Chester County, South Carolina property tax
The median homeowner in Chester County, South Carolina pays $846 a year in property tax on a home worth $143,800, an effective rate of 0.59%. The national effective rate is 0.98%.
What the rate means here
At 0.59%, Chester County taxes property more lightly than the national 0.98%. That puts the median bill at $846. Rates this low usually mean the state, rather than the county, carries more of the school funding.
It ranks #12 of 46 South Carolina counties by effective rate, against a statewide 0.51%, and #2,117 nationally. The state runs from 0.88% in Allendale County down to 0.34% in Horry County.
The median home costs 2.81 times the median household income of $51,216, against 3.86 nationally, which is a comfortable ratio by American standards. 77.89% of occupied homes are owned rather than rented, and cheap housing relative to income is usually why. With 32,177 residents, the sample behind these medians is small, and the survey's own margins of error are correspondingly wider.
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
| Chester County | South Carolina | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Effective property tax | 0.59% | 0.51% | 0.98% |
| Median tax bill | $846 | $1,199 | $2,969 |
| Median home value | $143,800 | $236,700 | $303,400 |
| Median gross rent | $918 | $1,126 | $1,348 |
| Median household income | $51,216 | $66,818 | $78,538 |
| Home price to income | 2.81× | 3.54× | 3.86× |
| Rent as share of income | 21.51% | 20.22% | 20.6% |
| Owner-occupied | 77.89% | 71.43% | 65.02% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2023 five-year estimates. Population 32,177.
Nearby counties of similar size
| County | Rate | Median bill | Home value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clarendon County | 0.58% | $848 | $147,300 |
| Jasper County | 0.55% | $1,490 | $269,400 |
| Williamsburg County | 0.66% | $630 | $95,100 |
| Marion County | 0.46% | $397 | $86,800 |
| Dillon County | 0.50% | $425 | $84,400 |
Chester County property tax: common questions
What is the property tax rate in Chester County, South Carolina?
The effective rate is 0.59% of home value, from a median tax bill of $846 against a median home value of $143,800. That is 0.39 points below the national 0.98%.
How much is property tax on a $400,000 home in Chester County?
Roughly $2,360 a year at the county effective rate of 0.59%.
Is Chester County expensive compared with the rest of South Carolina?
It ranks #12 of 46 South Carolina counties by effective property tax rate, and #2117 of 2,826 nationally. That is 0.08 points above the South Carolina average of 0.51%.
What does housing cost in Chester County?
The median home is worth $143,800 and median gross rent is $918 a month. Median household income is $51,216, which puts the home at 2.81 times annual income and rent at 21.51% of it.