South CarolinaSouth Carolina
The Palmetto State boasts an ideal climate with an average temperature of 65 degrees. Along with 187 miles of coastline, it has 46 state parks, and nearly 350 golf courses.
Coasting along in South Carolina
Enjoy Spoleto Festival USA, an international festival in
Charleston showcasing dramatic, musical, and artistic performances in the summer. Then get some relief from
the heat under the shade of a 200-year-old oak tree found on the University of South Carolina’s stunning campus.
Visit one of largest collections of outdoor sculpture at Brookgreen Gardens between Myrtle Beach and Pawleys Island. Or feed the giraffes at the nationally acclaimed Riverbanks Zoo and Garden along the Saluda River in Columbia, just a short canoe trip from Innovista. Hike up majestic summits and see breath-taking waterfalls at Caesars Head State Park in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Upstate South Carolina.
Home delivery
Living in South Carolina is affordable. The state is below the national average in health, transportation, and utilities costs.
Housing costs are less than two-thirds of the national average. The median mortgage payment for homeowners was $1,055 a month, lower than 42 other states, according to 2006 American Community Survey (Census) data. More than 60 percent of the Metropolitan Areas in the nation had higher median sales prices for single-family homes than South Carolina, according to National Association of REALTORS data from 2006. The median price in South Carolina was $141,600, well below the national average of $222,000.
2006 Census data shows South Carolina is also in the midst of a building boom, ranking 12th in the nation in percent of housing units built in 2005 or later. The reason? The state is a desired destination, ranking 18th in percentage of new residents who lived in a different state in the previous year.
In fact, Relocate-America lists five cities from South Carolina, including Columbia, among its "Top 100 Places to Live in 2008."
A diversified community
South Carolina also maintains a nice demographic balance with a median age of 37.1 years, putting it squarely
in the middle of the national average. There’s also a wonderful racial and ethnic diversity among the
population. 2006 Census figures show African-Americans make up 28.6 percent of the population, and Latinos
represent nearly 3.5 percent, making South Carolina one of the most diverse states in the nation.
Young and older call South Carolina home. Retirees are finding the mix of mountains, beaches, and—in the Columbia area—rivers, and the huge manmade Lake Murray irresistible; the state is 11th nationally in the percent of households with retirement income.
South Carolina Links
General Resources
SCIway.net
South Carolina Information Highway, a comprehensive collection of links on all things S.C.
SC.Gov
South Carolina state government
Recreation
South Carolina golf course finder
Golf South Carolina / S.C. Tourism
South Carolina golf courses listed by cities and towns
Golf Guide Web.com
Golf.com
Top 50 Myrtle Beach golf courses
By Golf Digest, November 2005
Riverbanks Zoo and Garden
Home to more than 2,000 animals, 400 species of native and exotic, and scenic Saluda River view
South Carolina State Parks
Learn more about 46 state parks and 80,000 acres of protected land
South Carolina Tourism
Learn more about the state’s many vacation destinations
South Carolina Trails Program
Listings, maps, usage details on hundreds of state-maintained trails
Brookgreen Gardens
National Historic Landmark with one of the most significant collections of figurative sculpture in an outdoor setting by American artists in the world
Spoleto Festival USA
Annual performing arts festival in Charleston, S.C.
Organizations
South Carolina Department of Commerce
Temperature, climate, parks
National Association of REALTORS
Single-family data from fourth quarter 2006
Relocate-America
"Top 100 Places to Live in 2008"
Statistics + Analysis
Median monthly housing costs
U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2006
Percentage of housing units built in 2005 or later
U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2006
Percentage of people who lived elsewhere previous year
U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2006
Median Age
U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2006
Percentage of African-American, Latino population in S.C.
U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2006
Percentage of household with retirement income
U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2006
South Carolina: Average Temperatures
South Carolina has welcoming and enjoyable temperatures year-round.
