Pros, cons, key stats, and the strongest South Carolina cities to consider. Based on our analysis of 86 tracked South Carolina city markets.
Yes, for many movers. The better answer is city-specific: South Carolina contains both stronger and weaker markets, and the right fit depends on your budget, job needs, climate tolerance, and tax situation.
Pros
- Low effective property tax rate (0.53%)
- Social Security is not taxed by the state
- Middle-of-the-pack tracked-city housing ($290,834)
- Healthy housing-market momentum in tracked cities (68/100 median)
- Positive population growth across tracked cities (+1.3%/yr median)
Cons
- State averages hide major city-by-city differences
What this means in practice
Across 86 tracked South Carolina city markets, the median home costs $290,834 with a 1-year change of +0.5% and a median momentum score of 68 out of 100.
On taxes, Low property tax. Income tax up to 6.4% (lowering further). SS untaxed; up to $15k retirement income exclusion (65+). That matters because the cheapest state on paper can still be expensive if property tax, insurance, or local housing costs overwhelm the headline rate.
State-level averages mask city-level variation — within any state, individual cities can have radically different cost, climate, and trajectory. Use the strongest-momentum cities below as a starting point.
Top 5 South Carolina cities by momentum
- Port Royal — momentum 84, median $355,796
- Lyman — momentum 78, median $305,184
- Woodruff — momentum 78, median $284,734
- Anderson — momentum 76, median $272,913
- Easley — momentum 76, median $322,127