St. Stephen: Housing & Real Estate
St. Stephen's median home value is $100,000 (estimated market value runs 47% higher at $147,348), with median rent $1,148 (1.2× below Berkeley County median $1,410; 1.1× higher than South Carolina median $1,073). Homeownership rate: 59.2%. That's 2.5× below the Berkeley County median ($253,100); 2.3× below the South Carolina median ($225,650). Market is warm. Vacancy rate 17.9%. New construction makes up 9.0% of stock. A municipal building code is in effect.
- 1.5× annual income — home value vs. household income (vs South Carolina 3.2×).
- 7.3 years to break even renting at the median (vs South Carolina 18y).
- 4-BR rent is 1.6× a studio — rent gradient by unit size.
- Median rent 35% below HUD 2-BR FMR — local market vs federal subsidy benchmark.
Home Values & Rent
Median home value $100,000 — 0.4× the South Carolina median ($225,649). Median rent $1,148/month. homeownership rate 59.2% — below the U.S. share of ~65%.
| Affordability · Home Price To Income | 1.5× |
|---|---|
| Affordability · Home Affordability | affordable |
| Affordability · Rent Pct Income | 14.0% |
| Affordability · Rent Affordability | affordable |
| Affordability · Pct Severely Rent Burdened | 15.8% |
| Affordability · Poverty Rate | 16.5% |
| Affordability · Property Tax Pct Income | 1.1% |
| Fair Market Rent · Studio rent | $1,557 |
| Fair Market Rent · One-bedroom rent | $1,630 |
| Fair Market Rent · Two-bedroom rent | $1,787 |
| Fair Market Rent · Three-bedroom rent | $2,222 |
| Fair Market Rent · Four-bedroom rent | $2,562 |
| Fair Market Rent · HUD FMR area | Charleston-North Charleston, SC MSA |
| Fair Market Rent · Fiscal year | FY2026 |
| Home Value Estimate | $147,348 |
| Median Home Value | $100,000 (vs South Carolina $225,650) |
| Median Rent | $1,148 (vs South Carolina $1,073) |
Sources: HUD FMR FY2026 · Census ACS 5-Year 2023, B25077 · Census ACS 5-Year 2023 · Refreshed 2026-04-12
Tenure & Occupancy
Owner-occupied vs renter-occupied housing units, plus vacancy rates.
| Housing Market · Market temperature | warm |
|---|---|
| Housing Market · Vacancy rate | 17.9% |
| Housing Market · New construction (% of stock) | 9.0% |
| Housing Market · Price Appreciation 2Yr | -23.9% |
Utilities
Electricity, water, and broadband infrastructure serving residents. Broadband percentages reflect the share of premises that can subscribe to service at the listed speed (FCC Form 477).
Systems (5)
| Broadband · % of premises with 25/3 Mbps broadband | 100.0% |
|---|---|
| Broadband · % of premises with 100/20 Mbps broadband | 100.0% |
| Broadband · % of premises with 250/25 Mbps broadband | 100.0% |
| Broadband · % of premises with 1 Gbps / 100 Mbps broadband | 92.9% |
| Broadband · Broadband-capable premises | 1,015 |
| Electricity · Electricity rate (¢/kWh) | 14.23¢/kWh |
| Electricity · Customers | 2,581,882 |
| Electricity · Revenue Millions | $4,632 |
| Electricity · Year | 2024 |
| Mobile Broadband · 3G mobile coverage | 0% |
| Mobile Broadband · 4G mobile coverage | 100% |
| Mobile Broadband · 5G mobile coverage | 100% |
| Mobile Home Parks Detail · County total | 50 |
Sources: FCC BDC Jun 2025 · EIA Annual Retail Sales 2023 · FCC BDC Mobile 2024 · HIFLD / IRS BMF · Refreshed 2026-04-12
Other
| Homeownership Rate | 59.2% |
|---|---|
| Median Year Built | 1985 |
Sources: Census ACS 5-Year 2023 · Refreshed 2026-04-12