Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Santee, South Carolina
A $164,000 home here costs
$1,377per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $843. The real number is $534 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.
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 $145 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
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Santee?
A $164,000 home in Santee, South Carolina costs approximately $1,377 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $843 principal and interest, $104 property tax, $79 homeowners insurance, $213 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 $1,377 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 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.