$0 Down · No PMI · Veteran-Owned
VA Loans in South Carolina
South Carolina's military identity spans every service: Fort Jackson trains half the Army's new soldiers in Columbia, Joint Base Charleston moves the world's cargo through its C-17 wing and naval weapons station, Shaw AFB commands the Air Force's fighters in Sumter, and Parris Island turns recruits into Marines in Beaufort. Nearly 380,000 veterans call the Palmetto State home.
390K
South Carolina Veterans
5
Military Installations
$0
Down Payment
$832,750
2026 Baseline Limit
Why South Carolina
A VA team that knows South Carolina’s military markets
From Columbia's value to Charleston's growth, South Carolina remains a $0-down stronghold — and the state's veteran tax treatment has improved dramatically, with military retirement now fully exempt.
Columbia's northeast side and Blythewood serve Fort Jackson's massive training mission. The Charleston metro — North Charleston, Goose Creek, Summerville, Hanahan, Moncks Corner — orbits the joint base's air and naval facilities amid one of the Southeast's strongest economies. Sumter is Shaw's fighter-town, and Beaufort, Port Royal, and Bluffton serve Parris Island and MCAS Beaufort in the Lowcountry.
Beyond the Loan
More South Carolina benefits you earned
The VA loan is one piece of what South Carolina owes its veterans. Here’s the rest of the stack — worth real money every year:
Income Tax
Retirement untaxed
South Carolina fully exempts military retirement pay from state income tax.
Education
Free tuition for children
Free tuition at state schools for children of qualifying disabled, deceased, or POW South Carolina wartime veterans.
Vehicle
Free DV plate
Free disabled-veteran plate; property-tax exemption extends to qualifying vehicles for 100% disabled veterans.
Recreation
Licenses & parks
Free hunting/fishing licenses for qualifying totally disabled veterans; Palmetto Passport park admission benefits.
Benefit rules and amounts change with each legislative session — confirm current details with the SC Department of Veterans' Affairs. When you work with us, we walk through which of these apply to your purchase and your budget.
Official VA Data
South Carolina VA lending, by the numbers
18,061
VA Loans Closed (FY2025)
$6.4B
VA Dollars Guaranteed (FY2025)
$354K
Average VA Loan
390,389
Veterans in SC
South Carolina veterans closed 18,061 VA loans in fiscal year 2025 — 11,235 of them home purchases — and the VA paid $3.9 billion in disability compensation and pension to South Carolina veterans in FY2024. Every veteran receiving that compensation is exempt from the VA funding fee.
Sources: VA Loan Guaranty loans-by-state report, FY2025 · VetPop2023 state projections (NCVAS) · VA Geographic Distribution of Expenditures, FY2024.
Bases We Serve
Military installations in South Carolina
Every installation below anchors a housing market our team lends in — PCS moves, first purchases on BAH, and buy-then-rent strategies included.
Army
Fort Jackson
Serving Columbia
VA loan guide →
Joint
Joint Base Charleston
Serving North Charleston · Goose Creek · Hanahan
VA loan guide →
Air Force
Shaw Air Force Base
Serving Sumter
VA loan guide →
Marine Corps
MCAS Beaufort
Serving Beaufort
VA loan guide →
Marine Corps
MCRD Parris Island
Serving Beaufort · Port Royal
VA loan guide →
2026 BAH Rates
Compare BAH across South Carolina’s installations
BAH is set per housing area, not per state — and it counts as qualifying income on a VA loan. Here’s how South Carolina’s duty stations compare at key pay grades.
| Installation | E-4 | E-5 | E-6 | E-7 | O-3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Jackson | $1,812 | $1,878 | $2,121 | $2,160 | $2,232 |
| Joint Base Charleston | $2,220 | $2,385 | $2,616 | $2,652 | $2,721 |
| Shaw Air Force Base | $1,440 | $1,503 | $1,947 | $1,986 | $2,052 |
| MCAS Beaufort | $2,319 | $2,403 | $2,811 | $2,835 | $2,856 |
| MCRD Parris Island | $2,319 | $2,403 | $2,811 | $2,835 | $2,856 |
2026 monthly BAH, with dependents, from official DoD (DTMO) rate data. Click any installation for all 24 pay grades, without-dependents rates, and a payment-vs-BAH estimator for that housing area.
