Beaufort County, SC vs Charleston County, SC vs Dorchester County, SC: 30-year risk costs on a $500,000.00 home at 3.5% discount rate
Charleston County, SC has the lowest modeled 30-year risk cost NPV: $46,856.90. The margin to the next option is $2,878.80. Beaufort County, SC: $49,735.70; Charleston County, SC: $46,856.90; Dorchester County, SC: $52,712.30. This is a county model comparison, not a property-specific loss forecast.
Compare the same property assumptions
Each county uses $500,000.00 property value, 30 ownership years and 3.5% discount rate. The API echoes those inputs in every option. ZIP mappings: 29906 selects Beaufort County, SC (FIPS 45013); 29401 selects Charleston County, SC (FIPS 45019); 29456 selects Dorchester County, SC (FIPS 45035). The calculation table retains the annual risk-cost estimate and discounted total for each alternative, with the decision row and margin.
What the comparison can tell you
Dollar figures are RiskBeforeBuy modeled risk costs, not FEMA property valuations, insurance quotes, guaranteed losses or a recommendation to buy. The ranking compares the NPV model only; separate risk-intelligence grades and monthly estimates use a different model and are not mixed into it. The API names FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 and its supporting sources and gives the date each source's rows were fetched (2026-03-29 to 2026-10-11); fetch dates are not the vendors' publication dates. For the NRI it reads "NRI census-tract service v1.20, vendor data last edited 2025-12-16T07:40:18.438Z". For each county the API also gives a scenario-based sensitivity range (2,000 runs varying the inputs) for the composite score and the monthly cost; that range is not a statistical interval and does not cover the NPV ranked here. No calculation sample size is supplied. A numerical difference does not establish statistical significance. The API says of the FBI crime rates: A state rate, applied to every county of the state; not a county measurement. The results omit purchase price, financing, ordinary maintenance and any insurance quote specific to the home. A lower modeled risk cost is one part of a location decision.
Change the scenario
Open ZIP 29906 in Beaufort County, SC
Open ZIP 29401 in Charleston County, SC
Open ZIP 29456 in Dorchester County, SC
Each calculator link carries the ZIP and every shared input. The deployed lookup reads the ZIP automatically; property value, years and discount rate are not automatically applied. Full NPV controls and results require a paid account. Set property value to $500,000.00, years to 30, and the field labeled Mortgage Rate to 3.5%; that field supplies the calculator's discount rate. The API source link preserves the exact comparison inputs; full results require your own product key.
More property risk comparisons and RiskBeforeBuy provide the next steps. Inspect the native comparison API.
Calculation provenance
Beaufort County, SC: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20; FEMA NFIP Claims Database; FEMA National Flood Hazard Layer; NOAA Storm Events Database; FBI Uniform Crime Report; Source rows fetched 2026-03-29 to 2026-10-11; NRI census-tract service v1.20, vendor data last edited 2025-12-16T07:40:18.438Z; sample size UNAVAILABLE. Charleston County, SC: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20; FEMA NFIP Claims Database; FEMA National Flood Hazard Layer; NOAA Storm Events Database; FBI Uniform Crime Report; Source rows fetched 2026-03-29 to 2026-10-11; NRI census-tract service v1.20, vendor data last edited 2025-12-16T07:40:18.438Z; sample size UNAVAILABLE. Dorchester County, SC: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20; FEMA NFIP Claims Database; FEMA National Flood Hazard Layer; NOAA Storm Events Database; FBI Uniform Crime Report; Source rows fetched 2026-03-29 to 2026-10-11; NRI census-tract service v1.20, vendor data last edited 2025-12-16T07:40:18.438Z; sample size UNAVAILABLE. Request timestamps and response hashes are shown separately in the calculation record.
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Calculation data
| Input | Value |
|---|---|
| property_value | 500000 |
| years | 30 |
| discount_rate | 0.035 |
| Measure | Beaufort County, SC | Charleston County, SC | Dorchester County, SC |
|---|---|---|---|
| Modeled annual risk cost (USD) | 2,704.20 | 2,547.67 | 2,866.04 |
| Modeled 30-year risk cost NPV (USD) | 49,735.70 | 46,856.90 | 52,712.30 |
| Distance from winning value (USD) | 2,878.80 | 0.00 | 5,855.40 |
| Decision | Alternative value | Winning value | Alternative value |
Winner: Charleston County, SC. Objective: minimize. Margin to next option: 2,878.80 USD. Assumption: Compare only modeled county risk-cost NPV at identical property value, ownership horizon and discount rate; lower modeled cost does not establish a safer parcel or a better purchase.
- winner
- county-45019
- objective
- minimize
- metric
- riskNpv
Source and assumptions
- One authenticated native comparison response supplies every column. Each option is matched by its submitted ZIP and returned county FIPS, never by response order.
- ZIPs select county-level records; these are not parcel or ZIP-level loss predictions. Only location changes; property value, ownership years and discount rate are identical and echoed by the API.
