Buying a Home in Mount Pleasant, SC? Here's What Property Taxes Could Actually Cost You

What Could Property Taxes Actually Cost Each Month?

For this example, we're using the Town of Mount Pleasant's 2025 property-tax figures published by the Charleston County Auditor, including the applicable millage rates and local-option sales-tax credit factors.

Source: Charleston County Auditor: 2025 Millage Card

Imagine two buyers purchasing identical homes in Mount Pleasant for $700,000.

One plans to use the home as their primary residence. The other is purchasing it as a second home.

Buyer A: Primary Residence (4%)

The buyer qualifies for South Carolina's 4% legal residence classification.

First, we calculate the assessed value:

$700,000 × 4% = $28,000

Next, apply the millage rate:

$28,000 × 0.2604 = $7,291.20

But that's not the final tax bill.

Qualifying primary residences receive relief from school-operating property taxes. For this example, we'll use a hypothetical school-operating millage of 142.5 mills.

$28,000 × 0.1425 = $3,990 in property-tax relief

That leaves:

$7,291.20 − $3,990 = $3,301.20 per year

Or approximately $275 per month.

Buyer B: Second Home (6%)

This buyer does not qualify for the 4% legal residence classification or its associated school-operating tax relief.

The assessed value is:

$700,000 × 6% = $42,000

Apply the same millage rate:

$42,000 × 0.2604 = $10,936.80 per year

Or approximately $911 per month.

Here's the Difference

That's a difference of approximately $636 per month, even though both buyers purchased homes with the same value.

And this is why understanding South Carolina's property-tax system matters when evaluating the cost of owning a home.

Important: These figures are hypothetical estimates for educational purposes, not actual tax quotes. The calculation uses the Town of Mount Pleasant's published 2025 combined millage rate and an illustrative school-operating exemption. It excludes local-option sales-tax credits, parcel-specific fees, special assessments, and other adjustments. Actual taxes depend on the property's tax district, taxable value, applicable exemptions, and tax year. Use Charleston County's official property-tax estimator for a property-specific estimate.