The fee ledger · Johns Island
Every fee to buy and own on Johns Island
Last verified
Photo by Cody Silver on Unsplash
Johns Island’s costs turn on one line: whether a parcel sits inside the City of Charleston or outside it. Inside the City the 2025 levy is 298.1 mills plus a $132 stormwater fee; outside it, in the St. John’s Fire District, it’s 246.1 mills. The parcel’s tax district on its county record says which.
HOA dues vary by neighborhood — see the directory. Kiawah River (on Johns Island, not Kiawah) charges $4,748 a year and a 0.25% transfer fee at closing.
14 lines, each with its source and the date we checked it. Every fee here names its source and the date we last checked it. Associations change fees; confirm with the association and your closing attorney before you close.
- Confirmed
- Read in the issuer's own document or page.
- Secondary
- Seen only in agent pages, listings or MLS remarks — not yet in the issuer's own words.
- Conflicting
- Sources disagree, or the issuer's wording leaves a gap. The note says what.
- Not published
- The issuer publishes no number. Ask for it in writing before you close.
At closing — the buyer's side
| Fee | Amount | Who pays · when | Source · checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kiawah River (developer)Kiawah River transfer fee ("Community Enhancement Fee") | 0.25% of the transaction value 2026 | BuyerAt closing | Confirmed Kiawah River FAQ, January 2026 (the developer's)Checked October 13, 2026 |
| State of South CarolinaDeed recording fee ("deed stamps") | $1.85 per $500 of value $1.85 per $500 of value ($3.70 per $1,000): $1.30 state + $0.55 county Current law | Seller by statute (the buyer is secondarily liable; a contract can shift it)At recording | Confirmed SC Code §12-24 (deed recording fee)“one dollar eighty-five cents for each five hundred dollars, or fractional part”Also: SC Department of Revenue, Deed Recording FeeChecked October 13, 2026 |
| Charleston County Register of DeedsRecording charge — deed and mortgage | $15 one time $15 per deed; $25 per mortgage Current law | Whoever records (the buyer, through the closing attorney)At recording | Confirmed SC Code §8-21-310 (Register of Deeds fees)“fifteen dollars for a deed to real estate”Checked October 13, 2026 |
| Charleston County Register of DeedsRecording charge — mortgage | $25 one time Current law | The borrower, through the closing attorneyAt recording | Confirmed SC Code §8-21-310 (Register of Deeds fees)Checked October 13, 2026 |
Every year you own
| Fee | Amount | Who pays · when | Source · checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charleston CountyProperty tax levy — St. John's Fire District | 246.1 mills 216.1 countywide mills + 30.0 St. John's Fire District. Covers Seabrook (TD 53), Kiawah (TD 54), and Johns Island and Wadmalaw outside any town (TD 51 — "T.D. 5-1" on the county map). 2025 levy — the 2026 card isn't posted yet | OwnerYearly tax bill | Confirmed Charleston County Auditor, 2025 Millage Levy breakdown“St John's Fire District(TD 51,53,54,55)”Checked October 13, 2026 |
| City of Charleston + Charleston CountyProperty tax levy — inside the City of Charleston Part of Johns Island is inside the City and part is not, with county "donut holes" inside city land. The parcel's tax district on its county record says which. | 298.1 mills 216.1 countywide + 72.5 city + 4.0 city drainage + 5.5 public safety infrastructure. The City on Johns Island is TD 52 ("T.D. 5-2" on the county map); it pays no St. John's Fire millage. 2025 levy | OwnerYearly tax bill | Confirmed Charleston County Auditor, 2025 Millage Levy breakdown“City of Charleston (TD 34,35,36,52,63,71,72,99)”Checked October 13, 2026 |
| City of CharlestonCity tax credit (inside the City) Shown in the county's owner-occupied sample, next to the county credit. Whether a second home gets it isn't stated. | 0.00082 × appraised value 2025 levy | Credit to the ownerOn the yearly bill | Conflicting Charleston County Auditor, 2025 Millage CardChecked October 13, 2026 |
| City of CharlestonStormwater fee (inside the City) Owners with the county Homestead Exemption can apply to the City for a waiver. | $132 a year $132 a year for a single-family home, now on the county tax bill Calendar 2026 | OwnerOn the yearly tax bill | Confirmed City of Charleston, Stormwater Service BillingChecked October 13, 2026 |
| Charleston CountySolid Waste Recycling and Disposal Fee The amount is from the county's own sample bill. Check the parcel's last bill for the exact line. | $150 a year 2025 levy | OwnerOn the yearly tax bill | Confirmed Charleston County Auditor, 2025 Millage Card“SOLID WASTE RECYCLING AND DISPOSAL FEE +150.00”Checked October 13, 2026 |
| Kiawah River (developer)Kiawah River HOA fee Kiawah River is on Johns Island, in tax district 51 — not on Kiawah Island and not in KICA. No private club; entrances not gated (the developer's FAQ). | $4,748 a year 2026 | Owner — starts at ownership, prorated at closingYearly | Confirmed Kiawah River FAQ, January 2026 (the developer's)“Fees are calculated each year based on services provided.”Checked October 13, 2026 |
| State of South CarolinaAssessment ratio — legal residence Lost if the home is rented more than 72 days in a calendar year. | 4% of market value Current law | Owner — you must applyApply before the first penalty date | Confirmed SC Code §12-43-220 (assessment ratios)“taxed on an assessment equal to four percent of the fair market value”Checked October 13, 2026 |
| State of South CarolinaAssessment ratio — second home, rental or lot | 6% of market value Current law | OwnerYearly | Confirmed SC Code §12-43-220 (assessment ratios)“shall be taxed on an assessment equal to six percent of the fair market value”Checked October 13, 2026 |
| State of South CarolinaSchool operating tax relief — legal residence only | 142.5 mills A legal residence doesn't pay the 142.5 school-operating mills 2025 levy | Credit to the ownerOn the yearly bill | Confirmed Charleston County Auditor, 2025 Millage Card“HOMEOWNERS RECEIVE PROPERTY TAX RELIEF ON SCHOOL BOARD OPERATING TAX FOR THEIR LEGAL RESIDENCE”Checked October 13, 2026 |
| Charleston CountyCounty tax credit The county's sample applies it to an owner-occupied home. Whether a second home gets it isn't stated — the calculator applies it to a legal residence only. | 0.00082 × appraised value 2025 levy | Credit to the ownerOn the yearly bill | Conflicting Charleston County Auditor, 2025 Millage CardChecked October 13, 2026 |
Still open with the issuer
Being confirmed with the issuer. Until an answer comes back, the line above says what’s known and what isn’t.
- Kiawah River Estates POA: Kiawah River Estates' capital fund (listings say ½ of 1%) and its yearly dues.
- Charleston County: Which unincorporated parcels the county's $72 residential stormwater fee is billed to.
Spot something out of date? Email mike@mikeolsonre.com and it gets checked and fixed, with the date. The ledger is also a download.
Photo: Cantbeatpie, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (resized)
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Talk it through with Mike, or ask Val — the guide’s AI assistant, answering from this site’s sourced facts.