Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Santee, South Carolina
A $164,000 home here costs
$1,448per month, all in, with 20% down at today's 7.24% 30-year fixed rate. By the 28% rule that takes a household income of about $62,000 a year.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $894. The real number is $554 higher every month, 62% more than the payment most buyers budget for.
Compare Orangeburg County with anywhere in America · full county breakdown
Small-place caveat: the Census publishes these figures for Santee from a five-year rolling sample, and with about 1,179 residents that sample is small. The median home value here carries a much wider margin of error than a big-city figure does, so treat it as indicative rather than exact. The Orangeburg County figures are drawn from a far larger sample if you want a steadier number.
Where every dollar goes
Only the first line is a mortgage payment. Change any assumption above and every figure below recalculates.
Santee against Orangeburg County and South Carolina
| Measure | Santee | Orangeburg County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $163,800 | $109,700 |
| Median property tax | $1,252 | $724 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.764% | 0.660% |
| Median gross rent | $733 | $804 |
| Population | 1,179 | 83,531 |
The weather behind that power bill
Santee sits in Orangeburg County, which averages a high of 91.9°F in its hottest month and a low of 36.9°F in its coldest, with 43.67" of precipitation a year and 32% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 2,234 cooling and 2,195 heating degree days, which is what sets the $165 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Orangeburg County , month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Orangeburg County
Full Orangeburg County cost breakdown · Every county in South Carolina
Talk to someone who works this market
These are Santee averages. What one specific house costs to own, or what it would sell for today, depends on the street and the condition of the place. We will connect you with one licensed local agent who works Santee every week. Free, no obligation, and we never sell your details to a list.
I'm looking to buy in Santee I already own here and may sell
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Santee?
A $164,000 home in Santee, South Carolina costs approximately $1,448 per month with 20% down at 7.24%. That is $894 principal and interest, $104 property tax, $79 homeowners insurance, $233 utilities and $137 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Santee?
Santee has an effective property tax rate of 0.764%, based on a median home value of $163,800 and median real estate taxes of $1,252. That is higher than the Orangeburg County average of 0.660%.
What is the average home price in Santee?
The median owner-occupied home value in Santee, South Carolina is $163,800, against $109,700 across Orangeburg County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Santee?
Median gross rent in Santee is $733 a month, against $1,448 to own the median home all in. Renting costs less month to month here, though renting builds no equity.
What salary do you need to buy a home in Santee?
Using the standard 28% rule, housing costs at no more than 28% of gross income, buying the median home in Santee, South Carolina at today's rate takes a household income of roughly $62,000 a year. That covers the full $1,448 monthly cost, not just the mortgage payment.
Sources & methodology
- Median home value, real estate taxes, gross rent and population for Santee, 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.