Table of Contents
South Carolina has been one of the most popular States in the Country to relocate to in recent years, and in this video, I am going to go over some of the areas people have been moving to. South Carolina has of miles of beaches, many things to do, golf courses everywhere, beatuful antebellum homes, mild year round weather, and is a great place to live.
There are also some cons of living here, including the heat and humidity during the Summer months, flooding, and more. You can watch my video about the pros and cons of living in Charleston for more information, and I’ll put a link in the description below.
If you’re considering relocating to South Carolina, but are not sure where you want to live, this video is for you. I will be going over some of the different regions, beach towns, the larger Lakes in the State, including Lake Marion and Lake Moultrie, and more!
Before we go over each City, let me give you a brief description about South Carolina.
The State is separated into four regions, and there are pros and cons of living in each of these locations. If you’re planning on moving here, you need to decide if you want to live close to one of the many beaches, Lakes, the mountains, one of the large Cities, or a more rural location.
A lot of the people that contact me about moving to South Carolina, want to live near the beach, or at least within a reasonable driving distance to the beach. If this is what you’re looking for, you will either need to move to the Pee Dee region, which includes the Grand Strand area and Myrtle Beach, or you will need to move to the Low country, which includes Charleston, where I live.
If you do want to live near the coast in South Carolina, you are going to be more affected by Hurricane’s than the areas that are inland. I’ve lived in Charleston for just over 5 years, and The first 2 years that I lived in Charleston we had a hurricane evacuation each of those years.
Charleston was not hit directly by either of those hurricanes. But we had an evacuation because we were in the “Cone of Uncertainty”, which meant that there was a possibility that Charleston would be directly hit, so we had an evacuation. Some people did stay in town during these evacuations. The last few years we have not had an evacuation.
The Low Country near Charleston gets it’s name because it’s very low-lying land, a large part of it sitting right near sea level. There are no Mountains in this area, it is flat, so if you want to live near the Mountains, you will need to move to a different part of South Carolina. I am originally from Montana, and I definitely miss the Mountains, but there are also a lot of pros of living in the Low Country as well, that I will get to shortly.
The Upstate region of South Carolina does have a small section the Blue Ridge Mountains, which is part of the Appalachian Mountains. This area of the State will also have colder winters than the coastline.
If you’re the type of person that enjoys seasonal changes, and want to see a little bit of snow, the northern part of the State in the upstate or midland regions may be for you. It rarely snows in Charleston, and I have only seen the snow stick to the ground a couple of times since I’ve lived here. If you’re looking for warmer and milder winters, one of the more southern coastal cities may be for you.
Here are the 7 Best Areas to Living in South Carolina:
Charleston
This is my favorite City in the entire State, which why I chose to live here. Charleston is a georgeous and historic City that is filled with antebellum homes that were built in the 17 and 1800s, and is often referred as a living museum.
Charleston is known for it’s amazing architecture, great food, southern charm, historic plantations and gardens, and has multiple beaches nearby, as close to about 20 minutes from the Downtown.
There are numerous colleges in the area, including the Citadel Military College, the Medical University of South Carolina, or MUSC, and one of the oldest and most beautiful colleges in the country, at the College of Charleston, established in 1770.
There is water everywhere here; Charleston has multiple rivers and tidal creeks nearby that are great for fishing and crabbing, it has Charleston Harbor, where first shots of the civil war were fired at Fort Sumter, and the Atlantic Ocean.
This area is known as the “Tri-County” area, and includes Charleston County, Berkeley County, and Dorchester County. Charleston County has some of the most expensive real estate for sale in South Carolina, but you will be able to find more affordable options in Dorchester County and in Berkeley County, in cities like Summerville, Hanahan, and Goose Creek.
You will not find any skyscrapers in Charleston; this is one of the most well preserved historic districts in the country. I have heard multiple times that they will not allow any buildings taller than the tallest church steeples here. So if you’re looking for skyscrapers, this area isn’t for you.
As I mentioned earlier, Charleston is in an area known as the Low Country; It is flat with no mountains, and is prone to flooding. Along with the Hurricanes, heat and humidty, and other cons of living here, I still think that it is one of the nicest Cities to live in the Country.
Charleston has a unique combination of History, culture, great food, beaches, and has mild weather for most of the year. I do love the winters in Charleston; you can even go golfing or go to the beach during the winter months; I just don’t want to be here in July in August.
