There are all types when it comes to being a snob in South Carolina. You’ve got your Wine Snobs, Book Snobs, and, of course, Clothes Snobs. Then there are the Technology Snobs, Car Snobs, and yes, even City Snobs — as in, I’m better than you because I live in (insert snooty city here).
How can we tell which South Carolina cities are the snobbiest? By measuring snobby things, that’s how.
We used Saturday Night Science to look at things like expensive homes, high incomes, and overly educated populations by city in South Carolina. These are the criteria you’d argue with a friend over a foodie dinner about who’s snobbier.
After analyzing 63 of the state’s most populous areas over 5,000 people, we came up with this ranking of the ten snobbiest places in the state of South Carolina.
The South Carolinian in these places aren’t snobby, they just know they’re better than you.
$124,755 median income · $875,092 median home · #2 income in South Carolina
Located in
Charleston County, South Carolina
Mount Pleasant is a large suburban town in Charleston County, South Carolina, United States. It is the fourth largest municipality and largest town in South Carolina, and for several years was one of the state’s fastest-growing areas, doubling in population between 1990 and 2000. The population was 67,843 at the 2010 census, and the estimated population in 2014 was 77,796. Mount Pleasant is the third largest city in the Charleston- North Charleston- Summerville metropolitan area, behind Charleston and North Charleston.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$142,000 median income · $611,048 median home · #1 income in South Carolina
Located in
York County, South Carolina
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$121,823 median income · $527,208 median home · #3 income in South Carolina
Located in
York County, South Carolina
Fort Mill, also known as Fort Mill Township, is a town in York County in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It is a suburb of the city of Charlotte, North Carolina and is located north of Rock Hill. As of 2015, approximately 13,662 people live inside the town’s corporate limits with a total of 36,119 people residing within the entire township. Some businesses and residents in the Indian Land community of neighboring Lancaster County often use Fort Mill as their city address as it is the nearest incorporated area, but the official town boundary is located only in York County.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$94,657 median income · $787,679 median home · #6 income in South Carolina
Located in
Beaufort County, South Carolina
Hilton Head Island, sometimes referred to as simply Hilton Head, is a Lowcountry resort town and barrier island in Beaufort County, South Carolina, United States. It is 20 miles northeast of Savannah, Georgia, and 95 miles southwest of Charleston. The island is named after Captain William Hilton, who in 1663 identified a headland near the entrance to Port Royal Sound, which he named “Hilton’s Head” after himself. The island features 12 miles of beachfront on the Atlantic Ocean and is a popular vacation destination. In 2004, an estimated 2.25 million visitors pumped more than $1.5 billion into the local economy. The year-round population was 37,099 at the 2010 census, although during the peak of summer vacation season the population can swell to 150,000. Over the past decade, the island’s population growth rate was 32%. Hilton Head Island is a primary city within the Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Beaufort metropolitan area, which had an estimated population of 207,413 in 2015.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$92,414 median income · $589,607 median home · #8 income in South Carolina
Located in
Charleston County, South Carolina
Charleston is the oldest and largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina, the county seat of Charleston County, and the principal city in the Charleston-North Charleston-Summerville Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city lies just south of the geographical midpoint of South Carolina’s coastline and is located on Charleston Harbor, an inlet of the Atlantic Ocean formed by the confluence of the Ashley and Cooper rivers. Charleston had an estimated population of 134,385 in 2016. The estimated population of the Charleston metropolitan area, comprising Berkeley, Charleston, and Dorchester counties, was 761,155 residents in 2016, the third-largest in the state and the 78th-largest metropolitan statistical area in the United States.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$104,217 median income · $597,131 median home · #5 income in South Carolina
Located in
Charleston County, South Carolina
James Island is a town in Charleston County, South Carolina, United States. It is located in the central and southern parts of James Island. As defined by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget, and used by the U.S. Census Bureau for statistical purposes only, James Island is included within the Charleston-North Charleston-Summerville metropolitan area and the Charleston-North Charleston Urbanized Area.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$111,281 median income · $498,492 median home · #4 income in South Carolina
Located in
Beaufort County, South Carolina
Bluffton is a Lowcountry town in Beaufort County, South Carolina, United States. It is primarily located around U.S. Route 278, between Hilton Head Island and Interstate 95. The town’s original one square mile area, now known as Old Town, is situated on a bluff along the May River. The population was counted by the 2010 census at 12,893. Bluffton is the fastest growing municipality in South Carolina with a population over 2,500, growing 882.7% between the 2000 and 2010 census. Bluffton is the fifth largest municipality in South Carolina by land area. The town is a primary city within the Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Beaufort, SC Metropolitan Statistical Area. Bluffton is known for its eclectic Old Town district and natural views of the May River. It has been called “the last true coastal village of the South.”
