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Want to know where the best places are to retire along The Grand Strand? You've come to the right place.
South Carolina is best known as The Palmetto State to many, but to America's 65 and older crowd, it's known as one of the best places to retire in the country. And today is your lucky day, HomeSnacks has created a list of the top ten best places to retire in this southern charm for 2021 and listed them below.
But first, a little bit about how we created this list. First, we looked at the most recent FBI and Census data for 35 South Carolina cities with 10,000 residents. We then looked at factors that most retirees find important: safety, affordability, rent, and how close the city is to an international airport.
Listen up ladies and gents, South Carolina might not be one of the top ten safest states, but it does have some super safe places. In terms of affordability, it is one of the most tax friendly states. It currently does not tax Social Security benefits and has very generous breaks for retirement income. And if South Carolina's property tax wasn't such a hot deal, we would tell you to rent first and buy later: the state's current rental rates are below the national average.
So, head to the nearest Waffle House for their bottomless cup of coffee, get comfy, and read on as we uncover the best places to spend your golden years in South Carolina.
The 10 Best Places To Retire In South Carolina For 2021
Why did Newberry take the top spot? And where are Charleston and Columbia?
You would think that most of South Carolina's best places to retire would be centered around Myrtle Beach and Charleston, but that is not the case. The best places to retire are actually sprinkled throughout the state from Summerville to Greenville. Unfortunately, however, there can be only one number on best place to retire in sweet South Carolina.
So, where is the best place to retire in South Carolina? According to the latest numbers Newberry is the best place to retire in The Palmetto State.
To see a list of the other great places that made the top ten, hit that down arrow. And if you don't find what you're looking for there, the rest are just a click away.
For more South Carolina state reading:
- Best Places To Live In South Carolina
- Cheapest Places To Live In South Carolina
- Best Places To Raise A Family In South Carolina
- Best Places To Retire In America
The 10 Best Places To Retire In South Carolina For 2021
/10
Population: 10,245
Rank Last Year: 4 (Up 3)
Median Rent: $787
Distance to Closest Airport: 74 miles
More on Newberry: Real Estate | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 13,404
Rank Last Year: 10 (Up 8)
Median Rent: $940
Distance to Closest Airport: 36 miles
More on Beaufort: Real Estate | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 10,743
Rank Last Year: 3 (No Change)
Median Rent: $915
Distance to Closest Airport: 20 miles
More on Moncks Corner: Real Estate | Data
/10
Population: 23,838
Rank Last Year: 2 (Down 2)
Median Rent: $825
Distance to Closest Airport: 13 miles
More on Conway: Real Estate | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 32,700
Rank Last Year: 5 (No Change)
Median Rent: $913
Distance to Closest Airport: 3 miles
More on Myrtle Beach: Real Estate | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 12,582
Rank Last Year: 7 (Up 1)
Median Rent: $689
Distance to Closest Airport: 41 miles
More on Gaffney: Real Estate | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 30,671
Rank Last Year: 1 (Down 6)
Median Rent: $951
Distance to Closest Airport: 101 miles
More on Aiken: Real Estate | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 135,257
Rank Last Year: 9 (Up 1)
Median Rent: $1,257
Distance to Closest Airport: 7 miles
More on Charleston: Real Estate | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 20,923
Rank Last Year: 12 (Up 3)
Median Rent: $762
Distance to Closest Airport: 96 miles
More on Easley: Real Estate | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 86,982
Rank Last Year: 8 (Down 2)
Median Rent: $1,629
Distance to Closest Airport: 12 miles
More on Mount Pleasant: Real Estate | Data | Photos
How We Determined The Best Places To Retire In the Palmetto State for 2021
To create our list of the best places in South Carolina to retire, we first used Census data to find all places in the Palmetto State -- 394 cities and towns.
We then narrowed it down to places with at least 10,000 people that weren't townships. This left us with 35 places from across the state.
For these 35, we looked at the following criteria taken from the Census, the FBI's Crime Report, National Weather Service, and OpenFlights:
- Low cost of living as measured by rent
- Low crime
- Things to do (Museums, Colleges, and Libraries in town)
- Nice weather
- Distance to the closest international airport
- Other retirees (High median age)
We then ranked each of these places for each criteria from one to 35, with the lowest number being the best.
Finally, we took the average rank across these criteria. The place, in this case Newberry, with the lowest average rank was crowned the best of the best, a place for you to start your second careers. You can download the data here.
Maybe You're Not Ready To Retire In South Carolina Yet...
So there you have it, the best place to retire in South Carolina goes to Newberry.
If you're not ready to hang up your office apparel yet, then these places might be up your alley:
- Cayce
- Port Royal
- Greer
For more South Carolina reading, check out:
Where Are The Best Places To Retire In South Carolina?
| Rank | City | Population |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Newberry | 10,245 |
| 2 | Beaufort | 13,404 |
| 3 | Moncks Corner | 10,743 |
| 4 | Conway | 23,838 |
| 5 | Myrtle Beach | 32,700 |
| 6 | Gaffney | 12,582 |
| 7 | Aiken | 30,671 |
| 8 | Charleston | 135,257 |
| 9 | Easley | 20,923 |
| 10 | Mount Pleasant | 86,982 |
