Department of Numbers

Sumter South Carolina Residential Rent and Rental Statistics

The median monthly gross residential rent in Sumter, SC (the Sumter metro area) was $786 in 2019 according to the Census ACS survey.1 Average gross rent in Sumter was $703 in 2019. The median rent more accurately depicts rental rates in the middle of the distribution of rents and is thus preferred in the analysis below. 2020 Sumter median and average rent data will be released in September of 2021.

Data is also available below for Sumter rental vacancy rates, Sumter rent as a percent of median income and the fraction of renters in Sumter.

Show dollars as: Nominal Real

Real Gross Rent in Sumter South Carolina (2019 dollars)2

2019 1 Year Change 3 Year Change
US Median Gross Rent $1,097 +1.86% +6.82%
South Carolina Median Gross Rent $922 +1.54% +4.65%
Sumter, SC Median Gross Rent $786 -4.03% +9.62%

Sumter, SC Real Gross Rent Trends

Median gross rent for Sumter peaked in real terms in 2015 at $822 and is now $36 (4.38%) lower. Average gross rent for Sumter peaked in real terms in 2011 at $841 and is now $138 (16.41%) lower.

Real Gross Rent in Sumter: Sumter SC Median, Sumter SC Average, South Carolina Median, US Median

Lower quartile, median and upper quartile real gross rent

Real Gross Rent History for Sumter

Date US
Median
South Carolina
Median
Sumter, SC
Median
Sumter, SC
Average
2019 $1,097 $922 $786 $703
2018 $1,077 $908 $819 $747
2017 $1,043 $874 $794 $742
2016 $1,027 $881 $717 $655
2015 $1,017 $869 $822 $807
2014 $986 $835 $754 $722
2013 $953 $807 $805 $777
2012 $940 $802 $743 $670
2011 $941 $800 $761 $841
2010 $955 $813 $760 $685
2009 $960 $805 $728 $639

more history ...

Sumter Rental Vacancy Rate

The rental vacancy rate is the fraction of homes for rent that are not occupied.3 In 2019 the rental vacancy rate for Sumter South Carolina was 5.03% according to Census ACS data.

Rental Vacancy Rate in Sumter South Carolina

2019 1 Year Change 3 Year Change
US 5.97% -0.18% +0.08%
South Carolina 9.13% -0.86% +0.64%
Sumter, SC 5.03% -2.79% +0.41%

Trends in Sumter, SC Rental Vacancy Rate

The rental vacancy rate in Sumter peaked in 2009 at 12.99%. Since then it has fallen by 7.96% to 5.03%. Data records for this series originated in 2005. From a 2017 post peak low of 4.34%, the rental vacancy rate has increased by 0.69%.

Rental Vacancy Rate: Sumter SC, South Carolina, US

Rental vacancy rate in South Carolina

Historical Rental Vacancy Rate data for Sumter

Date US South Carolina Sumter, SC
2019 5.97% 9.13% 5.03%
2018 6.15% 9.99% 7.82%
2017 6.18% 8.97% 4.34%
2016 5.89% 8.49% 4.62%
2015 5.85% 9.45%
2014 6.32% 10.54% 6.92%
2013 6.49% 10.54%
2012 6.77% 12.68% 5.06%
2011 7.40% 12.12% 5.09%
2010 8.17% 13.69% 9.76%
2009 8.43% 13.35% 12.99%

more history ...

Rent as a Fraction of Income

Using median household income data for Sumter, we can calculate the fraction of income the median household would use to pay rent at the median monthly gross rent rate. For Sumter, median monthly gross rent as a fraction of median household income was 19.15% in 2019 according to the ACS.

Sumter South Carolina Median Annual Rent as a Fraction of Median Household Income

2019 1 Year Change 3 Year Change
US 20.03% -0.47% -0.40%
South Carolina 19.68% -0.79% -0.71%
Sumter, SC 19.15% -1.83% -1.09%

Trends in Sumter, SC Rent as a Fraction of Income

The fraction of median Sumter household income required to pay median monthly gross rent peaked in 2014 (relative to the 2005 series origin) at 23.39%. Since then it has fallen by 4.24% to 19.15%.

Fraction of Income towards Rent: Sumter SC, South Carolina, US

Percent of median household income going towards median monthly gross rent in Sumter South Carolina

Historical Data for Annual Rent as a Fraction of Income in Sumter South Carolina

Date US South Carolina Sumter, SC
2019 20.03% 19.68% 19.15%
2018 20.50% 20.46% 20.98%
2017 20.13% 20.12% 20.27%
2016 20.43% 20.39% 20.24%
2015 20.63% 20.81% 22.59%
2014 20.89% 20.98% 23.39%
2013 20.78% 20.81% 23.05%
2012 20.65% 20.99% 21.12%
2011 20.70% 20.99% 20.14%
2010 20.50% 20.79% 22.38%
2009 20.12% 19.96% 20.35%

more history ...

Renter Fraction in Sumter South Carolina

You can calculate the renter fraction in Sumter in at least two ways: by housing units or by population. I've gone with the housing units measure here. This measure looks at the number of renting households in Sumter as a fraction of total Sumter households. In 2019 34.02% of households were renters according to Census ACS data.

Sumter Fraction of Renters by Household Units

2019 1 Year Change 3 Year Change
US 35.89% -0.16% -0.99%
South Carolina 29.73% -1.00% -1.64%
Sumter, SC 34.02% -3.62% -0.64%

Trends in the Sumter, SC Renter Fraction

The Sumter household renter fraction peaked in in 2018 at 37.64% and is now 3.62% below that level. The origin year for the series is 2005.

Fraction of Renting Households: Sumter SC, South Carolina, US

Fraction of renters in Sumter

History of Sumter Renter Fraction

Date US South Carolina Sumter, SC
2019 35.89% 29.73% 34.02%
2018 36.05% 30.73% 37.64%
2017 36.13% 31.25% 35.06%
2016 36.88% 31.37% 34.66%
2015 36.97% 31.87% 36.08%
2014 36.90% 31.95% 33.33%
2013 36.50% 31.83% 35.10%
2012 36.09% 31.87% 36.06%
2011 35.42% 30.83% 35.92%
2010 34.65% 31.30% 36.85%
2009 34.13% 29.86% 28.95%

more history ...

1. Gross rent is defined as contract rent plus the estimated average monthly cost of utilities (electricity, gas, water, and sewer) and fuel (oil, coal, kerosene, wood, etc.). Because some rentals include utilities and others don't, gross rent is a way of normalizing the variability.

2. Real dollars are calculated using the CPI-U less shelter series.

3. The rental vacancy rate is computed by dividing the number of vacant units for rent by the sum of the renter-occupied units, vacant units that are for rent, and vacant units that have been rented but not yet occupied.