Sumter, SC Housing Market
AI-powered market intelligence for the Sumter, SC metro area.
PropertyIQ Scores
Sumter, SC Market Analysis
Market Overview
Sumter’s PropertyIQ Score of 35 out of 100 points to a relatively weak market by this scoring system. The median home value is $203,053, well below the South Carolina average of $306,323, and the median household income is $56,693, also below the state average of $69,324. The unemployment rate is 6.2%, compared with 4.2% statewide, which adds a layer of caution. The top score drivers listed in the data include 12-month home value momentum of 1.36%, 3-month home value momentum of 0.28%, median days on market of 58 days, and a share of listings with a price cut at 22.5%. These figures suggest a market where price movement is limited and sellers often need to adjust expectations.
The rental side is a notable counterpoint. Sumter’s rent index is $1,510, while the state average is $1,180. That means local rents are higher than the statewide benchmark even though local home values are lower. For a market with a modest median home value and a comparatively high rent index, the rental market appears more active than the for-sale market. With 387 homes for sale and a median of 58 days on market, the inventory picture is not extremely tight. The year-over-year home value change is effectively flat, reported as $0, which reinforces the low-momentum signal from the PropertyIQ score.
Key Trends
One clear trend is subdued home value growth. The 12-month home value momentum is 1.36%, and the 3-month momentum is just 0.28%. The year-over-year change is flat. For context, the overall PropertyIQ score is 35/100. This indicates that homes are not gaining value quickly, and the lower 3-month figure relative to the 12-month figure suggests near-term price movement is even slower than the modest annual pace.
A second trend is the relative strength of the rental market. Sumter’s rent index of $1,510 is well above the state average of $1,180, even though the median home value is far below the state average. That divergence stands out in the data. It may point to stronger renter demand or a tighter rental supply, though population growth data is not available, so the underlying demographic driver cannot be confirmed.
A third trend is mixed affordability. The median home value of $203,053 is much lower than the state average, which can help buyers looking for a lower purchase price. But the median household income of $56,693 is also below the state average of $69,324, and unemployment is elevated at 6.2%. That means lower home prices do not automatically translate into broad affordability relative to local incomes.
Finally, listing data points to buyer-friendly conditions. The median days on market is 58 days, and 22.5% of listings have a price cut. That suggests sellers are competing and may be willing to negotiate. It aligns with the weak home value momentum and the low overall PropertyIQ score.
Who Is This Market For
Given the data, Sumter may fit budget-conscious first-time buyers and income-focused rental investors more than appreciation-driven investors. The median home value of $203,053 is substantially below the state average of $306,323, so the entry price is lower. However, the median household income of $56,693 and elevated unemployment at 6.2% mean financing can still be challenging for some local households. For first-time buyers with stable income, the price point and the 22.5% share of listings with price cuts may offer negotiating room.
The rental profile suggests buy-and-hold investors could find the math interesting. The rent index of $1,510 is higher than the state average of $1,180, while home values are lower than the state average. That combination can support rental income relative to purchase price. But investors should also weigh the weak home value momentum, the 35/100 PropertyIQ score, and the lack of population growth data. This is not a market for short-term flippers or buyers expecting rapid appreciation. Move-up buyers may also find less benefit if their current home has seen little value growth and if selling takes 58 days with a meaningful share of price cuts. Patient buyers and cash-flow-focused investors align best with the current data.
Outlook
The current data points to continued softness in Sumter’s for-sale market. Three-month home value momentum of 0.28% is lower than the 12-month figure of 1.36%, suggesting near-term price growth is barely moving. With a year-over-year change of $0, no meaningful appreciation trend is evident. Median days on market at 58 and a price-cut share of 22.5% indicate that buyers are not under intense pressure and sellers may need to stay flexible. The unemployment rate of 6.2%, above the state average of 4.2%, may keep local demand restrained. At the same time, the rent index of $1,510 remains above the state average of $1,180, which could support rental demand if local employment does not weaken further. Population growth data is not available, so the outlook cannot rely on demographic tailwinds. Based on the provided numbers, the most likely path is continued subdued home price growth and a market that favors negotiators and rental-focused investors more than sellers seeking quick gains.
AI-generated analysis based on current market data. Last updated September 30, 2026.
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Sumter, SC market data
Sumter, SC Housing Market Overview
Sumter, SC's median home value is $203K, up 1.4% over the past year. Homes here sell in a median 58 days. Its PropertyIQ Score of 35 sits below the state average of 50, marking a market positioned to lag its state over the next three years.
The Sumter, SC metropolitan area represents a distinct segment of SC's housing landscape. The PropertyIQ Score combines price momentum — how Zillow home values have trended over the past 3 and 12 months — with market-flow signals from Realtor.com that track how fast homes sell and how often sellers cut prices. The result is a single measure of how this market is positioned to outperform or lag its state over the next three years.
