Have you ever looked around your hometown and wondered if there was something better waiting for you out there? Are you planning on moving to South Carolina and wondered where are the best places to live? Are you looking for a city that has the best entertainment, the best schools, the best affordability, a good place to retire, or a low crime rate? If so, then here is a list that may interest you. Below is a list of the best places to live in South Carolina. Each one has it’s own attributes that make it special and unique. Take a look!
- Tega Cay, SC
ann-dabney/Flickr Tega Cay takes the top honor of being the safest city in South Carolina. This city is deemed one of the best cities to settle down and start a family or retire. It’s right on the border of South Carolina and North Carolina so you are just minutes away from a big city. There are loads of activities all year long, but the place really buzzes during the summer months!
- Edgefield, SC
brx0/Flickr This city gets an A+ for a number of things. One, it ranks #2 as one of the safest cities in SC. Two, although it may be small, Edgefield has a booming art community and loads of other entertainment going on. And three, they have you covered for a date night with their wide selection of fine dining options. Edgefield’s just outside of Augusta, Georgia, so you won’t be far from a large city.
- Inman, SC
myke./Flickr Small town life with the bonus of being only 15 minutes away from Spartanburg, SC. This is a great place for raising children and for those who are ready to get out of the rat race. There’s a large amount of community involvement in this town which has some beautiful results. If you decide to move here you know your children will be safe.
- Greer, SC
Bit Boy/Flickr This is a growing city that’s located between Greenville and Spartanburg, SC. They have a lot of recreational programs going on. So, if you are looking for charm, community activities, a town packed with recreational activities, and a safe place to live then Greer can fit that bill for you.
- Walhalla, SC
Let Ideas Compete/Flickr Walhalla is a German-founded town and German pride still runs deep here. They have a slew of events there year around for the families and visitors to the town. And, every year they have their own Okterberfest that honors the founding fathers of this beautiful place. You won’t find a lot of crime, but what you will find are tree-lined streets and beautiful little shops run by great people.
- Summerville, SC
Ty Nigh/Flickr SafeWise says this about Summerville, “Summerville is a beautiful community that welcomes newcomers with open arms. Rich with Southern hospitality yet modern and progressive, Summerville is a rare find.” That says a lot about this place that has the nickname, Flowertown in the Pines. Every Thursday the downtown comes alive with free concerts, artists who bring out their creations, and food. The housing is quite affordable here and it’s only 20-30 minutes from Charleston, SC.
- Hilton Head, SC
L1mey/Flickr HIlton Head is not the most affordable place to live, but it is a very safe place to live. It’s a great place for the young single executive because of its extensive recreational activities and its closeness to Charleston, SC, and it’s also a good place for that couple who would like to retire. Hilton Head ranked #1 for Quality of Life and Safeness.
- Charleston, SC
Anthony/Flickr Rated #3 for entertainment, Charleston is bounding with things to keep you entertained. However, it does rate low on the scale for crime and affordability. But, the schools have a low student to teacher ratio so, your children will get more attention in the classroom.
- Mauldin, SC
Michael Simmons/Flickr Looking for good schools? Then Mauldin is for you! They have a fantastic educational system that has routinely ranked among the highest in the state. They have thousands of events each year including a Parent’s Night Out. And, you could be in downtown Greenville in under 20 minutes!
- Mt. Pleasant, SC
Henry de Saussure Copeland/Flickr A place that is perfectly situated for work and play. It has a robust economy, a strong community, and it’s a great place for the children.
- Greenville, SC
Jason A G/Flickr The city of Greenville is bursting out of it’s box! The downtown development has become known state-wide making other places just a bit jealous. It ranks in the top 10 in amenities and entertainment value. It also has one of the lowest unemployment rates of South Carolina along with one of the lowest sales tax rates.
- Lexington, SC
Rick Stilwell/Flickr Lexington has made great strides in growth the last decade and it shows. They also believe that safety of their children is the number one priority and they do a number of activities each year to educate the children and parents. Also, Lexington’s Police Department was recently recognized as “Agency of the Year”.
- Beaufort, SC
m01229/Flickr Beaufort is not one of the cheapest places to live in South Carolina, but it does try to make up for that fact by offering some of the highest salaries available. The city will charm you with it’s Southern beauty and will make you relax knowing that they have a low student to teacher ratio for a good start on the road to your child’s education. Plus, there are so many things going on in Beaufort that you will be entertained day after day.
- Fort Mill, SC
waxhawian/Flickr Looking for an art community? Then Fort Mill is for you! Fort Mill offers artists the chance to be creative with many opportunities such as the Guild, art programs, theaters, etc. It’s also one of the most affordable places to live in South Carolina. As a side note, if you live here you are also just moments away from Charlotte, NC.
- Goose Creek, SC
Jackie O/Flickr Safety is at the forefront of Goose Creek’s governing body. They have many programs to help the young and old alike such as free child seat inspections, elderly care checks, and self-defense classes…all offered for free to its citizens. It’s only 15 minutes from Charleston and is definitely the place to raise a family and still be able to work in a large city without taking away too much of your time in transportation.
