State rental market analysis · SC
South Carolina rental markets
68 tracked cities over 5,000 population, 64 ranked and summarized by their median Overall; 10 of 63 evaluable cities pass the modeled Buy & Hold screen. Every number traces to Census, Zillow and BLS. Compare state coverage and results →
Browse every South Carolina ZIP Code area → · the full server-rendered index for this state.
Part of the South Atlantic Census division (South region).
The honest read
South Carolina ranks #7 of 37 coverage-eligible states for rental investing, with a median Overall of 54.1/100 across its ranked cities, above the national median. 64 ranked cities roll up into this grade. Its strongest factor is population growth: 2.0%, 2nd of 51, backed by job growth (5th).
The biggest drag is low unemployment: 4.3%, 34th of 51. A state grade is the median of its ranked cities, a screen for where to look, not underwriting. Open any city below for its full shown-math breakdown, or run a specific deal through the cap rate and cash-flow calculators.
Where it ranks, factor by factor
Every value is the median across the 64 ranked cities in this state. The national rank compares all 51 states on that one factor; the engine already flips inverted factors (affordability, low unemployment) so a better rank always means a better market. Each factor sits in one of the model’s three categories (Cash Flow, Growth, or Stability); this is a representative summary, and the full thirteen-factor breakdown is on each city’s page. Full methodology.
| Factor | Category | State value | National rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross rent yield | Cash Flow | 6.1% | #20 of 51 |
| Rent growth | Growth | 4.0% | #32 of 51 |
| Home value growth | Growth | 4.0% | #26 of 51 |
| Population growth | Growth | 2.0% | #2 of 51 |
| Job growth | Growth | 1.8% | #5 of 51 |
| Price-to-income | Cash Flow | 4.9× | #29 of 51 |
| Unemployment | Stability | 4.3% | #34 of 51 |
| Rental demand | Stability | 40% renters · 9.2% vacancy | two-part measure |
| Income growth | Growth | 5.1% | #22 of 51 |
Every city in South Carolina, ranked
Led by Moncks Corner at 78/100. Click any column to re-sort; every city links to its full shown-math breakdown.
| SC rank | City | Grade | Cash Flow | Growth | Stability | Typical home value | Gross yield | National rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Moncks Corner | 78 | A | A | B | $364,739 | 7.4% | #17 |
| 2 | Camden | 75 | A | A | B | $252,634 | 8.5% | #40 |
| 3 | Fountain Inn | 75 | B | B | B | $310,114 | 8.0% | #46 |
| 4 | West Columbia | 73 | A | B | B | $230,407 | 8.8% | #65 |
| 5 | Mauldin | 73 | B | B | B | $296,785 | 5.6% | #72 |
| 6 | Goose Creek | 72 | A | A | C | $321,691 | 7.0% | #93 |
| 7 | Lyman | 71 | B | A | C | $304,467 | 6.5% | #125 |
| 8 | Lexington | 68 | A | B | C | $306,041 | 7.0% | #196 |
| 9 | North Augusta | 68 | B | B | C | $281,088 | 7.0% | #199 |
| 10 | Port Royal | 67 | C | A | B | $366,809 | 4.9% | #267 |
| 11 | Clover | 66 | B | A | C | $414,517 | 5.9% | #291 |
| 12 | Cayce | 66 | A | C | C | $213,077 | 8.4% | #315 |
| 13 | Bluffton | 65 | C | B | B | $500,379 | 5.1% | #346 |
| 14 | Travelers Rest | 64 | C | B | B | $354,195 | 6.2% | #410 |
| 15 med | Newberry | 63 | B | C | C | $175,752 | 7.0% | #475 |
| 16 | Irmo | 63 | A | C | C | $281,024 | 7.8% | #477 |
| 17 med | York | 63 | C | A | B | $354,418 | 5.4% | #480 |
