The 10 Best Places To Live In South Carolina For 2024


The best places to live in South Carolina for 2024 are James Island, Tega Cay, and Mount Pleasant. Find out where your city or town ranks.

South Carolina is the best state for those looking for good old-fashioned fun. The energy the residents of South Carolina exude attracts many people in search of a little piece of southern charm amidst a quaint backdrop.

What does the perfect place to live in South Carolina look like?

We used Saturday Night Science to answer that question. We compared FBI, Zillow, and Census data on factors like crime, home prices, and incomes. The best places in South Carolina have strong economies, excellent schools, and plenty of things to do.

Grab some of great granny’s sweet tea and a basket of hush puppies and read on.


Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Table | Map | Methodology | Summary


What city is the best place to live in South Carolina for 2024? According to the US Census and FBI data, James Island is the best place to live in South Carolina.

In South Carolina, it helps to be close to Myrtle Beach and within a day trip to Congaree National Park.

Read on to learn more about the best places in The Palmetto State.

For more reading, check out:

The 10 Best Places To Live In South Carolina For 2024

Best Places To Live In South Carolina Map

James Island, SC

Source: Public domain
Stat James Island South Carolina
Population 11,689 5,142,750
Rank Last Year 1
Median Home Value $552,752 $287,064
Median Income $95,364 $63,623
Unemployment Rate 1.7% 5.2%
Crime Per Capita 0.0160 0.0330

More on James Island: Data | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

The grass is definitely greener on the side of South Carolina that houses the state’s best place to live, James Island. Located just south of the Charleston Harbor where the Stono and Folly Rivers meet, James Island has managed to protect its small town feel while looking out for its 11,689 residents’ bottom line.

James Island’s cost of living might be slightly higher than the rest of the state, but the city’s median income is $95,364/year. The median home price in James Island is the 4th highest in South Carolina at $552,752. And if you know anything about property taxes, they are based on home prices and higher property taxes generally mean better schools. Folks, James Island has some pretty great schools. In fact, the test scores and graduation rates from the Charleston 01 School District are surpassing the rest of the state.

Tega Cay, SC

Source: Public domain
Stat Tega Cay South Carolina
Population 12,816 5,142,750
Rank Last Year 2
Median Home Value $565,388 $287,064
Median Income $140,172 $63,623
Unemployment Rate 1.3% 5.2%
Crime Per Capita 0.0115 0.0330

More on Tega Cay: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

No, we have not fudged the numbers, Tega Cay’s numbers are legit, they’re just so good that they’re hard to believe. But, believe it, and if you’ve ever thought about moving here, do it now because not only is Tega Cay South Carolina’s 2nd best city, it is also one of the fastest growing places in the state.

Do we think this is why the median home price here is the 3rd highest in the state? Absolutely: classic case of supply and demand. In terms of affordability, however, the Tega Cay’s overall cost of living isn’t too bad, but living expenses like groceries and health services will take a bite out of your paycheck. So, make sure you find a job that pays a combined household income of $140,172/year.

Mount Pleasant, SC

Source: Wikipedia User | GFDL
Stat Mount Pleasant South Carolina
Population 90,945 5,142,750
Rank Last Year 3
Median Home Value $777,495 $287,064
Median Income $115,167 $63,623
Unemployment Rate 3.2% 5.2%
Crime Per Capita 0.0160 0.0330

More on Mount Pleasant: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Of course the word “pleasant” is in the name of South Carolina’s #3 best place to live, Mount Pleasant. But, it’s not only because the city has great weather and is close to the Atlantic Coast, it’s more about its low crime rate, low unemployment rate, and the fact that the locals here make close to $115,167/year.

To put Mount Pleasant’s safety record into perspective, you have a greater chance of a Palmetto Tree falling on you than being involved in a crime as the crime rate here is below the national level. Heck, the people here are too busy working to be naughty–Mount Pleasant’s unemployment rate is the 13th lowest in the state at 3.2%. The cost of living is a bit higher in Mount Pleasant; so, be prepared to pay a bit more for your living expenses.

