Beaufort County, South Carolina property tax
The median homeowner in Beaufort County, South Carolina pays $2,022 a year in property tax on a home worth $407,600, an effective rate of 0.50%. The national effective rate is 0.98%.
What the rate means here
At 0.50%, Beaufort County taxes property more lightly than the national 0.98%. Rate and bill part company here. The percentage is below national, the house is worth $407,600, and the bill lands at $2,022 anyway.
It ranks #26 of 46 South Carolina counties by effective rate, against a statewide 0.51%, and #2,434 nationally. The state runs from 0.88% in Allendale County down to 0.34% in Horry County.
The median home costs 4.81 times the median household income of $84,819, against 3.86 nationally, so housing absorbs an unusually large share of what people here earn. Renters pay 21% of median income in gross rent. The county has 192,123 residents, which is small enough that the medians describe a reasonably coherent market.
The rate is derived rather than quoted. How and why.
What that costs at different home values
Arithmetic at the county effective rate, before any exemption or assessment cap.
Housing and income
| Beaufort County | South Carolina | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Effective property tax | 0.50% | 0.51% | 0.98% |
| Median tax bill | $2,022 | $1,199 | $2,969 |
| Median home value | $407,600 | $236,700 | $303,400 |
| Median gross rent | $1,484 | $1,126 | $1,348 |
| Median household income | $84,819 | $66,818 | $78,538 |
| Home price to income | 4.81× | 3.54× | 3.86× |
| Rent as share of income | 21% | 20.22% | 20.6% |
| Owner-occupied | 75.73% | 71.43% | 65.02% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2023 five-year estimates. Population 192,123.
Nearby counties of similar size
| County | Rate | Median bill | Home value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anderson County | 0.46% | $985 | $212,500 |
| Aiken County | 0.43% | $862 | $199,500 |
| Dorchester County | 0.58% | $1,710 | $294,400 |
| Berkeley County | 0.48% | $1,343 | $280,300 |
| Florence County | 0.44% | $724 | $165,500 |
Beaufort County property tax: common questions
What is the property tax rate in Beaufort County, South Carolina?
The effective rate is 0.50% of home value, from a median tax bill of $2,022 against a median home value of $407,600. That is 0.48 points below the national 0.98%.
How much is property tax on a $400,000 home in Beaufort County?
Roughly $2,000 a year at the county effective rate of 0.50%.
Is Beaufort County expensive compared with the rest of South Carolina?
It ranks #26 of 46 South Carolina counties by effective property tax rate, and #2434 of 2,826 nationally. That is 0.01 points below the South Carolina average of 0.51%.
What does housing cost in Beaufort County?
The median home is worth $407,600 and median gross rent is $1,484 a month. Median household income is $84,819, which puts the home at 4.81 times annual income and rent at 21% of it.