Looking for a new home in the Charleston SC area? You've come to the right place. Whether you are new to the area or a local Charlestonian, Charleston New Homes Guide can help. Directly below our Orientation Map are quick links to area cities. Click on the city link to access our extensive database of new home neighborhoods, available homes, city overview & map.
Charleston Orientation Map
Greater Charleston Area Overview
The greater Charleston region is comprised of three counties: Berkeley (area 1,098 square miles), Charleston (area 916 square miles), and Dorchester (area 573 square miles). These counties offer a diverse array of communities, cities, towns, and places to call home.
The Charleston area is home to more than 745,000 people, based on 2015 Census estimates. Some of the fastest growing areas in the United States are here. The economy is roaring. Aeronautics, automobiles, life sciences, logistics, and technology sectors are attracting global manufacturers and businesses to relocate to the region.
Charleston County abuts the Atlantic Ocean with Berkeley and Dorchester lying inland. Berkeley and Dorchester are both threaded with rivers and wetlands, lakes and ponds which make them attractive to those who enjoy outdoor living year-round. The mild, semi-tropical climate of the Tri-county area encourages us to get out and enjoy the amazing natural resources in our area parks and preserved lands.
The Lowcountry, as this area is called, is part of a vast coastal plain, which in ancient, geological times, was the bottom of the ocean floor. This is the reason for the Lowcountry’s mostly flat lands and sandy soils today. The further away from the coast you move inland, the more elevation changes you’ll experience. Dorchester County’s highest elevation is 167 feet above sea level in the Reevesville area, which beats Berkeley’s highest elevation of 82 feet above sea level. Charleston is primarily flat with elevation peaks at 20 feet above sea level.
Home to 29 native American tribes, the Carolinas were settled by successive waves of Spanish, French, and finally, British colonists. Charles Towne, established in 1670 by colonists at the behest of The Lords Proprietors was the settlement that became modern day Charleston. Streets and new home developments in our area still carry a legacy of historic place names. It’s often said about the Lowcountry, “The past is present.”
The legacy of historic Charleston home design influences home plans being built in Charleston today. As you look for your new home, be on the lookout for houses that seem narrow with a porch on the long side of the house. These Charleston single houses allow for light and air-flow throughout the home and are emulated by homebuilders today because of their compact footprint, which allows economical use of lot square footage land and encourages community-friendly streetscapes.
As the Tri-county population has surged, demand for homes has increased causing home builders to construct new homes further away from the historic business district of downtown Charleston. Suburban growth around Johns Island, Mount Pleasant, Summerville, and Moncks Corner leads the way with new communities being announced in each of these areas.