Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Olympia, South Carolina
A $189,000 home here costs
$1,542per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $972. The real number is $570 higher every month — 59% 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.
Olympia against Richland County and South Carolina
| Measure | Olympia | Richland County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $189,200 | $224,200 |
| Median property tax | $1,297 | $1,569 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.686% | 0.700% |
| Median gross rent | $1,214 | $1,185 |
| Population | 1,301 | 418,725 |
The weather behind that power bill
Olympia sits in Richland County, which averages a high of 93.2°F in its hottest month and a low of 37.0°F in its coldest, with 43.68" of precipitation a year and 33% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 2,418 cooling and 2,210 heating degree days, which is what sets the $145 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Richland County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Richland County
Full Richland County cost breakdown · Every county in South Carolina
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Olympia?
A $189,000 home in Olympia, South Carolina costs approximately $1,542 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $972 principal and interest, $108 property tax, $91 homeowners insurance, $213 utilities and $158 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Olympia?
Olympia has an effective property tax rate of 0.686%, based on a median home value of $189,200 and median real estate taxes of $1,297. That is lower than the Richland County average of 0.700%.
What is the average home price in Olympia?
The median owner-occupied home value in Olympia, South Carolina is $189,200, against $224,200 across Richland County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Olympia?
Median gross rent in Olympia is $1,214 a month, against $1,542 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 Olympia — 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.