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 2021.
The 10 Best Counties To Live In South Carolina For 2021
Dorchester County is the county to be when it comes to living the good life in South Carolina. And you might want to avoid Dillon 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 2021
1. Dorchester County
Biggest Place: North Charleston
Population: 158,299
Median Income: $63,080 (5th best)
Median Home Price: $198,800.0 (5th best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.6% (4th best)
More on Dorchester County: Photos | Data
2. Charleston County
Biggest Place: Charleston
Population: 401,165
Median Income: $64,022 (3rd best)
Median Home Price: $315,600.0 (best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.7% (best)
More on Charleston County: Photos | Data
3. York County
Biggest Place: Rock Hill
Population: 265,872
Median Income: $65,361 (2nd best)
Median Home Price: $201,100.0 (3rd best)
Unemployment Rate: 5.1% (8th best)
More on York County: Photos | Data
4. Lancaster County
Biggest Place: Lancaster
Population: 92,308
Median Income: $58,849 (8th best)
Median Home Price: $199,800.0 (4th best)
Unemployment Rate: 6.8% (27th best)
More on Lancaster County: Photos | Data
5. Greenville County
Biggest Place: Greenville
Population: 507,003
Median Income: $60,351 (7th best)
Median Home Price: $183,800.0 (8th best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.3% (2nd best)
More on Greenville County: Photos | Data
6. Beaufort County
Biggest Place: Hilton Head Island
Population: 186,095
Median Income: $68,377 (best)
Median Home Price: $298,100.0 (2nd best)
Unemployment Rate: 5.0% (6th best)
More on Beaufort County: Photos | Data
7. Lexington County
Biggest Place: Columbia
Population: 290,278
Median Income: $61,173 (6th best)
Median Home Price: $157,000.0 (13th best)
Unemployment Rate: 5.2% (9th best)
More on Lexington County: Photos | Data
8. Berkeley County
Biggest Place: Charleston
Population: 215,044
Median Income: $63,309 (4th best)
Median Home Price: $185,500.0 (7th best)
Unemployment Rate: 5.0% (5th best)
More on Berkeley County: Photos | Data
9. Anderson County
Biggest Place: Anderson
Population: 198,064
Median Income: $50,865 (13th best)
Median Home Price: $145,800.0 (16th best)
Unemployment Rate: 5.1% (7th best)
More on Anderson County: Photos | Data
10. Richland County
Biggest Place: Columbia
Population: 411,357
Median Income: $54,767 (9th best)
Median Home Price: $163,100.0 (11th best)
Unemployment Rate: 6.5% (22nd best)
More on Richland County: Photos | Data
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 Dorchester County is the best county, while Dillon County is probably in contention for being the worst county in South Carolina.
There You Have It – 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:
- Dillon County
- Lee County
- Marlboro County
For more South Carolina reading, check out:
- Best Places To Buy A House In South Carolina
- Cheapest Places To Live In South Carolina
- Safest Places In South Carolina
- Best Places To Retire In South Carolina
Detailed List Of The Best Counties In South Carolina
| County | Rank |
|---|---|
| Dorchester County | 1 |
| Charleston County | 2 |
| York County | 3 |
| Lancaster County | 4 |
| Greenville County | 5 |
| Beaufort County | 6 |
| Lexington County | 7 |
| Berkeley County | 8 |
| Anderson County | 9 |
| Richland County | 10 |
| Aiken County | 11 |
| Pickens County | 12 |
| Mccormick County | 13 |
| Kershaw County | 14 |
| Spartanburg County | 15 |
| Calhoun County | 16 |
| Edgefield County | 17 |
| Newberry County | 18 |
| Oconee County | 19 |
| Georgetown County | 20 |
| Fairfield County | 21 |
| Horry County | 22 |
| Florence County | 23 |
| Abbeville County | 24 |
| Saluda County | 25 |
| Sumter County | 26 |
| Chester County | 27 |
| Jasper County | 28 |
| Cherokee County | 29 |
| Laurens County | 30 |
| Colleton County | 31 |
| Greenwood County | 32 |
| Williamsburg County | 33 |
| Bamberg County | 34 |
| Union County | 35 |
| Darlington County | 36 |
| Orangeburg County | 37 |
| Hampton County | 38 |
| Allendale County | 39 |
| Barnwell County | 40 |
| Chesterfield County | 41 |
| Marion County | 42 |
| Clarendon County | 43 |
| Marlboro County | 44 |
| Lee County | 45 |
| Dillon County | 46 |
