Finance · South Carolina

South Carolina Mortgage Calculator (2026)

Calculate your monthly payment with South Carolina-specific property tax (0.57%) and average insurance ($1,500/yr).

South Carolina defaults: property tax ≈ 0.57% of home value · homeowners insurance ≈ $1,500/year · median home value ≈ $309,000. The calculator is preset with these — adjust for your situation.
Standard loan; PMI if DP < 20%, drops at 78% LTV.
Annual costs

Monthly payment

$2,237.83
PITI + PMI/MIP

Payment breakdown

Principal & interest
$1,850.21
Property tax
$146.75
Insurance
$125.00
PMI
Drops month 115
$115.88
Total monthly
$2,237.83

Loan summary

Loan amount
90.0% LTV
$278,100
Total interest paid
$387,974

Amortization schedule (first 12 + every 12 months)

MonthPrincipalInterestPMI/MIPBalance
1$227.96$1,622.25$115.88$277,872
2$229.29$1,620.92$115.88$277,643
3$230.62$1,619.58$115.88$277,412
4$231.97$1,618.24$115.88$277,180
5$233.32$1,616.88$115.88$276,947
6$234.68$1,615.52$115.88$276,712
7$236.05$1,614.15$115.88$276,476
8$237.43$1,612.78$115.88$276,239
9$238.81$1,611.39$115.88$276,000
10$240.21$1,610.00$115.88$275,760
11$241.61$1,608.60$115.88$275,518
12$243.02$1,607.19$115.88$275,275
24$260.59$1,589.62$115.88$272,246
36$279.42$1,570.78$115.88$268,998
48$299.62$1,550.58$115.88$265,515
60$321.28$1,528.92$115.88$261,780
72$344.51$1,505.70$115.88$257,775
84$369.41$1,480.79$115.88$253,481
96$396.12$1,454.09$115.88$248,876
108$424.75$1,425.45$115.88$243,939
120$455.46$1,394.75$238,644
132$488.38$1,361.82$232,967
144$523.69$1,326.52$226,879
156$561.55$1,288.66$220,352
168$602.14$1,248.07$213,352
180$645.67$1,204.54$205,846
192$692.34$1,157.86$197,798
204$742.39$1,107.81$189,168
216$796.06$1,054.14$179,914
228$853.61$996.60$169,992
240$915.32$934.89$159,352
252$981.48$868.72$147,942
264$1,052.44$797.77$135,708
276$1,128.52$721.69$122,590
288$1,210.10$640.11$108,523
300$1,297.58$552.63$93,439
312$1,391.38$458.83$77,265
324$1,491.96$358.25$59,922
336$1,599.81$250.39$41,325
348$1,715.46$134.74$21,383
360$1,839.48$10.73$0

What the payment actually costs

Expect roughly $2,280 a year in property tax on a $400,000 home here. South Carolina's effective rate of 0.57% ranks 46th of 51, compared with about 1.10% nationally — $190 a month that never appears in a quoted mortgage payment.

Homeowners insurance runs about $1,500 a year in South Carolina, 23rd of 51 states and below the $1,552 national average. Together, tax and insurance add roughly $315 a month to the payment before you have paid a dollar of principal.

How this fits the rest of your tax bill

The trade-off runs the other way here. South Carolina property tax is low at 0.57% — 46th of 51 — but the state does tax income. Owners get off comparatively lightly; the cost shows up on the pay stub instead, which favours buyers with modest incomes and large homes over high earners in small ones.

Housing costs compound with the rate. South Carolina runs about 8% below national-average costs, so the same 0.57% rate applies to a smaller assessed value than it would elsewhere. A percentage rate is only half the number that matters; the base it applies to is the other half.

Property tax rates are effective statewide averages; your county assessor sets the actual figure and it varies widely within a state. See our methodology.

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the average property tax rate in South Carolina?
South Carolina's effective property tax rate is approximately 0.57% of home value per year. On a $309,000 home, that's about $1,761 per year (or $147/month). The calculator above uses this as the default — adjust if your specific county is higher or lower.
What's a typical homeowners insurance cost in South Carolina?
The average annual homeowners insurance premium in South Carolina is around $1,500 for a typical home. High-risk states (Florida, Louisiana, Texas) tend to be higher due to hurricane/flood/wildfire exposure; low-cost states (Oregon, Hawaii, DC) sit at $1,000 or less.
How much do I need to put down on a South Carolina mortgage?
Conventional loans typically require 5-20% down. FHA allows just 3.5% down with a 580+ credit score. VA loans (military) allow 0% down. Putting 20%+ avoids PMI entirely on conventional loans, saving you 0.5-1% of the loan amount per year.
What credit score do I need to buy a home in South Carolina?
Conventional: 620 minimum (740+ for best rates). FHA: 580 with 3.5% down, or 500 with 10% down. VA: most lenders want 620 even though VA itself has no minimum. Higher credit = lower rate = thousands in savings over the life of the loan.
Should I rent or buy in this market?
Generally buying makes sense if you plan to stay 5+ years and your monthly payment (including taxes, insurance, maintenance) is within ~30% of your gross income. Use the calculator above to see your real monthly cost — many buyers underestimate the non-mortgage costs by 30-40%.

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