Some of you might be asking yourself, at this very moment: is South Carolina a good place?
The answer is unequivocally yes… if you know where to locate the best places to live in South Carolina.
Lucky for you, we’re here to help you identify the best counties to live in the Palmetto State based on the most recently available data from the Census. And this isn’t our first rodeo — we’ve been helping people find the best places to live in America for years.
So, the question becomes, if you wanted to relocate to the best part of South Carolina, where would you go? To answer that we looked at crime, cost of living, and demographic data for all 46 counties in the state.
After the analytic dust settled, we identified the 10 best counties to live in Palmetto State for 2022.
The 10 Best Counties To Live In South Carolina For 2022
Beaufort County is the county to be when it comes to living the good life in South Carolina. And you might want to avoid Allendale County if you can — at least according to the data.
So if you’re thinking of making the move South Carolina, we’ve got you covered. Keep on reading for a detailed methodology.
Or, check out the best places to live in South Carolina and the cheapest places to live in South Carolina.
The Best Counties To Live In South Carolina For 2022
1. Beaufort County
Biggest Place: Hilton Head Island
Population: 189,732
Median Income: $71,430.0 (best)
Median Home Price: $309,600.0 (2nd best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.5% (5th best)
More on Beaufort County: Photos | Data
2. Charleston County
Biggest Place: Charleston
Population: 407,543
Median Income: $67,182.0 (3rd best)
Median Home Price: $334,600.0 (best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.7% (best)
More on Charleston County: Photos | Data
3. Lancaster County
Biggest Place: Lancaster
Population: 95,378
Median Income: $65,421.0 (5th best)
Median Home Price: $217,100.0 (4th best)
Unemployment Rate: 6.6% (27th best)
More on Lancaster County: Photos | Data
4. York County
Biggest Place: Rock Hill
Population: 273,887
Median Income: $68,555.0 (2nd best)
Median Home Price: $218,400.0 (3rd best)
Unemployment Rate: 5.0% (14th best)
More on York County: Photos | Data
5. Greenville County
Biggest Place: Greenville
Population: 516,126
Median Income: $62,422.0 (8th best)
Median Home Price: $197,400.0 (7th best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.0% (2nd best)
More on Greenville County: Photos | Data
6. Dorchester County
Biggest Place: North Charleston
Population: 161,309
Median Income: $63,501.0 (6th best)
Median Home Price: $213,000.0 (5th best)
Unemployment Rate: 5.7% (18th best)
More on Dorchester County: Photos | Data
7. Lexington County
Biggest Place: Columbia
Population: 295,033
Median Income: $62,740.0 (7th best)
Median Home Price: $163,200.0 (12th best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.8% (6th best)
More on Lexington County: Photos | Data
8. Richland County
Biggest Place: Columbia
Population: 414,660
Median Income: $54,441.0 (9th best)
Median Home Price: $167,500.0 (10th best)
Unemployment Rate: 6.1% (22nd best)
More on Richland County: Photos | Data
9. Berkeley County
Biggest Place: Charleston
Population: 222,103
Median Income: $65,443.0 (4th best)
Median Home Price: $197,300.0 (8th best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.3% (3rd best)
More on Berkeley County: Photos | Data
10. Mccormick County
Biggest Place: McCormick
Population: 9,495
Median Income: $47,402.0 (2best)
Median Home Price: $114,700.0 (24th best)
Unemployment Rate: 5.7% (17th best)
More on Mccormick County: Data
Methodology: How do you determine which South Carolina county is the best?
To give you the best county in South Carolina, we have to look at a handful of metrics that signal the quality of a place. To do that, we need to make some assumptions about what’s a “best county” and what isn’t. And, for reference, we are trying to make the kind of argument you’d make at a bar using facts, don’t take this analysis to court.
With that in mind, we went to two of the best sources of data on the internet; the American Community Survey data and FBI Crime data for the most recent time period.
We paid particular attention to:
- Violent Crime Rates
- Property Crime Rates
- Median Home Values
- Median Income
- Unemployment Rates
- Adult Education Levels
- Health Insurance Coverage
- Poverty Rates
We then ranked each county in South Carolina across each of the criteria from one to 46, with one being the best.
Taking the average rank across all criteria, we created a quality of life score with the county posting the lowest overall score being the “Best County To Live In South Carolina”.
The result is some of the safest, quiet, and best counties to raise a family in the Palmetto State.
Read on to see why Beaufort County is the best county, while Allendale County is probably in contention for being the worst county in South Carolina.
Summary: The Best Counties In South Carolina To Call Home For 2018
It turns out living in South Carolina can vary from one part of the state to the next — who woulda thought?
But now you the know the really good parts and the parts to avoid and that’s why you came here to learn at the end of the day. And for that, you are welcome.
Here’s a look at the worst counties in South Carolina according to the data:
- Allendale County
- Dillon County
- Marlboro County
For more South Carolina reading, check out:
- Best Counties To Live In South Carolina
- Best Places To Retire In South Carolina
- Best Places To Raise A Family In South Carolina
- Best Places To Buy A House In South Carolina
Detailed List Of The Best Counties In South Carolina
| County | Rank |
|---|---|
| Beaufort County | 1 |
| Charleston County | 2 |
| Lancaster County | 3 |
| York County | 4 |
| Greenville County | 5 |
| Dorchester County | 6 |
| Lexington County | 7 |
| Richland County | 8 |
| Berkeley County | 9 |
| Mccormick County | 10 |
| Edgefield County | 11 |
| Pickens County | 12 |
| Anderson County | 13 |
| Aiken County | 14 |
| Kershaw County | 15 |
| Oconee County | 16 |
| Newberry County | 17 |
| Georgetown County | 18 |
| Fairfield County | 19 |
| Spartanburg County | 20 |
| Florence County | 21 |
| Horry County | 22 |
| Chester County | 23 |
| Calhoun County | 24 |
| Sumter County | 25 |
| Greenwood County | 26 |
| Abbeville County | 27 |
| Saluda County | 28 |
| Laurens County | 29 |
| Jasper County | 30 |
| Cherokee County | 31 |
| Williamsburg County | 32 |
| Hampton County | 33 |
| Colleton County | 34 |
| Union County | 35 |
| Darlington County | 36 |
| Bamberg County | 37 |
| Barnwell County | 38 |
| Chesterfield County | 39 |
| Clarendon County | 40 |
| Orangeburg County | 41 |
| Lee County | 42 |
| Marion County | 43 |
| Marlboro County | 44 |
| Dillon County | 45 |
| Allendale County | 46 |
