Clarendon County

Clarendon County's headline numbers tell a cautious story. The median home price sits at $182,482, which sounds affordable in isolation, the affordability index scores 91 out of 100, but the cash flow score is zero and the cap rate field returns zero, meaning the tool cannot underwrite a viable yield at current rent levels relative to that purchase price. The county ranks 634th out of 1,000 nationally, landing in the 19th percentile, and 26th out of 46 South Carolina counties. Home prices are also moving in the wrong direction, down 5.24% year-over-year, which matters both for appreciation prospects and for any exit strategy tied to equity. The appreciation score of 15 out of 100 confirms this is not a market where you're betting on price growth to bail out thin operating income.

The investor profile this market suits is narrow. The affordability index of 91 and a median price under $183,000 could appeal to a deep-value or value-add operator who can acquire below median and force equity through rehab, but the zero cash flow score signals that even at these price points, rent levels are not clearing the cost of carry at a 6.85% rate. An appreciation buyer has little numerical support, with a 15 appreciation score and prices already declining 5.24%. A cash flow buyer faces the same wall: the cap rate and cash-on-cash return both return zero in this dataset. Until rent levels can be confirmed to exceed operating costs at this price point, the market does not pencil for a conventional buy-and-hold strategy at median acquisition cost.

No economic anchors or employer data were provided for Clarendon County, so no claims can be made about job base concentration, major employers, or the stability of local rental demand from an employment standpoint. What the data does show is a stability score of exactly 50 out of 100, which is median and gives no particular comfort. A population of 31,163 is small enough that any single large employer entering or exiting, any demographic shift, or any housing policy change would move the market meaningfully. Small population combined with a declining price trend and unconfirmed rent yields is a combination that warrants extra diligence before committing capital.

On carry costs, Clarendon is actually a tailwind story at the tax and insurance level. South Carolina's state-average effective property tax rate is 0.57%, flagged as low, generating an estimated annual tax bill of $1,040 on a $182,482 property. Insurance runs an estimated $620 annually at the 0.34% rate. Combined, that is $138 per month in tax and insurance, well below what investors in higher-tax states would pay on a similar asset. That $138 figure does real work on a thin underwrite: on a $182,482 acquisition it represents roughly 0.91% of purchase price annually in fixed holding costs before mortgage, maintenance, or vacancy. The caveat worth keeping: these are state-average estimates from Tax Foundation 2024 data, and actual Clarendon County or township rates may differ, so pull the county assessor's current millage before finalizing any pro forma.

The neighboring county comparison adds context and reveals a specific relative positioning. Laurens County is the closest comparison by price, with a median of $189,376, nearly identical to Clarendon's $182,482. Laurens shows a rent-to-price ratio of 6.42% and an overall score of 47, one point below Clarendon's 48. That means an investor who can acquire in Laurens at near-equivalent prices is getting a documented, calculable yield, something Clarendon's dataset does not currently provide. Lancaster and York counties both trade near $385,000 with rent-to-price ratios in the 5.1% to 5.3% range, making them appreciation-oriented markets at roughly double Clarendon's price point. Fairfield County at $177,744 is slightly cheaper than Clarendon but carries no rent data and scores 47 overall. Saluda County at $199,332 also has no rent data in this dataset. The clearest takeaway: if you are operating in Clarendon's price tier within South Carolina and need a yield you can actually underwrite, Laurens offers a near-identical acquisition cost with a confirmed 6.42% gross rent-to-price ratio. Choose Clarendon over Laurens only if you have specific off-market access, local operational infrastructure, or a value-add thesis that justifies the additional uncertainty.