In court-decided eviction outcomes for Pamplico, SC, tenants prevail in roughly 17.6% of contested cases. A higher number means landlords face stronger tenant defenses, longer calendars, and more required documentation, and landlord-friendliness drops as this rises.
Timeline
37d
filing → judgment
From the moment an unlawful-detainer notice is filed in Pamplico, SC until a money judgment is entered, a contested eviction takes about 37 days on average. Longer timelines mean more lost rent and higher carry costs for landlords.
Cost range
$1.4–4.3k
legal + lost rent
A typical eviction in Pamplico, SC costs landlords $1,416 to $4,306 all-in, covering court filing fees, process-server costs, attorney time, and lost rent during the calendar between filing and possession.
Average rent
$589
36% stretched on rent
Average gross rent in Pamplico, SC is $589 per month per the U.S. Census American Community Survey (5-year 2023). 36% of renter households here spend more than 30% of pre-tax income on rent, the federal cost-burden threshold.
Renters
51.2%
of households
51.2% of occupied housing units in Pamplico, SC are renter-occupied (vs owner-occupied). A higher renter share usually correlates with more eviction filings, more turnover, and a more active rental market.
Poverty
40.9%
6.4% unemp.
40.9% of Pamplico, SC residents live below the federal poverty line, and unemployment runs at 6.4%. Both feed into the economic-stress sub-score in our Eviction Risk Score model because rent payment problems track poverty + joblessness more reliably than any other single signal.
Time machine
Scrub 50 years
197619861996200620162026
2026
● LIVE · today◀ REPLAY · historical
Nine-axis profile
9-axis profile · today
Shape of the risk surface
1 landlord · 10 tenant
Sub-scores · with sparkline
Where the score comes from
1 → 10 scale
Local political climate
GOP margin +8.0% (2024)
5.4
Regional political climate
County-weighted neighbor mix
5.4
State political climate
South Carolina legislature & governorship
2.1
Economic stress
40.9% poverty · 6.4% unemp.
8.6
Supply constraint
$589 average · 51.2% renters
5.5
Rent Control risk
35.6% of income on rent
8.9
Eviction process difficulty
37 days filing → judgment
1.8
Tenant organizing strength
51.2% renters
9.3
Housing court bias
County bench composition
9.3
Geographic context
Risk heat across Pamplico and the region
Click any city to see its score
How Pamplico compares
Risk score vs. peers, county, state, and the U.S.
Rank in Florence County
High
#3of 10 cities
#3 of 10 cities in Florence County for landlord eviction risk.
Rank in South Carolina
High
#108of 472 cities
#108 of 472 cities in South Carolina for landlord eviction risk.
vs. county · state · U.S.
Score story
Six-stop tour of the risk profile
2.8
/ 10 · LOW
The verdict
A Low-tier market.
Composite 2.8/10. Mid-range market; standard documentation usually wins. The 50-year curve shows a slow, steady climb.
50-yr trend-0.4 over 50 yr
197620012026
Steady ratchet · no large swings
37d
Typical timeline
The money
What renting (and evicting) looks like.
Rent published at $589/mo. A contested eviction takes 37 days and costs $1,416–$4,306 per case.
50-yr trendCalendar drag rising since '15
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
51.2%
Renters
The renters
Who you'll be renting to.
Out of 1,134 residents, 51.2% rent. 36% are spending 30%+ income on rent, 40.9% below the poverty line.
50-yr trendRenter share rising
197620012026
ACS 1970-present · once the migration overlay is in.
5.4
Local + regional
The politics
Mid-range climate. Not a coastal market.
Local & regional political climate score 5.4 and 5.4 (GOP margin +8.0% (2024)). State climate at 2.1, a mid-range statehouse.
50-yr trendTracks county vote margin
197620012026
Built on 50-yr presidential margins back to 1976.
2.1
State politics
The process
Moderate calendar, moderate friction.
State political climate 2.1/10 sets the legislative ceiling for landlord remedies, and it shows up in the process. Eviction process difficulty reads 1.8, housing court bias 9.3, rent-control risk 8.9. Standard process speed for the state.
50-yr trendProcess difficulty +-3.2 since '00
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
8.6
Economic stress
The stress
Economic pressure is the real risk.
Economic stress: 8.6. Supply constraint: 5.5. The numbers behind those: 40.9% poverty, 6.4% unemployment, 36% of income on rent.
50-yr trendTwo visible dips · '08 + COVID
197620012026
Mirrors BLS unemployment series.
US eviction landscape · timeline × all-in cost
Pamplico sits in the quick & cheap quadrant
Bubble size = population · color = risk score
Pamplico · 37d · ~$2.9k all-in ($77/day) · score 2.8National average: 58d · $4.6k all-inHover any bubble for stats · click to openColor: 0–4 4–7 7–10
Landlording in Pamplico, South Carolina, presents a manageable operating environment for documented landlords. The Eviction Risk Score is 2.8/10 (LOW tier), drawn from the nine sub-axes shown above, covering rent-control exposure, eviction-process difficulty, housing-court bias, tenant-organizing strength, supply constraint, economic stress, and local, regional, and state political climate. This is not a quick-fix market: it's a Mid-tier market where lease drafting, screening discipline, and well-documented notices materially change outcomes.
Pamplico is a city of 1,134 residents where 51.2% of occupied units are renter-occupied, and the typical renter spends 35.6% of income on rent. At an average rent of $589/month, the typical renter household here spends more than the federal 30% threshold on housing, a leading indicator of payment volatility and a precondition for the kinds of tenant defenses that show up most often in housing court.
