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Sarah Mitchell
Compass Real Estate · South Carolina
“Your trusted relocation specialist since 2009. 350+ homes sold. Zero-pressure, data-first approach.”
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South Carolina housing market
South Carolina housing market summary
The typical home in South Carolina is worth $306,323, up 1.0% over the past year. Homes that actually closed went for a median of $394,000 after 72 days on market. On supply, pricing discipline, and speed of sale, South Carolina currently reads as a leaning buyer's at 4.4 months of supply. At today's 7.03% 30-year fixed rate, that typical home costs $1,635 a month in principal and interest with 20.0% down.
Sources: Zillow, August 2026 · Refreshes monthly · Redfin, through May 2026 · Freddie Mac via FRED, September 2026
South Carolina housing market at a glance
Every tile carries the provider and the month it was published
Typical home value
$306,323
+1.0% YoY · Zillow, August 2026
Median sale price
$394,000
Redfin, through May 2026
Typical asking rent
$1,638/mo
Median of 54 cities · Zillow, August 2026
30-yr fixed rate
7.03%
Freddie Mac via FRED, September 2026
Monthly P&I
$1,635
20.0% down, 30-yr fixed
Days on market
72
+4 days YoY
Active listings
31,971
+2.4% YoY
Median household income
$66,818
U.S. Census ACS, 2023
Typical home value is Zillow's ZHVI — the value of a typical home across the whole housing stock, not just the homes that sold. Median sale price is what actually closed. Redfin stopped publishing public market trackers in June 2026; latest available period is May 2026.
Where South Carolina home prices are heading
South Carolina's typical home value is $306,323, up 1.0% over 12 months. The two-year number matters more than the one-year number: it spans a full rate cycle rather than a single seasonal swing. Values are at or within a rounding error of their two-year high.
Against the national picture, South Carolina runs 16.9% below the U.S. typical home value of $368,697, and its 12-month move of +1.0% is trailing the national pace of +1.2%.
What would have to change for South Carolina prices to fall. Prices fall when supply outruns demand for long enough that sellers compete on price rather than waiting. South Carolina is carrying 4.4 months of supply — inside the four-to-six-month band where neither side dictates terms. Active listings are +2.4% year over year and new listings -2.6%, which is close to flat. The other lever is the rate. At 7.03%, existing owners with cheaper mortgages have little reason to list, which is what has kept supply artificially low across most of the country. A sustained move down in rates unlocks those sellers and adds inventory; it also adds buyers. Which side moves first decides the direction.
Market trends
Statewide monthly series · Redfin, through May 2026 · No longer updating · Redfin stopped publishing public market trackers in June 2026; latest available period is May 2026.
What it costs to buy in South Carolina at today's rate
Down payment
$61,265
20.0% of value
Loan amount
$245,058
30-yr fixed
Monthly P&I
$1,635
at 7.03%
Income needed
$70,071
28.0% front-end ratio
A buyer purchasing the typical South Carolina home at $306,323 puts $61,265 down, finances $245,058, and pays $1,635 a month in principal and interest. Property taxes, homeowners insurance, HOA dues, and mortgage insurance sit on top of that and vary by county — budget for them separately rather than assuming the P&I figure is the payment.
Lenders typically want principal and interest under 28.0% of gross income, which puts the qualifying income for that purchase at roughly $70,071. South Carolina's median household earns $66,818 (Census ACS 2023) — a gap of $3,253 above what the median household brings in. Put differently, the median household would spend 29.4% of gross income on principal and interest alone — above the ratio most lenders underwrite to, which is why buyers here typically need a larger down payment, a co-borrower, or a cheaper city than the statewide typical home.
The value-to-income ratio in South Carolina is 4.6x. Between roughly 3.5x and 5x, prices are ahead of local earnings but still within reach for higher-earning households. Model your own numbers in the affordability calculator or the mortgage calculator.
