Best Places to Buy Rental Property in South Carolina (2026)

We ranked all 26 South Carolina counties that have both a median home price and a median rent, ordered by the cap rate a median-priced rental would produce. Fairfield County leads at 8.3%, with a median price of $194,460.

South Carolina counties ranked by cap rate

#MarketCap rateMedian priceMedian rentCash flowAnalyze
1Fairfield County, SC8.3%$194,460$2,056$259Run numbers
2Florence County, SC6.0%$204,585$1,574-$110Run numbers
3Darlington County, SC6.0%$170,906$1,307-$97Run numbers
4Orangeburg County, SC5.7%$162,517$1,180-$133Run numbers
5Sumter County, SC5.6%$203,810$1,472-$172Run numbers
6Kershaw County, SC5.3%$259,885$1,760-$296Run numbers
7Greenwood County, SC4.9%$174,626$1,101-$252Run numbers
8Richland County, SC4.9%$241,261$1,517-$350Run numbers
9Lexington County, SC4.8%$271,722$1,662-$425Run numbers
10Aiken County, SC4.6%$243,437$1,445-$409Run numbers
11Cherokee County, SC4.4%$189,612$1,078-$350Run numbers
12Spartanburg County, SC4.2%$274,874$1,475-$564Run numbers
13Horry County, SC4.2%$319,809$1,709-$661Run numbers
14Berkeley County, SC4.1%$378,292$1,972-$814Run numbers
15Laurens County, SC4.0%$214,803$1,092-$480Run numbers
16Dorchester County, SC4.0%$348,212$1,768-$779Run numbers
17Oconee County, SC3.9%$287,580$1,439-$657Run numbers
18Anderson County, SC3.8%$287,369$1,387-$690Run numbers
19Pickens County, SC3.8%$307,321$1,477-$742Run numbers
20Greenville County, SC3.7%$336,744$1,602-$824Run numbers
21Georgetown County, SC3.6%$387,236$1,793-$980Run numbers
22Lancaster County, SC3.6%$378,849$1,742-$966Run numbers
23York County, SC3.4%$383,056$1,643-$1,054Run numbers
24Jasper County, SC3.2%$400,100$1,620-$1,163Run numbers
25Beaufort County, SC2.8%$552,182$1,990-$1,765Run numbers
26Charleston County, SC2.8%$609,591$2,150-$1,979Run numbers

Looking for every county in the state, including those without rent data? Browse the full South Carolina market directory.

How this ranking is calculated

We scored 26 counties in South Carolina and ranked them by capitalization rate, calculated as annual net operating income divided by median home price. Markets without both a median home price and a median rent are excluded, because cash flow cannot be estimated without both.

Every figure assumes a median-priced home rented at the local median rent, financed with 20 percent down on a 30-year loan at 7.40%, with closing costs at 3 percent of price and operating costs at 35 percent of rent. Operating costs cover taxes, insurance, maintenance, vacancy, and management.

These are modeled estimates for comparing markets, not quotes on a specific property. A real deal turns on the individual property, its condition, and the actual rent it can command. Run any market that interests you through the calculator with real numbers before you make an offer.

National rankings

Compare South Carolina against the rest of the country.

Other states

States with fewer than 5 counties reporting both price and rent are omitted, because a ranking that short would not be meaningful.

Run the numbers on a South Carolina property

Start from Fairfield County median values and replace them with a real listing price and rent to see whether the deal actually works.