| 18 | Conway | 63 | B | B | C | $288,359 | 7.9% | #486 |
| 19 | Greer | 61 | B | A | C | $350,510 | 5.8% | #583 |
| 20 | Georgetown | 61 | B | B | C | $251,667 | 6.8% | #648 |
| 21 | Easley | 60 | B | B | C | $321,201 | 6.1% | #692 |
| 22 | Blythewood | 60 | B | B | C | $340,794 | 5.9% | #760 |
| 23 | North Myrtle Beach | 59 | C | B | C | $395,960 | 5.4% | #853 |
| 24 | Hanahan | 58 | C | B | C | $411,423 | 5.2% | #864 |
| 25 | Fort Mill | 58 | C | B | B | $523,379 | 4.0% | #886 |
| 26 med | Chester | 58 | A | C | D | $140,093 | 8.8% | #897 |
| 27 | Aiken | 58 | B | B | D | $280,880 | 5.9% | #958 |
| 28 | Simpsonville | 57 | B | B | C | $377,500 | 5.8% | #976 |
| 29 | Spartanburg | 57 | B | B | D | $232,218 | 7.1% | #979 |
| 30 | North Charleston | 57 | B | A | D | $310,134 | 6.8% | #1053 |
| 31 med | Hollywood | 55 | D | B | B | $514,172 | 4.2% | #1237 |
| 32 | Summerville | 55 | B | B | D | $379,909 | 6.0% | #1243 |
| 33 med | Laurens | 54 | B | C | C | $194,764 | 5.5% | #1376 |
| 34 | Seneca | 54 | C | B | C | $308,416 | 5.6% | #1380 |
| 35 | Central | 53 | C | B | C | $292,168 | 5.2% | #1487 |
| 36 | Hardeeville | 53 | D | B | C | $414,554 | 4.3% | #1494 |
| 37 | Rock Hill | 52 | C | B | D | $323,886 | 5.5% | #1610 |
| 38 | Greenville | 52 | C | B | D | $331,641 | 5.7% | #1617 |
| 39 | Sumter | 52 | A | C | D | $208,202 | 8.7% | #1650 |
| 40 | Columbia | 52 | B | B | D | $230,191 | 7.7% | #1737 |
| 41 med | Tega Cay | 51 | D | B | C | $599,961 | 3.2% | #1753 |
| 42 med | James Island | 51 | D | B | B | $508,600 | 4.0% | #1758 |
| 43 | Gaffney | 51 | B | D | C | $187,191 | 6.8% | #1835 |
| 44 | Charleston | 50 | D | A | C | $591,821 | 4.7% | #1891 |
| 45 med | Lancaster | 49 | D | A | C | $289,273 | 4.4% | #2049 |
| 46 med | Clinton | 49 | B | C | D | $176,385 | 6.2% | #2143 |
| 47 | Beaufort | 45 | D | B | D | $413,383 | 5.2% | #2647 |
| 48 | Anderson | 45 | C | B | D | $273,856 | 5.5% | #2683 |
| 49 | Clemson | 45 | D | B | C | $407,705 | 4.2% | #2725 |
| 50 | Florence | 44 | B | C | D | $223,905 | 8.2% | #2837 |
| 51 | Darlington | 44 | B | D | C | $155,797 | 9.8% | #2873 |
| 52 | Myrtle Beach | 44 | C | B | F | $323,058 | 6.3% | #2909 |
| 53 | Hartsville | 43 | B | D | D | $186,999 | 7.7% | #2957 |
| 54 med | Lake City | 43 | B | D | C | $128,948 | 5.8% | #2966 |
| 55 med | Dillon | 43 | B | F | C | $121,407 | 6.5% | #3009 |
| 56 | Mount Pleasant | 42 | F | B | C | $874,006 | 3.4% | #3097 |
| 57 | Orangeburg | 41 | B | D | D | $168,171 | 9.1% | #3249 |
| 58 | Forest Acres | 41 | D | C | C | $336,670 | 4.4% | #3287 |
| 59 med | Walterboro | 40 | B | D | D | $208,506 | 6.3% | #3401 |
| 60 | Greenwood | 39 | B | D | D | $190,211 | 7.3% | #3562 |
| 61 med | Union | 39 | B | F | C | $141,339 | 9.1% | #3566 |
| 62 med | Marion | 34 | C | F | C | $149,320 | 5.7% | #4045 |
| 63 med | Bennettsville | 25 | A | F | D | $117,016 | 8.7% | #4552 |
| 64 | Hilton Head Island | 22 | F | C | C | $782,931 | 4.3% | #4629 |
Data as of: Zillow ZHVI/ZORI through the latest monthly release · Census ACS 5-yr 2020–2024 · Census PEP July 2025 · BLS LAUS county 2025 annual (11-month average). Generated 2026-10-06. Methodology & limitations · underwrite any specific deal with the free calculators.
Limited-data cities in South Carolina
These 4 cities lack enough measured factors to rank, so they are excluded from the state grade; their pages show exactly what could be measured.
