Ranked from ACS 2023 5-Year
Counties Where Renting Costs Far Less Than Owning in South Carolina
The widest gaps between median rent and the full monthly cost of owning the median home. A large gap does not automatically mean renting is the better decision, because rent buys no equity and is not fixed for thirty years, but it does show where the market prices ownership at a steep premium.
South Carolina ranked
| # | County | Monthly saved by renting | Median rent | Monthly to own |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Charleston County | $1,879 | $1,506 | $3,385 |
| 2 | Beaufort County | $1,627 | $1,484 | $3,111 |
| 3 | Lancaster County | $1,446 | $892 | $2,338 |
| 4 | York County | $1,207 | $1,304 | $2,511 |
| 5 | Greenville County | $975 | $1,198 | $2,173 |
| 6 | Dorchester County | $951 | $1,381 | $2,332 |
| 7 | Georgetown County | $903 | $1,166 | $2,069 |
| 8 | Oconee County | $871 | $876 | $1,747 |
| 9 | Horry County | $856 | $1,181 | $2,037 |
| 10 | Jasper County | $840 | $1,307 | $2,147 |
| 11 | Pickens County | $800 | $936 | $1,736 |
| 12 | Anderson County | $774 | $952 | $1,726 |
| 13 | Spartanburg County | $750 | $1,019 | $1,769 |
| 14 | Edgefield County | $742 | $854 | $1,596 |
| 15 | Kershaw County | $713 | $872 | $1,585 |
| 16 | McCormick County | $707 | $666 | $1,373 |
| 17 | Berkeley County | $689 | $1,518 | $2,207 |
| 18 | Richland County | $668 | $1,185 | $1,853 |
| 19 | Lexington County | $659 | $1,115 | $1,774 |
| 20 | Abbeville County | $636 | $634 | $1,270 |
| 21 | Aiken County | $599 | $1,031 | $1,630 |
| 22 | Clarendon County | $553 | $728 | $1,281 |
| 23 | Greenwood County | $539 | $880 | $1,419 |
| 24 | Newberry County | $520 | $854 | $1,374 |
| 25 | Florence County | $484 | $908 | $1,392 |
| 26 | Laurens County | $461 | $847 | $1,308 |
| 27 | Colleton County | $370 | $905 | $1,275 |
| 28 | Cherokee County | $366 | $813 | $1,179 |
| 29 | Sumter County | $357 | $1,006 | $1,363 |
| 30 | Darlington County | $346 | $876 | $1,222 |
| 31 | Chester County | $340 | $918 | $1,258 |
| 32 | Saluda County | $294 | $814 | $1,108 |
| 33 | Calhoun County | $279 | $994 | $1,273 |
| 34 | Barnwell County | $242 | $695 | $937 |
| 35 | Fairfield County | $236 | $910 | $1,146 |
| 36 | Orangeburg County | $217 | $804 | $1,021 |
| 37 | Marion County | $178 | $663 | $841 |
| 38 | Union County | $172 | $770 | $942 |
| 39 | Chesterfield County | $168 | $776 | $944 |
| 40 | Hampton County | $166 | $815 | $981 |
| 41 | Lee County | $151 | $806 | $957 |
| 42 | Williamsburg County | $147 | $769 | $916 |
| 43 | Bamberg County | $141 | $794 | $935 |
| 44 | Dillon County | $135 | $692 | $827 |
| 45 | Marlboro County | $80 | $686 | $766 |
| 46 | Allendale County | $-6 | $691 | $685 |
Every figure is modelled on the county's own median home with 20% down at 7.03%. Property tax and electricity are county and state specific; homeowners insurance uses the NAIC average premium for that state, which ranges from 0.16% of home value in Hawaii to 1.16% in Oklahoma. Maintenance and water are national estimates. Full methodology.
Nationwide
Counties Where Renting Costs Far Less Than Owning across all 3,133 US counties · Every county in South Carolina