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South Carolina Housing Affordability Index | MonitorBankRates (MBR-HAI)

South Carolina Housing Affordability Index

South Carolina’s MBR Housing Affordability Index score is 111.9 (More Affordable Than Avg) as of October 14, 2026, ranking 13th most affordable of 51 states, compared with a national score of 97.1. On a median-priced $259,000 home in South Carolina with 20% down, the current 7.38% 30-year fixed rate means a monthly principal and interest payment of about $1,432, or 25% of the state’s $69,324 median household income.

Daily MBR Housing Affordability Index (MBR-HAI) score for South Carolina compared to the national average. Updated every night using live mortgage rates and U.S. Census Bureau income and home value data. A score of 100 equals the national average; higher scores mean homeownership is more affordable.

Current Score
South Carolina
111.9
More Affordable Than Avg
MBR-HAI • October 14, 2026
▲ +0.1 vs. prior day
National Average
97.1
Near National Average
MBR-HAI • October 14, 2026
0 vs. prior day
National Rank #13 of 51 states
vs. National Average +14.8 points
30-yr Rate Used 7.381%
Median Home Value $259,000
Median Household Income $69,324

Housing Affordability Across U.S. States

MBR-HAI score for every state as of October 14, 2026, with South Carolina outlined. Green states are more affordable than the national baseline of 100; red states are less affordable. Hover for the rank; click through to any state.

Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming District of Columbia District of Columbia
Highly Affordable (120+) More Affordable (110-119) Near Average (90-109) Moderately Less (70-89) Significantly Less (50-69) Least Affordable (under 50)

National baseline = 100 (computed at the 6.5% reference rate). Scores update every morning. Hover any state for its rank; click to open that state's page.

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South Carolina Affordability Ranking

#13 of 51 states · October 14, 2026 More affordable than average
Most Affordable Least Affordable
More affordable than: 38 of 51 states (75%)
Less affordable than: 12 of 51 states (24%)
MBR-HAI Score: 111.9 vs. national 97.1 (+14.8 points)
Nearby States
↑ 10 more affordable states above
#11 MO 115.1
#12 ND 114.0
#13 South Carolina ◀ 111.9
#14 OH 111.7
#15 NM 111.7
↓ 36 less affordable states below
Top 5 Most Affordable
#1 WV 144.5
#2 AR 134.9
#3 AL 133.6
#4 MS 130.8
#5 IA 125.0
Bottom 5 Least Affordable
#47 OR 77.8
#48 DC 77.3
#49 MA 76.1
#50 HI 69.1
#51 CA 67.3

View full 51-state rankings →

South Carolina MBR-HAI · 90-Day Trend

South Carolina
National Average

Dashed line = national average. Amber dashed line = 100 baseline. Score updates each morning after the nightly rate aggregation run.

Key Affordability Factors · South Carolina

$259,000
Median Home Value
U.S. median: varies by state
$69,324
Median Household Income
U.S. median: $80,734
3.7x
Price-to-Income Ratio
Home value ÷ income
$1,007/mo
Median Owner Costs
17.4% of income annually
$1,481/yr
Median Property Tax
0.57% effective rate
72.3%
Homeownership Rate
U.S. average: 65.7%
25.4%
Owner Cost Burden
% spending 30%+ of income on housing
7.381%
30-yr Mortgage Rate
State average • October 14, 2026

Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey and Current Population Survey. Mortgage rate from MBR live rate database.

How South Carolina Ranks Among All States

#13
of 51 states
Least Affordable Most Affordable
South Carolina is more affordable than 76% of U.S. states, More Affordable Than Avg
111.9
MBR-HAI Score
Rank State MBR-HAI Score Affordability
▲ See top 9 states →
10 Oklahoma 116.9 More Affordable Than Avg
11 Missouri 115.1 More Affordable Than Avg
12 North Dakota 114.0 More Affordable Than Avg
13 South Carolina You are here 111.9 More Affordable Than Avg
14 Ohio 111.7 More Affordable Than Avg
15 New Mexico 111.7 More Affordable Than Avg
16 South Dakota 111.0 More Affordable Than Avg
▼ See all 51 state rankings →

Showing states ranked near South Carolina · October 14, 2026 • View complete national rankings →

Download South Carolina HAI Data

South Carolina History (CSV)
Daily score vs. national • all dates
date,state,hai_score,national_score,rate_used
2026-10-14,SC,111.9,97.1,7.381
Download SC History (CSV)
All 51 States (CSV)
Compare South Carolina to every state

Daily scores for all 51 states, filter by state or date in Excel or Google Sheets.

