Sumter Home Prices: $210K, Down 0.7% — 3 ZIPs Analyzed (2026)

$209,779. That’s the median home value in Sumter as of February 2026, down 0.7% from a year ago. Prices have ticked up four months in a row after bottoming in October — but the city is still slightly cheaper than it was last spring.

Quick answer: The average home price in Sumter, SC is $209,779 as of February 2026, down 0.7% year over year according to Zillow.

Current Home Prices in Sumter

The Sumter market sits well below state and national averages. Three ZIP codes report enough sales volume to track, and the spread between them is wide — almost $48,000 separates the cheapest from the priciest.

The 0.7% drop sounds small. In dollar terms, it works out to roughly $1,500 off a typical home. That’s noise, not a crash — but it puts Sumter on the wrong side of the line in a state where most metros are still gaining value.

For context: $209,779 is less than half what a typical home costs in the U.S. right now. You’re getting a full single-family house in Sumter for what a one-bedroom condo costs in Charleston or Mount Pleasant.

The three-ZIP sample is small. That means a single high-end subdivision or one quiet quarter can swing the citywide number more than it would in a metro with 30 ZIPs. Treat the headline figure as a directional read, not a precise appraisal.

Sumter Home Prices by Neighborhood

Three ZIPs cover the city. They split into a clear hierarchy: 29150 on the low end, 29153 in the middle, and 29154 at the top.

Most Expensive

• 29154 — $233,032. The priciest ZIP, sitting about $23,000 above the citywide average. Rents here run $1,664, the highest in the city, suggesting newer or larger housing stock.
• 29153 — $210,768. The middle ZIP, almost exactly at the city median. No rent data is reported.
• 29150 — $185,536. Even the cheapest ZIP would top this list in cities with only one or two ZIPs reporting.

Most Affordable

• 29150 — $185,536. The clear value play, $24,243 below the citywide average. Average rent of $1,174 is also nearly $500/month cheaper than 29154.
• 29153 — $210,768. Mid-range pricing without the premium of 29154.
• 29154 — $233,032. Not affordable by Sumter standards, but still cheap by South Carolina standards.

Rent vs Buy in Sumter

Rent data comes from two of the three ZIPs. Average rent across them: about $1,419 per month.

Renting is cheaper month-to-month if you compare rent to a fully loaded mortgage payment. But the gap is small — about $130 a month in 29150, where rent and buy nearly break even.

The math changes if you stay put. Five years of rent at $1,174/month is $70,440. Five years of mortgage payments builds equity, even as prices tread water. With prices essentially flat year-over-year, you’re not betting on appreciation — you’re betting on holding the asset long enough for amortization to do the work.

In 29154, rent runs $1,664. That’s higher than what most people would pay to own the median home there. The buy case is strongest in the priciest ZIP.

Population Growth and Migration

Sumter is losing people. Slowly, but consistently.

The city dropped about 487 residents over four years — a 1.1% decline. The bleeding stopped in 2023 and the population has crept back up the last two years, but Sumter still hasn’t recovered its 2020 count.

Compare that to other South Carolina cities:

Every other major SC city in the comparison set is growing. Sumter is the outlier. That’s the demand-side story behind the flat-to-falling prices: there are simply fewer buyers each year.

Sumter Housing Market Trends

Twelve months of data show a market that bottomed in October 2025 and has been climbing since.

The median fell for seven straight months from March through September 2025, dropping about $6,000. Then it bounced. Since the October low of $205,276, prices have added $4,503 over four months — roughly $1,100 per month.

That’s a real reversal, but a quiet one. The market hasn’t caught back up to where it was a year ago. Another two months at the current pace would do it.

Is Sumter a Good Place to Buy in 2026?

The data points to a buyer’s market that’s tilting back toward neutral.

Prices fell most of 2025 in a city with shrinking population and small market depth. Three ZIPs is not a lot of comparable inventory, and slow growth means less competition for listings. If you can find what you want, you have time to think about it.

The recent four-month uptick is worth watching. It’s not enough to call a recovery — Sumter is still 0.7% below year-ago levels — but it does suggest sellers stopped accepting cuts. If you’re a buyer, the bargaining power you had last fall is fading.

Affordability remains the headline. At $209,779, the median home in Sumter costs less than the down payment on a house in many growing SC cities. That’s the trade-off: you save on the purchase, you give up the population growth tailwind.

For owner-occupants planning to stay 5+ years, the numbers work. For investors counting on appreciation, the population data is a warning.

Sumter Housing Market Outlook for 2026-2027

The 3-month trend shows prices rising about $1,134 per month on average ($207,108 in December to $209,779 in February). If that pace continues, Sumter would cross $213,000 by mid-2026.

That’s a big “if.” Four months of recovery follows seven months of decline, and the underlying population trend hasn’t changed. Markets with shrinking populations don’t typically sustain price gains without a clear demand catalyst.

The most likely path: small monthly moves in either direction, with the citywide median bouncing in the $205K–$215K range through year-end. The recent momentum favors the upper half of that band, but the fundamentals don’t support a breakout.

Watch the spring selling season. If Sumter prices push past $213,000 by July, the floor likely held. If they stall or drift back below $208,000, expect another flat year.

Similar Markets in SC

• Florence — A nearby Pee Dee region city with a similar population profile, often a fair price comparison point.
• Columbia — The state capital is bigger and growing, but worth checking if you want urban amenities at a moderate price.
• Aiken — Another smaller SC city with affordable housing, comparable to Sumter on size.
• Anderson — Upstate alternative for buyers who want similar prices in a different region.
• Summerville — Step up in price for buyers who want Lowcountry access without paying Charleston prices.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average home price in Sumter?

The average home price in Sumter, SC is $209,779 as of February 2026. That figure is the Zillow Home Value Index average across three ZIP codes, with individual ZIP medians ranging from $185,536 to $233,032.

Are home prices going up or down in Sumter?

Year over year, Sumter prices are down 0.7%. The 12-month picture shows a steady decline through October 2025, followed by a four-month rebound that’s added about $4,500 to the median.

Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Sumter?

Renting wins on monthly cost. Average rent runs about $1,419 across the two reporting ZIPs, while a mortgage on the $209,779 median home with 10% down totals roughly $1,550 once taxes and insurance are included. Buying makes more sense if you plan to stay at least 5 years.

What is the most affordable neighborhood in Sumter?

ZIP 29150 is the cheapest area, with a median home value of $185,536 — about $24,000 below the citywide average. Rent there averages $1,174, also the lowest in the city.

Methodology

Home values are based on the Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), a smoothed measure of typical home values in the 35th to 65th percentile range. Rent estimates use the Zillow Observed Rent Index (ZORI). Population figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (2020-2024 vintage). All datasets are publicly available. Housing data updated 2026-02-28.