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

By Ryan Lee (@ryanlee) · Published 2026-10-16

Canonical: https://voce.com/@ryanlee/mount-pleasant-sc-property-taxes-homebuyers

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## 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](https://www.charlestoncounty.gov/departments/auditor/files/2025-millage-card.pdf)

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

Primary Residence

Second Home

Home value

$700,000

$700,000

Assessment ratio

4%

6%

Assessed value

$28,000

$42,000

Annual tax before adjustments

$7,291

$10,937

Illustrative school-operating tax relief

−$3,990

$0

**Illustrative annual taxes**

**$3,301**

**$10,937**

**Illustrative monthly taxes**

**$275**

**$911**

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._