Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Chester, South Carolina
A $106,000 home here costs
$971per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $545. The real number is $426 higher every month — 78% 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.
Chester against Chester County and South Carolina
| Measure | Chester | Chester County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $106,400 | $143,800 |
| Median property tax | $886 | $846 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.833% | 0.588% |
| Median gross rent | $905 | $918 |
| Population | 5,241 | 32,177 |
The weather behind that power bill
Chester sits in Chester County, which averages a high of 90.1°F in its hottest month and a low of 29.8°F in its coldest, with 45.92" of precipitation a year and 28% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 1,668 cooling and 3,303 heating degree days, which is what sets the $145 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Chester County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Chester County
Full Chester County cost breakdown · Every county in South Carolina
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Chester?
A $106,000 home in Chester, South Carolina costs approximately $971 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $545 principal and interest, $74 property tax, $51 homeowners insurance, $213 utilities and $88 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Chester?
Chester has an effective property tax rate of 0.833%, based on a median home value of $106,400 and median real estate taxes of $886. That is higher than the Chester County average of 0.588%.
What is the average home price in Chester?
The median owner-occupied home value in Chester, South Carolina is $106,400, against $143,800 across Chester County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Chester?
Median gross rent in Chester is $905 a month, against $971 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 Chester — 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.