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$94,167 median income · $340,026 median home · #7 income in South Carolina
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$78,365 median income · $426,445 median home · #20 income in South Carolina
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$87,984 median income · $404,452 median home · #11 income in South Carolina
Located in
Berkeley County, South Carolina
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
The receipts
Compare the top ten
Pick a metric. The bars rescale. The red line is South Carolina’s statewide median.
South Carolina statewide median: $69,324
South Carolina statewide median: $304,083
On the map
Where the snobs live in South Carolina
Saturday Night Science
How we determined the snobbiest cities in the Palmetto State
Do you think we’d just come up with this list willy-nilly? Not a chance – we only use Saturday Night Science around here.
We gathered up all of the places in South Carolina with populations of 5,000 people or more. This left us with a total of 63 places. Then, we looked at each place in terms of these snoot-er-iffic criteria (And no, it’s not a word. English snob.):
- Median home price (Higher is snobbier)
- Median household income (Higher is snobbier)
- Percent of population with a college degree (Higher is snobbier)
Incomes and college education levels come from the American Community Survey. Home prices come from Zillow.
Turned out this simple criteria was much better at sniffing out the snobby places then more snobby criteria like:
- Libaries per capita (Higher is snobbier)
- Museums per capita (Higher is snobbier)
- Private schools per capita (Higher is snobbier)
From there, we ranked each of our 63 places in each category with scores from one to 63. We then averaged each place’s ranking into one overall score, where the lowest score went to the snobbiest place in South Carolina. So let’s all flip a table in honor of Mount Pleasant (with our pinkies up, of course.)
Before you get upset and ruin your blowout or something drastic here, let’s remember that this is all in good fun. Would we live in one of these 10 places if we had the chance? Of course, we would.
And it’s not like your real estate agent would ever point out how snobby the town you’re moving to is. We’re here to keep you grounded, even if you’re wearing a monocle.
The full plate
Table: The Snobbiest Cities In South Carolina For 2026
Click any column to sort. Search by city name.
| Rank | City | Snob Score | Population | Median Income | Average Home Prices | Adult Highly Educated |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mount Pleasant | 1.33 | 93,993 | $124,755 | $875,092 | 68.0% |
| 2 | Tega Cay | 2.00 | 13,615 | $142,000 | $611,048 | 67.0% |
| 3 | Fort Mill | 4.50 | 30,775 | $121,823 | $527,208 | 59.0% |
| 4 | Hilton Head Island | 5.67 | 37,911 | $94,657 | $787,679 | 55.0% |
| 5 | Charleston | 6.33 | 154,338 | $92,414 | $589,607 | 57.0% |
| 6 | James Island | 7.00 | 12,198 | $104,217 | $597,131 | 49.0% |
| 7 | Bluffton | 7.33 | 33,157 | $111,281 | $498,492 | 53.0% |
| 8 | Blythewood | 14.33 | 5,731 | $94,167 | $340,026 | 45.0% |
| 9 | Hardeeville | 15.00 | 10,871 | $78,365 | $426,445 | 43.0% |
| 10 | Hanahan | 15.50 | 21,452 | $87,984 | $404,452 | 39.0% |
| 11 | Forest Acres | 15.67 | 10,530 | $78,306 | $335,524 | 63.0% |
| 12 | Greer | 18.00 | 41,536 | $82,626 | $348,460 | 42.0% |
| 13 | Lexington | 18.67 | 24,585 | $87,126 | $303,204 | 51.0% |
| 14 | Simpsonville | 19.33 | 26,144 | $82,457 | $377,970 | 37.0% |
| 15 | Greenville | 19.83 | 72,935 | $71,472 | $327,592 | 56.0% |
| 16 | North Myrtle Beach | 20.33 | 19,855 | $72,722 | $390,621 | 40.0% |
