South Carolina property tax is low for a primary home and noticeably higher for a second home. That gap is the whole system.
A legal residence is assessed at 4% of fair market value. Everything else (second home, rental, vacant lot) is assessed at 6%. School operating millage is generally exempt on owner-occupied residences (Act 388). Age 65+, disabled, or blind homeowners can take a $50,000 homestead off fair market value.
That is why a $400,000 house in Carolina Forest can tax like a much smaller house in New Jersey — and why the same house as a Florida weekender does not.
This guide is for buyers, especially people relocating to Horry County and the Grand Strand. It is written as a listicle so you can scan it, and so search and AI tools can pull clean answers.
The listing tax bill is the seller’s occupancy, not yours.
1. The 60-Second Formula
Annual tax ≈ (Taxable value × millage) ÷ 1,000
Where:
- Fair market value (FMV) ≈ what the assessor thinks the house is worth
- Assessment ratio = 4% legal residence or 6% everything else
- Assessed value = FMV × ratio
- Homestead (65+/disabled/blind) = first $50,000 of FMV removed before the ratio, on a qualifying owner-occupied home
- Mills = county + city or fire district + school debt + (school operations if not a primary)
Example (teaching math only):
$400,000 FMV, 4%, $50,000 homestead → taxable FMV $350,000 → assessed $14,000.
At 90 mills → $1,260/year.
Same house at 6% with no homestead, 200 mills → assessed $24,000 → $4,800/year.
The ratio and the millage stack matter more than the county name.
2. 4% vs 6%: The Decision That Changes the Bill
| Occupancy | Assessment | School operating mills | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Legal residence (you live here) | 4% | Generally exempt | Full-time retirees, locals |
| Second home, rental, investment | 6% | You pay them | Snowbirds who keep another domicile |
To get 4% you must apply with the county assessor after you occupy the home as your legal residence. License, voter registration, and “center of life” should match. Keeping Florida as homestead and “using SC for the tax break” leaves you on 6%.
Deadline culture: file when you move; do not assume the closing attorney does it.
3. Homestead Exemption ($50,000 FMV)
Who: 65+, legally blind, or permanently disabled, on an owner-occupied legal residence.
What: First $50,000 of fair market value is exempt. On a $300,000 house that is material. On a $1.2 million Grande Dunes house it is a smaller percentage.
Apply with the county auditor (Horry: Auditor’s office). It is not automatic because you had it in another state.
4. Millage: County + City + Schools
South Carolina does not have one statewide rate. Each parcel sits in:
- County operations
- Municipality or unincorporated fire + solid waste
- School debt (usually everyone)
- School operations (primaries generally exempt)
Horry County examples (2025-style published tables; mills change every budget year):
| Location | Extra local mills (approx.) | $350k primary ballpark (published teaching tables) |
|---|---|---|
| Unincorporated (Carolina Forest, much of Socastee, Longs) | County fire + solid waste ~30 | Often the lowest |
| North Myrtle Beach | City ~45, moved toward 50 for FY2027 | Lower than City of MB |
| Surfside Beach | City ~43 | Similar to NMB |
| City of Myrtle Beach | City ~83 | Highest of the beach towns |
| Conway | City ~98 | Higher city stack |
One local table put a $350,000 primary near $1,287 unincorporated vs about $1,499 in NMB (45-mill city) vs about $2,037 in the City of Myrtle Beach. Second-home (6%) bills on the same table ran roughly $4,200–$5,300 at that price.
Confirm the current millage on the Horry County tax estimator before you offer.
5. Reassessment and the “Reset at Sale”
Counties reassess on a cycle (Horry completed a full reassessment in 2024). South Carolina uses rollback millage so a county cannot keep the old mills on the new values and cash a windfall.
Your bill still changes when:
- You buy (assessor updates FMV toward purchase price)
- You build or add square footage
- You switch 4% ↔ 6%
- City or county mills move (NMB’s 5-mill bump; MB city budgets)
The tax on the listing is last year’s owner, last year’s ratio, last year’s value.
6. What Buyers in Horry Actually Pay (Bands, Not Promises)
For a primary $350k–$500k house:
- Unincorporated CF / Longs / Socastee: often low four figures
- NMB / Surfside: a step up
- City of Myrtle Beach or Conway city limits: another step up
For a second home at the same price: plan on roughly 2–3× the primary bill, sometimes more, because of 6% and school operating mills.
Condos use the same ratios. The HOA does not pay your property tax.
7. How SC Compares With Florida (Why Halfbacks Ask)
Florida: homestead + Save Our Homes cap for the current owner. A 2027 buyer resets to market.
South Carolina: no SOH-style cap of that type. You get 4% + Act 388 + homestead instead. For a new full-time purchase, Horry’s effective rate has been cited near ~0.38% vs many Florida coastal counties at ~0.68%–0.82%.
If you already own a capped Florida homestead, moving can raise property tax even if Horry’s rate looks lower on a brochure. Run both bills.
8. Other Tax Lines People Confuse With Property Tax
- South Carolina does not tax Social Security.
- Military retired pay is exempt from SC income tax.
- There is a state income tax on some other retirement income (deductions for 65+ apply — confirm the current SC1040).
- No state estate or inheritance tax.
- Property tax is the house bill. Do not mix it with insurance or HOA.
9. How to Estimate Before You Offer
- Pull the parcel on the county GIS / assessor site
- Note current FMV, ratio, and exemptions
- Ask which city or fire district the PIN sits in
- Use the county estimator at your expected FMV and 4% vs 6%
- Add homestead if you will be 65+ and occupy it
- Ignore the listing’s “taxes $X” as gospel
Then add insurance + HOA. Property tax is often the smallest of the three in Horry. It is still the one people get wrong on occupancy.
10. Decision Framework
- Will this be my legal residence within months of closing?
- City of MB, NMB, Conway, or unincorporated?
- 65+ this tax year?
- Did I run 4% and 6% so a domicile delay does not surprise me?
- Is the “low tax” house actually in a high-mill city?
If 1 is yes and 2 is unincorporated, South Carolina property tax is one of the reasons people leave Florida. If 1 is no, price the 6% bill like an adult.
11. FAQ
What are property taxes like in South Carolina?
Low on a primary home (4% + school-operating exemption + homestead at 65+). Much higher on second homes (6% + school operations).
How much on a $400,000 house in Myrtle Beach?
Depends on city vs county and 4% vs 6%. Unincorporated primaries often land around $1,000–$2,000. City of MB and 6% occupancy are higher. Estimate the PIN.
Do I get 4% automatically?
No. Apply with the assessor after you occupy as your legal residence.
What is the homestead exemption?
$50,000 off FMV for qualifying 65+/disabled/blind owner-occupants. Apply with the auditor.
Are condos taxed differently?
Same ratios. Value and millage still depend on the parcel.
Will my taxes jump at closing?
They will be recalculated for you. Budget off purchase price and your occupancy, not the seller’s bill.
12. Bottom Line
South Carolina property tax is generous to people who live in the house and ordinary-to-steep for people who visit it.
File 4%. Take homestead at 65+. Prefer unincorporated Horry if millage is the goal. Never trust the listing tax line.
Then quote insurance. On the Grand Strand, wind and HOA still beat mills for most monthly shocks.
