, retrieved 2026-01-15
Tax Foundation, 2025 State Tax Data, retrieved 2026-01-15