It’s true that not every city has everything. You can’t have a large city with loads of entertainment without a moderate crime rate, but then again, you can’t have a small city with a low crime rate and loads of entertainment. The great thing here is that you don’t have to compromise on the either. There are quite a few cities here that offer that beautiful quiet life, but are only minutes away from a large city. It’s nice to have the best of both worlds and not have to choose between convenience and pleasure. I hope that this list is helpful to you and if you have a particular city or town that you think would make a good addition to our list, please let us know in the comments below!
ann-dabney/Flickr
Tega Cay takes the top honor of being the safest city in South Carolina. This city is deemed one of the best cities to settle down and start a family or retire. It’s right on the border of South Carolina and North Carolina so you are just minutes away from a big city. There are loads of activities all year long, but the place really buzzes during the summer months!
brx0/Flickr
This city gets an A+ for a number of things. One, it ranks #2 as one of the safest cities in SC. Two, although it may be small, Edgefield has a booming art community and loads of other entertainment going on. And three, they have you covered for a date night with their wide selection of fine dining options. Edgefield’s just outside of Augusta, Georgia, so you won’t be far from a large city.
myke./Flickr
Small town life with the bonus of being only 15 minutes away from Spartanburg, SC. This is a great place for raising children and for those who are ready to get out of the rat race. There’s a large amount of community involvement in this town which has some beautiful results. If you decide to move here you know your children will be safe.
Bit Boy/Flickr
This is a growing city that’s located between Greenville and Spartanburg, SC. They have a lot of recreational programs going on. So, if you are looking for charm, community activities, a town packed with recreational activities, and a safe place to live then Greer can fit that bill for you.
Let Ideas Compete/Flickr
Walhalla is a German-founded town and German pride still runs deep here. They have a slew of events there year around for the families and visitors to the town. And, every year they have their own Okterberfest that honors the founding fathers of this beautiful place. You won’t find a lot of crime, but what you will find are tree-lined streets and beautiful little shops run by great people.
Ty Nigh/Flickr
SafeWise says this about Summerville, “Summerville is a beautiful community that welcomes newcomers with open arms. Rich with Southern hospitality yet modern and progressive, Summerville is a rare find.” That says a lot about this place that has the nickname, Flowertown in the Pines. Every Thursday the downtown comes alive with free concerts, artists who bring out their creations, and food. The housing is quite affordable here and it’s only 20-30 minutes from Charleston, SC.
L1mey/Flickr
HIlton Head is not the most affordable place to live, but it is a very safe place to live. It’s a great place for the young single executive because of its extensive recreational activities and its closeness to Charleston, SC, and it’s also a good place for that couple who would like to retire. Hilton Head ranked #1 for Quality of Life and Safeness.
Anthony/Flickr
Rated #3 for entertainment, Charleston is bounding with things to keep you entertained. However, it does rate low on the scale for crime and affordability. But, the schools have a low student to teacher ratio so, your children will get more attention in the classroom.
Michael Simmons/Flickr
Looking for good schools? Then Mauldin is for you! They have a fantastic educational system that has routinely ranked among the highest in the state. They have thousands of events each year including a Parent’s Night Out. And, you could be in downtown Greenville in under 20 minutes!
Henry de Saussure Copeland/Flickr
A place that is perfectly situated for work and play. It has a robust economy, a strong community, and it’s a great place for the children.
Jason A G/Flickr
The city of Greenville is bursting out of it’s box! The downtown development has become known state-wide making other places just a bit jealous. It ranks in the top 10 in amenities and entertainment value. It also has one of the lowest unemployment rates of South Carolina along with one of the lowest sales tax rates.
Rick Stilwell/Flickr
Lexington has made great strides in growth the last decade and it shows. They also believe that safety of their children is the number one priority and they do a number of activities each year to educate the children and parents. Also, Lexington’s Police Department was recently recognized as “Agency of the Year”.
m01229/Flickr
Beaufort is not one of the cheapest places to live in South Carolina, but it does try to make up for that fact by offering some of the highest salaries available. The city will charm you with it’s Southern beauty and will make you relax knowing that they have a low student to teacher ratio for a good start on the road to your child’s education. Plus, there are so many things going on in Beaufort that you will be entertained day after day.
waxhawian/Flickr
Looking for an art community? Then Fort Mill is for you! Fort Mill offers artists the chance to be creative with many opportunities such as the Guild, art programs, theaters, etc. It’s also one of the most affordable places to live in South Carolina. As a side note, if you live here you are also just moments away from Charlotte, NC.
Jackie O/Flickr
Safety is at the forefront of Goose Creek’s governing body. They have many programs to help the young and old alike such as free child seat inspections, elderly care checks, and self-defense classes…all offered for free to its citizens. It’s only 15 minutes from Charleston and is definitely the place to raise a family and still be able to work in a large city without taking away too much of your time in transportation.
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