Best Places for Young Families in South Carolina

Home prices are just one factor when deciding where to settle down and raise a family. Good schools, safety and the local economy are important, too. In South Carolina, many communities stand out based on these attributes.

The state’s economy is strong and likely to get even better. According to economists at the University of South Carolina, 2016 is expected to be the seventh year of economic growth in the state. Personal income, one of the factors NerdWallet considered when analyzing South Carolina communities, is projected to grow 4.9% in the coming year as wages are forecast to climb again.

NerdWallet’s analysis

The western part of the state is an especially good place for families, according to our analysis. The communities in our top 10 are located along the sprawling Interstate 85 corridor, and also the suburbs of Charlotte, North Carolina.

However, the state does have room for improvement. The median school rating in the communities we examined was 6 out of a top score of 10. Also, our data show that 26.55% of families in poverty have a child under 5 years old.

To find the best places for young families in South Carolina, we analyzed home affordability — the median value on our list is $130,450 — prosperity and income growth, education and family friendliness. Read our full methodology at the end of this study.

Best places for young families in South Carolina

1. Oak Grove

Oak Grove, a census-designated place west of Columbia, has a population just over 10,300 and is a short drive to Lake Murray and its outdoor activities. In 2015, Oak Grove Elementary was honored as one of Palmetto’s Finest, reserved for the top two elementary schools in the state, and its principal was named elementary principal of the year. The median annual family income in 2014 was $70,455, up more than 44% from 1999. Here, housing is on the more affordable end with the median home value of $127,100, which is about $3,000 less than the median of all communities we analyzed, and monthly homeownership costs are at $1,069, among the lowest in the top 10. At GreatSchools.org, Oak Grove schools scored 8 out of 10, and NeighborhoodScout.com deemed the area “safe.”

2. Fort Mill

Fort Mill is bursting with Carolina culture, with a historic district downtown and several places on the National Register of Historic Places. In this Charlotte suburb, families can enjoy the South Carolina Strawberry Festival in spring, drive to the nearby Carowinds amusement park, or spend an afternoon indoors at the Fort Mill History Museum. From 1999 to 2014, median annual household incomes grew more than 51%, the second-highest rate among all 88 places we surveyed. The high school principal was recognized as a principal of the year. Homes are valued at a median of $190,200, well above the $130,450 median of our analysis, and residents here get top-rated schools and a community rated as “most safe.” One note: The percentage of families in poverty with children under 5 is the highest on our top 10 list.

3. Clover

If an afternoon at the park is your family’s idea of a good time, Clover could be the perfect choice. With just over 5,000 residents, three local parks and a YMCA, there is plenty of room for everyone in town to enjoy a class, picnic, ballgame or playground. The median home value in Clover is $115,100 and selected monthly ownership costs total $1,058 — the second lowest in our top 10. Income growth here lagged behind nearly all of our top 10 places, but for those seeking employment opportunities, it’s about a 45-minute drive to Charlotte and about a half-hour commute to Rock Hill.

4. Simpsonville

Simpsonville is the biggest community in our top 10, with an estimated 19,219 people. It’s about 20 minutes outside Greenville and also around a 20-minute drive to the Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport. Heritage Park is the town’s largest park and features miles of trails, a working miniature steam train, several ball fields and the Charter Spectrum Amphitheatre, which plays host to performers throughout the year and a summer movie program. Simpsonville earned NeighborhoodScout’s “most safe” crime risk rating.

5. Tega Cay

Tega Cay, on North Carolina’s border, is a suburb of Charlotte. The town is a peninsula on Lake Wylie, where residents have access to waterfront parks, trails and a beach. Tega Cay is one of the more affluent communities in our top 10, with the highest median home value ($290,100), the second-highest median annual income at $117,025, and no families living in poverty with young children. Over 38% of the households here are married couples with children.

6. Clemson

Home to Clemson University, this city has a population of 14,254, but just 15.1% of households are made up of families with children — the lowest percentage in our top 10. The median annual family income here is $83,801, well over the state median of $52,648, and the median home value of $198,600 is similarly higher than the median of the communities we analyzed. Despite the smaller number of parents and kids living in Clemson, the city doesn’t lack family friendly activities. It’s on the banks of Lake Hartwell and features miles of walking trails and waterfalls. The city also boasts several historical sites and museums, is home to the South Carolina Botanical Garden, and has the sporting events, culture and entertainment found in a college town. GreatSchools rated Clemson schools a 9 out of 10.

