Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Lamar, South Carolina
A $113,000 home here costs
$982per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $581. The real number is $401 higher every month — 69% 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.
Lamar against Darlington County and South Carolina
| Measure | Lamar | Darlington County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $112,700 | $141,400 |
| Median property tax | $470 | $604 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.417% | 0.427% |
| Median gross rent | $947 | $876 |
| Population | 1,446 | 62,754 |
The weather behind that power bill
Lamar sits in Darlington County, which averages a high of 92.0°F in its hottest month and a low of 32.0°F in its coldest, with 47.88" of precipitation a year and 32% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 1,973 cooling and 2,745 heating degree days, which is what sets the $145 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Darlington County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Darlington County
Full Darlington County cost breakdown · Every county in South Carolina
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Lamar?
A $113,000 home in Lamar, South Carolina costs approximately $982 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $581 principal and interest, $39 property tax, $54 homeowners insurance, $213 utilities and $94 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Lamar?
Lamar has an effective property tax rate of 0.417%, based on a median home value of $112,700 and median real estate taxes of $470. That is lower than the Darlington County average of 0.427%.
What is the average home price in Lamar?
The median owner-occupied home value in Lamar, South Carolina is $112,700, against $141,400 across Darlington County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Lamar?
Median gross rent in Lamar is $947 a month, against $982 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 Lamar — 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.