Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Kiawah Island, South Carolina
A $1,723,000 home here costs
$12,069per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $8,858. The real number is $3,211 higher every month — 36% 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.
Kiawah Island against Charleston County and South Carolina
| Measure | Kiawah Island | Charleston County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $1,723,200 | $450,800 |
| Median property tax | $8,796 | $1,864 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.510% | 0.413% |
| Median gross rent | — | $1,506 |
| Population | 2,196 | 414,711 |
The weather behind that power bill
Kiawah Island sits in Charleston County, which averages a high of 87.5°F in its hottest month and a low of 43.6°F in its coldest, with 44.26" of precipitation a year and 37% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 2,448 cooling and 1,623 heating degree days, which is what sets the $145 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Charleston County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Charleston County
Full Charleston County cost breakdown · Every county in South Carolina
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Kiawah Island?
A $1,723,000 home in Kiawah Island, South Carolina costs approximately $12,069 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $8,858 principal and interest, $732 property tax, $830 homeowners insurance, $213 utilities and $1,436 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Kiawah Island?
Kiawah Island has an effective property tax rate of 0.510%, based on a median home value of $1,723,200 and median real estate taxes of $8,796. That is higher than the Charleston County average of 0.413%.
What is the average home price in Kiawah Island?
The median owner-occupied home value in Kiawah Island, South Carolina is $1,723,200, against $450,800 across Charleston County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Kiawah Island?
Rent data is not published for Kiawah Island at this level of detail.
Sources & methodology
- Median home value, real estate taxes, gross rent and population for Kiawah Island — 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.