Fort Mill, SC

Source: Wikipedia User Bill Fitzpatrick | CC BY-SA 3.0
Stat Fort Mill South Carolina
Population 26,022 5,142,750
Rank Last Year 4
Median Home Value $505,522 $287,064
Median Income $128,125 $63,623
Unemployment Rate 2.3% 5.2%
Crime Per Capita 0.0096 0.0330

More on Fort Mill: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Mix a little southern charm with a little southern hospitality and you have the 4th best place to live in South Carolina, Fort Mill. Yes, this little piece of heaven from the Southeastern United States, is about as close to a perfect place as you can get. The 26,022 residents here are pretty lucky as the city’s unemployment rate is the 6th lowest in the state at 2.3% and the median income is $128,125/year. This salary is super handy when it comes to paying the 6th best median home price in the state at $505,522 and the city’s slightly higher cost of living.

The crime rate in Fort Mill is also super low. In fact, there were only 251 committed here last year making it one of the safest places in the state.

Bluffton, SC

Source: Flickr User Ken Lund | CC BY-SA 2.0
Stat Bluffton South Carolina
Population 29,375 5,142,750
Rank Last Year 5
Median Home Value $494,049 $287,064
Median Income $99,575 $63,623
Unemployment Rate 1.4% 5.2%
Crime Per Capita 0.0080 0.0330

More on Bluffton: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

One of the fastest growing communities in South Carolina, Bluffton had just over 1,200 residents in 2000. Now? The population has swelled to 29,375. The influx of people comes as Bluffton ranks as the number 5 top place in the state to call home.

Built along the Atlantic Coast in the southern-most part of the state, Bluffton has an excellent location. It is about half hour north of Savannah, Georgia, the region’s major population center. It’s also about two hours south of Charleston. Want more of a resort experience? The famed Hilton Head Island sits just over the bridge.

Given these local draws, Bluffton boasts a thriving economy. It has the 4th highest median income in the state, with a figure of $99,575. The unemployment rate is similarly healthy. The local pace of 1.4% represents the 2nd best rate in South Carolina.

Schools in the area are above average, with ratings of 7/10 from Great Schools. The crime rate is almost 50% below the national average. Living in Bluffton can get expensive, with a cost of living about 10% above the U.S. standard. Home prices are also high, with a median home value of $494,049.

Lexington, SC

Source: Public domain
Stat Lexington South Carolina
Population 23,665 5,142,750
Rank Last Year 9
Median Home Value $289,130 $287,064
Median Income $78,164 $63,623
Unemployment Rate 3.6% 5.2%
Crime Per Capita 0.0198 0.0330

More on Lexington: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

No, this is not fake news, people, the 6th best city in South Carolina, Lexington, really is super affordable and super fun.

Folks, when we pulled Lexington’s housing numbers, we discovered that the median home price here is the 6th lowest in the state at $289,130. Lexington’s overall cost of living follows the same trend. Not to mention, the locals here make upwards of $78,164/year making it one of the wealthiest cities in the state as well. And in terms of fun, Lexington is located on the southeast banks of Lake Murray, so you can swim, boat, and bike here until your heart’s content.

Port Royal, SC

Source: Public domain
Stat Port Royal South Carolina
Population 14,573 5,142,750
Rank Last Year 10
Median Home Value $326,136 $287,064
Median Income $68,909 $63,623
Unemployment Rate 1.6% 5.2%
Crime Per Capita 0.0139 0.0330

More on Port Royal: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Port Royal, South Carolina is an island town about an hour northeast of Savannah. The island life transfer nicely to being one of the best places to live in South Carolina.

As you would expect, some of the best perks of living on island close to the water have to do with the outdoors. Those perks include access to the Cypress Wetlands, the Port Royal Farmer Market, and The Sands beaches and boardwalk. And after a day on the beach you can grab dinner at Fishcamp on 11th street for some seafood or the Old Burn Tavern if turf is more to your liking.

