Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Buffalo, South Carolina
A $44,000 home here costs
$542per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $226. The real number is $316 higher every month — 140% more than the payment most buyers budget for.
Where every dollar goes
Only the first line is a mortgage payment. Change any assumption above and every figure below recalculates.
Buffalo against Union County and South Carolina
| Measure | Buffalo | Union County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $44,400 | $100,000 |
| Median property tax | $541 | $558 |
| Effective tax rate | 1.218% | 0.558% |
| Median gross rent | — | $770 |
| Population | 1,232 | 26,990 |
The weather behind that power bill
Buffalo sits in Union County, which averages a high of 90.4°F in its hottest month and a low of 29.0°F in its coldest, with 45.25" of precipitation a year and 27% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 1,649 cooling and 3,296 heating degree days, which is what sets the $145 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Union County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Union County
Full Union County cost breakdown · Every county in South Carolina
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Buffalo?
A $44,000 home in Buffalo, South Carolina costs approximately $542 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $226 principal and interest, $45 property tax, $21 homeowners insurance, $213 utilities and $37 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Buffalo?
Buffalo has an effective property tax rate of 1.218%, based on a median home value of $44,400 and median real estate taxes of $541. That is higher than the Union County average of 0.558%.
What is the average home price in Buffalo?
The median owner-occupied home value in Buffalo, South Carolina is $44,400, against $100,000 across Union County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Buffalo?
Rent data is not published for Buffalo at this level of detail.
Sources & methodology
- Median home value, real estate taxes, gross rent and population for Buffalo — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for South Carolina.
- Electricity price — EIA Electric Power Monthly Table 5.6.A.
- Mortgage rate — Freddie Mac PMMS, refreshed weekly.
- Maintenance (1%/yr) and water and sewer ($68/mo) are national estimates. Every assumption above is editable.