7. Boiling Springs

Boiling Springs, a census-designated place in Spartanburg County, is just north of the city of Spartanburg. More than a third of households are married couples with children. The schools here received a 6 out of 10, the lowest score in our top 10, but the community is among the “most safe,” according to NeighborhoodScout. In a promising indicator of growth and prosperity, median annual income grew over 40% to $81,745 from 1999 to 2014.

8. Lugoff

Lugoff, a census-designated place, is a rural community just off Interstate 20 and northeast of Columbia. It’s a short drive to Goodale State Park, a Civil War era mill pond where families can fish, hike and kayak or canoe among the tall cypress trees. NeighborhoodScout scored Lugoff among the “most safe,” and housing is among the more affordable on our list, with a median home value of $129,700. Income growth was lower than almost all other top places, at 19.56%, but it’s still above the state average of 18.22%.

9. Red Bank

One of our list’s most-affordable communities is a census-designated place just south of Lexington and west of Columbia. Here, the median home value is $115,500 and selected monthly ownership costs are $1,052. The small community has no families in poverty with young children.

10. Five Forks

If you want to live among lots of other families, nearly 47% of households in Five Forks are married couples with children. With a population of 16,173, this census-designated place on the outskirts of Greenville and minutes from the Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport has a slightly more urban appeal than the smaller towns on our list. Five Forks has the highest median annual income of our list, $118,571, which is up 39.69% over 15 years.

Best places for young families in South Carolina

Scroll to the right in the table below to see all data categories.

