County housing intelligence
South Carolina Housing Market by County
South Carolina is not one housing market. Across 46 counties, the median county home value is $172,700 and the median county rent is $897/mo. The useful question is not whether South Carolina is cheap. It is which county fits your income, tax tolerance, and buy-versus-rent plan.
County median home value
$172,700
Median of county medians, less distorted by the largest metros.
County median rent
$897/mo
Gross rent includes rent plus utilities where Census reports it.
Counties compared
46
Every county with available ACS housing data in this state.
Fast answers
Start with the housing question.
Market brief
The state-level housing signal
These benchmarks use the median county in the state, not one metro-weighted average. That makes the brief better for county comparison and rural-to-urban screening.
Purchase price
State county median vs national benchmark
Rent
State county median vs national benchmark
Owner cost
State county median vs national benchmark
Income base
State county median vs national benchmark
Tax rate
State county median vs national benchmark
The South Carolina Pattern
These are the signals a statewide average hides. Start here before choosing counties to compare.
Price geography
Charleston County, Beaufort County, York County sit at the top of the purchase market, while Allendale County, Marlboro County, Dillon County anchor the lower-cost end.
Rent reality
Berkeley County, Beaufort County, Charleston County lead on rent, while Allendale County, Marion County, Dillon County show where monthly lease costs are lowest.
Decision lens
Dillon County, Bamberg County, Barnwell County screen best for purchase affordability when home values are measured against local household income.
Best Counties by Housing Goal
Different households need different rankings. Price alone is not enough, so these groups compare rent, income, owner costs, and tax exposure.
Cheapest to buy
Lowest median home values. Useful for purchase-price screening.
- 1. Allendale County
$76,200
- 2. Marlboro County
$82,000
- 3. Dillon County
$85,400
- 4. Marion County
$93,200
- 5. Bamberg County
$97,800
Best buy affordability
Lowest home-value-to-income ratios. Better than price alone.
- 1. Dillon County
1.8x home-value-to-income
- 2. Bamberg County
2.2x home-value-to-income
- 3. Barnwell County
2.3x home-value-to-income
- 4. Lee County
2.3x home-value-to-income
- 5. Williamsburg County
2.3x home-value-to-income
Cheapest to rent
Lowest median gross rent among counties with ACS rent data.
- 1. Allendale County
$662/mo
- 2. Marion County
$669/mo
- 3. Dillon County
$679/mo
- 4. Marlboro County
$689/mo
- 5. McCormick County
$696/mo
Lowest rent burden
Where typical renters spend the smallest share of income on rent.
- 1. Abbeville County
22.8% rent burden
- 2. Dillon County
26.1% rent burden
- 3. Calhoun County
27.1% rent burden
- 4. Newberry County
27.2% rent burden
- 5. Aiken County
27.7% rent burden
Lowest tax-rate signal
Lowest effective property-tax rates in the state data.
- 1. Horry County
0.33% effective tax rate
- 2. Pickens County
0.37% effective tax rate
- 3. Oconee County
0.38% effective tax rate
- 4. Charleston County
0.39% effective tax rate
- 5. Calhoun County
0.41% effective tax rate
Owner-cost advantage
Counties where median owner costs are furthest below median rent.
- 1. Calhoun County
$434/mo cheaper to own than rent
- 2. Jasper County
$381/mo cheaper to own than rent
- 3. Berkeley County
$378/mo cheaper to own than rent
- 4. Georgetown County
$330/mo cheaper to own than rent
- 5. Lee County
$329/mo cheaper to own than rent
Income-backed value
Higher-income counties that still hold a reasonable value-to-income profile.
- 1. Edgefield County
$73,029 income, 2.8x value-to-income
- 2. Dillon County
$46,605 income, 1.8x value-to-income
- 3. Lexington County
$77,408 income, 3.0x value-to-income
- 4. Berkeley County
$84,358 income, 3.7x value-to-income
- 5. Aiken County
$70,609 income, 3.1x value-to-income
Tradeoffs to Check
The best page is not the one that crowns a winner. It is the one that shows where a county can surprise you after the headline price looks attractive.
| Signal | County | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Cheap price, weaker income base | Allendale County $76,200 home value, $32,328 income | Low purchase prices can still feel tight when local wages are also low. |
| Renter pressure | Richland County $1,228/mo rent, 34.70% rent burden | Monthly rent alone does not show whether renters can comfortably absorb the cost. |
| Expensive, but income-supported | Charleston County $489,100 home value, $88,494 income | Some high-price counties also have stronger incomes, so affordability depends on both sides of the equation. |
Lowest home values
Best value-to-income
Compare Every South Carolina County
Sorted by home-value-to-income ratio so the first rows are not just cheap counties, but counties where purchase prices look smaller relative to local income.
