Everyone wants a bit of a blissful breeze or a scoop of sunny sanctuary when looking for a place to live in South Carolina.
The more sun, the more you can go outside. The more you go outside, the more you’ll feel at peace. The more you’ll feel at peace, the more you’ll enjoy where you live.
So it makes sense to try and find the places with the best weather in South Carolina. We used Saturday Night Science to compare the number of sunny days, total precipitation, and the deviation from the ideal 70-degree weather for 52 places in South Carolina over 10,000 people.
Grab your shades and put away your raincoat as we look at the cities with the best weather in South Carolina.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Table
The 10 Cities With The Best Weather In South Carolina For 2024
What city has the best weather in South Carolina, with more than 10,000 people? The city with the best weather in South Carolina is Mount Pleasant with 0.2 sunny days and an average high of 74.4 degrees.
Read on below to see where your city ranked.
And if you already knew these places were beautiful, check out the best places to live in South Carolina or the cheapest places in South Carolina.
The 10 Snowiest Cities In South Carolina For 2024
Population: 74,952
Average Annual High: 74.4 degrees
Average Annual Low: 56.9 degrees
Average Annual Snowfall: 0.2 inches
Average Annual Precipitation: 47.4 inches
Sunny Days: 293.8 days
More on Mount Pleasant: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Population: 127,694
Average Annual High: 74.8 degrees
Average Annual Low: 56.5 degrees
Average Annual Snowfall: 0.3 inches
Average Annual Precipitation: 47.4 inches
Sunny Days: 292.6 days
More on Charleston: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Population: 11,544
Average Annual High: 75.0 degrees
Average Annual Low: 56.3 degrees
Average Annual Snowfall: 0.3 inches
Average Annual Precipitation: 48.4 inches
Sunny Days: 292.9 days
More on James Island: Data | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Population: 11,704
Average Annual High: 74.6 degrees
Average Annual Low: 50.8 degrees
Average Annual Snowfall: 0.9 inches
Average Annual Precipitation: 44.8 inches
Sunny Days: 297.5 days
More on Irmo: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Population: 14,824
Average Annual High: 72.6 degrees
Average Annual Low: 54.0 degrees
Average Annual Snowfall: 1.2 inches
Average Annual Precipitation: 48.6 inches
Sunny Days: 302.7 days
More on North Myrtle Beach: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Population: 13,685
Average Annual High: 75.7 degrees
Average Annual Low: 52.6 degrees
Average Annual Snowfall: 0.2 inches
Average Annual Precipitation: 47.5 inches
Sunny Days: 294.1 days
More on Orangeburg: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Population: 22,037
Average Annual High: 75.1 degrees
Average Annual Low: 51.8 degrees
Average Annual Snowfall: 0.8 inches
Average Annual Precipitation: 45.6 inches
Sunny Days: 297.1 days
More on North Augusta: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Population: 14,151
Average Annual High: 74.8 degrees
Average Annual Low: 51.6 degrees
Average Annual Snowfall: 0.5 inches
Average Annual Precipitation: 44.9 inches
Sunny Days: 292.3 days
More on Dentsville: Data | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Population: 19,447
Average Annual High: 74.3 degrees
Average Annual Low: 51.3 degrees
Average Annual Snowfall: 1.0 inches
Average Annual Precipitation: 45.1 inches
Sunny Days: 295.4 days
More on Lexington: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Population: 21,779
Average Annual High: 75.2 degrees
Average Annual Low: 51.8 degrees
Average Annual Snowfall: 1.0 inches
Average Annual Precipitation: 44.8 inches
Sunny Days: 295.4 days
More on St. Andrews: Data | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
How We Determined The Cities In South Carolina With The Best Weather
To rank the most fair weather cities in South Carolina, we used Saturday Night Science and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) database, to see which cities in the Palmetto State get the best weather.
We used the following criteria to find the best weather:
- Number of sunny days
- Highest average low
- Average high deviation from 70 degrees
- Least amount of rain
- Least amount of snow
We ranked each city of over 10,000 people in South Carolina from best to worst on each criterion. We then averaged each ranking into a weather quality index. The city with the best index, Mount Pleasant, was anointed the city with the best weather in South Carolina.
Before we get too far, here are the annual precipitation rates for major cities:
- Columbia — 44.6 inches
- Charleston — 47.4 inches
- North Charleston — 50.2 inches
The cities with the best weather in South Carolina are Mount Pleasant, Charleston, James Island, Irmo, North Myrtle Beach, Orangeburg, North Augusta, Dentsville, Lexington, and St. Andrews.
There’s a complete chart at the bottom.