Having said that, there is still plenty to do during the Summer; every where you go is going to have air coinditioning, and there is usually a cool breeze coming from the ocean and Charleston Harbor, so you can go to the beach or go boating, and many communities have a community pool, and summer is a great time to go swimming.
If you’re considering moving to Charleston and want to browse homes for sale or for rent in the area, you can visit my website at GarrisonCharleston.com.
Greenville
On the other side of the State, Greenville South Carolina is located in the Upstate region, near the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Greenville is a very nice city with a rcharming and walkable downtown, and a beautiful 32 acre green space and park, located at Falls Park on the Reedy. This park has many festivals and gatherings thoughout the year, and You can take a walk across the 345 foot pedistrian bridge located here, known as Liberty Bridge.
Greenville has several colleges in the greater Greenville area, including Bob Jones University, Furman University, and Clemson University, which is about a 40 minute drive from Greenville.
Clemson has had one of the best College football teams in the Country in Recent years, and has won multiple national championships.
If you live in Greenville, you will be about a 3 hour drive away from the Ocean, and the nearest beach, but you will be very close to the Mountains. Paris Mountain State Park is right near Greenville, and Table Rock State Park is only about a 40 minute drive.
There are a few Lakes within driving distance from the Greenville area if you want to do some boating, inlcuding Lake Saluda, Lake Hartwell, Lake Keowee, and Lake Robinson.
On average, Greenville will get colder weather during the winter months than the coastal cities. You will also be much further inland, and will not be as affected by hurricanes as some of the other places on this list, since the storms usually weaken rapidly once they hit land.
Greenville is also within about a 2 1/2 hour driving distance from several large cities, including Atlanta Georgia, Charlotte North Carolina, Columbia South Carolina, Asheville North Carolina, and Augusta Georgia, where the Masters Golf tournament is played..
Myrtle Beach
Myrtle Beach is a popular tourist location in the Peedee region of South Carolina, and offers and offers a 1.2 mile beachfront boardwalk, multiple golf courses, several tall buildings and skyscrapers, restaurants, mini-golf, and plenty of fun things to do with the family.
Myrtle beach is part of a 60 mile stretch of beaches and cities known as the “Grand Strand“ area, which also includes North Myrtle Beach, Murrells Inlet, Georgetown, and Pawleys Island.
There are a few colleges in the area, including Coastal Carolina University and the Horry-Georgetown Technical College. If you want to enjoy the outdoors near Myrtle Beach, The Waccamaw National Wildlife Refuge is located near Myrtle Beach, and covers about 27000 acres. This refuge has miles of nature trails, rivers, and swamps.
There is also a ton of fun stuff to do in the entire Grand Strand Region, including some of the best golf in the area, the Family Kingdom Amusement Park, boating and fishing, one of the tallest Ferris wheels in the country, and much more. There is so much stuff to do in Myrtle Beach, but this city also gets a lot tourists every year.
If you’re looking for a beach town with less tourists, you may want to consider a different location outside of Myrtle Beach.
Rock Hill
Rock Hill is in the Northern section of South Carolina, in the Midlands region, and is located right near the North Carolina border. In fact, Rock Hill is only about a 30 minute drive to Charlotte, North Carolina, which is one of my favorite cities to visit.
Charlotte is home to the Carolina Panthers NFL team, the Charlotte Hornets NBA Team, and is a very city with beautiful skyscrapers.
Rock Hill is a charming college town with Winthrop University and University of SC Lancaster in the area.
Corowinds Amusement Park is located near Rock Hill, and has multiple rollercoasters and rides, and is a great place to take the family.
Rock Hill is a nice option for people who want to move to a more inland city in South Carolina, but still have large cities nearby.
If you are in the Charlotte or Rock Hill area during the Holliday Season, make sure to check out a town nearby in North Carolina, called McAdenville, also known as “Christmas Town USA”. My wife loves this little town.
Rock Hill is located near Lake Wylie, which is on the North Carolina Border. This Lake is a little over 12000 acres, with about 325 miles of shoreline.
If you live in Rock Hill, You will not be near a beach, but the Mountains aren’t too far away.
Columbia
Columbia is the the capital of South Carolina, and is centrally located in the State. Columbia has a large downtown area with some of the tallest skyscrapers in the South Carolina.