| County | Home Value | Rent | Income | Value/Income | Tax Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dillon County | $85,400 | $679/mo | $46,605 | 1.8x | 0.53% |
| Bamberg County | $97,800 | $815/mo | $44,370 | 2.2x | 0.83% |
| Barnwell County | $106,000 | $740/mo | $46,626 | 2.3x | 0.73% |
| Lee County | $104,600 | $823/mo | $44,760 | 2.3x | 0.57% |
| Williamsburg County | $104,500 | $765/mo | $46,213 | 2.3x | 0.66% |
| Allendale County | $76,200 | $662/mo | $32,328 | 2.4x | 0.88% |
| Chesterfield County | $116,200 | $762/mo | $49,235 | 2.4x | 0.42% |
| Marlboro County | $82,000 | $689/mo | $34,301 | 2.4x | 0.60% |
| Hampton County | $112,000 | $843/mo | $44,711 | 2.5x | 0.80% |
| Orangeburg County | $115,800 | $841/mo | $45,675 | 2.5x | 0.65% |
| Union County | $103,600 | $804/mo | $41,621 | 2.5x | 0.56% |
| Marion County | $93,200 | $669/mo | $36,301 | 2.6x | 0.47% |
| Cherokee County | $142,000 | $869/mo | $50,288 | 2.8x | 0.43% |
| Edgefield County | $202,700 | $720/mo | $73,029 | 2.8x | 0.43% |
| Newberry County | $173,300 | $872/mo | $61,780 | 2.8x | 0.67% |
| Calhoun County | $172,100 | $1,052/mo | $58,682 | 2.9x | 0.41% |
| Saluda County | $146,500 | $851/mo | $51,009 | 2.9x | 0.51% |
| Sumter County | $165,300 | $1,057/mo | $56,693 | 2.9x | 0.53% |
| Chester County | $158,300 | $853/mo | $52,458 | 3.0x | 0.56% |
| Clarendon County | $158,000 | $763/mo | $52,401 | 3.0x | 0.56% |
| Laurens County | $170,600 | $880/mo | $57,623 | 3.0x | 0.41% |
| Lexington County | $234,500 | $1,178/mo | $77,408 | 3.0x | 0.49% |
| McCormick County | $168,700 | $696/mo | $55,798 | 3.0x | 0.56% |
| Aiken County | $218,000 | $1,062/mo | $70,609 | 3.1x | 0.41% |
| Florence County | $177,900 | $954/mo | $58,305 | 3.1x | 0.42% |
| Colleton County | $162,500 | $949/mo | $51,114 | 3.2x | 0.55% |
| Fairfield County | $151,200 | $938/mo | $47,885 | 3.2x | 0.51% |
| Kershaw County | $217,100 | $971/mo | $68,231 | 3.2x | 0.47% |
| Darlington County | $158,200 | $896/mo | $48,581 | 3.3x | 0.41% |
| Abbeville County | $178,800 | $799/mo | $52,935 | 3.4x | 0.44% |
| Greenwood County | $180,500 | $898/mo | $52,830 | 3.4x | 0.53% |
| Anderson County | $231,900 | $989/mo | $66,651 | 3.5x | 0.45% |
| Spartanburg County | $233,300 | $1,084/mo | $66,234 | 3.5x | 0.55% |
| Berkeley County | $310,300 | $1,654/mo | $84,358 | 3.7x | 0.45% |
| Oconee County | $237,100 | $881/mo | $62,388 | 3.8x | 0.38% |
| Pickens County | $231,900 | $972/mo | $61,064 | 3.8x | 0.37% |
| Richland County | $242,800 | $1,228/mo | $63,784 | 3.8x | 0.67% |
| Greenville County | $299,000 | $1,262/mo | $76,932 | 3.9x | 0.51% |
| York County | $361,300 | $1,387/mo | $89,095 | 4.1x | 0.48% |
| Dorchester County | $329,300 | $1,463/mo | $78,198 | 4.2x | 0.56% |
| Georgetown County | $289,500 | $1,204/mo | $68,713 | 4.2x | 0.41% |
| Lancaster County | $329,900 | $959/mo | $78,869 | 4.2x | 0.50% |
| Horry County | $287,700 | $1,255/mo | $66,880 | 4.3x | 0.33% |
| Jasper County | $325,500 | $1,328/mo | $65,613 | 5.0x | 0.57% |
| Beaufort County | $455,600 | $1,653/mo | $86,573 | 5.3x | 0.48% |
| Charleston County | $489,100 | $1,620/mo | $88,494 | 5.5x | 0.39% |
Questions This Page Answers
Each answer is generated from the current county dataset, so it changes when the underlying ACS data changes.
What is the typical home value in South Carolina by county?
What is the typical rent in South Carolina by county?
Which South Carolina counties are most affordable to buy in?
Why do cheap counties still need a closer look?
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023) — Informational only. Not financial or legal advice.