The South Atlantic region continues to attract domestic migration with its combination of job growth, favorable tax environments, and year-round climate. Markets range from rapidly appreciating tech corridors to established retirement destinations with strong rental demand. Within the South Atlantic, Sumter, SC's PropertyIQ Score of 35 runs below the South Atlantic norm.
Each month, PropertyIQ updates its score for Sumter, SC using four inputs: Zillow ZHVI twelve-month and three-month momentum, Realtor.com median days on market, and the Realtor.com share of listings with price cuts. These four signals are combined into a single 1 to 99 score computed across all metro markets and calibrated so 50 represents the state average, making it a direct read of how this market is positioned to perform relative to its state. Momentum here has been positive, with home values up 1.4% over the past year.
Use PropertyIQ's interactive analytics to compare Sumter, SC against any other US metro on its PropertyIQ Score and underlying metrics. Generate a free AI market report, explore historical trends on the graphs page, or see how this market ranks on the scores dashboard.
Counties in the Sumter, SC metro area
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Market data through August 2026. Sourced from Zillow, Realtor.com, Redfin, U.S. Census Bureau, FRED, BLS, and BEA. Per-statistic source and date shown above.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Sumter, SC a good place to buy real estate in 2026?
PropertyIQ doesn't label markets simply good or bad. Instead, the PropertyIQ Score measures a market's demand momentum against its own state, where 50 marks the state average. Sumter, SC currently scores 35, a weak-momentum reading that leaves it positioned to lag its state over the next three years. For buyers, cooling demand usually brings more inventory, longer sale times, and real leverage to negotiate on price. Backing that up, the median home value here is $203K, up 1.4% over the past year. So whether Sumter, SC is right for you comes down to your goals: a rising-momentum market can favor long-term appreciation but offers less room to negotiate, while a cooling one hands buyers more leverage. Treat the score as a timing signal to weigh alongside your budget, holding period, and plans for the property, not a verdict on the market's quality.
What is the PropertyIQ Score for Sumter, SC?
Sumter, SC's PropertyIQ Score is 35, indicating weak momentum on a 1-to-99 scale. The score distills four transparent inputs into a single number: Zillow home-value momentum over the past 12 months, Zillow home-value momentum over the past 3 months, the median days homes spend on the market from Realtor.com, and the share of listings with a price cut, also from Realtor.com. Rising values and faster sales push the score up, while slow sales and frequent price cuts pull it down. The scale is calibrated so 50 equals the state average, meaning a score above 50 predicts the market will outperform its state over the next three years and a score below 50 predicts underperformance. PropertyIQ computes the score across every US market nationally, then recenters it against each state, so 35 places Sumter, SC below its state benchmark.
Are home prices in Sumter, SC rising or falling?
Home prices in Sumter, SC are rising. Over the past year, the median home value increased 1.4%, reaching $203K. Over the latest three months, values moved up 0.3%, a sign near-term demand remains firm. PropertyIQ derives these figures from Zillow's home-value index, which tracks the typical value across the market rather than only the homes that happened to sell, giving a steadier read than a raw median sale price. Both the 12-month and 3-month momentum readings feed directly into the PropertyIQ Score, so this price trend is one of the core signals behind Sumter, SC's current score. Keep in mind that appreciation can vary widely by neighborhood and price tier across the metro area, so treat these figures as the market-wide baseline rather than a guarantee for any single property.
How quickly do homes sell in Sumter, SC?
In Sumter, SC, homes sell in a median of 58 days from listing to pending sale, based on Realtor.com market data. Median days on market is one of the clearest real-time reads on local demand: when homes move quickly, buyers are competing and sellers hold the advantage, while lengthening timelines signal cooling interest and more room to negotiate. Alongside sale speed, about 23% of active listings here have taken at least one price cut — a complementary demand gauge, since a rising share of reductions often precedes slower sales and softer prices. Both median days on market and the price-cut share feed directly into the PropertyIQ Score, where faster sales and fewer cuts push the score higher. As a general guide, medians under about 30 days indicate a brisk, competitive market, while medians well beyond 60 days point to buyers regaining leverage. Actual time on market still varies by price band, property type, and season, so treat the median as a market-wide baseline.
How current is this metro area data?
This Sumter, SC market data is refreshed on a monthly cycle, with the latest figures current through August 2026. PropertyIQ ingests fresh data every month from a range of authoritative sources: home values and rents from Zillow, days on market and price-cut activity from Realtor.com, additional housing signals from Redfin, demographic and housing-stock data from the U.S. Census Bureau, mortgage and macroeconomic series from FRED, and employment figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Bureau of Economic Analysis. The PropertyIQ Score itself is recomputed every month once the new source data lands, so the score and its four underlying inputs always reflect the most recent complete reporting period rather than a static snapshot. Because official housing data is typically released with a short lag, the current-through date usually trails the present by a few weeks, which is normal across the industry and not a sign the data is out of date.