On the numbers side of things, Port Royal really shines for its best commute times and safety – the city has the 5th lowest levels of property crime in the state. So you’ll know your wallet is safe to keep on your beach towel at the beach.

Simpsonville, SC

Source: Wikipedia User Upstateherd | CC BY-SA 4.0
Stat Simpsonville South Carolina
Population 24,133 5,142,750
Rank Last Year 7
Median Home Value $360,596 $287,064
Median Income $79,937 $63,623
Unemployment Rate 2.8% 5.2%
Crime Per Capita 0.0427 0.0330

More on Simpsonville: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

With a citywide median household income of $79,937, you’ll never run out of money in the 8th best place to live in the state, Simpsonville. You can use that income for South Carolina’s famous peach pie, boiled peanuts, and/or a year pass to the waterslides at Discovery Island Waterpar.

This substantial salary is important if you want to buy a home where the median home price is the 16th in the state at $360,596. It will also help with the city’s overall cost of living. Simpsonville might be one of the most affordable places to live in South Carolina, but living expenses like groceries, health services, and transportation will cost you a bit more here.

Mauldin, SC

Source: Wikipedia User Mike Kalasnik from Fort Mill, USA | CC BY-SA 2.0
Stat Mauldin South Carolina
Population 25,267 5,142,750
Rank Last Year 6
Median Home Value $282,107 $287,064
Median Income $75,565 $63,623
Unemployment Rate 5.0% 5.2%
Crime Per Capita 0.0228 0.0330

More on Mauldin: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

So, you’re tired of paying South Carolina’s rental prices and now you want to buy a home? Well, you’ve come to the right place. Mauldin is not only The Palmetto State’s 9th best place to live, it has the 32nd lowest median home price in the state at $282,107.

With the number of people who currently live here, it’s obvious that Mauldin must be pretty great. Heck, anyone who wants a job here can have one as the unemployment rate is the 35th lowest in the state at 5.0%. Not to mention, the median income here is one of the highest in South Carolina at $75,565/year. It’s also super safe here; in fact, Mauldin’s crime rate is below the national average with a majority of the crimes reported property related.

Charleston, SC

Source: Wikipedia User Khanrak | CC BY-SA 3.0
Stat Charleston South Carolina
Population 149,960 5,142,750
Rank Last Year 11
Median Home Value $530,719 $287,064
Median Income $83,891 $63,623
Unemployment Rate 3.7% 5.2%
Crime Per Capita 0.0230 0.0330

More on Charleston: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

The most populous city to make our list, Charleston is used to being in the headlines. So, no surprise here that this city is South Carolina’s 10th best place to live as well as one of the best cities in the United States/a>. What does it take to be so great? We can’t speak for every city, but in Charleston’s case, great schools, educated residents, and high salaries, are just a few of the quality of life indicators that stand out.

Charleston’s spending per student is quite a bit higher than the rest of the state and it seems to be paying off as they have nine National Blue Ribbon Schools inside the city limits. Charleston also has one of the highest high school graduation rates. Do we think it has something to do with an unemployment rate of 3.7% and a median household income of $83,891/year? Absolutely.

Mapping The Best And Worst Places To Live in South Carolina

Best Places To Live In South Carolina Size Requirement

Before we even started to collect data on the best places to live in South Carolina, we had to answer a tough question: Is it fair to pit Columbia, with a population of 136,754, against places with a population of 18?

We firmly decided no, that just isn’t fair.

So, to create our ranking, we broke the best places to live into three tiers:

  • Cities — Populations over 5,000
  • Towns — Populations between 1,000 and 5,000
  • Small Towns — Populations below 1,000

This filter left 64 cities, 141 towns, and 130 small towns.

We then decided no matter how much anyone loves their town, the best cities to live in South Carolina have more of everything, and therefore, you need over 5,000 people to truly be ‘the best.’