- Dollar figures are RiskBeforeBuy modeled risk costs, not FEMA property valuations, insurance quotes, guaranteed losses or a recommendation to buy. The ranking compares the NPV model only; separate risk-intelligence grades and monthly estimates use a different model and are not mixed into it.
- The API names FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 and its supporting sources and gives the date each source's rows were fetched (2026-03-29 to 2026-10-11); fetch dates are not the vendors' publication dates. For the NRI it reads "NRI census-tract service v1.20, vendor data last edited 2025-12-16T07:40:18.438Z".
- For each county the API also gives a scenario-based sensitivity range (2,000 runs varying the inputs) for the composite score and the monthly cost; that range is not a statistical interval and does not cover the NPV ranked here. No calculation sample size is supplied. A numerical difference does not establish statistical significance.
- The API says of the FBI crime rates: A state rate, applied to every county of the state; not a county measurement.
Beaufort County, SC. Data layer: RiskBeforeBuy county risk-cost NPV model. Source: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20; FEMA NFIP Claims Database; FEMA National Flood Hazard Layer; NOAA Storm Events Database; FBI Uniform Crime Report. Vintage: Source rows fetched 2026-03-29 to 2026-10-11; NRI census-tract service v1.20, vendor data last edited 2025-12-16T07:40:18.438Z. Sample size: UNAVAILABLE.
Fetched: 2026-10-13T09:00:14.089Z
Source updated: Unreported
Cache: Unreported
Response SHA-256
43272bc2104e1bee6312fc69d4f06c21d85b6aa76a300c7f0e2c633ceca6358bCharleston County, SC. Data layer: RiskBeforeBuy county risk-cost NPV model. Source: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20; FEMA NFIP Claims Database; FEMA National Flood Hazard Layer; NOAA Storm Events Database; FBI Uniform Crime Report. Vintage: Source rows fetched 2026-03-29 to 2026-10-11; NRI census-tract service v1.20, vendor data last edited 2025-12-16T07:40:18.438Z. Sample size: UNAVAILABLE.
Fetched: 2026-10-13T09:00:14.089Z
Source updated: Unreported
Cache: Unreported
Response SHA-256
43272bc2104e1bee6312fc69d4f06c21d85b6aa76a300c7f0e2c633ceca6358bDorchester County, SC. Data layer: RiskBeforeBuy county risk-cost NPV model. Source: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20; FEMA NFIP Claims Database; FEMA National Flood Hazard Layer; NOAA Storm Events Database; FBI Uniform Crime Report. Vintage: Source rows fetched 2026-03-29 to 2026-10-11; NRI census-tract service v1.20, vendor data last edited 2025-12-16T07:40:18.438Z. Sample size: UNAVAILABLE.
Fetched: 2026-10-13T09:00:14.089Z
Source updated: Unreported
Cache: Unreported
Response SHA-256
43272bc2104e1bee6312fc69d4f06c21d85b6aa76a300c7f0e2c633ceca6358bQuestions about this comparison
Which county has the lowest modeled risk cost?
Charleston County, SC has the lowest modeled 30-year risk cost NPV: $46,856.90. The margin to the next option is $2,878.80. Beaufort County, SC: $49,735.70; Charleston County, SC: $46,856.90; Dorchester County, SC: $52,712.30. This is a county model comparison, not a property-specific loss forecast.
Do the locations use identical inputs?
Each county uses $500,000.00 property value, 30 ownership years and 3.5% discount rate. The API echoes those inputs in every option. ZIP mappings: 29906 selects Beaufort County, SC (FIPS 45013); 29401 selects Charleston County, SC (FIPS 45019); 29456 selects Dorchester County, SC (FIPS 45035).
What supports the estimates, and what is unknown?
Dollar figures are RiskBeforeBuy modeled risk costs, not FEMA property valuations, insurance quotes, guaranteed losses or a recommendation to buy. The ranking compares the NPV model only; separate risk-intelligence grades and monthly estimates use a different model and are not mixed into it. The API names FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 and its supporting sources and gives the date each source's rows were fetched (2026-03-29 to 2026-10-11); fetch dates are not the vendors' publication dates. For the NRI it reads "NRI census-tract service v1.20, vendor data last edited 2025-12-16T07:40:18.438Z". For each county the API also gives a scenario-based sensitivity range (2,000 runs varying the inputs) for the composite score and the monthly cost; that range is not a statistical interval and does not cover the NPV ranked here. No calculation sample size is supplied. A numerical difference does not establish statistical significance. The API says of the FBI crime rates: A state rate, applied to every county of the state; not a county measurement.
Can I change these inputs in the calculator?
Each calculator link carries the ZIP and every shared input. The deployed lookup reads the ZIP automatically; property value, years and discount rate are not automatically applied. Full NPV controls and results require a paid account. Set property value to $500,000.00, years to 30, and the field labeled Mortgage Rate to 3.5%; that field supplies the calculator's discount rate. The API source link preserves the exact comparison inputs; full results require your own product key.