How much house can I afford in South Carolina?

All-in cost first, always. Estimate only — not a loan quote or pre-approval.

Not your state? Find your calculator here.

South Carolina at a glance

Median home price
$359,900
Typical closing costs
2%–5% of price
Transfer tax
0.37% of sale price, customarily paid by seller
Closing custom
attorney
Homestead exemption
South Carolina's Homestead Exemption exempts the first $50,000 of Fair Market Value of a legal residence from property tax, for homeowners age 65+ (or permanently disabled/legally blind), who have been an SC legal resident for at least one year. Only one spouse in a jointly-owned home need meet the age/disability requirement. Applies to the home and up to 5 contiguous acres. Not automatic — apply with the county auditor between January 1 and July 15 of the year after turning 65. This is separate from and stacks on top of SC's 4% owner-occupied assessment ratio (vs. 6% for non-owner-occupied property), which is the larger driver of SC's low effective property tax rates and is not age-restricted.

First-time buyer / down payment assistance programs

  • SC Housing Homebuyer Program

    South Carolina State Housing Finance and Development Authority's primary fixed-rate first mortgage (FHA/VA/USDA/Conventional) for first-time homebuyers statewide, paired with optional down payment assistance (DPA) structured as a 0%-interest forgivable second mortgage, forgiven after 15 years of owner-occupancy; subject to county-specific income and home price limits.

  • SC Housing First-Generation Homebuyer Program

    Provides qualifying first-generation homebuyers (whose parents/guardians have not owned a home, or lost a home to foreclosure) with $10,000 in down payment assistance and an enhanced, lower fixed interest rate, layered on top of the standard SC Housing Homebuyer Program.

Continue calculating

Mortgage payment calculator

Estimated all-in monthly payment for a home price you have in mind.

First-time buyer programs

Check which down payment assistance programs you likely qualify for.

Take-home pay calculator

What actually reaches your account after federal tax, FICA, and your state's own brackets — with local income tax disclosed rather than guessed at.

Related reading

Closing Costs in South Carolina: What You'll Actually Pay

8 min read

South Carolina's transfer tax is only 0.37% and the seller usually pays it — but state law requires an attorney at every closing. Here's the real math on a $359,900 home.

What Is PMI, and How Do You Get Rid of It?

15 min read

Private mortgage insurance explained in plain English — what it costs, why it exists, the exact federal rules for cancelling it, and how to work out the month your PMI is scheduled to end.

Guides & templates

Buying a Home With Someone Else

$4.99

The operational guide to buying property with a partner, friend, sibling, or parent — credit and DTI mechanics, title vesting, a clause-by-clause co-ownership agreement, and how the exit actually works.

The First-Time Buyer's Playbook: 12 Months to Closing Day

$4.99

A month-by-month plan for the year before you buy: what to do in each phase, what never to touch, how to document every dollar, and how to survive closing day.