States › South Carolina › Seneca

Is Seneca, SC expensive to live in?

CheapRent takes 18 cents of every $1 people earn here.
🏠 Rent per month (2026)$84952% lower than U.S. average
💵 Families earn per year (2026)$56,106about $4,676/month · 36% lower than U.S. average
🔑 House price$240,00028% lower than U.S. average

Rent here is among the lowest 10% of all U.S. cities. A typical house costs about 4.3 years of household income. Commutes are short, about 16 minutes.

How much money do I need?

To rent here comfortably, you should earn about $33,960 a year. That is $16 an hour at a full-time job.

Is rent cheaper than other South Carolina cities?

Yes. Rent here is cheaper than in most of South Carolina. It is number 8 of 101 cities from cheapest to most expensive.

Seneca
$849
York
$1,292
Litchfield Beach
$1,793
Lancaster
$913
Sangaree
$1,493
Laurens
$895
Georgetown
$830

How much do households earn in Seneca?

Under $25k
18.9%
$25k–50k
31.4%
$50k–100k
28.5%
$100k–150k
10.3%
$150k+
5.3%

Share of households by yearly income. 15.6% of households earn $100,000 or more.

Rent by apartment size in Seneca

SizeSenecaU.S. average
1 bedroom$457$1,324
2 bedrooms$896$1,509
3 bedrooms$1,319$1,698
4 bedrooms$926$2,098

Median monthly rent plus utilities for all renters, by number of bedrooms.

How expensive is Seneca overall?

Everyday prices in South Carolina overall are 6% below the U.S. average (index 93.7, U.S. = 100).

Housing
80
Goods (food, clothes…)
96
Utilities
88
Other services
98
U.S. average
100

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities 2024. City-level data is not published for Seneca, so the South Carolina figure is shown.

Taxes and bills in Seneca

🏛️ Property tax$1,175a year · 0.49% of home value · U.S. $3,119
⚡ Electric bill$147a month (typical) · U.S. $156

Life in Seneca

Commute to work16 minU.S.: 26.4 min
College degree29.1%U.S.: 35.7%
Own their home51.4%U.S.: 65.2%
Below poverty line22.1%U.S.: 12.5%
Unemployment8.9%U.S.: 5.2%

Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Seneca?

Renting is cheaper right now: about $816 a month less.

Renting
$849
Owning
$1,665

Owning assumes a typical $240,000 home, 10% down, a 30-year loan at 6.5% and about 1.5% a year for taxes and insurance. You would also need $24,000 for the down payment.

Frequently asked questions

What is the average rent in Seneca, SC?

Renting in Seneca costs a median of about $849 a month in 2026, including utilities. The South Carolina median is $1,479.

How much do I need to make to live in Seneca?

To keep rent under 30% of income, you need about $33,960 a year, or $16 an hour at a full-time job.

Is Seneca cheap or expensive?

Seneca is rated Cheap: rent takes 18.2% of the typical household income of $56,106. It ranks 8th cheapest of 101 South Carolina cities we track.

How much are property taxes in Seneca?

The median homeowner in Seneca pays $1,175 a year in property taxes, about 0.49% of the median home value.

Is Seneca more expensive than the national average?

Overall prices in South Carolina are 6% below the U.S. average, according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.

How much does a house cost in Seneca?

The median home value in Seneca is $240,000, about 4.3 times the typical yearly household income.

8,993 people live in Seneca. Numbers are typical (middle) values.