Place	Population	GreatSchools.org rating	Median home value in 2014	Selected monthly homeowner costs	Median annual family income in 2014	Income growth 1999-2014	Residents who are married with children	Families in poverty with children under age 5	Crime-risk rating	Score
Oak Grove CDP	10,344	8	$127,100	$1,069	$70,455	44.07%	20.5	2.5	Safe	72.15
Fort Mill	12,068	9	$190,200	$1,379	$85,382	51.02%	26.5	33.5	Most safe	71.70
Clover	5,321	8	$115,100	$1,058	$52,528	21.38%	27.8	26.6	Safe	66.62
Simpsonville	19,219	8	$137,100	$1,146	$66,375	27.54%	20.6	12	Most safe	66.01
Tega Cay	8,224	9	$290,100	$1,839	$117,025	41.12%	38.4	0	Most safe	64.86
Clemson	14,254	9	$198,600	$1,204	$83,801	36.98%	15.1	21.1	Safe	64.60
Boiling Springs CDP	8,542	6	$148,400	$1,213	$81,745	40.55%	34.5	10.9	Most safe	64.32
Lugoff CDP	8,039	7	$129,700	$1,146	$66,310	19.56%	20.7	7.1	Most safe	63.61
Red Bank CDP	9,128	8	$115,500	$1,052	$52,841	3.94%	20.3	0	Safe	63.46
Five Forks CDP	16,173	8	$258,900	$1,609	$118,571	39.69%	46.9	2.6	Most safe	63.14
Garden City CDP	8,824	8	$122,800	$1,140	$51,135	26.56%	9.3	0	Safe	63.07
Greer	26,626	7	$139,200	$1,202	$56,575	35.14%	20.1	20.1	Most safe	61.20
Taylors CDP	23,490	8	$137,700	$1,107	$60,868	10.19%	17.9	31.4	Safe	60.58
Belvedere CDP	5,504	6	$92,600	$1,025	$50,652	25.80%	21.3	14.5	Less safe	59.92
Fountain Inn	8,031	6	$118,800	$1,048	$53,074	16.86%	22.1	26.5	Most safe	58.73
Lexington	19,007	8	$175,000	$1,380	$78,816	19.97%	22.9	10	Safe	58.48
Mauldin	23,985	7	$150,600	$1,177	$61,996	0.29%	23.2	3.1	Most safe	58.10
Abbeville	5,207	7	$80,500	$1,090	$39,152	30.33%	6.1	92.1	Safe	57.92
Central	5,170	7	$107,600	$830	$40,268	1.88%	9.1	56.8	Safe	57.07
York	7,913	6	$117,800	$1,052	$44,648	30.35%	19.4	41.6	Safe	56.77
Hanahan	18,999	8	$179,300	$1,455	$54,898	21.33%	20.2	18.1	Most safe	56.55
Ladson CDP	15,369	6	$119,300	$1,152	$55,556	24.21%	21.7	33.9	Most safe	56.44
Homeland Park CDP	6,574	6	$68,900	$781	$34,816	12.75%	11.4	81.1	Least safe	56.18
Piedmont CDP	5,396	6	$96,000	$878	$42,474	1.97%	16.4	23.5	Safe	55.85
Goose Creek	38,545	6	$167,600	$1,367	$66,280	38.26%	26	22.2	Most safe	55.46
Irmo	11,518	7	$124,100	$1,121	$61,993	-0.02%	14.1	20.4	Most safe	55.08
Parker CDP	11,987	6	$67,400	$814	$30,340	-2.21%	17.4	64.4	Least safe	54.55
Summerville	44,717	7	$179,000	$1,463	$67,146	30.46%	22.6	6.8	Safe	54.29
Lake Murray of Richland CDP	5,475	8	$309,800	$1,915	$114,018	25.64%	20.9	0	Most safe	53.43
Socastee CDP	20,496	8	$145,800	$1,222	$43,422	-5.59%	18.5	18	Safe	53.41
Moncks Corner	8,711	5	$160,900	$1,196	$55,033	47.40%	20.8	0	Less safe	52.95
Seneca	8,147	6	$128,000	$1,102	$53,864	21.08%	10.2	29.9	Safe	52.83
West Columbia	15,623	5	$130,600	$1,128	$57,992	44.07%	10.1	22.8	Less safe	52.42
Myrtle Beach	28,455	8	$167,000	$1,321	$52,767	20.20%	9.6	38.6	Least safe	52.32
Bluffton	13,979	7	$203,800	$1,653	$65,355	34.44%	27.8	0	Most safe	52.00
Lake Wylie CDP	9,640	8	$289,400	$1,673	$91,097	3.28%	30.5	0	Most safe	50.80
Sans Souci CDP	7,743	6	$93,800	$939	$31,566	-3.33%	13.2	38.9	Least safe	50.49
Hartsville	7,857	5	$108,600	$1,043	$47,423	21.98%	10.4	8.3	Least safe	50.48
Centerville CDP	6,749	6	$133,500	$1,104	$50,790	0.58%	19.1	9.2	Safe	50.44
Laurel Bay CDP	6,404	5	$130,600	$1,115	$39,926	1.76%	45.9	16	Most safe	50.42
Berea CDP	14,230	6	$109,600	$986	$37,955	-1.98%	13.8	18.8	Least safe	50.34
Seven Oaks CDP	15,906	7	$139,300	$1,182	$59,953	1.81%	15.1	51.4	Less safe	50.33
Aiken	29,980	6	$174,000	$1,213	$75,837	35.34%	10.9	45.8	Safe	50.27
Valley Falls CDP	5,886	5	$125,200	$1,082	$50,096	21.89%	14.4	35.5	Safe	50.06
Forest Acres	10,533	6	$179,000	$1,355	$83,068	33.92%	14.8	12.1	Less safe	49.93
Little River CDP	9,273	6	$169,500	$1,369	$59,934	32.47%	6.2	0	Most safe	49.88
Florence	37,512	6	$151,500	$1,234	$55,125	30.47%	14.1	39.6	Least safe	49.88
Welcome CDP	5,972	6	$79,500	$793	$32,276	-18.35%	7.5	38.9	Least safe	49.53
Charleston	125,458	7	$248,200	$1,767	$76,030	56.10%	13.2	21.5	Most safe	49.22
Easley	20,242	6	$140,000	$1,132	$52,934	10.59%	16.5	37.5	Less safe	49.03
Laurens	9,136	5	$78,700	$1,013	$40,610	10.79%	10.1	42.5	Less safe	48.91
