South Carolina property tax calculator
Homeowners in South Carolina pay a median of $1,251 each year, which is 0.48% of the median home value, $259,000.
An estimate, not a bill. Your county assessor (an appraisal district in some states) sets the value; local taxing units set the rates. Before you pay or protest, confirm the details with your county.
Property tax rate and typical bill in South Carolina
The South Carolina rate sits below the US figure of 0.94%. County by county, the rate ranges from 0.33% in Horry County up to 0.88% in Allendale County. Based on the Census American Community Survey 5-year estimates for the years 2020 to 2024, these figures are medians for owner-occupied homes.
What yearly bills look like at typical home values in South Carolina
| Home value | State median rate, 0.48% | Horry County, 0.33% | Allendale County, 0.88% |
|---|---|---|---|
| $200,000 | $960 | $660 | $1,760 |
| $300,000 | $1,440 | $990 | $2,640 |
| $400,000 | $1,920 | $1,320 | $3,520 |
| $500,000 | $2,400 | $1,650 | $4,400 |
Multiply the home value by the effective rate. Horry County posts the lowest county rate in South Carolina, while Allendale County posts the highest; the calculator uses the rate for your own county.
Property tax rates by county in South Carolina
- under 0.42%
- 0.42% to 0.48%
- 0.48% to 0.53%
- 0.53% to 0.57%
- 0.57% and up
The highest rates in South Carolina
| County | Effective rate | Median yearly tax |
|---|---|---|
| Allendale County | 0.88% | $669 |
| Bamberg County | 0.83% | $811 |
| Hampton County | 0.80% | $897 |
| Barnwell County | 0.73% | $775 |
| Richland County | 0.67% | $1,637 |
The lowest rates in South Carolina
| County | Effective rate | Median yearly tax |
|---|---|---|
| Horry County | 0.33% | $944 |
| Pickens County | 0.37% | $866 |
| Oconee County | 0.38% | $899 |
| Charleston County | 0.39% | $1,901 |
| Laurens County | 0.41% | $698 |
Every South Carolina county, 46 in all, from A to Z
| County | Effective rate | Median yearly tax | Median home value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abbeville County | 0.44% | $782 | $178,800 |
| Aiken County | 0.41% | $897 | $218,000 |
| Allendale County | 0.88% | $669 | $76,200 |
| Anderson County | 0.45% | $1,043 | $231,900 |
| Bamberg County | 0.83% | $811 | $97,800 |
| Barnwell County | 0.73% | $775 | $106,000 |
| Beaufort County | 0.48% | $2,174 | $455,600 |
| Berkeley County | 0.45% | $1,400 | $310,300 |
| Calhoun County | 0.41% | $704 | $172,100 |
| Charleston County | 0.39% | $1,901 | $489,100 |
| Cherokee County | 0.43% | $614 | $142,000 |
| Chester County | 0.56% | $890 | $158,300 |
| Chesterfield County | 0.42% | $487 | $116,200 |
| Clarendon County | 0.56% | $883 | $158,000 |
| Colleton County | 0.55% | $900 | $162,500 |
| Darlington County | 0.41% | $652 | $158,200 |
| Dillon County | 0.53% | $452 | $85,400 |
| Dorchester County | 0.56% | $1,851 | $329,300 |
| Edgefield County | 0.43% | $875 | $202,700 |
| Fairfield County | 0.51% | $776 | $151,200 |
| Florence County | 0.42% | $756 | $177,900 |
| Georgetown County | 0.41% | $1,190 | $289,500 |
| Greenville County | 0.51% | $1,512 | $299,000 |
| Greenwood County | 0.53% | $964 | $180,500 |
| Hampton County | 0.80% | $897 | $112,000 |
| Horry County | 0.33% | $944 | $287,700 |
| Jasper County | 0.57% | $1,852 | $325,500 |
| Kershaw County | 0.47% | $1,013 | $217,100 |
| Lancaster County | 0.50% | $1,657 | $329,900 |
| Laurens County | 0.41% | $698 | $170,600 |
| Lee County | 0.57% | $599 | $104,600 |
| Lexington County | 0.49% | $1,151 | $234,500 |
| Marion County | 0.47% | $436 | $93,200 |
| Marlboro County | 0.60% | $496 | $82,000 |
| McCormick County | 0.56% | $948 | $168,700 |
| Newberry County | 0.67% | $1,154 | $173,300 |
| Oconee County | 0.38% | $899 | $237,100 |
| Orangeburg County | 0.65% | $749 | $115,800 |
| Pickens County | 0.37% | $866 | $231,900 |
| Richland County | 0.67% | $1,637 | $242,800 |
| Saluda County | 0.51% | $747 | $146,500 |
| Spartanburg County | 0.55% | $1,274 | $233,300 |
| Sumter County | 0.53% | $881 | $165,300 |
| Union County | 0.56% | $579 | $103,600 |
| Williamsburg County | 0.66% | $687 | $104,500 |
| York County | 0.48% | $1,740 | $361,300 |
Table B25103 has median real estate taxes paid and table B25077 has median value, for owner-occupied homes in the Census American Community Survey 2020 to 2024. Median tax over median value gives the effective rate. Get all counties in a CSV file.
