Charleston Ranks in 10 Trendiest Cities You Can Afford

This past week Realtor.com named Charleston among its 10 Trendiest U.S. Cities That You Can Still Afford. To determine this ranking, Realtor compared 500 cities using these factors:

• Cultural outlets such as independent movie theaters, art galleries, and live music venues
• Foodie scenes like farmers’ markets, food trucks, craft brewing companies, and farm to table diners that use local produce and meats when possible
• Increases in population demographics for ages 25 to 34
• Even cliché stereotype establishments like bike stores and yoga studios

Realtor used its own home buyer stats to show where next generation home buyers were relocating, and finally they used a housing affordability index to come up with their top cities. In addition to Charleston, cities that made the list include Ann Arbor, Pittsburgh, Richmond, Asheville, New Orleans, and St. Louis.

Every couple of months, Charleston seems to be included in some top 10 ranking, whether it’s by Forbes, Conde Nast Traveler, Southern Living, Garden and Gun, or AARP. Charleston’s appeal reaches all stages of people, too – not just the next generation. Families, retirees, young professionals, and baby boomers all find something to love about Charleston because its history, culture, and scenic beauty make it stand out among cities on the East Coast.

Many affordability index calculators show Charleston South Carolina in the top 5 for Southeastern cities. However, know that the suburbs closest to Downtown Charleston and the beaches are the most sought after (and the most expensive). The 2 most in-demand suburbs include James Island and Mt. Pleasant. A more affordable suburb that still gives a great proximity is West Ashley. We’d be happy to recommend more suburbs to consider, or we can send a list of the lowest priced condos or townhouses if you need more affordable options in the areas you’re already honed in on. Just contact us to let us know what you’re looking for!