SC vs. NC Property Taxes: What Movers to the Carolinas Need to Know

South Carolina taxes owner-occupied primary residences at a 4% assessment ratio and exempts them from school operating taxes, keeping primary-residence bills very low. Second homes and rentals get taxed at 6% plus school taxes, often two to three times higher. North Carolina taxes every property the same, at 100% of value, with no penalty for a second home.

As a primary residence, a $500,000 home runs roughly $1,800-$2,600 a year in coastal Horry County, SC, and about the same, $1,900-$2,600, in coastal Brunswick County, NC. As a second home, that same house jumps to roughly $5,000-$6,500 in SC, while NC stays at $1,900-$2,600, no change at all. That gap is the single most common property-tax surprise on the Grand Strand.

If you're relocating full-time to SC, file the legal residence application with the county assessor the year you move in, it's not automatic. If you're buying a beach home while keeping a primary residence elsewhere, budget for the 6% rate. And get a property-tax estimate for the specific address you're considering, never assume the seller's current bill carries over, especially in SC where a sale resets the assessed value to the purchase price.

Local to Coastal Realty works both sides of this exact decision every day. Get in touch and we'll run the real numbers for your specific situation before you commit to either state.