St. Andrews CDP	21,298	6	$106,200	$1,017	$42,258	0.40%	8.3	39	Least safe	48.45
Gantt CDP	14,630	6	$93,100	$1,048	$37,056	-5.66%	12.7	40.4	Least safe	48.42
North Charleston	102,143	5	$142,000	$1,360	$47,701	45.13%	16.3	29	Less safe	48.22
Burton CDP	6,173	5	$119,100	$1,228	$47,794	14.79%	19.5	0	Less safe	48.03
Greenwood	23,296	5	$86,800	$937	$33,225	2.00%	9.6	37.5	Least safe	47.36
North Augusta	21,832	6	$152,800	$1,220	$59,381	11.68%	13.8	46.6	Safe	47.29
Rock Hill	68,185	5	$131,400	$1,194	$53,705	17.52%	15.8	24.8	Safe	47.26
Union	8,191	4	$80,800	$873	$36,367	4.76%	14.2	40.6	Safe	46.79
Cayce	12,944	4	$118,100	$1,044	$55,012	26.29%	12.5	49.6	Safe	46.40
Port Royal	11,264	6	$194,300	$1,549	$50,584	23.78%	24.4	14.9	Most safe	46.19
Columbia	131,331	5	$159,600	$1,292	$55,515	40.23%	11.9	30.6	Less safe	46.13
Anderson	26,798	6	$122,200	$1,096	$39,009	-0.43%	12.2	47	Least safe	46.08
Woodfield CDP	9,484	5	$96,900	$1,183	$45,946	8.11%	14.7	32.3	Least safe	45.92
Greenville	60,670	6	$207,200	$1,390	$60,417	36.92%	12.7	21.2	Less safe	45.46
Camden	6,931	5	$155,900	$1,390	$72,292	36.26%	11.9	19.1	Least safe	45.42
Gaffney	12,565	4	$91,300	$876	$39,643	3.11%	9.4	61.8	Safe	44.84
Murrells Inlet CDP	8,027	7	$233,100	$1,689	$61,010	29.27%	13.3	0	Most safe	44.63
Conway	18,645	5	$145,600	$1,164	$48,336	23.34%	12	53.3	Less safe	44.47
Spartanburg	37,216	5	$121,700	$1,099	$39,882	10.45%	11.3	39.3	Least safe	44.36
Red Hill CDP	14,565	5	$159,200	$1,177	$51,765	17.42%	12.3	15.3	Safe	44.34
Sumter	40,819	4	$133,000	$1,150	$47,764	23.52%	15.6	26.5	Less safe	43.68
Wade Hampton CDP	19,586	5	$169,000	$1,260	$65,158	20.43%	14.2	23.2	Less safe	43.32
Darlington	6,232	5	$88,200	$1,108	$33,354	-1.82%	7.7	41.7	Least safe	42.86
Lancaster	8,801	4	$98,200	$1,074	$37,588	12.61%	9.1	30.5	Least safe	42.59
Clinton	8,525	5	$81,800	$1,099	$29,224	-8.22%	7	36.5	Less safe	42.29
Georgetown	9,110	4	$121,100	$1,159	$44,091	26.89%	7.7	51.1	Less safe	41.56
Batesburg-Leesville	5,242	5	$93,100	$1,058	$32,257	-19.44%	11.1	35.6	Less safe	41.04
North Myrtle Beach	14,485	6	$248,800	$1,455	$63,497	37.88%	4.5	10.1	Least safe	39.75
Dentsville CDP	14,122	5	$107,400	$1,133	$39,784	-15.35%	9.2	22.8	Least safe	39.68
Cheraw	5,809	3	$89,400	$882	$36,203	16.27%	2.1	100	Less safe	38.84
Lake City	6,720	2	$80,100	$865	$33,795	5.24%	10.6	28	Least safe	37.56
Chester	5,543	3	$64,000	$947	$32,250	-2.19%	6.5	60.2	Least safe	37.55
Hilton Head Island	38,497	6	$447,400	$2,284	$85,296	19.78%	10.3	11.3	Most safe	37.17
Beaufort	12,702	5	$240,800	$1,679	$62,008	44.56%	19.1	29.8	Less safe	36.50
Bennettsville	8,928	2	$80,800	$945	$34,508	17.89%	6	63.8	Less safe	36.29
Walterboro	5,339	3	$117,400	$1,127	$38,421	5.12%	6	37.6	Least safe	33.17
Orangeburg	13,790	3	$130,300	$1,214	$37,113	0.28%	6.5	44.1	Less safe	29.56

 

Methodology

We analyzed 88 places in South Carolina with populations of 5,000 or more, but some places were excluded because of missing school or income data. Our methodology focused on four factors:

Home affordability. Home affordability, 30% of the total score, was calculated by averaging index scores for median home value and median selected monthly owner costs. The lower the costs, the higher the score. Data are from the American Community Survey, a division of the U.S. Census Bureau.

Growth and prosperity. Growth and prosperity are 20% of the total score. The two metrics in this score are growth in family income from 1999 to 2014, and median annual family income in 2014. Data are from the American Community Survey.

Family friendliness. To analyze if an area is a good place for families, which is 20% of the total score, we looked at the percentage of married couples with at least one child under age 18, the average crime score from NeighborhoodScout, and the percentage of families in poverty with at least one child under age 5.

Educational quality. Using data from GreatSchools.org, every place was given a 1-10 rating, with 10 being the highest (read more about the methodology here). Education is 30% of the total score.

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