Figures are illustrative, not a quote or a pre-approval. Rate: Freddie Mac via FRED, September 2026 · Value: Zillow, August 2026 · Income: U.S. Census ACS, 2023
Buying in South Carolina in the next 12 months?
Tell us your timeline. We send the South Carolina market brief: the price ranges that are actually clearing, the cities where your budget goes furthest, and what to fix on your credit before you apply.
Rent or buy in South Carolina?
Zillow publishes its rent index per city rather than per state, so the honest statewide read is the median across the 54 largest South Carolina cities that carry it: $1,638 a month. Set against a typical home value of $306,323, that is a price-to-rent ratio of 15.6x.
Between 15x and 20x the two options are close enough that the tiebreaker is how long you stay, not the ratio itself. Principal and interest on the typical home runs $3 less per month than that typical rent — and that is before taxes, insurance, and the roughly 1% of value a year most owners spend on maintenance.
For a second read on the same question, the Census ACS puts median gross rent across all South Carolina households — every unit type, not just what is currently listed — at $1,126 a month (2023), with 71.4% of South Carolina households owning rather than renting. Asking rents lead the ACS figure because they reflect today's new leases rather than the whole stock of existing ones.
Run the rent-vs-buy calculator with your own holding period and down payment — the statewide ratio is a starting point, not an answer.
Supply: what is on the market in South Carolina
| Measure | Latest | Year earlier | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Active listings | 31,971 | 31,230 | +2.4% |
| New listings | 9,280 | 9,523 | -2.6% |
| Homes sold | 7,268 | 7,629 | -4.7% |
| Months of supply | 4.4 | 4.1 | +0.3 |
| Sale-to-list ratio | 98.0% | 98.1% | Below asking |
What these mean. Active listings is the shelf — everything a buyer could tour today. New listings is restock rate; when it falls faster than sales, the shelf empties. Months of supply is active inventory divided by homes sold per month: at the current sales pace, how many months it would take to sell every home currently listed. Under 4 months of supply tilts toward sellers, 4 to 5 months is the neutral band, and above 5 months tilts toward buyers — above 7 months is a glut. These are the same thresholds the market verdict on every city and ZIP page is scored against. Sale-to-list ratio is the discipline check — above 100% means homes are clearing over asking on average, below means sellers are conceding.
Redfin, through May 2026 · No longer updating — Redfin stopped publishing public market trackers in June 2026; latest available period is May 2026. Zillow's inventory and new-listing counts are published per city and appear on the individual city pages.
Where South Carolina home values are moving fastest
12-month change in typical home value · Zillow, August 2026
Rising fastest
- 1.Timmonsville+14.4%
- 2.Bennettsville+11.7%
- 3.Hartsville+10.2%
- 4.Kiawah Island+10.1%
- 5.Darlington+9.4%
- 6.Isle of Palms+8.4%
- 7.McColl+7.9%
- 8.Seabrook Island+6.4%
Falling
- 1.Gloverville-16.4%
- 2.Blacksburg-10.9%
- 3.Ware Shoals-10.6%
- 4.Hardeeville-7.1%
- 5.Chester-6.1%
- 6.Clinton-4.2%
- 7.Andrews-3.6%
- 8.Ladson-2.3%
Computed from Zillow's typical home value for each city at August 2026 against the same month a year earlier, across the 150 largest South Carolina cities by population. Small markets swing hardest because a handful of transactions moves the index — read the city page before treating a large move as a trend.
