Richland County closing costs
The county-specific transfer tax and deed recording fees for Richland County, South Carolina - the local details that change your total beyond the statewide rate.
- Effective transfer tax
- 0.37%
- ≈ $1,480 on a $400,000 home
- Typical lender + 3rd-party fees
- $6,816
- median of 4,951 purchase loans · HMDA 2023
Richland County compared with South Carolina counties
In the verified South Carolina county records we have, Richland County's effective transfer-tax rate ranks #1 of 6 by highest rate. At $400,000, the county-specific transfer tax is $1,480, which is the same as the state-level calculation before city surtaxes.
- County rank
- #1 of 6
- within verified South Carolina county pages
- Tax at $400,000
- $1,480
- state baseline $1,480
- HMDA fee sample
- 4,951
- purchase loans in 2023
Richland County transfer-tax data: official source linked on this page, reviewed 2026-Q2.
Transfer tax in Richland County
South Carolina has NO separate county-levied transfer tax. The only transfer tax is the statewide deed recording fee of $1.85 per $500 of realty value (= 0.0037 of price), set by state statute (SC Code Title 12, Ch. 24) and uniform across all counties; it splits into a $1.30 state portion and a $0.55 county portion, but the $0.55 is part of the single statewide fee, not a Richland-specific add-on, so county_transfer_tax_rate is null. The grantor (seller) customarily pays the deed recording fee. The county recorder is the Register of Deeds. Columbia (county seat / state capital) levies no municipal transfer tax.
Recording fees in Richland County
Deed: $15 base recording fee PLUS the SC deed recording fee (documentary stamp) of $1.85 per $500 of value (rounded up per $500), which splits into $1.30 state + $0.55 county. Mortgage and most other instruments (Agreement, Amendment, Assignment, Contract, Declaration, Easement, Lease, Restrictive Covenant, UCC Document, Waiver): $25. Copies: $2.00 first page, $1.00 each additional page; +$1.00 for certified copy. Source: Richland County Register of Deeds recording fee schedule.
Official recorder: Richland County recorder ↗ — the authoritative source for the current recording fee schedule.
What lenders actually charge in Richland County
Across 4,951 home-purchase mortgages originated in Richland County in 2023, the median total loan costs — lender fees plus third-party services such as appraisal and title, excluding prepaids and escrow — were $6,816, of which about $3,068 was the lender’s own origination charges. That is reported loan-level data from every lender under the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act — not a national average — so it reflects what buyers in this county actually paid. Lender fees vary widely, so comparing a few rate quotes is the single biggest lever on your closing total.
Source: FFIEC HMDA Data Browser ↗ (2023 purchase originations, FIPS 45079, ODC-BY 1.0). Median total loan costs exclude prepaids and escrow.
Estimate your Richland County closing costs
Pre-set to South Carolina. County-level taxes above may add to this estimate.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the transfer tax in Richland County?
Richland County (South Carolina): the applicable real-estate transfer tax works out to about 0.37%. South Carolina has NO separate county-levied transfer tax. The only transfer tax is the statewide deed recording fee of $1.85 per $500 of realty value (= 0.0037 of price), set by state statute (SC Code Title 12, Ch. 24) and uniform across all counties; it splits into a $1.30 state portion and a $0.55 county portion, but the $0.55 is part of the single statewide fee, not a Richland-specific add-on, so county_transfer_tax_rate is null. The grantor (seller) customarily pays the deed recording fee. The county recorder is the Register of Deeds. Columbia (county seat / state capital) levies no municipal transfer tax.
What are recording fees in Richland County?
Deed: $15 base recording fee PLUS the SC deed recording fee (documentary stamp) of $1.85 per $500 of value (rounded up per $500), which splits into $1.30 state + $0.55 county. Mortgage and most other instruments (Agreement, Amendment, Assignment, Contract, Declaration, Easement, Lease, Restrictive Covenant, UCC Document, Waiver): $25. Copies: $2.00 first page, $1.00 each additional page; +$1.00 for certified copy. Source: Richland County Register of Deeds recording fee schedule.
How much are closing costs in Richland County?
Closing costs in Richland County follow South Carolina's structure plus this county's specific transfer-tax and recording fees. Use the calculator below for an estimate; for the exact recording schedule, the county recorder is the authoritative source.
What do lenders charge in fees in Richland County?
In 2023, the median total loan costs — lender fees plus third-party services like appraisal and title, excluding prepaids and escrow — across 4,951 home-purchase mortgages in Richland County were about $6,816, of which roughly $3,068 was the lender's own origination charges. This is reported loan-level data under the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act; actual fees vary by lender, so comparing quotes matters.
Closest South Carolina county comparisons
Sibling links are ordered by nearby verified effective transfer-tax rate, so each county page connects to genuinely comparable counties.