Moving to South Carolina

Things To Know Before Moving To South Carolina

The gorgeous state of South Carolina is bordered by Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, and the Atlantic Ocean. Within its borders, you will find stunning beaches, national forests, thriving cities, traditional villages, and plenty of Southern charm. Coastal destinations are a top pick for many, but South Carolina is also a nature lover’s dream getaway.

The central city of Columbia is the state capital, but historic Charleston is the center of charming antebellum streets and plantations with moss-covered ancient oaks. The state is also known as a premier golf destination in the United States.

South Carolina is a southeastern U.S. state known for its shoreline of subtropical beaches and marshlike sea islands. Coastal Charleston is a historic city, defined by pastel-colored houses, Old South plantations and Fort Sumter, where the Civil War’s opening shots were fired. To the north is the Grand Strand, a roughly 60-mile stretch of beachfront known for golf courses and the vacation town Myrtle Beach.

If you’re moving to South Carolina, there are a lot of things you’re going to need to know. Luckily, you’ve come to the right place.

Moving to South Carolina

Pros and Cons of Living in South Carolina

Here are a few pros and cons to consider as you make your move to the Palmetto State:

Pros.
  • The quality of health care in South Carolina is much better than it is in most other states.
  • South Carolina has much better weather than most other states. If you’re like most people, you prefer a day of sunshine and blue skies over a cloudy rainy day.
  • South Carolina residents have a slightly lower overall tax burden than citizens of most other US states according to the Tax Foundation.
  • Many people consider South Carolina to be one of the more beautiful scenic states. The state offers a long coastline with islands and beaches along the Atlantic Ocean.
Cons.
  • South Carolina has a higher cost of living than most other states according to the Missouri Economic Research and Information Center (information was derived from the Council for Community and Economic Research).
  • South Carolina has a higher overall crime rate than most states according to FBI reporting.
  • You will have the hurricane problem to think about when living here. The weather in South Carolina is typically pleasant, but there is also an unpredictability factor that you will want to consider.
Tax Rates

South Carolina’s general state Sales and Use Tax rate is 6%. In certain counties, local Sales and Use Taxes are imposed in addition to the 6% state rate.

South Carolina is taxfriendly toward retirees. Social Security income is not taxed. Withdrawals from retirement accounts are partially taxed. Wages are taxed at normal rates, and your marginal state tax rate is 5.90%.

Housing Market

The typical home value of homes in South Carolina is $220,940 according to Zillow. This value is seasonally adjusted and only includes the middle price tier of homes. South Carolina home values have gone up 11.4% over the past year.

What Should I Know In 2021?

Economy Outlook

Due to its slightly lower cost of living, South Carolina’s income numbers are a bit lower than average as well. The most recent stats show that the state’s median household income is about $50,570 per year, nearly $10,000 less than the United States average. The average household income for families is a bit higher at about $62,400 per year.

The state unemployment rate is about 3.8% and seems to be on the way down even further. Job growth has been on the rise over the past 10 years, thanks to the large companies who make their home in the state. The tire manufacturing company, Michelin, as well as a packaging company known as Cryovac Inc., are the two largest employers in the state, both with about 23,000 employees.

A few other notable businesses that are headquartered in South Carolina include Sonoco, Intertech Group, KEMET Electronics, Medical University of South Carolina, and Denny’s.

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Traffic & Transportation

South Carolina transportation services include airports, car rentals, public transportation, and bus stations.

South Carolina is serviced by a handful of companies for both local and statewide transportation, depending on your city. Below are a few of the most well-known buses and the areas they serve:

CARTA – Charleston Area Regional Transit Authority (Metro areas of Berkeley, Charleston, and Dorchester Counties)
TriCounty Link (Rural areas of Berkeley, Charleston, and Dorchester counties)
The Comet – Central Midlands Transit (Richland, Lexington, and Newberry Counties)
Greenlink Transit (Greenville County)

Cost of living

Charleston, South Carolina’s population is roughly 411,000 versus Charlotte, North Carolina’s roughly 885,000, that’s almost twice the population here.

In the large city of Charleston, Charlotte, compared to the US average of 100 overall, Charleston, South Carolina is about 11% higher than the US average. at about one hundred and fifteen, making it about 11.5% above average.

If you’re looking to shop for groceries in the Charleston area, our average is about 105.6, making it 0.56% above the US average, and what we find today is that a lot of people are shopping for groceries online and they are given to you. Up to that point still, but that may be something you need to consider when shopping for food and also consider which area you are shopping for your food in, so now our Charleston area health is 98.1, that’s 0.9% lower than the Median home at 136.9 which is 36.9% above the wow average right now the median home price is $ 316,500.

Now if you want to compare that to Charlotte, North Carolina, the price of a median home is $ 220,000. Something to think about, utilities in the Charleston area are at 101.6 yes that’s 1.6% higher than the US average, transportation like your bus fare and gas prices are 94.6 , making it lower than the US average the Charleston Chichen area costs $ 64,022, but Charlotte isn’t bad at $ 62,807 either, so when you’re considering.

These areas Charlotte versus Charleston or you just already know that Charleston is where it is and you want to know how much you are going to spend to live there. These numbers are definitely very helpful in deciding if Charleston is the right area for you or if you want to go further.

Moving to South Carolina

Are You Moving To South Carolina?

South Carolina Climate

South Carolina has a humid, sub-tropical climate, with long, hot summers and short, mild winters. Spring and autumn are the most pleasant seasons. In winter, temperatures generally average 5 to 7°C (40 to 45°F) in inland areas, and 12 to 15ºC (55 to 60°F) by the shore.

Employment

The seasonally adjusted, monthly survey of households estimated the number of South
Carolinians working increased to 2,267,328 in march 2021.

Real Estate

April home sales in South Carolina were up 41% from last year and the most recent sale of the house was for $ 25,000 more than the asking price after the owners received 16 offers above the list price.

Average Income

As of Jun 22, 2021, the average annual pay for the Average jobs category in South Carolina is $63,020 an year.

Industries

Agriculture, Aerospace, and Aviation, Automotive, Advanced Manufacturing, Tourism.

Crime Rankings

South Carolina has the third-highest number of people who’ve been affected by property crime in the past 12 months (37% compared to the national average of 26%).

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