United States · South Carolina

South Carolina mortgage calculator

Estimate your monthly payment in South Carolina — principal & interest, property tax, and insurance — using the live national average rate and South Carolina's estimated ~0.57% effective property tax rate. Adjust any figure below.

Data researched & maintained by Robinjit Singh · Last verified June 2026

Affording a home in South Carolina

Difficult

Income gap

+$25,000

$25,000 more yearly income than the typical household here earns is what a median home asks — the reason many buyers combine two incomes, buy smaller, or put more down.

Median home price

$295,000

The statewide middle — half of homes cost less, half more.

Income needed

$85,000

To qualify at the standard 28% rule with 20% down.

Typical household income

$60,000

What the median household here actually earns.

A median South Carolina home costs $295k and needs $25k more annual income than the typical household earns.

Median is a statewide figure — expensive cities and more affordable rural areas vary widely.

Source: Zillow ZHVI · U.S. Census ACS · Splitero · Verified 2026-06-30

Most South Carolina buyers combine two incomes — here's why

The typical South Carolina household earns $60,000/year. To buy a median-priced home, lenders generally want to see $85,000/year. That's a $25,000 gap — which is why many South Carolina buyers combine two incomes, choose a smaller first home, or put down a larger deposit to reduce the loan. None of these is the wrong choice; knowing the gap is the starting point.

The roles and income paths that commonly reach it in South Carolina are listed below — some single high-earning roles, some two incomes combined.

Roles and income paths that commonly meet the income in South Carolina

Healthcare worker
Remote tech worker
Government worker + partner

Pay varies widely by employer, experience, and city — these are paths that often (not always) reach the income needed, not a guarantee for any individual. Entries like “+ partner income” mean two incomes combined.

First-time buyer programs available in South Carolina

SC Housing Homebuyer Program
Palmetto Heroes Program

Programs and their terms change — verify current availability and eligibility with the official state housing agency before relying on any of these.

What makes South Carolina legally different for homebuyers

South Carolina had one of the highest foreclosure rates in the US going into 2026. Despite this, South Carolina's overall home prices remain relatively affordable compared to national averages. The state also has a strong retiree market which affects housing dynamics in coastal areas like Myrtle Beach and Hilton Head.

If you buy here

South Carolina's coastal areas carry significant hurricane exposure — both for insurance costs and for the risk of value decline after major storms. Inland South Carolina is considerably more affordable and less exposed to these risks.

Foreclosure: judicial, ~8 mo
Post-sale redemption: None
Anti-deficiency protection: No

General overview only — laws change and individual situations vary. Consult a real estate attorney for advice specific to your purchase. (Verified 2026-06-30.)

A clean, printable one-page summary — free, no account needed.

Loan details

Understanding your numbers before you sign.

A mortgage is likely the largest financial commitment of your life. The Mortgage Ledger was built so you can explore what that commitment actually looks like — payment by payment, line by line — before you're sitting across from a lender.

Rates sourced from FRED (Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis). Estimates only — not a loan offer.

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Mortgage rate trend

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Down-payment scenarios for a median home in South Carolina

How much you put down changes the loan, the monthly payment, and the income a lender wants to see. Below is a median-priced $295,000 home in South Carolinaat a 6.65% benchmark rate over 30 years — the same assumptions behind the income figures above.

Down payment	Loan	Monthly P&I	Income to qualify	Mortgage insurance
5% · $14,750	$280,250	$1,799/mo	≈ $105,182	PMI ~$187/mo
10% · $29,500	$265,500	$1,704/mo	≈ $100,702	PMI ~$177/mo
20% · $59,000	$236,000	$1,515/mo	$85,000	None

At 20% down the income to qualify is the $85,000 shown above; putting less down means a bigger loan, a higher payment, and PMI (estimated at ~0.8% of the loan per year until you reach 20% equity — the actual rate varies by credit).

What a median home actually costs each month (20% down)

$1,515principal & interest + $140 property tax + $175 insurance = $1,830/mo. Property tax and insurance are added on top of the mortgage, never blended into the rate. Insurance is South Carolina's average annual premium ($2,100/yr, at a benchmark $300k dwelling) — your quote will vary.

The bigger picture: a median home in South Carolina costs about 4.9×the typical household's yearly income — close to the national ratio of about 4.8×.

Go deeper: run your own numbers in the affordability calculator, download the full dataset or read the methodology. Compare with neighbouring North Carolina and Georgia.

How much do you need to earn to buy a home in South Carolina?

In South Carolina, you need to earn about $85,000 a year to afford a median-priced home of $295,000 — $25,000 more than the $60,000 a typical household earns. That gap is why most buyers here combine two incomes, buy below the median, or put more down.

How much do you need to earn to buy a house in South Carolina?

To afford a median-priced home in South Carolina (about $295,000), a buyer needs roughly $85,000 per year, compared with the $60,000 a median South Carolina household earns. Source: The Mortgage Ledger, 2026.

What is the average home price in South Carolina?

The median home price in South Carolina is about $295,000 as of June 2026, per The Mortgage Ledger.

What are property taxes in South Carolina?

South Carolina has an effective property tax rate of about 0.57%, or roughly $1,682 per year on a median-priced home. Source: The Mortgage Ledger, 2026.

Do you need two incomes to buy a home in South Carolina?

Yes — the income needed to buy a median-priced home ($85,000) is well above a single median household income of $60,000, so most buyers combine two incomes or make a larger down payment.

Source: The Mortgage Ledger · Figures are statewide medians and benchmark estimates · Data verified June 2026.