| 17 | Summerville | 21.83 | 51,654 | $81,046 | $376,903 | 34.0% |
| 18 | Moncks Corner | 21.83 | 15,485 | $91,500 | $360,391 | 30.0% |
| 19 | Clover | 21.83 | 7,234 | $85,450 | $413,528 | 30.0% |
| 20 | Hollywood | 22.00 | 5,382 | $73,693 | $519,343 | 33.0% |
| 21 | Clemson | 22.17 | 18,072 | $49,520 | $396,341 | 59.0% |
| 22 | Port Royal | 22.17 | 15,579 | $74,870 | $355,157 | 39.0% |
| 23 | Beaufort | 22.83 | 13,747 | $61,220 | $412,456 | 39.0% |
| 24 | Mauldin | 24.83 | 27,055 | $82,331 | $297,318 | 39.0% |
| 25 | Aiken | 25.00 | 32,521 | $76,746 | $272,072 | 48.0% |
| 26 | Goose Creek | 26.17 | 48,078 | $88,178 | $318,055 | 30.0% |
| 27 | Irmo | 26.83 | 11,813 | $80,489 | $281,255 | 39.0% |
| 28 | Central | 26.83 | 5,320 | $60,258 | $284,221 | 56.0% |
| 29 | North Augusta | 27.33 | 25,653 | $86,092 | $265,723 | 36.0% |
| 30 | Rock Hill | 27.67 | 75,259 | $68,771 | $326,184 | 35.0% |
| 31 | Travelers Rest | 27.67 | 8,370 | $54,583 | $353,916 | 42.0% |
| 32 | Fountain Inn | 29.17 | 12,020 | $73,585 | $305,626 | 34.0% |
| 33 | Myrtle Beach | 30.83 | 38,371 | $60,394 | $320,925 | 34.0% |
| 34 | Easley | 31.83 | 24,841 | $66,299 | $315,980 | 31.0% |
| 35 | Camden | 32.50 | 8,267 | $63,576 | $237,603 | 39.0% |
| 36 | Lyman | 32.83 | 6,547 | $75,653 | $303,651 | 29.0% |
| 37 | West Columbia | 34.00 | 17,963 | $56,912 | $226,049 | 42.0% |
| 38 | Columbia | 34.67 | 139,643 | $55,529 | $229,068 | 45.0% |
| 39 | North Charleston | 35.83 | 119,913 | $62,956 | $309,522 | 28.0% |
| 40 | York | 38.17 | 8,969 | $56,176 | $356,169 | 19.0% |
| 41 | Cayce | 39.50 | 13,741 | $62,045 | $210,165 | 32.0% |
| 42 | Seneca | 40.17 | 8,993 | $52,022 | $304,236 | 29.0% |
| 43 | Spartanburg | 42.17 | 38,910 | $51,964 | $233,687 | 32.0% |
| 44 | Conway | 42.67 | 27,263 | $56,650 | $286,177 | 20.0% |
| 45 | Florence | 42.83 | 40,408 | $56,143 | $219,285 | 30.0% |
| 46 | Georgetown | 43.33 | 8,565 | $56,981 | $250,504 | 22.0% |
| 47 | Hartsville | 45.17 | 7,419 | $49,272 | $179,199 | 34.0% |
| 48 | Sumter | 45.33 | 43,053 | $55,592 | $213,463 | 29.0% |
| 49 | Anderson | 45.83 | 30,051 | $46,933 | $272,108 | 28.0% |
| 50 | Walterboro | 46.00 | 5,480 | $56,457 | $210,403 | 25.0% |
| 51 | Lancaster | 46.67 | 8,921 | $46,311 | $291,062 | 21.0% |
| 52 | Clinton | 49.50 | 7,676 | $44,522 | $163,866 | 31.0% |
| 53 | Gaffney | 52.67 | 12,596 | $41,089 | $185,841 | 23.0% |
| 54 | Newberry | 52.83 | 10,790 | $51,260 | $166,455 | 19.0% |
| 55 | Orangeburg | 54.33 | 13,253 | $38,635 | $162,436 | 26.0% |
| 56 | Laurens | 54.67 | 9,336 | $49,246 | $180,131 | 14.0% |
| 57 | Greenwood | 55.33 | 22,536 | $41,150 | $183,963 | 18.0% |
| 58 | Darlington | 58.17 | 6,120 | $33,952 | $153,323 | 19.0% |
| 59 | Chester | 58.67 | 5,218 | $46,138 | $128,680 | 14.0% |
| 60 | Marion | 59.17 | 6,206 | $30,662 | $145,563 | 19.0% |
| 61 | Union | 60.33 | 8,079 | $31,914 | $136,356 | 15.0% |
| 62 | Dillon | 61.33 | 6,354 | $35,891 | $100,984 | 12.0% |
| 63 | Bennettsville | 61.67 | 7,751 | $37,115 | $81,007 | 12.0% |
Source: U.S. Census ACS 2020-2024, Zillow research. 63 places with more than 5,000 residents.
Summary
There You Have It – Now That You’re On Your High Horse
When it comes to snobbery, these places in South Carolina are heading ever upward. Residents in these communities are well educated, well paid, and appear to have all the sophisticated culture and entertainment of an Ernst Lubitsch film right at their fingertips.
Not that there’s anything wrong with that.
The snobbiest cities in South Carolina are Mount Pleasant, Tega Cay, Fort Mill, Hilton Head Island, Charleston, James Island, Bluffton, Blythewood, Hardeeville, and Hanahan. Not sold on South Carolina? Take the two-minute Find Your Place quiz and see which state actually fits you.