2026 Program Facts
What the VA loan gets you in South Carolina
$0 Down Payment
Buy with no down payment on loans within your entitlement — the signature VA benefit.
No PMI
VA loans never charge monthly private mortgage insurance, keeping payments lower than FHA or low-down conventional.
Competitive Rates
The VA guaranty lets lenders price VA loans below comparable conventional rates for most borrowers.
Flexible Credit
The VA sets no minimum credit score — guidelines focus on residual income and the whole picture.
Limited Closing Costs
The VA restricts which fees veterans can be charged, and sellers may pay all of them plus concessions.
Reusable for Life
VA entitlement is a lifetime benefit — it can be restored and reused, and you can hold more than one VA loan at once.
VA loan vs. conventional in South Carolina
| Feature | VA Loan | Conventional |
|---|---|---|
| Down payment | $0 required | 3–20% (20% to avoid PMI) |
| Monthly mortgage insurance | Never | Required under 20% down |
| Minimum credit score | None set by VA | Typically 620+ |
| Interest rates | Typically below conventional | Higher without large down payment |
| Upfront fee | Funding fee 2.15% first use (waived with disability rating) | None |
| Prepayment penalty | Never | Rare, but possible |
| Loan limit | None with full entitlement | $832,750 baseline (2026) |
| Assumable by a buyer | Yes — VA loans are assumable | Generally not |
2026 VA loan limits in South Carolina
With full entitlement, the VA does not cap your loan amount — county loan limits only apply when you have reduced entitlement (an existing VA loan or a prior default). For reduced-entitlement borrowers, the 2026 baseline county limit is $832,750, and designated high-cost counties range up to $1,873,675.
The VA funding fee, plainly
- First use, under 5% down: 2.15%
- Subsequent use, under 5% down: 3.30%
- With 5% down: 1.50% · with 10% down: 1.25%
- Streamline refinance (IRRRL): 0.50%
Veterans receiving VA disability compensation at any rating are fully exempt from the funding fee, as are eligible surviving spouses and Purple Heart recipients on active duty.
Where We Lend
South Carolina cities we serve
From base-gate communities to the metros veterans choose after service, these are the South Carolina markets where our VA lending is most active.
- Columbia~$233K
- Charleston~$598K
- North Charleston~$315K
- Goose Creek~$324K
- Summerville~$384K
- Hanahan~$416K
- Moncks Corner~$366K
- Sumter~$217K
- Beaufort~$417K
- Port Royal~$365K
- Bluffton~$502K
Typical home values: Zillow Home Value Index, 2026-06.
Straight Answers
South Carolina VA loan questions, answered
Is there a VA loan limit in South Carolina?
Not with full entitlement. With reduced entitlement, every South Carolina county uses the 2026 baseline of $832,750 — above nearly all markets statewide, with only Charleston's premium neighborhoods approaching it.
Where do Joint Base Charleston families buy?
Goose Creek and Hanahan for proximity, Summerville and Moncks Corner for newer construction and value, North Charleston's Park Circle for character. Charleston's growth makes buy-and-hold especially attractive here.
Is Sumter a good VA market?
Shaw AFB dominates the local economy, prices sit well below the national median, and VA loans are the default financing — sellers and agents work with them constantly.
What about the Lowcountry — Beaufort and Bluffton?
MCAS Beaufort and Parris Island staff buy in Beaufort, Port Royal, and Lady's Island; Bluffton offers newer inventory toward Hilton Head at higher price points. Flood-zone insurance is the key variable we price early.
Does South Carolina tax military retirement?
No — military retirement pay is now fully exempt, and 100% P&T disabled veterans pay zero property tax on home and up to five acres. SC's veteran tax package now rivals Florida's.
Ready When You Are
Start your South Carolina VA loan with a team that’s worn the uniform
Get a clear pre-approval, honest numbers, and a VA process handled by people who understand PCS timelines and military life firsthand.