Methodology: How We Calculated The Best Cities To Live In South Carolina

Now that we had our set of the best possible cities, it was time to rank them using Saturday Night Science.

We ranked each place in South Carolina across a number of criteria from one to 64, with one being the best.

We then took the average rank across all criteria, crowning the city posting the lowest overall score, the “Best Place To Live In South Carolina.”

The criteria we looked to determine the best places were:

  • Median Home Values
  • Median Income
  • Population Density (Higher is better)
  • Unemployment Rate
  • Commute Time
  • Crime
  • Education Levels
  • Health Insurance Coverage
  • Poverty rates

Sources of criteria include the New Census Data, FBI Crime Data, and Zillow. We updated this article for 2024. This report is our tenth time ranking South Carolina’s best places to live.

If your city or town isn’t among the top 10, jump down to the bottom of the post to see a detailed chart of the best places in South Carolina. Otherwise, buckle up for a ride down good living lane with James Island at the end of the cul-de-sac.

Summary: The Best Places In South Carolina

If you’re looking at areas in South Carolina with the best economic situations, where there’s lower than average crime, and a lot to do, this is an accurate list.

The best places to live in South Carolina are James Island, Tega Cay, Mount Pleasant, Fort Mill, Bluffton, Lexington, Port Royal, Simpsonville, Mauldin, and Charleston.

James Island made a strong showing to take in the overall number one spot for the best place to live in South Carolina for 2024.

If you’re curious enough, here are the worst places to live in South Carolina according to the data:

  1. Cheraw (Pop. 5,056)
  2. Marion (Pop. 6,402)
  3. Union (Pop. 8,099)

For more South Carolina reading, check out:

Best Places To Live In South Carolina Table

Rank City Population Unemployment Rate Home Value Median Income Rent Crime Per Capita
1 James Island 11,689 1.7% $552,752 $95,364 $2,009 0.0160
2 Tega Cay 12,816 1.3% $565,388 $140,172 $1,253 0.0115
3 Mount Pleasant 90,945 3.2% $777,495 $115,167 $1,901 0.0160
4 Fort Mill 26,022 2.3% $505,522 $128,125 $1,325 0.0096
5 Bluffton 29,375 1.4% $494,049 $99,575 $2,050 0.0080
6 Lexington 23,665 3.6% $289,130 $78,164 $1,270 0.0198
7 Port Royal 14,573 1.6% $326,136 $68,909 $1,476 0.0139
8 Simpsonville 24,133 2.8% $360,596 $79,937 $1,190 0.0427
9 Mauldin 25,267 5.0% $282,107 $75,565 $1,342 0.0228
10 Charleston 149,960 3.7% $530,719 $83,891 $1,517 0.0230
11 North Augusta 24,425 3.8% $235,984 $85,093 $969 0.0251
12 Forest Acres 10,514 4.2% $291,080 $68,110 $1,095 0.0396
13 Lyman 6,099 3.8% $289,160 $76,723 $1,136 0.0115
14 Hanahan 20,731 2.1% $384,391 $79,305 $1,290 0.0198
15 Clemson 17,557 4.3% $363,229 $50,263 $963 0.0225
16 Goose Creek 45,858 3.4% $309,585 $84,041 $1,507 0.0210
17 Greenville 70,838 3.8% $295,392 $65,519 $1,173 0.0437
18 Hilton Head Island 37,708 2.8% $746,761 $93,694 $1,563 0.0513
19 Moncks Corner 13,456 2.4% $354,593 $83,079 $1,129 0.0355
20 Summerville 50,839 5.8% $370,371 $73,712 $1,328 0.0308
21 Irmo 11,685 4.6% $271,045 $77,656 $1,329 0.0386
22 Beaufort 13,582 4.0% $368,692 $60,366 $1,016 0.0323
23 Hollywood 5,397 4.8% $467,948 $77,191 $870 0.0160
24 Easley 23,135 3.8% $298,368 $62,551 $852 0.0311
25 Rock Hill 74,170 5.3% $312,290 $60,807 $1,193 0.0315
26 Greer 37,010 3.5% $327,385 $73,534 $1,060 0.0259
27 Aiken 32,014 3.9% $248,666 $65,712 $1,093 0.0407
28 Travelers Rest 7,929 6.4% $299,948 $44,375 $1,015 0.0277
29 Central 5,272 4.5% $247,449 $45,909 $919 0.0182
30 Hardeeville 8,048 9.0% $408,943 $75,948 $1,392 0.0344
31 North Myrtle Beach 18,850 6.4% $398,493 $69,792 $1,263 0.0506
32 West Columbia 17,459 2.9% $211,731 $52,648 $982 0.0630
33 Clover 6,800 8.9% $392,293 $63,649 $1,027 0.0141
34 Columbia 136,754 7.9% $222,099 $54,095 $1,105 0.0348
35 Florence 39,931 4.8% $207,198 $56,031 $868 0.0688
36 Cayce 13,755 5.4% $195,496 $56,976 $1,246 0.0499
37 Fountain Inn 10,675 9.6% $280,678 $73,665 $977 0.0242
38 Myrtle Beach 36,064 4.2% $301,360 $50,558 $1,093 0.0815
39 Seneca 8,834 11.0% $275,023 $48,108 $757 0.0284
40 Sumter 43,046 7.8% $179,925 $48,900 $1,019 0.0406
41 Camden 7,834 3.0% $211,324 $54,141 $771 0.0615
42 Anderson 29,345 6.9% $247,118 $40,445 $884 0.0651
43 North Charleston 115,755 4.3% $292,239 $58,534 $1,288 0.0592
44 Laurens 9,276 3.5% $147,919 $52,585 $741 0.0370
45 Conway 25,121 8.8% $283,094 $48,161 $883 0.0320
46 Spartanburg 38,301 7.5% $209,990 $49,140 $983 0.0706
47 Greenwood 22,528 7.3% $169,336 $38,884 $793 0.0479
48 Georgetown 8,465 9.2% $244,215 $50,000 $801 0.0654
49 Gaffney 12,651 9.4% $160,274 $38,059 $837 0.0445
50 Lancaster 8,592 13.3% $262,150 $37,714 $775 0.0285
51 Hartsville 7,450 9.2% $156,598 $46,230 $796 0.0887
52 Newberry 10,682 7.6% $163,742 $47,565 $882 0.0336
53 Batesburg-Leesville 5,004 3.3% $137,614 $49,807 $820 0.0456
54 York 8,534 8.2% $333,788 $50,177 $810 0.0471
55 Clinton 7,624 7.8% $126,502 $38,350 $829 0.0518
56 Bennettsville 6,975 6.5% $84,777 $37,891 $643 0.0443
57 Dillon 6,454 3.9% $82,630 $34,086 $681 0.1018
58 Darlington 6,172 8.9% $123,699 $33,750 $700 0.0821
59 Chester 5,260 10.2% $142,891 $39,951 $756 0.0548
60 Walterboro 5,515 3.1% $181,873 $46,119 $713 0.0814
61 Orangeburg 13,220 12.5% $142,887 $29,340 $722 0.0729
62 Cheraw 5,056 17.7% $146,907 $30,658 $819 0.0708
63 Marion 6,402 5.6% $90,130 $28,551 $601 0.0625
64 Union 8,099 15.3% $108,743 $32,548 $773 0.0640

About Chris Kolmar

Chris Kolmar has been in the real estate business for almost ten years now. He originally worked for Movoto Real Estate as the director of marketing before founding HomeSnacks.

He believes the key to finding the right place to live comes down to looking at the data, reading about things to do, and, most importantly, checking it out yourself before you move.

If you've been looking for a place to live in the past several years, you've probably stumbled upon his writing already.

You can find out more about him on LinkedIn or his website.