wheretolive.us Real data. Smarter moves. Better living.

State index

South Carolina state guide

Compare large South Carolina cities by 2025 Census population, young-grad fit, BLS state unemployment, schooling access, cost pressure, commute, and safety-check notes. The current South Carolina subset includes 66 South city pages with a combined 2025 population estimate of 1,817,144.

What the current South Carolina catalog shows

Hardeeville, South Carolina has the strongest verified population-growth signal in this South Carolina subset at +118.67% since the 2020 estimates base. Clover, South Carolina has the lowest ACS rent-to-income baseline among the matched catalog cities at 11.8%. These figures describe the WhereToLive.us city subset, not a statewide average.

Catalog cities 66

66 have matched ACS place data.

Catalog median rent $1,103

Median of matched city ACS gross-rent estimates; not a statewide rent.

Catalog median income $62,501

Median of matched city ACS household-income estimates; not a statewide income.

Catalog median home value $263,900

Median of matched city ACS owner-occupied home values.

Average grad fit 69/100

Fort Mill, South Carolina leads this subset at 81/100.

Catalog median commute 25.9 min

Median of matched city approximate ACS commute estimates.

City Catalog Grad fit Median rent Median income 2025 population City unemployment Growth Jobs Cost
Charleston, South Carolina State starter 71/100 $1,722 $92,414 159,423 3.4% +5.76% competitive rent watch
Columbia, South Carolina South Carolina coverage 72/100 $1,204 $55,529 147,035 7.5% +7.54% competitive rent stretched
North Charleston, South Carolina South Carolina coverage 68/100 $1,430 $62,956 129,245 4.3% +12.50% competitive rent stretched
Mount Pleasant, South Carolina South Carolina coverage 73/100 $2,159 $124,755 95,469 3.3% +4.91% competitive rent watch
Rock Hill, South Carolina South Carolina coverage 62/100 $1,341 $68,771 75,911 5.8% +2.11% competitive rent stretched
Greenville, South Carolina South Carolina coverage 75/100 $1,312 $71,472 75,310 4.4% +5.86% competitive rent watch
Summerville, South Carolina South Carolina coverage 65/100 $1,526 $81,046 53,177 4.9% +4.63% competitive rent watch
Goose Creek, South Carolina South Carolina coverage 72/100 $1,690 $88,178 52,010 2.7% +12.94% competitive rent watch
Greer, South Carolina South Carolina coverage 80/100 $1,198 $82,626 50,007 2.4% +41.02% competitive rent-friendly
Sumter, South Carolina South Carolina coverage 61/100 $1,076 $55,592 43,094 6.6% -0.91% competitive rent stretched
Florence, South Carolina 2025 population #1006 68/100 $992 $56,143 41,231 5.4% +3.13% competitive rent watch
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina 2025 population #1011 73/100 $1,261 $60,394 40,937 5.4% +14.69% competitive rent stretched
Spartanburg, South Carolina 2025 population #1042 66/100 $1,099 $51,964 39,978 7.4% +3.24% competitive rent stretched
Fort Mill, South Carolina 2025 population #1079 81/100 $1,503 $121,823 38,673 2.3% +57.74% competitive rent-friendly
Hilton Head Island, South Carolina 2025 population #1100 69/100 $1,479 $94,657 38,196 3.0% +1.39% competitive rent watch
Bluffton, South Carolina 2025 population #1133 75/100 $2,256 $111,281 36,807 2.2% +32.98% competitive rent stretched
Aiken, South Carolina 2025 population #1235 72/100 $1,180 $76,746 33,808 5.4% +5.15% competitive rent watch
Mauldin, South Carolina 2025 population #1317 78/100 $1,490 $82,331 31,465 4.9% +26.98% competitive rent watch
Anderson, South Carolina 2025 population #1321 67/100 $975 $46,933 31,323 6.8% +6.25% competitive rent stretched
Conway, South Carolina 2025 population #1342 72/100 $866 $56,650 30,627 8.3% +22.23% competitive rent watch
Simpsonville, South Carolina 2025 population #1417 76/100 $1,415 $82,457 28,459 4.1% +21.54% competitive rent watch
Easley, South Carolina 2025 population #1473 77/100 $947 $66,299 27,319 3.2% +18.97% competitive rent-friendly
North Augusta, South Carolina 2025 population #1487 78/100 $1,169 $86,092 26,982 3.8% +10.52% competitive rent-friendly
Lexington, South Carolina 2025 population #1567 78/100 $1,545 $87,126 25,729 5.2% +8.93% competitive rent watch
Greenwood, South Carolina 2025 population #1748 60/100 $839 $41,150 22,745 8.7% +1.12% competitive rent stretched
Hanahan, South Carolina 2025 population #1770 77/100 $1,412 $87,984 22,415 2.5% +10.54% competitive rent watch
