Cost to Own
United StatesSouth CarolinaAbbeville County FIPS 45001 Data vintage ACS 2023 5-Year Rates updated 2026-09-10
The part nobody budgets Even with the mortgage fully paid off, the median home in Abbeville County still costs $484 a month in taxes, insurance, utilities and upkeep. See how that compares nationwide

Total monthly cost of ownership

Cost to Own a Home in Abbeville County, South Carolina

A $147,000 home here costs

$1,248

per month, all in, with 20% down at today's 6.76% 30-year fixed rate. By the 28% rule that takes a household income of about $53,500 a year.

P&I 61%Tax 5%Insurance 6%Utilities 19%Upkeep 10%

A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $764. The real number is $484 higher every month, 63% more than the payment most buyers budget for.

County median: $147,200
Under 20% adds PMI
Freddie Mac PMMS
SC average household

Compare with Greenville County · Anderson County · Greenwood County · any county

Where every dollar goes

Only the first line is a mortgage payment. Change any assumption above and every figure below recalculates.

Principal & interest30-year fixed, $117,600 borrowed $764
Property tax0.487% effective rate, Abbeville County assessor via Census ACS $60
Homeowners insuranceSouth Carolina averages $1,432/yr (NAIC), or 0.578% of home value $71
Electricity15.55¢/kWh, South Carolina residential average, EIA $163
Water, sewer & trashUS household average $68
Maintenance reserve1% of home value per year, the cost nobody budgets $123
Total monthly $1,248

How Abbeville County compares

Abbeville County ranks 2,735th of 3,133 US counties by effective property tax rate, meaning property taxes here are lower than in 398 counties and higher than in 2,734. Within South Carolina it ranks 30th of 46.

Abbeville County 0.487% 42% lower than national
South Carolina average 0.542%
National median0.837%
Highest in America, Menominee County, WI3.636%

Paying the full bill when you don't have to?

South Carolina runs property tax relief: homestead, senior, veteran and disability programs, and nearly all of it requires a filing homeowners never make. See what you can claim in South Carolina. Buying instead? The state's down payment help is the program lenders forget to mention.

The numbers behind this page

MeasureAbbeville CountySource
Median home value$147,200ACS B25077
Median real estate taxes paid$717ACS B25103
Effective property tax rate0.487%Derived
Median gross rent$634ACS B25064
Occupied housing units9,536ACS B25003
Population24,352ACS B01003
Residential electricity price15.55¢/kWhEIA 5.6.A, June 2026
30-year fixed mortgage rate6.76%Freddie Mac PMMS

The risk behind the insurance bill

FEMA rates Abbeville County's overall natural hazard risk Relatively Low among US counties. Expected annual losses to buildings, people and agriculture here run about $10.3 million a year, county-wide, across every building in it, not per household.

One thing to be clear about: the insurance figure above does not know about any of this. It applies your state's average premium rate to the county's median home value, because published premium data does not exist at county level. Two counties in the same state get the same rate here even when FEMA rates one of them Very High and the other Very Low. So in a high-risk county treat the insurance line as a floor, not an estimate, and get a real quote before you budget.

Ice storm FEMA National Risk Index percentile 83.8 Relatively High
Cold wave FEMA National Risk Index percentile 80 Relatively Moderate
Heat wave FEMA National Risk Index percentile 74.8 Relatively Low

Ratings are FEMA's own, relative to all US counties. A high drought or heat rating also shows up in the climate figures for Abbeville County.

Talk to someone who works this market

Every figure on this page is a county average. What your specific house costs, or what it would sell for, comes down to the street, the age of the roof and the condition of the systems. We will connect you with one licensed local agent who works Abbeville County every week. Free, no obligation, and we never sell your details to a list.

I'm looking to buy in Abbeville County I already own here and may sell

The weather behind that power bill

Abbeville County runs an average high of 90.2°F in its hottest month and a low of 31.8°F in its coldest, with 42.01" of precipitation a year and 28% of it falling in a single three-month stretch. That climate is what sets the $163 electricity line above: 1,676 cooling degree days and 3,048 heating degree days a year.

See the full Abbeville County climate breakdown , month by month temperatures, when the rainy season lands, snowfall, and what the heating and cooling actually cost.

Cities and towns in Abbeville County

Each has its own median home value and its own effective tax rate, which can differ noticeably from the county average of 0.487%.

Neighbouring counties

Counties sharing a border with Abbeville County. Crossing a state line can change the tax rate dramatically for an otherwise identical house.

All 46 counties in South Carolina

Questions about owning here

What is the property tax rate in Abbeville County?

The effective property tax rate in Abbeville County, South Carolina is 0.487% of home value per year. On the county's median home value of $147,200, that works out to about $717 annually, or $60 per month.

How much does it cost to own a home in Abbeville County?

A $147,000 home in Abbeville County, South Carolina costs approximately $1,248 per month with 20% down at 6.76%. That breaks down as $764 principal and interest, $60 property tax, $71 insurance, $231 utilities and $123 set aside for maintenance.

Why is this higher than the payment my lender quoted?

Lender quotes usually show principal and interest only, and sometimes property tax and insurance. They almost never include electricity, water or a maintenance reserve. Here those add about $354 a month, which is why the real cost is 63% above the mortgage payment alone.

Is it cheaper to rent in Abbeville County?

Median gross rent in Abbeville County, South Carolina is $634 per month, compared with $1,248 a month to own the median home all in. Renting is cheaper month to month, though rent does not build equity and is not fixed for 30 years.

How much is the electric bill in Abbeville County?

South Carolina residential electricity averages 15.55¢ per kWh. At the SC average household usage of 1050 kWh per month, that is about $163. Actual bills vary considerably with house size, insulation and climate.

What salary do you need to buy a home in Abbeville County?

Using the standard 28% rule, housing costs at no more than 28% of gross income, buying the median home in Abbeville County, South Carolina at today's rate takes a household income of roughly $53,500 a year. That covers the full $1,248 monthly cost, not just the mortgage payment.

One county over In Elbert County, GA, the same $147,000 home pays about $729 a year more in property tax than it does here. See what else changes across the line

Sources & methodology

  • Median home value, real estate taxes paid, gross rent, occupied units and population, US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, tables B25077, B25103, B25064, B25003, B01003.
  • Effective property tax rate, median real estate taxes paid divided by median home value.
  • Mortgage rate, Freddie Mac PMMS, updated weekly.
  • Residential electricity price, US Energy Information Administration, Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.A.
  • Homeowners insurance, NAIC average premium for South Carolina ($1,432/yr), expressed as 0.578% of median home value and applied to the price above. A quote for your specific house will differ with roof age, claims history and coverage.
  • Maintenance (1%/yr) and water and sewer ($68/mo) are modelled national estimates, not quoted figures. Every assumption is editable above.

Full methodology