South Carolina mortgage calculator
Prefilled with South Carolina’s numbers, not national averages. The effective property tax rate here is 0.52% and the average homeowners premium is about $2,400 a year. Both are already in the calculator below.
South Carolina mortgage calculator
Principal and interest schedule
Tax and insurance are collected alongside the loan but are not part of it, so they are excluded here.
What South Carolina actually costs a homeowner
Owner-occupied homes are assessed at 4% of value against 6% for second homes and rentals — a large penalty for investors.
On the state median home value of $239,800, the property tax bill works out at roughly $1,247 a year, or $104 a month before anything else. That is below the national effective rate of 0.86% — 0.6 times the US average.
Insurance is the other half of the escrow payment. At about $2,400 a year, South Carolina sits below the national average of roughly $2,400. Together, tax and insurance add around $304 a month to the loan payment on a median-priced home here.
Why your bill will differ
The figure above is a state average, and property tax is set locally. Two houses of the same value in different counties of South Carolina can carry bills that differ by thousands. Check your county assessor before treating any estimate as final, and check whether a homestead exemption applies to you — in most states it does, and in several it is substantial.
A low rate, which is not the same as a low bill
At 0.52% South Carolina has one of the lowest effective rates in the country. Whether that translates into a small bill depends entirely on value: the state median of $239,800 produces about $1,247 a year, but the same rate on a $479,600 home is $2,494. Rate rankings flatter states with expensive housing.
Insurance costs more than the tax
On a median-priced home in South Carolina the insurance premium of about $2,400 exceeds the $1,247 property tax bill by 92%. That inverts the usual advice: shopping carriers is worth more here than appealing an assessment, and a claims-free discount is worth more than a homestead exemption.
Stepping up from the median
At $360,000 — about half again the South Carolina median — the annual tax becomes $1,872 and the escrow portion of the payment rises to roughly $356 a month. With 20% down at 6.5% over thirty years, the all-in payment is about $2,176.
Comparison with neighbouring states
South Carolina and its neighbours
| State | Effective rate | Median home value | Median tax bill |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Carolina | 0.52% | $239,800 | $1,247 |
| Utah | 0.55% | $421,700 | $2,319 |
| West Virginia | 0.55% | $143,200 | $788 |
| Colorado | 0.49% | $502,200 | $2,461 |
| Nevada | 0.48% | $373,800 | $1,794 |
Effective rate is median real-estate tax paid divided by median home value. Insurance figures are broad state averages and move quickly, especially on the Gulf coast. Both are estimates for orientation, not quotes.
Tax and insurance by price in South Carolina
| Home price | Annual tax | Tax / mo | Insurance / mo | Escrow / mo |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $150,000 | $780 | $65 | $200 | $265 |
| $250,000 | $1,300 | $108 | $200 | $308 |
| $350,000 | $1,820 | $152 | $200 | $352 |
| $500,000 | $2,600 | $217 | $200 | $417 |
| $750,000 | $3,900 | $325 | $200 | $525 |
Property tax at the South Carolina effective rate of 0.52%. Insurance held at the state average, which understates it on larger homes.
Guides that explain this
Written with the same engine, so every figure agrees with the calculator.
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Questions people actually ask
What is the property tax rate in South Carolina?
The effective rate is about 0.52%, measured as median real-estate tax paid divided by median home value. On the state median home value of $239,800 that is roughly $1,247 a year. Local rates vary considerably within the state.
How much is homeowners insurance in South Carolina?
The state average runs around $2,400 a year, below the national average of roughly $2,400. Premiums vary widely by construction, claims history and distance from the coast.
What is the monthly payment on a median-priced home in South Carolina?
With 20% down on the $239,800 median value at 6.5% over 30 years, principal and interest come to about $1,212 a month, plus roughly $304 for tax and insurance.