Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Clearwater, South Carolina
A $157,000 home here costs
$1,274per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $807. The real number is $467 higher every month — 58% 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.
Clearwater against Aiken County and South Carolina
| Measure | Clearwater | Aiken County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $156,500 | $199,500 |
| Median property tax | $560 | $862 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.358% | 0.432% |
| Median gross rent | $835 | $1,031 |
| Population | 3,124 | 171,949 |
The weather behind that power bill
Clearwater sits in Aiken County, which averages a high of 90.8°F in its hottest month and a low of 35.6°F in its coldest, with 46.22" of precipitation a year and 32% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 2,005 cooling and 2,383 heating degree days, which is what sets the $145 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Aiken County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Aiken County
Full Aiken County cost breakdown · Every county in South Carolina
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Clearwater?
A $157,000 home in Clearwater, South Carolina costs approximately $1,274 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $807 principal and interest, $47 property tax, $76 homeowners insurance, $213 utilities and $131 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Clearwater?
Clearwater has an effective property tax rate of 0.358%, based on a median home value of $156,500 and median real estate taxes of $560. That is lower than the Aiken County average of 0.432%.
What is the average home price in Clearwater?
The median owner-occupied home value in Clearwater, South Carolina is $156,500, against $199,500 across Aiken County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Clearwater?
Median gross rent in Clearwater is $835 a month, against $1,274 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 Clearwater — 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.