All States (CSV)
Cite the South Carolina MBR-HAI
Editorial / press citation
“MonitorBankRates (MBR) Housing Affordability Index, MonitorBankRates.com, October 14, 2026. South Carolina score: 111.9 (More Affordable Than Avg), ranked #13 of 51 states. Methodology: monitorbankrates.com/housing-affordability-index-methodology”
APA 7th edition (academic)
Monitor Bank Rates LLC. (2026, October 14). MonitorBankRates (MBR) Housing Affordability Index: South Carolina [Data set]. https://www.monitorbankrates.com/housing-affordability-index/south-carolina/

Press & Citation Resources · South Carolina

Ready-to-publish sentences using today's South Carolina data, an email template you can send to clients, and direct contact for press inquiries or custom data requests.

Ready-to-Publish Sentences

Each sentence updates daily with the live South Carolina score. Free for editorial use with attribution to MonitorBankRates.

News Lead · AP-style, factual

In South Carolina, the MonitorBankRates (MBR) Housing Affordability Index stood at 111.9 on October 14, 2026, ranking #13 of 51 U.S. states for homeownership affordability and indicating more affordable than avg conditions relative to the national baseline. The state-level reading combines South Carolina's 30-year mortgage rate average of 7.381% with U.S. Census Bureau housing values, household income, property taxes, and cost burden data.

Analyst Quote · with voice, attributable

“South Carolina's MonitorBankRates (MBR) Housing Affordability Index score of 111.9 places it #13 of 51 nationwide. Above the 100 baseline, that means buyer purchasing power in South Carolina is stronger than the long-run national average computed at a 6.5% mortgage rate. The state's 30-year average is currently 7.381%, and the index outperforms the national average.”

Brian McKay, MonitorBankRates

Social Media · concise, share-friendly

🏠 MonitorBankRates (MBR) Housing Affordability Index. South Carolina: 111.9 (More Affordable Than Avg), rank #13 of 51 states. 30-yr mortgage avg: 7.38%. National baseline = 100. Updated daily · via @MonitorBankRates → https://www.monitorbankrates.com/housing-affordability-index/south-carolina/

Casual / Blog · conversational

Housing affordability in South Carolina is currently sitting at 111.9 on the MonitorBankRates (MBR) Housing Affordability Index, ranking it #13 of 51 U.S. states. With 100 representing the long-term national baseline at a 6.5% reference rate, South Carolina's 30-year mortgage rate of 7.38% reflects more affordable than avg conditions for local buyers. The state outperforms the national average as a whole.

Mortgage Broker Email Template

Pre-written client update for South Carolina homebuyers. Personalize the bracketed fields and send.

SubjectHousing affordability snapshot for South Carolina: what it means for your search
Hi [Client Name], Wanted to share a quick affordability snapshot for South Carolina from the MonitorBankRates (MBR) Housing Affordability Index, a daily-updated composite that tracks how affordable U.S. homeownership is right now. South Carolina's current reading: 111.9 (More Affordable Than Avg), rank #13 of 51 states National reading: 97.130-year mortgage rate average in South Carolina: 7.381% The index baseline of 100 represents long-run typical conditions at a 6.5% reference rate. South Carolina currently outperforms the national average. For full state context (including the 90-day trend, key affordability factors, and how South Carolina compares to neighboring states) see: https://www.monitorbankrates.com/housing-affordability-index/south-carolina/ Always happy to discuss what this means for your specific situation. Best, [Your Name]

For Press & Researchers

The South Carolina MBR-HAI is free to cite for editorial, academic, and policy use with attribution. We're happy to provide additional support:

  • Custom data cuts: South Carolina metros, MSAs, or historical slices on request
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