If you live in Columbia, you will be within about 2 hours from the Mountains, the Beaches, Augusta Georgia, Greenville, SC, Charlotte North Carolina, and Lake Murray is also very close to Columbia, a 50,000 acre lake with about 650 miles of shoreline.
Columbia is home to The University of South Carolina and the GameCocks college football team. Most people who live in South Carolina are either Clemson Tiger Fans, or GameCock Fans, and it is a very big event for the State when they play eachother.
Some popular things to visit in Columbia are the Riverbanks Zoo and Garden, South Carolina State Museum, Congaree National Park, and the South Carolina State House.
Columbia is a very historic city in South Carolina, but a lot of the antebellum buildings are no longer there.
During the later years in the Civil War, the Union General William Sherman marched with his army through Atlanta and to the Sea, and eventually through the Carolinas. During his march, Sherman’s army followed a “scorched earth” policy. The army destroyed many military targets, infrastructure, and civilians’ properties, and a lot of buildings in Columbia were destroyed.
There are still some antebullum homes still standing in Columbia. However, there still are a lot of surviving historic structures in columbia.
South Carolina Lakes
- Lake Marion
- Lake Moultrie
- Clark Hills Lake (Thurmond Lake)
- Lake Hartwell
- Lake Wylie
- Lake Jocasee
- Lake Murray
- Lake Keowee
- Lake Wateree
- Lake Greenwood
South Carolina has a lot of Waterfront property available. Along the Coast, there is the Atlantic Ocean and many Rivers and Tidal Creeks, but we also have a few Large Lakes in the State. There are several smaller lakes scattered throughout the area as well. For example, a lot of the communities near Charleston have small lakes with homes built around them, including Colonial Lake in downtown Charleston.
Not too far from Charleston you have Lake Moultrie and Lake Marion. Lake Marion is the Largest Lake in South Carolina, and is surrounded by a lot of small towns. These Lakes also have numerous campgrounds around the Lake, and are great for Fishing and boating. They are a great place to live if you’d like to own a lakefront property within driving distance to Charleston.
Depending on which part of these two lakes you are located, you will be about a 50-90 minute drive to downtown Charleston, SC, but there are a lot of closer cities n
If you want to live on a lake in South Carolina, but be much closer to a larger city, Lake Murray is right next to Columbia, and Lake Wylie is near Rock Hill South Carolina, which is close to Charlotte.
Other large lakes in the State included Clark Hills Lake, Also known as Thurmond Lake, and Lake Hartwell. Both of these Lakes are on the South Carolina and Georgia Border.
Clark Hills lake is not far from Augusta Georgia and Aiken South Carolina. Lake Hartwell is near Anderson, in the Greenville area.
We do have alligators in South Carolina, and it is very common to see them in the little lakes and ponds here. But it is rare for an alligator to attack a human.
The Beach Towns
- Charleston
- Kiawah Island
- Seabrook Island
- Isle of Palms
- Folly Beach
- Wild Dunes
- Sullivan’s Island
- Edisto Beach
- Myrtle Beach
- Fripp Island
- Hilton Head Island
I mentioned Myrtle Beach and the Grand Strand Region of South Carolina earlier in the video, but there are many other popular beachtowns in South Carolina.
There are a lot of options when it comes to beach towns in area. We have mutliple resort style gated and golf communities inlcuding: Kiawah Island, Seabrook Island, Wild Dunes on Isle of Palms, and Hourbour Town on Hilton Head Island.
There are also a lot of beachtowns that are not gated and have public beaches, including Folly Beach near Charleston, Edisto Beach, part of Isle of Palms, and Sullivan’s Island.
Even if you do not live directly in a beachtown, you can live within a very short drive to the beach, in locations like Johns Island, James Island, Mount Pleasant, and many other areas along the coast.
There are even some beaches that you can bring an RV, and camp right near the beach, including Hunting Island State Park near Beaufort and Port Royal, Edisto Beach State Park, and Huntington Beach State Park near Murrells Inlet.
Some of the Beaches in South Carolina draw in many more tourists than others, so if you’re considering moving to a beachtown, you will need to decide what area is right for you. I will be making a video about all of the beach towns in South Carolina soon, so make sure to subscribe to my channel if you’d like to see that.
You can also watch my video about the 5 best beaches near Charleston, and I’ll put a link in the description below.
Conclusion
Thanks for watching my video. Feel free contact me writh any questions about moving to South Carolina, at 843-769-1836, or visit my website at GarrisonCharleston.com.