Verified July 2026 · By Oleg Kachko · Reviewed for accuracy against primary state and county sources
Beaufort County property tax costs the typical homeowner about $2,174 a year, on a median home value of $455,600 – an effective rate of about 0.50%. That is below the national average annual bill of $4,271. This page shows you where that number comes from, who actually sets it, the deadline to challenge it, and the exemptions you may be leaving on the table.
Beaufort County property tax at a Glance
- Effective property tax rate: 0.50%
- Median annual bill: $2,174
- Median home value: $455,600
- Who assesses your home: Beaufort County Assessor
- Appeal deadline: 90 days from the date on your assessment notice
On this page
Beaufort County property tax: the real numbers
Property tax is the most local tax there is. Two homes of the same value in different counties – sometimes in different towns of the same county – can carry very different bills, because the rate is the sum of every overlapping district that taxes you: the county, the town or city, the school district, and often fire, library or water districts on top. So the beaufort county property tax figure below is an average across the whole county – your own bill depends on which districts you sit inside.
| Figure | Beaufort County | National |
|---|---|---|
| Median annual property tax bill | $2,174 | $4,271 |
| Effective property tax rate | 0.50% | about 0.90% |
| Median home value | $455,600 | – |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (5-year), the same dataset the Tax Foundation uses. The effective rate is total real-estate taxes paid divided by total owner-occupied home value – so it reflects what people actually pay, not the headline millage rate.
Who actually sets your beaufort county property tax value
Your assessed value is set by Beaufort County Assessor. That office does not set your tax rate – the county board, your city, and your school district each set their own, and your bill is the sum. So the assessor can only be argued with about one thing: what your home is worth. That is exactly what an appeal is.
How often your beaufort county property tax value is reassessed:
County assessors value property at fair market value and reassess once every five years, with a 15% cap on the value increase per five-year cycle. Homes are assessed at 4% (owner-occupied) or 6%.
How to appeal your beaufort county property tax assessment
⚠ The deadline — miss it and you usually wait a full year
90 days from the date on your assessment notice
File a written objection with the county assessor within 90 days of your assessment notice (S.C. Code 12-60-2510). If unresolved, the county Board of Assessment Appeals hears it; then the SC Administrative Law Court within 30 days. Confirm dates with your county.
Almost every beaufort county property tax appeal comes down to one claim: the assessor thinks my home is worth more than it really is. Everything below is about proving that.
Do this first, before you file anything: ask for your property record card and read it. A surprising share of assessments are simply wrong on the facts – the wrong square footage, a bathroom you do not have, a finished basement that is bare concrete, a garage that was torn down. Factual errors are the easiest appeals to win, because there is nothing to argue about.
Then build the one thing that actually wins appeals: comparable sales. Find three to five homes near you, as similar as you can get on size, age, and condition, that sold recently for less than your assessed value. Not listings – sales. Not Zillow estimates – recorded sales. Boards ignore opinions and respond to comps.
A successful beaufort county property tax appeal does not change your tax rate – it lowers the value the rate is applied to, which lowers the bill for as long as the new value stands.
Appeals are heard by the County Assessor (written objection), then the county Board of Assessment Appeals, then the SC Administrative Law Court. In most places there is a free, informal step first – a conversation or a paper review with the assessor – and it resolves a large share of cases without a hearing. Take it. It costs you nothing and it is the fastest way to win.
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One honest warning: an appeal reviews your value, and a review can go up as well as down. That is uncommon when you bring real comparable sales, and it is exactly why you check your comps before you file.
Where to go: find your office through South Carolina Dept of Revenue, which lists the assessing office for every county in South Carolina.
Beaufort County property tax exemptions you may qualify for
This is where most homeowners quietly overpay their beaufort county property tax. Exemptions are almost never applied automatically – you have to claim them, and many people simply never do. It is worth ten minutes of your time to check.
