Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Central, South Carolina
A $229,000 home here costs
$1,763per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $1,177. The real number is $586 higher every month — 50% 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.
Central against Pickens County and South Carolina
| Measure | Central | Pickens County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $228,500 | $216,000 |
| Median property tax | $854 | $821 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.374% | 0.380% |
| Median gross rent | $973 | $936 |
| Population | 5,299 | 132,604 |
The weather behind that power bill
Central sits in Pickens County, which averages a high of 89.8°F in its hottest month and a low of 30.4°F in its coldest, with 56.67" of precipitation a year and 27% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 1,643 cooling and 3,229 heating degree days, which is what sets the $145 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Pickens County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Pickens County
Full Pickens County cost breakdown · Every county in South Carolina
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Central?
A $229,000 home in Central, South Carolina costs approximately $1,763 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $1,177 principal and interest, $71 property tax, $110 homeowners insurance, $213 utilities and $191 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Central?
Central has an effective property tax rate of 0.374%, based on a median home value of $228,500 and median real estate taxes of $854. That is in line with the Pickens County average of 0.380%.
What is the average home price in Central?
The median owner-occupied home value in Central, South Carolina is $228,500, against $216,000 across Pickens County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Central?
Median gross rent in Central is $973 a month, against $1,763 to own the median home all in. Renting costs less month to month here, though renting builds no equity.
Sources & methodology
- Median home value, real estate taxes, gross rent and population for Central — 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.