These 5 SC cities sell homes for much cheaper than listing price, study shows. Here’s where

Buying a house can be a daunting task, especially when looking at the sizable price tag. However in many areas, homes usually sell for less than the original listing price, and South Carolina is no exception.

RALH Construction, a contracting company, analyzed over 360 cities across the U.S. to find where homes have sold with the largest gap between the median listing price and median sale prices. In the study, 96% of the cities have median home sale prices lower than their original listing.

SC also has a number of buyer-friendly cities where your money can go a lot further when purchasing a house.

“For South Carolina, the gap in smaller cities like Florence and Sumter stands out and indicates buyers may find they have room to negotiate,” said LP Ralh, the owner of RALH Construction.

Here are the top 5 cities in SC where homes sell below their listing price the most:

5 SC cities with top home sale price difference

#1. Florence

According to the study, Florence is the SC city with the largest difference in home sale prices compared to listing prices. The city’s median sale price of $191,292 is 19.19% below its median listing price of $236,729. The percent of sales under list price is 58.4%, according to Zillow.

#2. Sumter

Sumter’s median sale price of $211,316 is 19.07% below its median listing price of $261,104. The percent of sales under list price is 54.7%.

#3. Seneca

Seneca’s median sale price of $287,343 is 18.91% below its median listing price of $354,367. The percent of sales under list price is 75.1%

#4. Spartanburg

Spartanburg’s median sale price of $252,581 is 15.64% below its median listing price of $299,400. The percent of sales under list price is 63.1%

#5. Columbia

Columbia’s median sale price of $255,307 is 14.67% below its median listing price of $299,189. The percent of sales under list price is 53.7%.

10 U.S. cities where homes sell below their listing price the most

These are the top 10 cities in the country where buyers can find the best deals on houses:

• #1. Glenwood Springs, Colorado: 49.81% sales price difference from list price
• #2. Santa Maria, California: 42.81% sales price difference from list price
• #3. Sevierville, Tennessee: 32.84% sales price difference from list price
• #4. Morristown, Tennessee: 32.61% sales price difference from list price
• #5. Albertville, Alabama: 32.61% sales price difference from list price
• #6. Torrington, Connecticut: 29.20% sales price difference from list price
• #7. Florence, Alabama: 29.02% sales price difference from list price
• #8. Crestview, Florida: 28.38% sales price difference from list price
• #9. Jackson, Tennessee: 27.43% sales price difference from list price
• #10. Decatur, Alabama: 26.40% sales price difference from list price

Methodology

RALH Construction used monthly property and listing Zillow data over a 12-month period, from summer 2024 to summer 2025, and averaged it out for 364 cities across the country. The primary metrics for analysis are the percentage difference between the median listing price and the median sale price over the period.

For the sale price percentage difference from the listing, the city with the largest drop between median listing price and median sale price is ranked at the top, descending.