Despite the coronavirus pandemic, South Carolina home sales are up in 2020 compared to the same time last year, according to South Carolina Realtors.
The Palmetto State’s population is growing at the sixth fastest pace in the country as home prices rise in nearly all areas. The median sales price was up 17% this year in South Carolina, increasing to $255,450 compared to this time last year. Homes area also selling at record speed, only an average of 68 days on the market, according to a December press release from the South Carolina Realtors.
There are still plenty of good deals across the state, particularly in more remote rural areas. Here are the five cheapest South Carolina areas to purchase a home in 2020.
Western Upstate
Median YTD price 2020: $208,650
At the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, the western Upstate region is an affordable place to raise a family within driving distance to major cities. The region offers great hiking trials and dozens of scenic waterfalls. Year-to-date home prices in the western Upstate area were up nearly 15% compared to last year, and the median cost of a home in November was up to $219,990.
Sumter/Clarendon Counties
Median YTD price 2020: $177,250
Rural Sumter and Clarendon counties are between the state’s inland capital city and its famous beach-filled coastline. Most of the land there is undeveloped woodlands and a good portion is used for agriculture. Still, home prices in the area are on the rise, and the latest data from November show median home prices were $180,000.
Greenwood
Median YTD price 2020: $173,500
Just south of the booming Greenville-Spartanburg area, rural Greenwood plenty of job opportunities and affordable homes. Locals don’t have to travel far for a weekend getaway on the 11,400-acre Lake Greenwood that’s popular for water sports and fishing. Year-to-date home prices in Greenwood were up nearly 17% compared to last year, and the median cost of a home in November was $185,000.
Cherokee County
Median YTD price 2020: $167,450
Home to Gaffney, South Carolina and its infamous peach-shaped water tower called the Peachoid, Cherokee County boasts some of the most affordable home prices in the Upstate. Centrally located along the I-85 corridor between Charlotte, North Carolina and Atlanta, Georgia, Cherokee County is a growing community people are really starting to notice. Year-to-date home prices in Cherokee County jumped up 24% compared to last year, and the median home cost in November was $314,900 from 43 sales.
Central Carolina
Median YTD price 2020: $142,950
Just southwest of the state’s capital city, Columbia, the Central Carolina area is seeing the state’s largest jump in home values this year. Year-to-date home prices show nearly a 25% increase compared to last year. The median cost of a home in November was still only $145,500. Bamburg County is a particularly cheap area to buy a home, reporting its median home sale price was $64,500 this year across 15 sales.
