Beaufort County, South Carolina Housing Market Prices
Beaufort County Home Prices and Rent at a Glance
The median home price (often called the average home price), rent costs, affordability metrics, and housing stock characteristics for this housing market.
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Median home price 49% above the South Carolina median Among the 5 most expensive counties in South Carolina$356,655
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Median rent 40% above the South Carolina median Most expensive county in South Carolina$1,653
Median Home Price Map: Nearby Counties
Housing Market Overview
| Metric | Beaufort County | South Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $356,655 | $239,609 | $248,835 |
| Price Trend (Annual %) | 6.1% | 8.9% | 7.5% |
| Median Gross Rent | $1,653 | $1,179 | $1,407 |
| Rent Trend (Annual %) | 5.8% | 4.8% | 5.1% |
| Household Income Trend (Annual %) | — | — | — |
The median home price in Beaufort County is about 49% higher than in South Carolina. Rent is about 40% higher than the South Carolina average.
Median Home and Rent Price Trends
Median Home Prices, 2015-2024
Median Rent Prices, 2015-2024
Both home prices and rent are rising in Beaufort County, up about 6.1% and 5.8% a year respectively. Home prices are changing faster.
Median rent in Beaufort County rose about 57.7% between 2015 and 2024, from $1,048 to $1,653. Over the same span, rent in South Carolina rose about 49.3%.
Affordability
On average, housing unit costs 4.0 yearly household incomes in Beaufort County.
Buying the median-priced home in Beaufort County costs roughly 18.0 years of rent at the median monthly rate. That is a moderate price-to-rent ratio, where buying and renting are often similarly cost-effective in Beaufort County. The price-to-rent ratio in South Carolina is about 16.9.
| Metric | Beaufort County | South Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $356,655 | $239,609 | $248,835 |
| Median Household Income | $88,120 | $69,383 | $80,455 |
| Price-to-Income Ratio | 4.0 | 3.5 | 3.1 |
Home Prices vs Income Over Time
Between 2015 and 2024, the median home price in Beaufort County rose about 61.5%, while median household income rose about 53.6% between 2009 and 2025 — the home price grew faster than income.
Income Growth vs Housing Cost Growth (Year-over-Year %)
Compare income and housing cost trends.
Occupancy & Tenure
| Metric | Beaufort County | South Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homeownership Rate | 60.6% | 62.3% | 58.5% |
| Rental Rate | 19.2% | 24.4% | 31.2% |
| Vacancy Rate | 20.2% | 13.3% | 10.2% |
| Median Tenure (years) | 14.0 | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Median Year Moved In | 2012 | 2011 | 2011 |
Beaufort County has a homeownership rate of 60.6%, lower than the South Carolina average of 62.3%. Its housing vacancy rate is 20.2%, compared with 13.3% in South Carolina.
Housing Stock
| Metric | Beaufort County | South Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Household Size | 2.28 people | 2.44 people | 2.53 people |
| Median Structure Built Year | 1998 | 1990 | 1978 |
| Median Number of Rooms | 5.9 | 5.7 | 5.5 |
The typical housing unit in Beaufort County was built around 1998. On average, 2.3 people live in a home with about 5.9 rooms, staying for about 14.0 years on average.
Beaufort County, SC Housing Compared With Nearby Counties
Beaufort County, SC is the 2nd largest of the 4 counties compared here, 195,246 residents against a local median of 69,143. The measure that sets Beaufort County, SC apart most is median home price: $356,655, 76% above the local median of $202,900.
Median rent tells the same story from another angle: $1,653 against a local median of $1,146, 44% above it. The counties themselves sit within $83,348 of each other on median home price, a tighter band than the gap between any of them and Beaufort County, SC, which makes it a genuine outlier here rather than one end of a wide local spread. Beaufort County, SC has the highest median home price of the 4 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median home price | Median rent | Homeownership |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beaufort County, SC | 195,246 | $356,655 #1/4 | $1,653 #1/4 | 75.9% #2/4 |
| Colleton County, SC | 38,792 | $202,900 | $949 | 73.3% |
| Chatham County, GA | 300,892 | $271,220 | $1,470 | 56.8% |
| Effingham County, GA | 69,143 | $187,873 | $1,146 | 78.4% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the housing market in Beaufort County, South Carolina.
What is the median home price in Beaufort County, South Carolina?
The median home price in Beaufort County, South Carolina is $356,655, higher than the South Carolina average of $239,609.
What is the average home price in Beaufort County, South Carolina?
The typical home price in Beaufort County, South Carolina, reported as the median sale price, is $356,655. The median is used instead of a mathematical average because it is not skewed by a small number of very expensive or very cheap homes, so it better reflects what a typical buyer pays.
What is the median rent in Beaufort County, South Carolina?
The median gross rent in Beaufort County, South Carolina is $1,653 per month, higher than the South Carolina average of $1,179.
What was the median gross rent in Beaufort County in 2020?
In 2020, the median gross rent in Beaufort County, South Carolina was $1,228 per month.
What is the price-to-rent ratio in Beaufort County, South Carolina?
The price-to-rent ratio in Beaufort County, South Carolina is about 18.0, meaning it would take roughly 18.0 years of rent payments at the median rent to equal the median home price. That is a moderate price-to-rent ratio, where buying and renting are often similarly cost-effective in Beaufort County.
Are home prices or rent rising faster in Beaufort County, South Carolina?
Both home prices and rent are rising in Beaufort County, up about 6.1% and 5.8% a year respectively. Home prices are changing faster.
What is the homeownership rate in Beaufort County, South Carolina?
60.6% of households in Beaufort County, South Carolina own their home, lower than the South Carolina average of 62.3%.
What is the vacancy rate in Beaufort County, South Carolina?
The housing vacancy rate in Beaufort County, South Carolina is 20.2%, higher than the South Carolina average of 13.3%.
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