Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Fairfax, South Carolina
A $54,000 home here costs
$602per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $278. The real number is $325 higher every month — 117% 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.
Fairfax against Allendale County and South Carolina
| Measure | Fairfax | Allendale County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $54,400 | $61,600 |
| Median property tax | $486 | $542 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.893% | 0.880% |
| Median gross rent | $702 | $691 |
| Population | 2,037 | 7,738 |
The weather behind that power bill
Fairfax sits in Allendale County, which averages a high of 91.6°F in its hottest month and a low of 33.3°F in its coldest, with 48.81" of precipitation a year and 32% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 1,930 cooling and 2,497 heating degree days, which is what sets the $145 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Allendale County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Allendale County
Full Allendale County cost breakdown · Every county in South Carolina
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Fairfax?
A $54,000 home in Fairfax, South Carolina costs approximately $602 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $278 principal and interest, $40 property tax, $26 homeowners insurance, $213 utilities and $45 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Fairfax?
Fairfax has an effective property tax rate of 0.893%, based on a median home value of $54,400 and median real estate taxes of $486. That is higher than the Allendale County average of 0.880%.
What is the average home price in Fairfax?
The median owner-occupied home value in Fairfax, South Carolina is $54,400, against $61,600 across Allendale County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Fairfax?
Median gross rent in Fairfax is $702 a month, against $602 to own the median home all in. Owning costs less month to month here, though renting builds no equity.
Sources & methodology
- Median home value, real estate taxes, gross rent and population for Fairfax — 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.