If you’re curious, here are the places with the worst weather in South Carolina:
- Berea
- Five Forks
- Clemson
For more South Carolina reading, check out:
- Best Places To Live In South Carolina
- Safest Places In South Carolina
- Best Places To Retire In South Carolina
Detailed List Of Places With The Best Weather In South Carolina
| Rank | City | Population | Sunny Days | Avg. High | Precipitation (Inches) | Snow (Inches) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mount Pleasant | 74,952 | 293.8 | 74.4 | 47.4 | 0.2 |
| 2 | Charleston | 127,694 | 292.6 | 74.8 | 47.4 | 0.3 |
| 3 | James Island | 11,544 | 292.9 | 75.0 | 48.4 | 0.3 |
| 4 | Irmo | 11,704 | 297.5 | 74.6 | 44.8 | 0.9 |
| 5 | North Myrtle Beach | 14,824 | 302.7 | 72.6 | 48.6 | 1.2 |
| 6 | Orangeburg | 13,685 | 294.1 | 75.7 | 47.5 | 0.2 |
| 7 | North Augusta | 22,037 | 297.1 | 75.1 | 45.6 | 0.8 |
| 8 | Dentsville | 14,151 | 292.3 | 74.8 | 44.9 | 0.5 |
| 9 | Lexington | 19,447 | 295.4 | 74.3 | 45.1 | 1.0 |
| 10 | St. Andrews | 21,779 | 295.4 | 75.2 | 44.8 | 1.0 |
| 11 | Cayce | 13,554 | 294.1 | 75.5 | 44.7 | 1.0 |
| 12 | Port Royal | 11,513 | 292.9 | 76.1 | 48.7 | 0.2 |
| 13 | Forest Acres | 10,545 | 292.3 | 75.4 | 44.5 | 0.7 |
| 14 | Hanahan | 19,707 | 299.8 | 75.7 | 50.4 | 0.5 |
| 15 | Lake Wylie | 10,738 | 293.8 | 71.5 | 43.6 | 1.5 |
| 16 | West Columbia | 15,757 | 295.4 | 75.2 | 44.9 | 1.1 |
| 17 | Columbia | 131,958 | 291.5 | 75.0 | 44.6 | 0.6 |
| 18 | Oak Grove | 10,183 | 295.4 | 75.1 | 44.9 | 1.2 |
| 19 | Hilton Head Island | 39,071 | 292.9 | 75.5 | 51.3 | 0.2 |
| 20 | Beaufort | 12,839 | 291.9 | 76.5 | 47.6 | 0.2 |
| 21 | Fort Mill | 12,525 | 295.4 | 72.0 | 44.3 | 2.1 |
| 22 | Greenwood | 23,254 | 293.5 | 73.5 | 44.5 | 1.0 |
| 23 | Florence | 38,000 | 292.9 | 74.6 | 45.5 | 1.0 |
| 24 | Rock Hill | 69,196 | 294.7 | 71.8 | 43.8 | 3.3 |
| 25 | North Charleston | 104,146 | 293.7 | 75.8 | 50.2 | 0.5 |
| 26 | Seven Oaks | 16,185 | 292.0 | 75.0 | 44.8 | 1.0 |
| 27 | Sumter | 40,851 | 290.1 | 75.1 | 46.1 | 0.6 |
| 28 | Goose Creek | 39,408 | 291.8 | 75.9 | 49.8 | 0.4 |
| 29 | Anderson | 26,978 | 292.1 | 72.7 | 46.5 | 1.4 |
| 30 | Easley | 20,374 | 297.8 | 71.5 | 51.6 | 1.2 |
| 31 | Bluffton | 14,607 | 290.7 | 76.7 | 49.7 | 0.2 |
| 32 | Myrtle Beach | 29,198 | 289.4 | 73.0 | 49.7 | 1.0 |
| 33 | Greer | 27,186 | 293.5 | 71.3 | 48.7 | 4.2 |
| 34 | Socastee | 21,641 | 285.6 | 73.6 | 51.8 | 0.6 |
| 35 | Conway | 19,356 | 292.0 | 74.9 | 52.0 | 0.8 |
| 36 | Summerville | 46,200 | 292.1 | 76.0 | 50.0 | 0.7 |
| 37 | Aiken | 30,183 | 288.5 | 75.9 | 45.7 | 0.6 |
| 38 | Ladson | 14,770 | 290.9 | 76.0 | 49.9 | 0.6 |
| 39 | Newberry | 10,279 | 288.3 | 74.1 | 46.3 | 1.0 |
| 40 | Gaffney | 12,562 | 291.1 | 71.5 | 47.7 | 1.8 |
| 41 | Red Hill | 14,357 | 289.7 | 74.9 | 52.1 | 0.8 |
| 42 | Spartanburg | 37,465 | 291.7 | 72.0 | 48.7 | 1.7 |
| 43 | Greenville | 61,734 | 290.0 | 71.1 | 50.0 | 2.7 |
| 44 | Gantt | 14,693 | 291.1 | 71.6 | 48.9 | 2.6 |
| 45 | Wade Hampton | 20,205 | 284.0 | 71.2 | 48.8 | 3.3 |
| 46 | Simpsonville | 19,706 | 291.1 | 72.1 | 48.0 | 2.9 |
| 47 | Mauldin | 24,396 | 282.3 | 71.4 | 48.5 | 3.1 |
| 48 | Taylors | 22,475 | 291.1 | 71.3 | 50.4 | 3.6 |
| 49 | Parker | 12,571 | 284.0 | 71.2 | 49.9 | 2.3 |
| 50 | Clemson | 14,664 | 287.0 | 72.5 | 49.7 | 2.2 |
| 51 | Five Forks | 16,398 | 286.8 | 71.8 | 47.9 | 3.5 |
| 52 | Berea | 14,091 | 284.2 | 71.2 | 51.5 | 2.1 |