The most and least expensive cities in South Carolina
Typical home value across the 150 largest cities · Zillow, August 2026
Most expensive
- 1.Kiawah Island$2.19M
- 2.Isle of Palms$1.72M
- 3.Seabrook Island$1.05M
- 4.Mount Pleasant$874,006
- 5.Hilton Head Island$782,931
- 6.Tega Cay$599,961
- 7.Charleston$591,821
- 8.Fort Mill$523,379
- 9.Hollywood$514,172
- 10.Bluffton$500,379
Most affordable
- 1.Gloverville$71,229
- 2.Bennettsville$117,016
- 3.Lake City$128,948
- 4.McColl$136,369
- 5.Chester$140,093
- 6.Union$141,339
- 7.Ware Shoals$146,944
- 8.Blacksburg$150,227
- 9.Andrews$151,592
- 10.Darlington$155,797
The spread between Kiawah Island and Gloverville is 30.8x — one reason a single statewide number is close to useless for a buyer with a fixed budget. Pick the city first, then the price band. Speed is a separate axis from price: Dalzell was the quickest of these markets to clear at 5 days on market (Redfin, through May 2026).
How South Carolina compares
| Market | Typical value | 12-mo change | Median income | Value / income |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Carolina | $306,323 | +1.0% | $66,818 | 4.6x |
| United States | $368,697 | +1.2% | — | — |
| North Carolina | $334,773 | -0.0% | $69,904 | 4.8x |
| Georgia | $330,817 | -0.5% | $74,664 | 4.4x |
The three states above are South Carolina's nearest land neighbours — the markets buyers most often price against when a move is still negotiable. South Carolina is the cheapest of this group on a typical-value basis, which is what makes it a destination rather than an origin for cross-state moves.
Values and 12-month changes: Zillow, August 2026 · Refreshes monthly. Income: U.S. Census ACS, 2023. ACS publishes household income per state, not for the nation on the same basis, so the U.S. row shows home value only.
South Carolina housing markets by city
337 cities tracked — the 60 largest by population shown
Charleston
$591,821
North Charleston
$310,134
Mount Pleasant
$874,006
Rock Hill
$323,886
Greenville
$331,641
Summerville
$379,909
Goose Creek
$321,691
Sumter
$208,202
Florence
$223,905
Greer
$350,510
Spartanburg
$232,218
Hilton Head Island
$782,931
Myrtle Beach
$323,058
Aiken
$280,880
Bluffton
$500,379
Anderson
$273,856
Fort Mill
$523,379
Carolina Forest
Pop. 26K
Conway
$288,359
Mauldin
$296,785
Simpsonville
$377,500
North Augusta
$281,088
Socastee
Pop. 25K
Easley
$321,201
Taylors
$311,198
Greenwood
$190,211
Hanahan
$411,423
Wade Hampton
Pop. 21K
North Myrtle Beach
$395,960
Five Forks
Pop. 19K
Clemson
$407,705
Berea
Pop. 17K
Red Hill
Pop. 16K
Ladson
$313,727
Lake Wylie
Pop. 15K
Gantt
Pop. 15K
Port Royal
$366,809
Moncks Corner
$364,739
Beaufort
$413,383
Tega Cay
$599,961
Orangeburg
$168,171
Gaffney
$187,191
Boiling Springs
$280,683
Parker
Pop. 13K
James Island
Pop. 12K
Powdersville
Pop. 11K
Fountain Inn
$310,114
Garden City
Pop. 11K
Newberry
$175,752
Little River
$322,487
Murrells Inlet
$400,349
Litchfield Beach
Pop. 10K
Laurens
$194,764
Hardeeville
$414,554
Seneca
$308,416
Lancaster
$289,273
York
$354,418
Sangaree
Pop. 9K
Georgetown
$251,667
Sans Souci
Pop. 8K
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What to do next in South Carolina
If you are buying
- Set the payment before the price. Start from what you can carry monthly, then work backwards with the affordability calculator — the typical South Carolina home is $1,635/mo in P&I today.
- Pick the city, not the state. Values across South Carolina run from $71,229 in Gloverville to $2.19M in Kiawah Island.
- Put two finalists head to head in the city comparison tool before you tour anything.
- Fix the credit file before you shop the rate. A better score moves the payment more than haggling over price does at 7.03%.
If you are selling
- Price against your city, not the statewide figure — the spread between South Carolina markets is wider than the year-over-year move in any of them.
