Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Laurel Bay, South Carolina
A $221,000 home here costs
$1,768per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $1,136. The real number is $632 higher every month — 56% 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.
Laurel Bay against Beaufort County and South Carolina
| Measure | Laurel Bay | Beaufort County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $221,300 | $407,600 |
| Median property tax | $1,537 | $2,022 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.695% | 0.496% |
| Median gross rent | $1,375 | $1,484 |
| Population | 5,627 | 192,123 |
The weather behind that power bill
Laurel Bay sits in Beaufort County, which averages a high of 91.8°F in its hottest month and a low of 40.1°F in its coldest, with 45.02" of precipitation a year and 38% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 2,570 cooling and 1,732 heating degree days, which is what sets the $145 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Beaufort County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Beaufort County
Full Beaufort County cost breakdown · Every county in South Carolina
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Laurel Bay?
A $221,000 home in Laurel Bay, South Carolina costs approximately $1,768 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $1,136 principal and interest, $128 property tax, $106 homeowners insurance, $213 utilities and $184 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Laurel Bay?
Laurel Bay has an effective property tax rate of 0.695%, based on a median home value of $221,300 and median real estate taxes of $1,537. That is higher than the Beaufort County average of 0.496%.
What is the average home price in Laurel Bay?
The median owner-occupied home value in Laurel Bay, South Carolina is $221,300, against $407,600 across Beaufort County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Laurel Bay?
Median gross rent in Laurel Bay is $1,375 a month, against $1,768 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 Laurel Bay — 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.