Assisted Living in Charleston, SC
Charleston has 13 state-licensed assisted living communities: 11 larger communities and 2 small residential homes (16 or fewer residents). The median cost of assisted living in South Carolina is $5,350 a month (CareScout 2025), against $6,200 nationally. 1 has phone-verified resident and family testimonials on Lilisity.
Verified by residents nearby
Kempton of Charleston (Assisted Living and Memory Care)
Charleston · Senior Living Alliance member
19 verified testimonials
See the community →
Free guide · 14 pages
Choosing Assisted Living
A practical guide for families, with checklists to take on your tours.
- What assisted living costs and the ways to pay
- Signs it may be time
- Tour checklists to print and take with you
- What residents and families told us matters most
Two kinds of assisted living in Charleston
Both are licensed by South Carolina as assisted living. Larger communities suit people who want social life and on-site services; small homes suit people who do better with quiet, familiar routines, including many people with dementia. South Carolina words these licenses as “Community Residential Care Facility (Alzheimer's unit)” (10), “Community Residential Care Facility” (3).
What residents and families say
From recorded phone interviews Senior Living Alliance conducts with residents and families. Nothing is scraped or anonymous. How testimonials are verified.
“We are beyond pleased. Anytime we have a question, management is immediately there and so kind. My mom absolutely loves the food, the variety, and that it always comes warm. The laundry service hangs up her clothes…”
All 13 licensed assisted living communities in Charleston
Every assisted living community South Carolina licenses in Charleston, from state records. Being listed is not a rating: Lilisity scores only communities with verified interviews (the Top Communities). Communities with verified testimonials are listed first, then by size.
13 shown
| Community | Size | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Kempton of Charleston (Assisted Living and Memory Care)19 verified testimonialsmemory care194 Spring St | Large89 residents | from $7,000/mo |
| Indigo Hallmemory care509 Standard Way | Large179 residents | $3,350 to $5,350/moLilisity estimate |
| Wellmore of Daniel Islandmemory care580 Robert Daniel Dr | Large174 residents | $3,350 to $5,350/moLilisity estimate |
| Harmony at West Ashleymemory care1925 Essex Farms Dr | Large105 residents | from $4,775/mo |
| Colonnade at West Ashleymemory care2030 Charlie Hall Blvd | Large100 residents | $3,350 to $5,350/moLilisity estimate |
| Addison of West Ashley-Senior Living in Charleston SCmemory care1445 Bluewater Way | Large98 residents | from $4,600/mo |
| Bishop Gadsden Episcopal Retirement Communitymemory care1 Bishop Gadsden Way | Large91 residents | $3,350 to $5,350/moLilisity estimate |
| Revela at Daniel Island320 Seven Farms Dr | Large76 residents | $3,350 to $5,350/moLilisity estimate |
| Ashley Gardens Alzheimer's Special Care Centermemory care2290 Henry Tecklenburg Dr | Large66 residents | $3,350 to $5,350/moLilisity estimate |
| Palmettos of Charlestonmemory care1900 Ashley Crossing Dr | Large60 residents | $3,350 to $5,350/moLilisity estimate |
| Bishop Gadsden Gadsden Glen Center for Health and Rehab- Arcadiamemory care8000 Noble Oak Way | Mid-size32 residents | $3,350 to $5,350/moLilisity estimate |
| Lenevar Community Residence1435 W Lenevar Dr | Small home8 residents | $3,700 to $5,900/moLilisity estimate |
| Secessionville Community Residence1217 Secessionville Rd | Small home8 residents | $3,700 to $5,900/moLilisity estimate |
Independent living in Charleston
Also in Charleston: 3 independent living, life plan and 55+ communities in Charleston and 5 income-restricted senior apartment buildings. 2 of them come from public records; independent living is usually not licensed by the state.
How much does assisted living cost in Charleston?
The median cost of assisted living in South Carolina is $5,350 a month ($64,200 a year), below the national median of $6,200. That’s CareScout’s 2025 survey, collected July to November 2025. 3 Charleston communities publish a starting price on Lilisity, from $4,600 to $7,000 a month. If more care is needed: nursing home costs in South Carolina, with CareScout medians and the private-pay rates nursing homes publish. Small residential homes often cost less than larger communities, though care needs, room type and services move the price more than the building does.
Medicare does not pay for assisted living. People pay from savings and income, long-term care insurance, or VA Aid and Attendance (up to $29,093 a year for a veteran in 2026), and some qualify for Medicaid help with care costs at communities that accept it. Who actually pays for long-term care.
Free tools: how long will the money last? · home care or assisted living? · VA Aid and Attendance estimator
Three questions to ask on every Charleston tour
From about 23,000 concerns residents and families raised in Senior Living Alliance phone interviews, the most common are about dining, housekeeping and hearing back from management.
- Can I come back and eat a meal here, unannounced?Dining was 23% of all concerns: quality that changes day to day.
- How is laundry labeled and tracked, and what happens when something goes missing?Housekeeping was 17%.
- Who is my main contact, and how often will I hear from them?Communication with management was 15%.
All 8 tour questions, with a free printable tour card (PDF).
Check a Charleston community’s license
South Carolina publishes licensing records, and in most cases inspection or complaint reports, for every community on this page. Look up any community on the state’s site: dph.sc.gov. Ask the community for its most recent inspection report too; they have to keep it.
Charleston assisted living questions
South Carolina licenses 13 assisted living communities in Charleston as of November 2026: 11 larger communities and 2 small residential homes of 16 or fewer residents, with about 1,086 licensed spots in all.
The median cost of assisted living in South Carolina is $5,350 a month (CareScout 2025), compared with $6,200 nationally. Prices vary with the room, the level of care and the community, so ask each one for its current rate sheet. The table on this page shows each community's published price or a Lilisity estimate where we have one, and our free guide lists the questions to ask about cost.
Medicaid doesn't pay rent or meals in assisted living. Most states offer a Medicaid waiver or program that can pay for care services at participating communities for people who qualify; not every community takes it, so ask each one. South Carolina's Medicaid agency or your local Area Agency on Aging can tell you what's available.
South Carolina publishes its licensing records at dph.sc.gov. You can also ask any community for its most recent state inspection report.
Kempton of Charleston (Assisted Living and Memory Care). Their testimonials come from recorded phone interviews with residents and family members, verified by Senior Living Alliance.