ZIP markets in South Carolina
424 Census ZIP Codes (ZCTAs) in South Carolina · 268 data-eligible for subscores. These are sub-city government areas ranked separately from the South Carolina city table. The overall Rental Investor ZIP Score leaderboard leads; the two component subscores (affordability, rental-market context) follow as independent percentiles. ZIP ranks are shown within the ZIP universe only, never mixed with, and not directly comparable to, city ranks. Vintage: the Key metric column is Census ACS 2020–2024 (5-year), the same release the city table above uses; the geographies differ, so the same measure can still disagree between the two.
Best overall ZIP Codes in South Carolina
Ranked by the overall Rental Investor ZIP Score. The # is each ZIP Code's canonical SC state rank; the smaller figure is its national rank. Separate from the South Carolina city table and not directly comparable to it.
| SC rank | ZIP Code | Overallgrade · national | Key metric |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | 29662Mauldin | A 80#3 nat | 7.2%Survey yield |
| #2 | 29445Goose Creek | A 77#16 nat | 6.6%Survey yield |
| #3 | 29316Boiling Springs | A 76#44 nat | 6.1%Survey yield |
| #4 | 29414Charleston | A 75#69 nat | 5.0%Survey yield |
| #5 | 29073Red Bank | A 74#95 nat | 5.9%Survey yield |
| #6 | 29681Five Forks | A 74#99 nat | 5.5%Survey yield |
| #7 | 29588Socastee | A 74#122 nat | 5.8%Survey yield |
| #8 | 29579Carolina Forest | A 74#135 nat | 5.5%Survey yield |
| #9 | 29456North Charleston | A 73#161 nat | 7.3%Survey yield |
| #10 | 29053Gaston | A 72#246 nat | 9.5%Survey yield |
| #11 | 29526Conway | A 72#255 nat | 5.0%Survey yield |
| #12 | 29644Fountain Inn | A 72#261 nat | 5.2%Survey yield |
Top affordability ZIP Codes in South Carolina
State-scoped leaders on the affordability subscore only (national rank shown is within that subscore’s data-eligible universe). Substantially an inverse housing-cost signal: a component of the overall score, not a predicted return.
| # | ZIP Code | Affordability | Key metric |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 29009Bethune | 96#82 nat | 13.1%Survey yield |
| 2 | 29137Perry | 95#116 nat | 9.2%Survey yield |
| 3 | 29053Gaston | 94#142 nat | 9.5%Survey yield |
| 4 | 29568North Myrtle Beach | 94#142 nat | 8.6%Survey yield |
| 5 | 29166Ward | 94#152 nat | 9.9%Survey yield |
| 6 | 29581Ketchuptown | 94#163 nat | 10.5%Survey yield |
| 7 | 29114Olanta | 93#171 nat | 8.8%Survey yield |
| 8 | 29547Hamer | 93#187 nat | 10.6%Survey yield |
| 9 | 29520Cheraw | 93#195 nat | 9.1%Survey yield |
| 10 | 29128Boykin | 92#238 nat | 13.0%Survey yield |
| 11 | 29080Shiloh | 92#254 nat | 9.4%Survey yield |
| 12 | 29113Norway | 91#272 nat | 13.3%Survey yield |
Deepest rental-market ZIP Codes in South Carolina
State-scoped leaders on the rental-market-context subscore only (national rank shown is within that subscore’s data-eligible universe). Rental depth/tightness: a separate component, never combined here with affordability.
| # | ZIP Code | Rental market | Key metric |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 29545Green Sea | 78#407 nat | 7.1%Survey yield |
| 2 | 29042Denmark | 78#479 nat | 10.9%Survey yield |
| 3 | 29306Spartanburg | 74#1,065 nat | 6.4%Survey yield |
| 4 | 29571Marion | 73#1,201 nat | 7.5%Survey yield |
| 5 | 29728Pageland | 73#1,201 nat | 6.6%Survey yield |
| 6 | 29832Johnston | 73#1,263 nat | 4.7%Survey yield |
| 7 | 29104St. Charles | 72#1,468 nat | 7.0%Survey yield |
| 8 | 29574Mullins | 71#1,655 nat | 8.3%Survey yield |
| 9 | 29662Mauldin | 71#1,686 nat | 7.2%Survey yield |
| 10 | 29565Latta | 71#1,738 nat | 10.7%Survey yield |
| 11 | 29107Neeses | 71#1,829 nat | 11.7%Survey yield |
| 12 | 29114Olanta | 71#1,829 nat | 8.8%Survey yield |