Photo: Bill Fitzpatrick · CC BY-SA 3.0Measured against area pay, Chesterfield costs more to live in than 50% of U.S. towns
Up 10.2% in a year, 37% below the South Carolina typical home.
Census 2020–24 home values, rents, tax bills and cost burden, measured against the median household income of Chesterfield County, SC ($49K). How TownRatings grades cost of living
The grade compares costs with what households across Chesterfield County earn ($49K, Census 2020–24). Even so, the typical home costs 3.7 years of area income, and 48% of renters pay 30% or more of income for housing.
In dollars
- $191Ktypical home, 37% below the South Carolina typical homeZillow, September 2026
- $900a month for a two-bedroom, utilities includedHUD Fair Market Rent, 2026
In paychecks the grade
- 3.7 yrsof area income buys the typical home; the typical U.S. town: 3.3$49K, Chesterfield County income
- 19%of area income goes to the median rent; the typical U.S. town: 18%Census 2020–24
- 48%of renters pay 30%+ of income for housing; across South Carolina: 52%Census 2020–24
- 19%of owners do; the typical U.S. town: 20%Census 2020–24
What stands out about housing in Chesterfield
What’s behind Chesterfield’s grade
Measured against what households in the area earn, Chesterfield is more affordable than 50% of U.S. towns. The share of households paying 30%+ for housing pulls the grade down most; property tax holds it up.
Values have lagged South Carolina: the typical Chesterfield home is up 12.4% in five years, against 23.7% statewide (Zillow).
Up 10.2% in a year
Faster than South Carolina (0.9%).
Show as a table
| January | Chesterfield | South Carolina |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | $119,000 | $170,000 |
| 2018 | $120,000 | $179,000 |
| 2019 | $134,000 | $189,000 |
| 2020 | $133,000 | $199,000 |
| 2021 | $145,000 | $221,000 |
| 2022 | $179,000 | $259,000 |
| 2023 | $190,000 | $289,000 |
| 2024 | $180,000 | $299,000 |
| 2025 | $184,000 | $304,000 |
| 2026 | $176,000 | $304,000 |
| September 2026 | $191,000 | $304,000 |
A typical Chesterfield home worth $119K in October 2016 is worth about $191K today.
Zillow Home Value Index: the typical value of all homes (middle third), smoothed and seasonally adjusted, through September 2026.
A typical home costs 3.7 years of area income
The calculator starts from the area income the grade uses. Switch to Chesterfield’s own median, or type yours.
That covers a typical Chesterfield home, with $13K to spare.
A two-bedroom rents for about $900 a month here, $170 less than owning.
An estimate, not a loan offer: payments of up to 28% of income, a 30-year fixed loan, Chesterfield’s typical property tax (0.44% of value a year, from the Census) and insurance of about 0.35%. Mortgage insurance, HOA fees and other debts aren’t included.
A two-bedroom rents for about $900
Renters already here pay a median of $760, so moving in tends to cost more than staying put.
Fair Market Rent a month, utilities included
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Fair Market Rents by ZIP code (Chesterfield County, SC): the 40th-percentile rent plus utilities for a standard unit. Median rent and renters: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.
7 new homes permitted in 2025
Builders were permitted 7 new homes in Chesterfield in 2025, all single-family houses, worth about $2.2 million to build. That's 4.8 per 1,000 residents, slower than across South Carolina (9.4).
Every year as a table
| Year | New homes | Single-family | 2+ per building | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 (Jan–Aug) | 2 | 2 | 0 | $355,000 |
| 2025 | 7 | 7 | 0 | $2.2 million |
| 2024 | 2 | 2 | 0 | $605,000 |
| 2007 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2006 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2005 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $190,000 |
| 2004 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2003 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2002 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2001 | 2 | 2 | 0 | $286,000 |
| 2000 | 3 | 3 | 0 | $185,000 |
Homes authorized by building permits, counted in the year the permit was issued. U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey.
Property tax runs below the South Carolina norm
The median bill is $804 (South Carolina: $1,251), 0.44% of a home’s value a year, against 0.48% statewide.
Census American Community Survey 2020–24: the median real-estate tax bill homeowners report, and that bill ÷ the median home value. Bills include town, school and county taxes. The Census reports bills over $10,000 only as “$10,000+”.
Chesterfield and its neighbors
One source per column.
Cost next door · one source per column
| Town | Cost | Typical home Zillow, September 2026 | Median value Census 2020–24 | Tax rate bill ÷ value | 2-bed rent HUD 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chesterfield | B− | $191K | $184K | 0.44% | $900 |
Questions about the cost of living in Chesterfield
Is Chesterfield expensive to live in?
Measured against what households in the area earn, Chesterfield costs more than 50% of U.S. towns: a B− for cost of living. The typical home costs 3.7 years of the median household income of Chesterfield County, SC ($49K).
How much does a house cost in Chesterfield?
About $191K, Zillow’s typical value for September 2026, up 10.2% in a year. The South Carolina typical home is $304K.
What salary do you need to live in Chesterfield?
To buy the typical home with 20% down at 6.3%, about $46,000 a year, keeping the payment (about $1,070 a month with tax and insurance) at 28% of income. To rent a two-bedroom at 30% of income, about $36,000.
How much is rent in Chesterfield?
HUD puts a two-bedroom at about $900 a month with utilities, the going rate for someone moving in. Renters already here pay a median of $760 (Census 2020–24).
What are property taxes in Chesterfield?
The median bill is $804 a year, 0.44% of the median home value (South Carolina: $1,251, 0.48%), from the Census 2020–24.
Are home prices in Chesterfield going up?
Yes: up 10.2% in the past year and 12.4% in five years, against 23.7% across South Carolina (Zillow).
Neighbors talk housing
What Chesterfield buyers, sellers and renters are saying.
Home values: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), Zillow Research, September 2026. Sales, days on market and supply: Redfin Data Center. Income, ownership, taxes and rent: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. New homes: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey. Fair Market Rents: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The calculator is an estimate, not a loan offer. Regional price levels: BEA; electricity: EIA. How TownRatings grades cost of living.