Assisted Living Communities in North Charleston, South Carolina

Assisted living facilities in North Charleston charge approximately $4,023 per month for housing and care. This offers significant savings over the state median of $4,650 and the national baseline of $5,350, and it trends lower than rates in other surveyed cities. For example, in Columbia and Hilton Head Island, respective monthly fees come in higher than in North Charleston at about $5,223 and $5,350, and in Myrtle Beach, seniors pay around $5,625 for services. On the other hand, seniors find lower costs in Spartanburg, where the median rate comes in at $3,975.

Monthly assisted living rates in North Charleston come in at around $4,023.

While many families use their own funds or personal assets to pay for assisted living, there are plenty of additional options to cover these costs. Some additional ways to finance assisted living costs include:

• Veterans Benefits
• Life Insurance Policy
• Long-Term Care Insurance
• Reverse Mortgage

For more information about different ways to finance assisted living, visit our Assisted Living in South Carolina page.

Assisted living ranks among the most cost-effective senior care solutions in North Charleston at around $4,023 per month. By comparison, seniors who obtain personal care services in their own homes pay about $1,700 more for in-home care, and home health care costs trend even higher at approximately $6,578 for those who need basic skilled nursing at home. Similarly, nursing home care, which provides 24-hour medical care and monitoring, outpaces assisted living rates by about $4,750, but seniors seeking nonresidential daytime personal care services in a community setting pay $1,560 for adult day health care.

The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control officially recognizes assisted living facilities in North Charleston as community residential care facilities and requires them to obtain annual licensing and undergo regular inspections. Additionally, the department requires all facilities in the state to submit to standardized rules for staffing, care planning and resident intake and retention criteria.

• North Charleston doesn’t have its own hospital. However, its proximity to Charleston gives residents access to five hospitals within a 7-mile radius, including Bon Secours St. Francis Hospital, a 190-bed major medical facility with 24-hour emergency rooms and numerous specialties. In addition to this, many local assisted living facilities have on-site wellness suites where residents obtain regular medical monitoring and check-ups from visiting physicians and specialists, promoting access to prompt medical care.
• On the AARP Livability Index, North Charleston’s score of 49 aligns with the national norm, indicating the city has a comparable range of benefits and amenities for seniors as a typical U.S. city. Within a half-mile radius of anywhere in the city, assisted living residents have access to 0.7 grocery stores and parks, versus national averages of 0.0. Its high walkability score means seniors can access numerous destinations on foot, supporting their independence.
• South Carolina seniors don’t pay state income taxes on their Social Security benefits, helping them put more money toward assisted living costs in North Charleston. Although the state taxes other forms of retirement income, it has a $10,000 deduction seniors can claim to reduce the financial burden. Additionally, the state exempts all prescription drugs and groceries from the sales tax.
• North Charleston ranks low for safety, reporting about 58 crimes per 1,000 residents in a given year. The city sees about twice as many violent crimes per 1,000 people as the state and nation, with residents having a 1 in 105 chance of becoming victims of a violent offense, and property-related offenses occur at a much higher frequency here than in the state or nation. This may make assisted living, which often features security systems and enclosed outdoor spaces, preferable over living alone.  
• Overall, living costs in North Charleston track about 5% above the national norm, mainly as a result of comparatively expensive housing. While this may negatively affect assisted living fees, health care rates run about 28% below the national average and may offset higher long-term care costs.