South Carolina
Ranked #18 of 51 for housing affordability
Median Home Price
🏠$273K
4.02x income
Median Rent
🔑$1,170
31.0% rent-burdened
Median Income
💰$68K
Population: 5,282,634
Homeownership
🏡72.0%
4,448 experiencing homelessness
Housing Shortage
📉80,000
units needed
Building Permits (2024)
🔨47,072
Price-to-Income
📊4.02x
Severe Rent Burden
⚠️14.5%
paying >50% of income
Rent Burden Breakdown
vs. National Average
House Price Index (2000–2025)
FHFA All-Transactions HPI · Base = 100 (1980s)
HUD Fair Market Rents (FY2026)
Maximum rent HUD considers fair for Section 8 voucher holders
FMR ($1344) is above the state median rent ($1170) — vouchers cover typical rents.
Metros in South Carolina
| Metro | Score | Home Price | Rent | Income | Rent Burden |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greenville | 55 | $224K | $1,042 | $60K | 31.0% |
| Columbia | 60 | $259K | $1,084 | $69K | 31.5% |
| Charleston | 40 | $136K | $863 | $55K | 33.5% |
| Myrtle Beach | 45 | $317K | $1,265 | $69K | 34.0% |
| Spartanburg | 82 | $233K | $1,006 | $61K | 20.2% |
| Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal | 64 | $454K | $1,687 | $81K | 21.6% |
| Florence | 88 | $161K | $957 | $50K | 23.7% |
| Sumter | 86 | $190K | $931 | $56K | 10.0% |
Market Trends
Homeownership Rate
72.0%
Rent-to-Income Ratio
21.0%
of gross income spent on rent
Total Households
2,177,733
Owner-Occupied
1,577,358
Renter-Occupied
600,375
Homelessness
Latest Count (2024)
4,593
1-Year Change
+13.3%
10-Year Trend (2015–2024)
-14.2%
5,354 → 4,593
Housing Policies
Construction Activity
Total Permits (2024)
47,072
3.4% of national total
Single-Family
40,558
86% of state permits
Multi-Family
6,514
14% of state permits
Mortgage Access
National HMDA data — mortgage denial rates by race/ethnicity
Denial Rates by Race
Top Denial Reasons
Housing Shortage
State Shortage
80,000
units needed
National Shortage
7,300,000
1.1% of national total
Affordable Units per 100 ELI Renters
35
nationally (NLIHC)
National Shortage by Unit Type
45%
Single-Family
18%
Small Multi (2-4)
22%
Medium Multi (5-49)
15%
Large Multi (50+)
Rent Burden Detail
South Carolina burden rates with national demographic breakdown
Cost-Burdened Renters
31.0%
paying >30% of income
Severely Burdened
14.5%
paying >50% of income
Households >30% Burden
137,177
Households >35% Burden
64,209