Cost to Own
United StatesSouth CarolinaEdgefield CountyJohnston Population 2,518 Data vintage ACS 2023 5-Year Rates updated 2026-07-30

Total monthly cost of ownership

Cost to Own a Home in Johnston, South Carolina

A $100,000 home here costs

$904

per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.

A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $514. The real number is $390 higher every month — 76% more than the payment most buyers budget for.

Johnston median: $100,400
Under 20% adds PMI
Freddie Mac PMMS
US average household

Where every dollar goes

Only the first line is a mortgage payment. Change any assumption above and every figure below recalculates.

Principal & interest30-year fixed, $80,000 borrowed $514
Property tax0.538% effective rate for Johnston itself $45
Homeowners insuranceSouth Carolina averages $1,432/yr (NAIC), or 0.578% of home value $48
Electricity16.18¢/kWh — South Carolina residential average, EIA $145
Water, sewer & trashUS household average $68
Maintenance reserve1% of home value per year $83
Total monthly $904

Johnston against Edgefield County and South Carolina

MeasureJohnstonEdgefield County
Median home value$100,400$194,300
Median property tax$540$877
Effective tax rate0.538%0.451%
Median gross rent$803$854
Population2,51826,508

The weather behind that power bill

Johnston sits in Edgefield County, which averages a high of 94.1°F in its hottest month and a low of 35.3°F in its coldest, with 44.09" of precipitation a year and 31% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 2,361 cooling and 2,181 heating degree days, which is what sets the $145 electricity line above.

See the full climate breakdown for Edgefield County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.

Other cities in Edgefield County

Full Edgefield County cost breakdown · Every county in South Carolina

Common questions

How much does it cost to own a home in Johnston?

A $100,000 home in Johnston, South Carolina costs approximately $904 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $514 principal and interest, $45 property tax, $48 homeowners insurance, $213 utilities and $83 set aside for maintenance.

What is the property tax rate in Johnston?

Johnston has an effective property tax rate of 0.538%, based on a median home value of $100,400 and median real estate taxes of $540. That is higher than the Edgefield County average of 0.451%.

What is the average home price in Johnston?

The median owner-occupied home value in Johnston, South Carolina is $100,400, against $194,300 across Edgefield County.

Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Johnston?

Median gross rent in Johnston is $803 a month, against $904 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 Johnston — 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.

Full methodology