Chester County, South Carolina Housing Market

In Chester County, South Carolina, the median home value is $158,300, with a median monthly rent of $853. This places Chester County at #2060 nationally out of 3134 counties by median home value, and #29 within South Carolina.

Median Home Value $158,300
Median Rent $853/mo
Owner Occupancy 78.4%
Price/Rent Ratio 15.5

📈 Price Trend (2017 → 2024)

📊 Recent Market Momentum (FHFA HPI)

FHFA House Price Index — All-Transactions, Annual (2000 = 100) · Latest: 2025

💡 Year-over-Year Trend: Home prices in Chester County rose +3.1% year-over-year as of 2025. (Source: FHFA)

📍 Economic Snapshot

💼

Employment & Wages

8,663
jobs (private sector)
  • Avg weekly wage: $1,189
  • Establishments: 631
  • BLS QCEW, 2025
🏗️

Housing Supply

310
new units authorized (2025)
  • Single-family: 310
  • Multi-family: 0
  • U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey
🚚

Migration Patterns

+517
net migration (filers, 2021-2022)
  • Inflow: 12,370 (avg $52,815)
  • Outflow: 11,853 (avg $52,192)
  • IRS Statistics of Income

📍 Sub-Market Activity

Top 4 active ZIP codes in Chester County · Latest: 2025

# ZIP Code HPI YoY Change Latest Year
1 29704 277.7 -12.22% 2025
2 29712 204.1 -6.76% 2025
3 29706 236.2 +5.29% 2025
4 29730 282.8 +0.78% 2025

Source: FHFA HPI for Five-Digit ZIP Codes (All-Transactions Index, 2000 = 100).
This product uses FHFA Data but is neither endorsed nor certified by FHFA.

How Chester County Compares

MetricChester CountySouth Carolina AverageU.S. Average
Median Home Value $158,300 $199,732 $227,706
Median Gross Rent $853 $984 $968
Owner Occupancy Rate 78.4% 73.2% 73.3%
Price/Rent Ratio 15.5 16.3 18.7

Market Analysis

The median home value in Chester County is 20.7% below the South Carolina state average and 30.5% below the U.S. national average. The median rent of $853/month is 13.3% below the state average.

With a price-to-rent ratio of 15.5, the buy-vs-rent decision in Chester County is balanced. Whether buying or renting makes more sense depends on your time horizon, down payment capacity, and local market conditions.

Chester County has an owner-occupancy rate of 78.4%, compared to 73.2% in South Carolina and 73.3% nationally. This indicates a more homeowner-heavy market than the U.S. average.

Similar Counties by Home Value

CountyStateMedian Home ValueMedian Rent
Scott County Indiana $158,400 $822
Redwood County Minnesota $158,200 $757
Jackson County Oklahoma $158,400 $842
Darlington County South Carolina $158,200 $896
Clark County South Dakota $158,400 $782

Other Counties in South Carolina

CountyMedian Home ValueMedian RentOwner Occ.
Darlington County $158,200 $896 70.9%
Clarendon County $158,000 $763 72.9%
Colleton County $162,500 $949 73.3%
Sumter County $165,300 $1,057 68.1%
Fairfield County $151,200 $938 74.6%

Data Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 2024 5-Year Estimates (2017–2024). Variables: B25077 (Median Home Value), B25064 (Median Gross Rent), B25003 (Tenure). Data collected on 2026-10-14. The price-to-rent ratio is calculated as Median Home Value ÷ (Median Monthly Rent × 12).