Home Insurance in Chester County, South Carolina
With a median home value of $158,300, Chester County is 39% lower than the South Carolina median.
Older homes can cost more to insure or rebuild because of aging wiring, roofing and plumbing. The typical home in Chester County was built around 1980. About 26% of homes were built before 1960, about 13 points above South Carolina's 12%.
The housing stock in Chester County is 72% single-family homes, 1% apartments in buildings with 5+ units and 24% mobile or manufactured homes. Mobile and manufactured homes typically need a manufactured-home (HO-7) policy rather than a standard homeowners policy.
In Chester County, about 43% of owner-occupied homes have a mortgage - lenders require hazard insurance on every mortgaged home.
About 78% of occupied homes in Chester County are owner-occupied. The vacancy rate is 11%; vacant or unoccupied homes typically need a different coverage form than an owner-occupied policy.
Most homes in Chester County - 53% - are primarily heated with electricity.
The top hazards for Chester County, per FEMA's National Risk Index, are tornado (Relatively Moderate), earthquake (Relatively Low) and strong wind (Relatively Moderate). Standard homeowners policies exclude earthquake, so separate coverage is usually needed.
As of September 2026, Chester County has 22 active NFIP flood insurance policies. Standard homeowners insurance does not cover flood damage, so flood coverage needs a separate NFIP or private flood policy.
The statewide average premium for a standard HO-3 homeowners policy in South Carolina is $1,753 per year, according to the NAIC homeowners insurance report (2023 data).
Key figures
| Median home value | $158,300 |
|---|---|
| Median year built | 1980 |
| Owner-occupied share | 78% |
| Share of owner-occupied homes with a mortgage | 43% |
| Top hazards (FEMA National Risk Index) | Tornado (Relatively Moderate), Earthquake (Relatively Low), Strong Wind (Relatively Moderate) |
| Active NFIP flood policies (county) | 22 |
| Home insurance premium | $1,753 - statewide average (NAIC, 2023 data) |
Towns and cities
Sources
- U.S. Census Bureau Gazetteer Files (2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates (2024)
- FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025)
- FEMA OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Policies v3 (2026)
- NAIC Dwelling Fire, Homeowners Owner-Occupied, and Homeowners Tenant and Condominium/Cooperative Unit Owners Insurance: Data for 2023 (published 2026) (2023)