North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina 2025 population #1831 77/100 $1,263 $72,722 21,346 4.0% +13.27% competitive rent watch
Moncks Corner, South Carolina 2025 population #1894 77/100 $1,307 $91,500 20,612 3.6% +54.85% competitive rent-friendly
Clemson, South Carolina 2025 population #2034 71/100 $1,007 $49,520 18,941 4.5% +7.12% competitive rent stretched
West Columbia, South Carolina 2025 population #2073 71/100 $1,201 $56,912 18,489 4.8% +5.86% competitive rent stretched
Port Royal, South Carolina 2025 population #2248 71/100 $1,726 $74,870 16,648 1.0% +15.04% competitive rent stretched
Hardeeville, South Carolina 2025 population #2264 77/100 $1,406 $78,365 16,459 7.3% +118.67% competitive rent watch
Beaufort, South Carolina 2025 population #2336 75/100 $1,212 $61,220 15,775 3.6% +14.97% competitive rent stretched
Fountain Inn, South Carolina 2025 population #2433 76/100 $1,184 $73,585 14,722 4.7% +41.38% competitive rent watch
Tega Cay, South Carolina 2025 population #2470 81/100 $1,408 $142,000 14,457 2.2% +13.11% competitive rent-friendly
Cayce, South Carolina 2025 population #2572 61/100 $1,360 $62,045 13,680 5.3% -0.77% competitive rent stretched
Orangeburg, South Carolina 2025 population #2616 58/100 $848 $38,635 13,383 11.8% +1.21% competitive rent stretched
James Island, South Carolina 2025 population #2725 71/100 $1,695 $104,217 12,660 1.2% +5.61% competitive rent watch
Gaffney, South Carolina 2025 population #2737 57/100 $887 $41,089 12,583 10.6% -1.26% competitive rent stretched
Irmo, South Carolina 2025 population #2804 73/100 $1,477 $80,489 12,204 8.4% +6.44% competitive rent watch
Newberry, South Carolina 2025 population #3028 63/100 $831 $51,260 10,891 6.9% +1.66% competitive rent watch
York, South Carolina 2025 population #3084 72/100 $896 $56,176 10,620 2.2% +24.93% competitive rent watch
Forest Acres, South Carolina 2025 population #3129 66/100 $1,263 $78,306 10,390 4.1% -2.20% competitive rent watch
Lancaster, South Carolina 2025 population #3298 68/100 $868 $46,311 9,623 9.6% +13.19% competitive rent watch
Seneca, South Carolina 2025 population #3342 72/100 $807 $52,022 9,424 8.9% +6.64% competitive rent watch
Laurens, South Carolina 2025 population #3373 60/100 $833 $49,246 9,327 1.9% -0.15% competitive rent watch
Camden, South Carolina 2025 population #3417 78/100 $956 $63,576 9,201 8.2% +18.19% competitive rent-friendly
Travelers Rest, South Carolina 2025 population #3427 74/100 $1,033 $54,583 9,135 6.2% +17.40% competitive rent watch
Georgetown, South Carolina 2025 population #3499 69/100 $780 $56,981 8,869 9.4% +5.68% competitive rent-friendly
Union, South Carolina 2025 population #3724 50/100 $832 $31,914 8,077 11.4% -1.91% competitive high rent burden
Clinton, South Carolina 2025 population #3766 66/100 $899 $44,522 7,918 4.9% +3.77% competitive rent stretched
Clover, South Carolina 2025 population #3850 76/100 $841 $85,450 7,659 4.8% +13.97% competitive rent-friendly
Bennettsville, South Carolina 2025 population #3879 52/100 $671 $37,115 7,565 12.5% -6.45% competitive rent watch
Hartsville, South Carolina 2025 population #3942 61/100 $874 $49,272 7,374 7.2% -1.01% competitive rent watch
Blythewood, South Carolina 2025 population #3993 78/100 $1,107 $94,167 7,233 5.0% +52.27% competitive rent-friendly
Lyman, South Carolina 2025 population #4036 78/100 $1,081 $75,653 7,103 3.4% +16.23% competitive rent-friendly
Dillon, South Carolina 2025 population #4338 54/100 $630 $35,891 6,227 8.0% -4.61% competitive rent watch
Darlington, South Carolina 2025 population #4390 51/100 $840 $33,952 6,075 7.1% -2.24% competitive rent stretched
Marion, South Carolina 2025 population #4402 49/100 $651 $30,662 6,028 4.7% -5.75% competitive rent stretched
Woodruff, South Carolina 2025 population #4404 74/100 $810 $70,959 6,026 4.8% +40.37% competitive rent-friendly
Lake City, South Carolina 2025 population #4446 55/100 $702 $33,600 5,940 9.7% -1.54% competitive rent stretched
Hollywood, South Carolina 2025 population #4568 66/100 $1,625 $73,693 5,652 2.5% +6.90% competitive rent stretched
Walterboro, South Carolina 2025 population #4653 59/100 $965 $56,457 5,485 6.1% -0.49% competitive rent watch
Batesburg-Leesville, South Carolina 2025 population #4712 60/100 $958 $49,646 5,346 3.5% +1.62% competitive rent stretched
Chester, South Carolina 2025 population #4726 58/100 $902 $46,138 5,324 7.6% +0.93% competitive rent stretched
Central, South Carolina 2025 population #4741 69/100 $876 $60,258 5,298 4.4% +0.23% competitive rent-friendly