Travel Nurse Housing on the East Cooper Side: Roper St. Francis Mount Pleasant and East Cooper Medical Center

Quick answer

If your assignment is at Roper St. Francis Mount Pleasant Hospital (3500 Highway 17 North) or East Cooper Medical Center (2000 Hospital Drive), the smartest place to base yourself is Mount Pleasant itself, not downtown Charleston. Staying East Cooper keeps you off the Ravenel Bridge for shift changes, puts most drives inside 10 to 20 minutes, and costs less stress than a peninsula rental. Proper Stays rents fully furnished Mount Pleasant homes on 30+ night terms with utilities and Wi-Fi included, which lines up cleanly with a standard 13 week contract and with agency stipend paperwork.

Why East Cooper is its own housing market

Most travel nurse housing advice for Charleston is written for MUSC and the downtown medical district. That guidance does not transfer. The two East Cooper hospitals sit on opposite ends of Mount Pleasant, and the bridge sits between them and the peninsula.

• Roper St. Francis Mount Pleasant Hospital, 3500 Highway 17 North, 29466. An 85 bed community hospital with a 24 hour emergency department and helipad, ICU, six operating rooms, imaging, inpatient and outpatient rehab, and a Magnet with Distinction nursing program. It sits in upper Mount Pleasant near Wando High School.
• East Cooper Medical Center, 2000 Hospital Drive, 29464. Roughly 140 beds, located in lower Mount Pleasant off Highway 17, about six miles from both MUSC and the Roper campus.

Those six miles matter. A rental that is a 12 minute drive to one campus can be a 30 minute drive to the other during morning traffic on Highway 17 and Johnnie Dodds Boulevard. Match the neighborhood to the campus, not to Mount Pleasant in general.

Where to base yourself by campus

Assigned to East Cooper Medical Center: look at lower Mount Pleasant. Old Village, Coleman Boulevard, and the Shem Creek area put you 5 to 12 minutes from Hospital Drive, and they are the most walkable pockets in town for a day off.

Assigned to Roper St. Francis Mount Pleasant: look at upper Mount Pleasant. Park West, Carolina Park, and the Highway 17 North corridor keep you 5 to 15 minutes from the door. From lower Mount Pleasant expect 20 to 30 minutes in traffic.

Floating between campuses or picking up MUSC shifts: stay in the middle, near Mathis Ferry Road or Coleman. Roper St. Francis is also building a three story medical office building at 512 Johnnie Dodds Boulevard, expected to open by the end of 2027, which will pull more outpatient care into that same corridor.

What it actually costs

Travel contracts in the Charleston market are typically 13 weeks. Med-surg roles posted in Mount Pleasant during 2026 ran in the range of about $1,768 to $1,794 per week in total package value, with the housing portion paid as a tax free stipend when you maintain a tax home. Those are posted job figures, not guarantees, and your recruiter’s numbers will differ.

On the housing side, published guides put travel nurse friendly furnished apartments in the Charleston area at roughly $1,500 to $2,400 per month. That figure is an estimate and it usually describes an apartment, not a house. A furnished single family home in Mount Pleasant with a yard, parking, and room for a partner or a dog runs higher. Two things to check before you compare numbers:

1. Is it all in? Proper Stays includes utilities and Wi-Fi, so the monthly rate is close to your real monthly cost. A cheaper base rent with separate power, water, internet, and furniture rental often lands in the same place or above.
2. Is it actually furnished? Some long term Mount Pleasant listings are unfurnished. Furnishing a place for 13 weeks eats the stipend advantage fast.

Extended stay hotels are the other option, and for a 30+ night Charleston stay they generally run about $9,000 to $21,000 or more per month once you add taxes and fees. That is the comparison that usually ends the conversation.

Practical booking notes

• Book early for spring assignments. Charleston tourism pressure peaks in March through May and inventory tightens.
• Ask about the 90 day line. South Carolina’s accommodations tax is excluded once a stay runs 90 continuous days with the same person, per SC Code 12-36-920. A 13 week contract sits right at that boundary, so confirm how your stay is billed.
• Get the address before you commit. Give your recruiter or housing coordinator the exact street address and run the drive to your specific campus at your actual shift start time.
• Pets and parking. Homes, not apartment complexes, are usually the easier answer for both.

Frequently asked questions

Do you rent to travel nurses for 13 week assignments?
Yes. Our minimum is 30 nights, and 13 week contracts are one of the most common stays we host. Homes come fully furnished with utilities and Wi-Fi included.

How far is Mount Pleasant from Roper St. Francis Mount Pleasant Hospital?
From upper Mount Pleasant neighborhoods such as Park West and Carolina Park, typically 5 to 15 minutes. From lower Mount Pleasant, closer to 20 to 30 minutes in traffic.

How far is it to East Cooper Medical Center?
From lower Mount Pleasant, generally 5 to 12 minutes. East Cooper Medical Center is about six miles from both MUSC and the Roper Mount Pleasant campus.

Can my agency or hospital be billed directly?
Yes, we work with agencies, relocation coordinators, and corporate accounts on direct billing.

Are pets allowed?
Many of our homes are pet friendly. Tell us your situation up front and we will match you to the right property.

Book a tour at tour.properstays.com, or call (843) 640-0897.