Live-In Caregivers in North Charleston, SC

Local figures

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

1,446

residents 85 or older (1.2% of all residents)

6,653

households headed by someone 65+ own their home (70%)

56%

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

$7.25

South Carolina minimum wage per hour

About 1,446 North 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 North Charleston have three or more bedrooms (66% in Charleston County), while 16% have one bedroom or none, where live-in care rarely works; the median home has 5 rooms.

Of North Charleston households headed by someone 65 or older, 6,653 own their home and 2,909 rent; among householders 85 and older it is 638 owners and 259 renters. Renters should check that the lease allows another adult to live in before anyone moves in.

North Charleston compared with Charleston County and South Carolina

Census figure	North Charleston	Charleston County	South Carolina
Residents 85 or older	1.2%	1.9%	1.8%
Residents 65+ in households who live alone	36%	29%	27%
Residents 65+ with a disability	37%	27%	33%
Residents 65+ below the poverty line (approx.)	15%	8.9%	11%
Residents 65 or older	12%	18%	19%
Residents 5+ who speak a language other than English at home	15%	9.0%	8.4%
Median income, households headed by someone 65+	$44,767	$65,198	—

Older residents in towns around North Charleston

Town	Distance	Residents 65+	Residents 85+
Hanahan, SC	3.8 mi	2,750	222
Goose Creek, SC	6.2 mi	5,855	448
Ladson, SC	6.8 mi	1,645	37
Charleston, SC	8.2 mi	25,374	3,001
Sangaree, SC	8.7 mi	980	47
Summerville, SC	9.0 mi	8,370	766

Emergency hospitals near North Charleston

Hospital with an emergency department	Town	Distance	CMS overall rating	Phone
Trident Medical Center	Charleston, SC	2.2 mi	3 of 5	(843) 847-4100
Bon Secours-St Francis Xavier Hospital	Charleston, SC	6.7 mi	3 of 5	(843) 402-1006
Roper St Francis Hospital-Berkeley Inc	Summerville, SC	9.5 mi	5 of 5	(854) 529-3002

Straight-line miles from the center of North 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 North 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 (84% of the $3,731 monthly median income of North 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 (283% of the $3,731 monthly median income of North 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 North Charleston: common questions

Where is the nearest emergency hospital to North Charleston?

Trident Medical Center in Charleston, about 2.2 mi in a straight line from the center of North Charleston (Medicare hospital file). Its listed phone number is (843) 847-4100. In an emergency, call 911.

How much does live-in care cost in North 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 (84% of the $3,731 monthly median income of North 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 (283% of the $3,731 monthly median income of North 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 North 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 North 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 North Charleston

More senior care near North Charleston

Live-In Caregivers in nearby cities

Other care in North Charleston

More for North 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.