South Carolina Mortgage Calculator
This planning example uses a $299,500 home value—the 2024 ACS median for owner-occupied homes in South Carolina—with 20% down and a 30-year fixed mortgage. The rate is the Freddie Mac national weekly average as of August 6, 2026; it is not a South Carolina rate, a personal quote or an offer to lend. Customize the inputs with a property-specific tax bill, insurance quote and lender rate.
State planning scenario
| Down payment (20%) | $59,900 |
|---|---|
| Mortgage principal | $239,600 |
| 30-year fixed rate | 6.69% |
| Principal & interest | $1,544.50/month |
| Property tax | $111.41/month |
| Homeowners insurance | $130.92/month |
| PMI | $0.00/month |
| HOA dues | $0.00/month |
| Estimated total | $1,786.83/month |
PMI is $0 in this example because the starting loan-to-value ratio is 80%. Change the down payment in the calculator to model a higher LTV. HOA dues default to $0 because there is no reliable statewide amount.
What is localized for South Carolina?
| Median owner-occupied home value | $299,500 (ACS 2024) |
|---|---|
| Property-tax planning proxy | 0.45% (ACS 2024) |
| Annual HO-3 insurance average | $1,571 (NAIC 2022) |
The tax percentage is median annual real-estate taxes paid divided by median home value. It is a ratio of statewide medians—not a statutory rate or a parcel-level effective rate. The insurance figure is a historical statewide average across policies and coverage amounts, not a current quote. Flood, earthquake, wind or other separate coverage may not be included.
How South Carolina compares with the rest of the country
The median owner-occupied home in South Carolina is 17% below the national median of $360,600, which makes it the 30th-most expensive state of the 50. The property-tax proxy ranks 46th and the homeowners-insurance average ranks 22nd. Together, taxes and insurance account for 14% of the monthly payment modelled above.
| Planning input | South Carolina | National | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $299,500 | $360,600 | 30th |
| Property-tax proxy | 0.45% | 0.89% | 46th |
| Annual insurance average | $1,571 | $1,569 | 22nd |
Rank 1 is the highest of the 50 states. Carrying the payment above at the standard 28% front-end ratio takes roughly $77,000 of annual household income before other debts — see house affordability by income to work backwards from what you earn.
States with a similar median home value: Illinois, South Dakota, Wisconsin, Texas.
What to check before trusting this estimate in South Carolina
Tax is a small part of the payment here. At the 46th rank of 50, property tax adds relatively little in South Carolina, so your payment is driven mostly by the price you agree and the rate you are quoted. That makes rate shopping the highest-leverage thing you can do: collect Loan Estimates from several lenders on the same day and compare the APR, not the headline rate.
Homebuyer resources in South Carolina
South Carolina State Housing Finance and Development Authority is the state's housing finance agency. Programs, funding, income limits, purchase-price limits and eligibility can change; verify details directly with the agency before relying on them.
2026 county loan limits
In most of the United States, the 2026 one-unit conforming baseline is $832,750, with a general high-cost ceiling of $1,249,125. The general one-unit FHA floor is $541,287 and the general ceiling is $1,249,125. County limits vary, and higher special statutory limits apply in Alaska and Hawaii. Check the property county in the FHFA conforming-limit files and HUD's FHA limit lookup.
Sources and limitations
- U.S. Census Bureau ACS, median home value
- U.S. Census Bureau ACS, real-estate taxes paid
- NAIC homeowners insurance report
- NCSHA state housing finance agency directory
Review our calculator methodology and test examples and source definitions and formula changelog. Replace every default with a property tax bill, insurance quote and lender Loan Estimate before making a decision.
