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Clarendon County, SC

Rent vs Own in Clarendon County, South Carolina

In Clarendon County the ownership stack ($919/mo) sits only modestly above HUD's $902/mo 2-bedroom rent, a thin premium, not a blowout. Small assumption changes in the calculator can flip the verdict. Owner-occupied homes: 9,013.

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Renting is cheaper in Clarendon County

HUD's 2-bedroom rent is $902/mo - only a thin step below the $919/mo ownership stack. That is a $17/mo difference.

Based on 20% down, 6.5% rate, 30-year mortgage. Adjust below.

What This Data Tells Us About Renting vs Owning in Clarendon County

Primary driver

Price and income sit in the middle band

Median household income is $52,401, for a 3.0x home-price-to-income ratio in the middle of the national distribution; property tax takes 1.7% of that income. Small changes in down payment or rate move this county across the rent-vs-own line more than they would in a high-ratio market.

Decision signal 2

HUD moved the rent benchmark down

HUD cut its 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent for Clarendon County from $933/mo in FY2025 to $902/mo in FY2026: it decreased by $31/mo (-3.3%). A falling benchmark narrows the case for buying here, and it usually reflects HUD re-estimating the local market rather than existing rents being cut.

Decision signal 3

The county sits near the state middle

Using the assumptions above, Clarendon County ranks 26 of 46 South Carolina counties for buy-vs-rent value (rank 1 = the best relative deal for buying). It sits ahead of 20 other South Carolina counties on this measure.

Decision signal 4

Renting wins, but only by a thin premium

At $158,000 for the median home and $883/yr in tax (0.56%), Clarendon County's ownership stack (~$919/mo) only narrowly exceeds the $902/mo HUD 2-bedroom rent - a $17/mo premium. That is the band where a rate drop or a larger down payment most often flips the cash-flow verdict.

Methodology & disclaimer

This calculator is for informational purposes only and is not tax, legal, or financial advice. Property tax figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates and rent figures come from HUD Fair Market Rents; both describe area medians, not individual transactions. Insurance is estimated at 0.35% of home value annually and closing costs, maintenance, HOA, and PMI are not included. Consult a licensed mortgage, tax, or real-estate professional before making a buy-or-rent decision based on these numbers.

Monthly Cost Breakdown

Estimated Monthly Ownership
$919
Mortgage (P&I) $799
Property Tax $74
Insurance (est.) $46
Monthly Rent (2-BR FMR)
$902
Studio$683
1-Bedroom$687
2-Bedroom$902
3-Bedroom$1,205
4-Bedroom$1,380

Adjust Your Scenario

Affordability Context

Median Household Income
$52,401
$4,367/mo
Home Price / Income
3.0x
Moderate (3-5x)
Tax-to-Income Ratio
1.7%
National benchmark: 2-4%

Who actually pays it here

In Clarendon County, once the mortgage ends staying put is close to free: the largest cluster of debt-free households faces a yearly charge under $800, so insurance and upkeep, not the tax office, set what the home costs to keep.

Clarendon County matches the national pattern: six-figure earners between $100,000 and $200,000 account for more of these write-offs than any other local group.

Layered on a thin rent-vs-own premium, that annual bill is often the swing factor: a paid-off owner still faces a real yearly charge even when the mortgage payment itself would have looked competitive.

Bill bands are Census ACS counts of owner-occupied homes without a mortgage. Income brackets are IRS Statistics of Income county data for tax year 2022, counted over FILERS reporting real-estate taxes on Schedule A, which is a smaller group than homeowners: most filers take the standard deduction.

Nearby Counties

Greenville County
Home: $299,000 Tax: $1,512/yr
Horry County
Home: $287,700 Tax: $944/yr
Charleston County
Home: $489,100 Tax: $1,901/yr
Richland County
Home: $242,800 Tax: $1,637/yr
Spartanburg County
Home: $233,300 Tax: $1,274/yr
Lexington County
Home: $234,500 Tax: $1,151/yr

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average rent in Clarendon County? ▼
HUD prices a 2-bedroom unit at $902/mo here. Sizing up matters: going from a studio to a 4-bedroom adds about $697/mo, so the per-bedroom jump is worth checking against your actual space needs before assuming the 2-BR figure applies to your situation.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Clarendon County, South Carolina? ▼
HUD's 2-bedroom rent is only a thin step cheaper than owning in Clarendon County (about $17/mo) on the standard 20%-down / 6.5% assumptions. A larger down payment or a rate drop often closes it; equity is still the ownership-only bonus.
How much house can you afford in Clarendon County? ▼
On the common 3x-income guideline, a $52,401 household here can afford up to $157,203 -- about $797 short of this county's $158,000 median home. That gap is typically closed with a larger down payment, dual incomes, or a longer search outside the median price band.
What is the median home price in Clarendon County? ▼
$158,000, per the Census Bureau's ACS 5-Year Estimates. The property tax on that value works out to roughly 0.56% a year, in line with typical rates for the area.
Is rent going up or down in Clarendon County? ▼
HUD's 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent figure has fallen 3.3% between the FY2025 and FY2026 publications, the two most recent years tracked here.
How does Clarendon County compare to other South Carolina counties for renting vs buying? ▼
Out of 46 South Carolina counties ranked here on buy-vs-rent value, Clarendon County lands at spot 26, roughly in the middle of the pack statewide. The <a href="/states/south-carolina">South Carolina state page</a> lists every peer county's tax bill beside this one.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau (American Community Survey). See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainPropertyTax

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Government Finances State and local property tax revenue by jurisdiction · 2025

Verify with HUD →