- Read the supply table above. At 4.4 months of supply, neither side has leverage, so presentation and pricing accuracy decide the outcome.
- Watch days on market in your city, not the state. The statewide median was 72 days (Redfin, through May 2026); your city page carries its own.
- Time the listing against new-listing volume. New listings are -2.6% year over year — less competition than a year ago.
South Carolina housing market questions
What is the typical home value in South Carolina?
The typical home value in South Carolina is $306,323 (Zillow, August 2026). That is a +1.0% change over the past 12 months. The median price of homes that actually sold was $394,000 (Redfin, through May 2026); sale prices skew toward whatever segment is transacting, which is why they differ from the typical-value figure.
Are South Carolina home prices going up or down?
South Carolina home values are up 1.0% year over year (Zillow, August 2026). Values are at or near their highest reading in the past two years.
How much income do you need to buy a home in South Carolina?
At the current 30-year fixed rate of 7.03%, a $306,323 home with 20.0% down carries roughly $1,635 a month in principal and interest. Using the 28% front-end ratio most lenders underwrite to, that implies a household income of about $70,071 before taxes, insurance, HOA dues, or mortgage insurance are added. South Carolina's median household income is $66,818 (Census ACS, 2023), a gap of $3,253 above the median household. These figures are illustrative, not a quote or a pre-approval.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in South Carolina?
Typical asking rent across the largest South Carolina cities Zillow publishes rent data for is $1,638 a month (median of 54 cities, Zillow, August 2026). Against a typical home value of $306,323, that is a price-to-rent ratio of 15.6x. Ratios under about 15x generally favour buying if you plan to stay put; above about 20x, renting and investing the difference tends to win over short horizons. Principal and interest alone runs $3 less than that typical rent each month, before taxes, insurance, and maintenance.
Which South Carolina cities are the most affordable?
Among the largest cities we track in South Carolina, the lowest typical home values are in Gloverville ($71,229), Bennettsville ($117,016), Lake City ($128,948), McColl ($136,369), Chester ($140,093). Values are Zillow's typical-home-value index for August 2026.
Which South Carolina cities are the most expensive?
The highest typical home values among the largest South Carolina cities are in Kiawah Island ($2.19M), Isle of Palms ($1.72M), Seabrook Island ($1.05M), Mount Pleasant ($874,006), Hilton Head Island ($782,931). Price per square foot, inventory, and days on market for each are on the individual city pages.
Which South Carolina cities are appreciating the fastest?
Over the past 12 months the largest home-value gains among South Carolina cities we track were in Timmonsville (+14.4%), Bennettsville (+11.7%), Hartsville (+10.2%), Kiawah Island (+10.1%), Darlington (+9.4%). Fast appreciation usually reflects constrained supply, in-migration, or a small transaction base — check the individual city page before reading it as a trend.
How long do homes take to sell in South Carolina?
Homes in South Carolina spent a median of 72 days on market in the last month Redfin published (Redfin, through May 2026). That is 4 days slower than the same month a year earlier. The quickest market among the state's largest cities was Dalzell at 5 days. Redfin stopped publishing public market trackers in June 2026; latest available period is May 2026.
How does South Carolina compare to neighboring states?
South Carolina's typical home value of $306,323 compares with North Carolina at $334,773, Georgia at $330,817. The U.S. typical home value is $368,697, putting South Carolina 16.9% below the national figure.
Is now a good time to buy in South Carolina?
That depends on your timeline, not the headline. The measurable inputs today: a 30-year fixed rate of 7.03%, 4.4 months of supply statewide (Redfin, through May 2026), active listings +2.4% year over year, and home values +1.0% over the past year. Buyers with a five-year-plus horizon are mostly exposed to the payment, not the price, so the rate you can qualify for matters more than the month you buy. Properties Incorporated is an independent data platform, not a brokerage or lender — this is information, not advice.
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Neighboring state markets
- North Carolina housing market — $334,773 typical value
- Georgia housing market — $330,817 typical value
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