Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Westminster, South Carolina
A $176,000 home here costs
$1,430per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $905. The real number is $525 higher every month — 58% 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.
Westminster against Oconee County and South Carolina
| Measure | Westminster | Oconee County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $175,600 | $217,200 |
| Median property tax | $959 | $856 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.546% | 0.394% |
| Median gross rent | $583 | $876 |
| Population | 2,244 | 79,566 |
The weather behind that power bill
Westminster sits in Oconee County, which averages a high of 88.5°F in its hottest month and a low of 29.2°F in its coldest, with 61.1" of precipitation a year and 27% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 1,396 cooling and 3,483 heating degree days, which is what sets the $145 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Oconee County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Oconee County
Full Oconee County cost breakdown · Every county in South Carolina
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Westminster?
A $176,000 home in Westminster, South Carolina costs approximately $1,430 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $905 principal and interest, $80 property tax, $85 homeowners insurance, $213 utilities and $147 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Westminster?
Westminster has an effective property tax rate of 0.546%, based on a median home value of $175,600 and median real estate taxes of $959. That is higher than the Oconee County average of 0.394%.
What is the average home price in Westminster?
The median owner-occupied home value in Westminster, South Carolina is $175,600, against $217,200 across Oconee County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Westminster?
Median gross rent in Westminster is $583 a month, against $1,430 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 Westminster — 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.