Live-In Caregivers in Charleston, SC: 24-Hour Home Care

Local figures

Live-In Caregivers in Charleston, SC: the local picture

3,001

residents 85 or older (1.9% of all residents)

11,796

households headed by someone 65+ own their home (72%)

56%

of Charleston homes have 3 or more bedrooms (66% in Charleston County)

$7.25

South Carolina minimum wage per hour

About 3,001 Charleston residents are 85 or older. Live-in care is most often arranged for this age group, when help is needed through the day and someone should be close at night.

A live-in caregiver needs a private room. 56% of homes in Charleston have three or more bedrooms (66% in Charleston County), while 17% have one bedroom or none, where live-in care rarely works; the median home has 5.3 rooms.

Of Charleston households headed by someone 65 or older, 11,796 own their home and 4,689 rent; among householders 85 and older it is 979 owners and 1,192 renters. Renters should check that the lease allows another adult to live in before anyone moves in.

Charleston compared with Charleston County and South Carolina

Census figure	Charleston	Charleston County	South Carolina
Residents 85 or older	1.9%	1.9%	1.8%
Residents 65+ in households who live alone	33%	29%	27%
Residents 65+ with a disability	28%	27%	33%
Residents 65+ below the poverty line (approx.)	7.5%	8.9%	11%
Residents 65 or older	16%	18%	19%
Residents 5+ who speak a language other than English at home	7.8%	9.0%	8.4%
Median income, households headed by someone 65+	$74,872	$65,198	—

Older residents in towns around Charleston

Town	Distance	Residents 65+	Residents 85+
Mount Pleasant, SC	6.4 mi	17,275	1,961
James Island, SC	6.7 mi	2,168	274
Hanahan, SC	7.3 mi	2,750	222
North Charleston, SC	8.2 mi	14,951	1,446
Goose Creek, SC	12 mi	5,855	448
Isle of Palms, SC	13 mi	1,514	179

Emergency hospitals near Charleston

Hospital with an emergency department	Town	Distance	CMS overall rating	Phone
Musc Medical Center	Charleston, SC	3.3 mi	2 of 5	(843) 792-2300
Roper Hospital	Charleston, SC	3.9 mi	4 of 5	(843) 724-2800
Charleston Va Medical Center	Charleston, SC	3.9 mi	5 of 5	(843) 577-5011

Straight-line miles from the center of Charleston. Medicare (CMS) data, October 2026; call ahead to confirm. We are not affiliated with these providers.

What it covers

What a live-in caregiver can help with

Help across the day: meals, housekeeping, personal care
Someone in the home overnight if help is needed
Medication reminders and appointment rides
Companionship and a steady routine

Cost

What live-in care costs in Charleston

Live-in pay is often agreed by the day or week, but every hour worked counts toward minimum wage. At $14.48 an hour (the South Carolina median aide wage), a live-in caregiver paid for 50 hours a week costs about $3,137 a month (50% of the $6,239 monthly median income of Charleston households headed by someone 65+). Round-the-clock shift care, 168 paid hours a week across two or three caregivers, comes to about $10,541 a month (169% of the $6,239 monthly median income of Charleston households headed by someone 65+). Private rates are agreed with the caregiver, and overtime rules can add to both. South Carolina has no state minimum wage law, so the federal minimum of $7.25 an hour applies to employers covered by the Fair Labor Standards Act (U.S. Department of Labor).

Hiring directly, you agree the rate with the caregiver and usually become the household employer (U.S. Department of Labor rules). Some families qualify for programs that pay for care at home; see Medicaid programs for family caregivers: who can be paid, and the rules in 12 states.

Before you hire

What to know before hiring a live-in caregiver

Put the arrangement in writing: hours on duty, sleep time, days off, the room and pay (federal rules: DOL Fact Sheet 79B).

Questions worth asking: Have you lived in with a client before, and for how long? What days off and sleep time do you need? How do you handle being woken at night? More in our live-in caregivers guide.

CaregiverConnect does not run background checks. Check identity, references and any certification yourself before anyone starts. The Safety Center explains how.

Questions

Live-In Caregivers in Charleston: common questions

Where is the nearest emergency hospital to Charleston?

Musc Medical Center in Charleston, about 3.3 mi in a straight line from the center of Charleston (Medicare hospital file). Its listed phone number is (843) 792-2300. In an emergency, call 911.

How much does live-in care cost in Charleston?

Live-in pay is often agreed by the day or week, but every hour worked counts toward minimum wage. At $14.48 an hour (the South Carolina median aide wage), a live-in caregiver paid for 50 hours a week costs about $3,137 a month (50% of the $6,239 monthly median income of Charleston households headed by someone 65+). Round-the-clock shift care, 168 paid hours a week across two or three caregivers, comes to about $10,541 a month (169% of the $6,239 monthly median income of Charleston households headed by someone 65+). Private rates are agreed with the caregiver, and overtime rules can add to both. South Carolina has no state minimum wage law, so the federal minimum of $7.25 an hour applies to employers covered by the Fair Labor Standards Act (U.S. Department of Labor).

Live-in or 24-hour care in Charleston?

A live-in caregiver sleeps in the home and has protected sleep and break time. 24-hour care uses two or three caregivers in shifts so someone is always awake; in Charleston it costs more than three times as much a month (see the cost section above). Choose shifts if help is needed several times a night.

More near Charleston

More senior care near Charleston

Live-In Caregivers in nearby cities

Other care in Charleston

More for Charleston families

Sources

Census ACS 2020–2024 5-year; CMS provider data (October 25, 2026); U.S. DOL state minimum wages (July 1, 2026); BLS OEWS May 2025 aide wages, which cover employed aides rather than private rates.

Live-In Caregivers in Charleston, SC