Homestead exemption in South Carolina
Homestead Exemption. Homeowners over 65, with a total and permanent disability, or legally blind, receive a full tax exemption covering the first $50,000 in fair market value for their legal residence. Applications are handled by the county.
How to apply: Send an application to the County Auditor's Office for the county where your home sits.
The source is dor.sc.gov.
Steps for appealing a property tax assessment in South Carolina
APPEAL BY90 days from the assessment or denial notice date
If the SCDOR made a property tax assessment or denied an exemption, you must file a written protest no later than 90 days after the assessment date or after the date of a denial notice.
First hearing: The division of SCDOR that issued the property tax assessment, or refused the exemption, hears the case first. If the matter is still unresolved, it moves on to the SCDOR Appeals Section.
Source: dor.sc.gov
South Carolina property tax due dates
After assessment, state law makes property taxes due in a window that runs from September 30 to January 15. If the tax is unpaid by January 16, penalties begin at 3 percent. After February 2 they reach 7 percent, and after March 17 they reach 5 percent.
The source is scstatehouse.gov.
Help for older homeowners in South Carolina
Statewide, the Homestead Exemption exempts the first $50,000 of a legal residence's fair market value from tax. It applies to homeowners over age 65, to those with a total and permanent disability, and to those who are legally blind.
The source is dor.sc.gov.
Exemptions for disabled veterans in South Carolina
Veterans with a service-connected disability that is total and permanent may receive a property tax exemption for a dwelling home. You must be granted the 4% ratio first, and a VA rating decision letter by itself does not qualify.
Source material: dor.sc.gov.
Help for homeowners who have a disability
A person who is paraplegic or hemiplegic can seek a property tax exemption for a dwelling home plus a lot measuring up to one acre. If Parkinson's disease, Multiple Sclerosis or ALS causes the same ambulatory difficulties, it counts.
This information comes from dor.sc.gov.
How your home is valued in South Carolina
If you are a homeowner, your current primary home can be taxed at the Legal Residence rate, a special 4% assessment ratio. Your county assessor's office handles the application.
Source material: dor.sc.gov.
Other South Carolina property tax rules to know
- The State temporarily authorized an extra Homestead Exemption for tax year 2026, aimed at certain qualifying recipients. Administration rests with the county auditor, who also decides whether your account receives the extra amount.
- Charleston County says applications for the 4% legal residence assessment ratio, for a primary home, are typically due on January 15 each year. An application plus proof of eligibility is required of you.
- If a qualified Homestead recipient dies, the surviving spouse can keep the benefit when the recipient was eligible at death. Within nine months, the spouse must obtain title to the home. The spouse must live there and must remain unmarried.
- Charleston County outlines an ATI exemption: after an Assessable Transfer of Interest, the taxable increase is capped at 75% of fair market value for properties taxed at 6% that qualify. The deadline for the application is January 30.
Sources for these rules: dor.sc.gov; charlestoncounty.gov (a local office); dor.sc.gov.
How South Carolina compares with other states
You can see how the South Carolina rate compares with every state in the table of property tax rates by state, look into who is eligible for a homestead exemption in other states, or check the appeal deadline in any state.