HOMESTEAD: The 4% ratio plus the Act 388 school-operating-tax exemption are the broad owner-occupant benefits (not a flat dollar figure). Confirm with your county assessor. | SENIOR: $50,000 of fair market value exempt (legislation has been proposed to raise it). Confirm with your county auditor. | VETERAN: Full (100%) exemption of the home. Confirm with the SC Dept of Revenue. | DISABILITY: $50,000 of fair market value exempt. Confirm with your county auditor / SC Dept of Revenue.
Homestead: Owner-occupants get the 4% special assessment ratio (vs 6% for other property) by filing a Legal Residence application with the county assessor – and, under Act 388, an owner-occupied home at 4% is also exempt from school operating taxes. The separate $50,000 Homestead Exemption (below) is for seniors/disabled/blind.
Senior / over-65: Homestead Exemption (S.C. Code 12-37-250): exempts the first $50,000 of the home’s fair market value from all property tax for owners 65+ OR totally & permanently disabled OR legally blind. File with the county AUDITOR (not the assessor). One-time.
Veteran: Disabled Veterans Exemption (S.C. Code 12-37-220): a FULL exemption from property tax on the home for a veteran with a 100% permanent & total service-connected disability (and surviving spouses), plus surviving spouses of servicemembers/first responders killed in the line of duty. File with the SC Dept of Revenue (Form PT-401-I).
Disability: Totally & permanently disabled or legally blind homeowners qualify for the same $50,000 Homestead Exemption as seniors (file with the county auditor). Certain disabilities may qualify for the full veteran-style exemption through the SC Dept of Revenue.
Common questions about beaufort county property tax
Why did my beaufort county property tax bill go up when I did nothing to the house?
Two different things can raise a bill: your assessed value went up, or a taxing district raised its rate. They are separate, and only the first one can be appealed. Your notice will show which changed.
Is it worth appealing my beaufort county property tax?
Ask one question: would a similar home near mine sell for less than the value the assessor has put on mine? If yes, you have a case, it is usually free to file, and in many places the informal review settles it without a hearing.
Do I need to hire someone to appeal?
No. The informal review and the local board are built for ordinary homeowners to use themselves, and there is normally no fee. Appeal services exist and can be worth it for some people, but you are not required to use one and you should never be told you are.
How is my beaufort county property tax bill actually calculated?
Your assessed value is multiplied by the combined rate of every district that taxes you, then any exemptions you have claimed are subtracted. That is why two neighbours can pay different amounts on identical homes – one of them claimed an exemption the other never did.
More on South Carolina property tax
- South Carolina property tax rates — how Beaufort County compares with every other county in the state.
- How to win your South Carolina property tax appeal — the evidence that works and what to say at the hearing.
- South Carolina property tax exemptions — who qualifies, how much each one saves, and how to apply.
- South Carolina property tax due dates — when the bill is due and what happens if you are late.
- Property tax by state — every state, side by side.
The bottom line on beaufort county property tax
Do two things this week. First, pull your property record card and check the facts – square footage, rooms, condition. Second, check whether you are claiming every exemption you are entitled to, because most people are not. If your beaufort county property tax value looks higher than what a similar home nearby would actually sell for, you have grounds to appeal – and the only thing that can stop you is the deadline above.
Where our beaufort county property tax figures come from
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey — the rate, median bill and median value on this page.
- Tax Foundation, Property Taxes by State and County — the same dataset and method.
- South Carolina Dept of Revenue — the office that can confirm your value, your exemptions and your deadline.
- South Carolina Dept of Revenue (dor.sc.gov); S.C. Code Title 12; county assessor/auditor sites
Informational only. Know Property Tax is not a government agency, not a county assessor, and not a tax-appeal service, and this is not legal, tax, or financial advice. Property tax rates, median bills, exemption amounts, and deadlines change every year, and every property is different. Any figure shown here is illustrative. Confirm your rate, your exemptions, and above all your appeal deadline with the office named on this page before you act.
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