Summerville, SC — Momentum Score, Home Values & Best-For

All states·South Carolina·Summerville

Dorchester County · Charleston-North Charleston · population 52,625

Summerville, SC
Image: Wikipedia · Summerville, South Carolina
OverviewCost of livingMoving guide
View watchlist →
63
Rising
Momentum score · 0–100

Where Summerville stands

At or near all-time high.

Median home $381,565
1-year -1.3%
5-yr CAGR +5.2%
vs 5-yr peak -1.5%
Population +0.8%/yr

Home value trajectory · last 10 years

Zillow ZHVI · monthly
peak 2024-05$382k$198k$266k$335k$403k201620182020202220242026

Lifestyle scores

🚶
Walkability
35/100
Car-dependent
Estimated from population density. Higher = denser, more amenities within walking distance.
🚉
Public transit
22/100
Transit limited
Curated list of major US transit systems + population-based estimate. Higher = real subway/rail/bus options.
💻
Remote work fit
85/100
Excellent for remote work
Composite of city size, housing cost, state tax structure, and region's remote-work track record.

Scores are heuristic estimates from population density, state, and known transit/walkable cities. Not based on a paid Walk Score / Transit Score API — see methodology for the formula.

Rent trajectory · last 5 years

Zillow ZORI · monthly
$1,851/mo$1,311$1,637$1,963202220242026

Home value vs rent · indexed to 100

Both rebased at first month of ZORI data (~2015)
Home valueRent129133100120202220242026

Rent vs buy

Price-to-rent ratio: 17.2
Lean buy

At a 17.2 price-to-rent ratio, Summerville is in the 'depends on horizon' zone. Buy if you'll be there 5+ years and value flexibility on the home; rent if you might move, want zero maintenance friction, or expect rates to drop.

How the momentum score breaks down

methodology →
Home YoY
43 · w22%
Home 5-yr CAGR
66 · w22%
Distance from peak
81 · w18%
Population growth
62 · w16%
Rent YoY
64 · w12%
Home 10-yr CAGR
68 · w10%
Long thesis

Summerville has held up across the cycle: home values at $381,565 with +5.2% 5-year CAGR. The bull case is structural — population, location, employer base — and holds even if next year's print is soft.

Short thesis

Summerville's bear case is the boring one: the cycle is real and any market that's run hard can stall. Watch for slowing population growth, rising days-on-market, or builder discounts as the early warning signals.

About Summerville

Summerville is a city in Dorchester County, South Carolina, with an estimated population of 52,625. It anchors the Charleston-North Charleston metro area. The population grew 0.8% annually from 2020 to 2024, a moderate gain. The median home value in Summerville is $381,565 as of 2026-04, down 1.3% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +5.2% annual growth, with prices at or near the 5-year peak. Rents in Summerville average $1,851 per month, roughly flat year-over-year (+2.9%). The composite momentum score is 63 of 100 (Rising). The market is healthy with prices supported by underlying demand.

▲ Bull case

●Healthy 5-year run: +5.2% annualized over 5 years, outpacing US inflation.
●Held the highs: currently -1.5% from the 5-year peak — this market refused to give back gains.

▼ Bear case

○Local nuance: city-level data smooths over neighborhood differences. School zones, HOA rules, and street-level character matter — visit before deciding.

About Summerville (Wikipedia)

Summerville is a town in the U.S. state of South Carolina situated mostly in Dorchester County, with small portions in Berkeley and Charleston Counties. It lies about 5 miles from the Ashley River. Its population was 50,915 at the 2020 census, making it the seventh-most populous city in South Carolina. It is part of the Charleston metropolitan area.

Source: Wikipedia · this summary is contributed and licensed under CC-BY-SA.

City facts

MayorRuss Touchberry
Area22.67 sq mi
Elevation43 ft
IncorporatedDecember 17, 1847
NicknameFlowertown
Density2259.27/sq mi
Named forNew Summerville

Extracted from the Wikipedia infobox. Values may be slightly out of date relative to the latest sources.

Playbook

Buyer

You're not in a frenzy but you're not getting bargains either. Make a competitive offer with normal inspection terms. Don't lowball — the listing will move with or without you.

Seller

Price at fair market value; expect movement in 30-45 days. Don't get clever with terms (rent-back, contingencies) — buyers in a Rising market have options.

Investor

Appreciation tailwind exists but cash flow requires discipline on price. Run the numbers conservatively and confirm rent comps before committing.

Local safety & alerts

No active National Weather Service alerts for Dorchester County right now.

NWS active alerts (SC)South Carolina Emergency ManagementHow to prepare (NWS)

Public-safety links are official .gov sources, not curated by us. Dorchester County routes NWS alerts; check the state EM portal for non-weather emergencies.

Cities like Summerville

Rock Hill, SC63 · RisingGreenwood, SC60 · StableGoose Creek, SC68 · RisingGeorgetown, SC62 · Rising

Run the numbers for Summerville

ToolCan I afford Summerville?Income → city shortlistToolROI on a Summerville rentalCap rate, cash-on-cash, DSCRToolCompare Summerville to anywhereSide-by-side up to 3 citiesToolSummerville cost-of-livingEquivalent income elsewhere

Sources: Zillow ZHVI (home values), Zillow ZORI (rents), US Census ACS + place population. Updated when source agencies publish revisions.

Climate & natural-disaster risk

Winter (Jan)
57° / 36°
avg high / low
Summer (Jul)
91° / 71°
avg high / low
Sunny days/yr
220
~60% of year
Annual precip
50″ rain
2″ snow
Disaster risk (1=very low, 5=very high)
Hurricane
High
Tornado
Moderate
Wildfire
Low
Earthquake
Low
Flood
High

State-level averages from NOAA Climate Normals (1991-2020) and FEMA National Risk Index. City-level conditions can vary significantly within a state.

Current weather

Loading current conditions…

7-day forecast on weather.gov →

Find rentals & listings

Open current Summerville listings on the major real-estate sites.

Links open the live search on the destination site — results are always current.

Local news & community

Updated 2026-05-21 from Google News + Reddit RSS. Headlines link to original sources.

Local sports teams

Major professional teams the Charleston-North Charleston area cheers for. Detailed stats, schedules, and player pages on intherafters.com.

Local economy & environment

Humidity
73%
Humid climate
Median household income
$63,600
South Carolina state median
Top industries (state-level)
Manufacturing (auto)TourismHealthcare

Humidity is annual average relative humidity (NOAA). Income is Census ACS 5-year estimate. Industries are largest employment sectors statewide (BLS); the local mix in a given city may vary.

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