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

All states·South Carolina·Sumter

Sumter County · Sumter · population 42,958

First-time buyers
Sumter, SC
Image: Wikipedia · Sumter, South Carolina
OverviewCost of livingMoving guide
View watchlist →
63
Rising
Momentum score · 0–100

Where Sumter stands

At or near all-time high.

Median home $214,608
1-year +0.4%
5-yr CAGR +4.3%
vs 5-yr peak -0.1%
Population -0.3%/yr

Home value trajectory · last 10 years

Zillow ZHVI · monthly
peak 2025-03$215k$118k$153k$188k$223k201620182020202220242026

Lifestyle scores

🚶
Walkability
32/100
Very 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
82/100
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
$1,431/mo$957$1,237$1,517202220242026

Home value vs rent · indexed to 100

Both rebased at first month of ZORI data (~2015)
Home valueRent124141100120140202220242026

Rent vs buy

Price-to-rent ratio: 12.5
Buy

At a 12.5 price-to-rent ratio, buying generally beats renting in Sumter on a long-enough horizon. The headline math is that one year of mortgage payments approximates 12.5 years of rent — well below the 15+ threshold where ownership starts to dominate.

How the momentum score breaks down

methodology →
Home YoY
52 · w22%
Home 5-yr CAGR
61 · w22%
Distance from peak
89 · w18%
Population growth
41 · w16%
Rent YoY
74 · w12%
Home 10-yr CAGR
63 · w10%
Long thesis

Sumter has held up across the cycle: home values at $214,608 with +4.3% 5-year CAGR. The bull case is structural — population, location, employer base — and holds even if next year's print is soft.

Short thesis

Sumter'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 Sumter

Sumter is a city in Sumter County, South Carolina, with an estimated population of 42,958. The median home value in Sumter is $214,608 as of 2026-04, up 0.4% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +4.3% annual growth, with prices at or near the 5-year peak. Rents in Sumter average $1,431 per month, up 4.3% year-over-year. The composite momentum score is 63 of 100 (Rising). The market is healthy with prices supported by underlying demand.

▲ Bull case

●Held the highs: currently -0.1% from the 5-year peak — this market refused to give back gains.
○The data is the data: Sumter has at least 5 years of Zillow tracking, full Census identification, and is included in the 2-criteria momentum score on this page.

▼ Bear case

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

About Sumter (Wikipedia)

Sumter is a city in and the county seat of Sumter County, South Carolina, United States. The city makes up the Sumter, SC Metropolitan Statistical Area. Sumter County, along with Clarendon and Lee counties, form the core of Sumter–Lee–Clarendon tri-county area of South Carolina that includes three counties straddling the border of the Sandhills, Pee Dee, and Lowcountry regions. The population was 43,463 at the 2020 census, making it the 9th-most populous city in the state.

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

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 Sumter 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. Sumter County routes NWS alerts; check the state EM portal for non-weather emergencies.

Cities like Sumter

Greenwood, SC60 · StableOrangeburg, SC58 · StableSummerville, SC63 · RisingBatesburg-Leesville, SC60 · Stable

Run the numbers for Sumter

ToolCan I afford Sumter?Income → city shortlistToolROI on a Sumter rentalCap rate, cash-on-cash, DSCRToolCompare Sumter to anywhereSide-by-side up to 3 citiesToolSumter 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 Sumter 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 Sumter 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.

Cities similar to Sumter

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