01Process
How Pamplico eviction process actually works
Eviction process difficulty here reads 1.8/10, a number that combines statutory complexity (notice categories, just-cause rules, mandatory pre-filing disclosures) with operational realities (court calendar length and clerk responsiveness). The typical contested filing in Pamplico closes 37 days after the initial notice. For non-payment of rent the first step is a properly-formatted, properly-served pay-or-quit notice; for material lease breaches it's a cure-or-quit; for tenancies under just-cause protection an at-fault grounds notice (or a no-fault notice with statutory relocation assistance) is required.
The slow part of Pamplico's timeline is usually the calendar, not the motion practice. Housing court bias scores 9.3/10 here, meaning judges read borderline procedural defects in the tenant's favor more often than the national norm. The practical implication: every notice and every proof of service needs to be airtight before it gets filed.
02Cost
What it costs (and how long it takes)
An all-in eviction in Pamplico runs $1,416 to $4,306 per case once you account for filing fees, attorney time, lost rent during pendency, sheriff lockout, and unit turnover. That range is wide because the upper bound assumes a tenant answer plus motion practice, common when housing court bias is high. The lower bound assumes a default judgment after proper service.
For landlords running the numbers on holding costs vs. cash-for-keys: if your projected timeline times your monthly rent already exceeds the high-end cost number, cash-for-keys at 1–2 months' rent is typically the economically rational choice. With 37 days of typical timeline and $589/month in lost rent, that crossover happens fast here.
03Operations
Security deposits, screening, and lease terms
Tenant organizing strength scores 9.3/10 in Pamplico, and the city sits at the top of the rent control risk spectrum (8.9/10). Operations practice that survives audit in this environment looks like:
Screening discipline. Document income (verified at 2.5 to 3x rent), credit (with a clear minimum), and prior-tenancy reference checks, but do not screen on protected categories or source-of-income where banned. Keep a written, consistent screening criteria document for every applicant.
Lease specificity. Use a state-specific lease that names every term clearly: rent due date, late fees within statutory caps, deposit handling, smoke and CO disclosure, lead paint disclosure (pre-1978 stock), and a clean attorney's-fees clause.
Security deposit handling. Itemize deductions within the statutory window. Photograph move-in/move-out condition. In South Carolina, deposit cap and refund window are statute, so exceed them at your own risk.
Mid-tenancy documentation. Keep date-stamped records of every rent receipt, every habitability request, every notice served. The day you need them in court is too late to start.
04Strategy
What an everyday landlord should actually do here
If you own one to four units in Pamplico: hire a property manager who knows the local court. The pricing differential between self-managing and hiring out is small relative to the cost of one botched eviction in a LOW tier market. If you own five or more: build relationships with a local landlord-side attorney before you need one, since retainer fees are negligible compared to emergency-rate billing when an eviction is already moving.
The avoidable mistakes here are all upstream of the filing: weak screening, an informal lease, sloppy rent receipts, and notice templates pulled off the internet that don't match South Carolina's statutory language. Fix those four, and most cases settle or default. Skip them, and a $4,306 all-in fight is the realistic worst case.
04bPractical traps
Local traps to avoid in Pamplico
Trap · 8.9/10
Comparative benchmarking matters in markets like this. Pamplico's 6.8/10 is near the South Carolina state average. Rent-control-risk sub-score: 8.9/10. See the nearby cities grid below for direct A-vs-B comparison.
05FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Q1
What if my tenant just disappears?
If your tenant abandons the property in Pamplico, South Carolina, you generally need to wait a reasonable period, often 15-30 days, to ensure they've truly left and haven't just gone on vacation. Document everything: photos of an empty unit, utilities shut off, mail piling up. You can then typically re-enter, clean, and re-rent. However, if there's any doubt, or if they left belongings behind, it's safer to go through a formal abandonment process or consult an attorney to avoid claims of wrongful eviction.
Q2
Can I evict a tenant for being late with rent in Pamplico?
Yes, being late with rent is a valid reason for eviction in Pamplico. South Carolina law (S.C. Code § 27-40) requires you to give a 5-day pay-or-quit notice. If the tenant doesn't pay the full amount or move out within those five days, you can proceed with filing an ejectment action in court.
Q3
Do I need a lawyer for every eviction in Florence County?
No, you are not legally required to have a lawyer for an eviction in Florence County magistrate court. However, it's strongly recommended, especially if the tenant is disputing the eviction, has legal aid, or if you're unfamiliar with court procedures. Mistakes can be costly and delay the process significantly. For more on the state's legal framework, check out the South Carolina tenant protections overview.
Q4
What's the best way to handle a tenant who constantly pays rent a few days late?
First, check your lease for late fees and enforce them consistently. If the problem persists, consider a frank conversation with the tenant about the importance of on-time payments. If the late payments become a regular issue that violates the lease, you can issue a 5-day pay-or-quit notice each time. If they cure the default repeatedly, you might eventually be able to argue a pattern of non-compliance, but it's often easier to simply not renew their lease if they're month-to-month, or after their fixed-term lease expires. South Carolina doesn't have statewide just-cause eviction, so you generally don't need a specific reason not to renew. See our South Carolina rent control rules for more on this.
A 2.8/10 places Pamplico in the 84th percentile of South Carolina cities on the Eviction Risk Score index. The score is the average of the nine sub-axes, all calibrated on a national 1 to 10 scale where 1 is most landlord-friendly and 10 is most tenant-protective. The 50-year reconstruction shows this score has climbed steadily since 1976, a structural drift driven by court-calendar growth, rent-control adoption, and the rise of tenant-side legal aid. The trajectory matters more than the snapshot: the score is the climate, not the weather.
Cities with similar eviction risk to Pamplico (2.8/10)
Same risk band nationally · click any city for its full breakdown.
