Sumter County, South Carolina property tax
The median homeowner in Sumter County, South Carolina pays $860 a year in property tax on a home worth $159,500, an effective rate of 0.54%. The national effective rate is 0.98%.
What the rate means here
At 0.54%, Sumter County taxes property more lightly than the national 0.98%. With a median home at $159,500, that produces a bill of $860. Somebody still funds the schools, so it is worth knowing what a low-tax county collects instead.
It ranks #21 of 46 South Carolina counties by effective rate, against a statewide 0.51%, and #2,306 nationally. The state runs from 0.88% in Allendale County down to 0.34% in Horry County.
The median home costs 2.85 times the median household income of $55,990, against 3.86 nationally, which is a comfortable ratio by American standards. 66.75% of occupied homes are owned rather than rented, and cheap housing relative to income is usually why. The county has 104,853 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
| Sumter County | South Carolina | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Effective property tax | 0.54% | 0.51% | 0.98% |
| Median tax bill | $860 | $1,199 | $2,969 |
| Median home value | $159,500 | $236,700 | $303,400 |
| Median gross rent | $1,006 | $1,126 | $1,348 |
| Median household income | $55,990 | $66,818 | $78,538 |
| Home price to income | 2.85× | 3.54× | 3.86× |
| Rent as share of income | 21.56% | 20.22% | 20.6% |
| Owner-occupied | 66.75% | 71.43% | 65.02% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2023 five-year estimates. Population 104,853.
Nearby counties of similar size
| County | Rate | Median bill | Home value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lancaster County | 0.50% | $1,487 | $298,100 |
| Orangeburg County | 0.66% | $724 | $109,700 |
| Oconee County | 0.39% | $856 | $217,200 |
| Pickens County | 0.38% | $821 | $216,000 |
| Florence County | 0.44% | $724 | $165,500 |
Sumter County property tax: common questions
What is the property tax rate in Sumter County, South Carolina?
The effective rate is 0.54% of home value, from a median tax bill of $860 against a median home value of $159,500. That is 0.44 points below the national 0.98%.
How much is property tax on a $400,000 home in Sumter County?
Roughly $2,160 a year at the county effective rate of 0.54%.
Is Sumter County expensive compared with the rest of South Carolina?
It ranks #21 of 46 South Carolina counties by effective property tax rate, and #2306 of 2,826 nationally. That is 0.03 points above the South Carolina average of 0.51%.
What does housing cost in Sumter County?
The median home is worth $159,500 and median gross rent is $1,006 a month. Median household income is $55,990, which puts the home at 2.85 times annual income and rent at 21.56% of it.