Calhoun County

Calhoun County sits at a median home price of $207,036 with 2.51% year-over-year appreciation, scoring 75 out of 100 on appreciation and landing in the 82nd percentile nationally across 1,000 ranked counties. What the data does not include is a median rent figure or cap rate, which means the cash-flow score registers as zero and no gross yield can be calculated from the numbers provided. That absence is itself informative: this is a thinly traded, rural South Carolina market of 14,145 people where comparable rental data is sparse enough that the tool cannot generate a reliable cash-flow estimate. The affordability index of 86 and a purchase price just over $207,000 keep the entry bar low, but investors cannot underwrite to a cap rate here without doing their own rent comps on the ground.

The market profile points squarely toward an appreciation-oriented buyer, not a cash-flow operator. The appreciation score of 75 is the standout number, and the 2.51% price growth over the past year is modest but positive in a county this small. A value-add operator looking for distressed assets in a liquid secondary market will find neither the deal volume nor the exit liquidity to support that strategy at scale. The stability score of 50 is middling, which signals that rental demand is not rock-solid, and anyone underwriting a buy-and-hold rental here should stress-test for longer vacancy periods given the limited population base. An appreciation buyer with a long horizon and low leverage may find the affordability index of 86 and the sub-$210,000 entry price attractive as a low-cost bet on regional price growth, but that thesis needs to be paired with realistic assumptions about tenant demand in a county with fewer than 15,000 residents.

On carry costs, the tax picture is a genuine tailwind. South Carolina's state-average effective property tax rate of 0.57% is flagged as low, and at a $207,036 purchase price that translates to roughly $1,180 in annual property tax. Combined with an estimated $704 in annual insurance, the combined monthly tax and insurance burden is $157. For a cash-flow investor who can establish a market rent, that $157 monthly carry is well below what investors pay in higher-tax states, and it meaningfully reduces the breakeven rent needed to cover operating costs. Keep in mind that 0.57% is a state-average estimate from Tax Foundation 2024 data, and the actual Calhoun County or township rate may differ, so verify the millage rate directly with the county assessor before closing.

The risk picture here is concentrated in one word: size. A county with 14,145 people has a shallow tenant pool, limited job diversity by definition, and fewer buyers when you go to exit. None of the data provided includes economic anchors or employer information for Calhoun County, so no claims can be made about job base stability beyond what the numbers imply: a stability score of 50 is not reassuring. Rural South Carolina counties can be heavily dependent on a single employer or agricultural sector, and an investor taking on a property here should independently verify what is driving any local employment before committing capital.

Compared to its neighbors, Calhoun County's overall score of 71 is competitive, ranking second in the state out of 46 counties. Florence County scores 70 overall with a rent-to-price ratio of 0.0747 and a median price of $196,261, meaning Florence offers measurable cash-flow data and a slightly lower entry price, making it the better choice for an investor who needs to underwrite yield. Richland County at $238,959 median and a 0.0775 rent-to-price ratio and Aiken County at $226,755 with a 0.0776 ratio both offer calculable gross yields in the 7.7% range, which is meaningful data Calhoun simply does not provide. Orangeburg County at $154,731 and a 0.0918 rent-to-price ratio shows the highest gross yield of any neighbor in this dataset, making it the obvious first look for a pure cash-flow buyer despite its lower overall score of 64. Dillon County at $144,875 and a 77 overall score is the only neighbor that outranks Calhoun, and at that price point it deserves a hard look for affordability-driven strategies. Choose Calhoun over its neighbors only if you have a specific appreciation thesis, a clear view on local rental rates that the data cannot currently confirm, and comfort with the liquidity risk that comes with a sub-15,000 population county.