Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Laurens, South Carolina
A $140,000 home here costs
$1,171per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $720. The real number is $451 higher every month — 63% 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.
Laurens against Laurens County and South Carolina
| Measure | Laurens | Laurens County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $139,800 | $153,500 |
| Median property tax | $645 | $673 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.461% | 0.438% |
| Median gross rent | $795 | $847 |
| Population | 9,307 | 67,904 |
The weather behind that power bill
Laurens sits in Laurens County, which averages a high of 90.9°F in its hottest month and a low of 30.3°F in its coldest, with 46.71" of precipitation a year and 27% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 1,788 cooling and 3,135 heating degree days, which is what sets the $145 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Laurens County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Laurens County
Full Laurens County cost breakdown · Every county in South Carolina
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Laurens?
A $140,000 home in Laurens, South Carolina costs approximately $1,171 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $720 principal and interest, $54 property tax, $67 homeowners insurance, $213 utilities and $117 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Laurens?
Laurens has an effective property tax rate of 0.461%, based on a median home value of $139,800 and median real estate taxes of $645. That is higher than the Laurens County average of 0.438%.
What is the average home price in Laurens?
The median owner-occupied home value in Laurens, South Carolina is $139,800, against $153,500 across Laurens County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Laurens?
Median gross rent in Laurens is $795 a month, against $1,171 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 Laurens — 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.