State place rankings
Best Places in South Carolina
Compare places by General Quality score or population. Each place links to its sourced facts, scores, and local summary.
General Quality score
Best overall places
- st
Fort Mill, SC
Town
- General Quality
- Population
- 38,673
- Median home value
- $487,500
- nd
Tega Cay, SC
City
- General Quality
- Population
- 14,457
- Median home value
- $529,200
- rd
- General Quality
- Population
- 95,469
- Median home value
- $748,500
- th
Charleston, SC
City
- General Quality
- Population
- 159,423
- Median home value
- $509,700
- th
- General Quality
- Population
- 1,961
- Median home value
- $2,000,001
- th
James Island, SC
Town
- General Quality
- Population
- 12,660
- Median home value
- $508,600
- th
- General Quality
- Population
- 2,014
- Median home value
- $2,000,001
- th
Greer, SC
City
- General Quality
- Population
- 50,007
- Median home value
- $288,700
- th
Five Forks, SC
Census-designated place
- General Quality
- Population
- 18,656
- Median home value
- $452,200
- th
Mauldin, SC
City
- General Quality
- Population
- 31,465
- Median home value
- $258,500
- th
- General Quality
- Population
- 2,171
- Median home value
- $1,001,400
- th
Northlake, SC
Census-designated place
- General Quality
- Population
- 4,390
- Median home value
- $277,700
- th
Taylors, SC
Census-designated place
- General Quality
- Population
- 24,505
- Median home value
- $257,500
- th
Wade Hampton, SC
Census-designated place
- General Quality
- Population
- 20,898
- Median home value
- $339,000
- th
Baxter Village, SC
Census-designated place
- General Quality
- Population
- 4,542
- Median home value
- $670,500
- th
Lexington, SC
Town
- General Quality
- Population
- 25,729
- Median home value
- $297,700
- th
- General Quality
- Population
- 26,982
- Median home value
- $233,600
- th
- General Quality
- Population
- 852
- Median home value
- $351,000
- th
Irmo, SC
Town
- General Quality
- Population
- 12,204
- Median home value
- $203,400
- th
- General Quality
- Population
- 4,377
- Median home value
- $1,581,300
- st
Oak Grove, SC
Census-designated place
- General Quality
- Population
- 12,256
- Median home value
- $210,300
- nd
Powdersville, SC
Census-designated place
- General Quality
- Population
- 10,771
- Median home value
- $334,900
- rd
Simpsonville, SC
City
- General Quality
- Population
- 28,459
- Median home value
- $299,300
- th
Riverview, SC
Census-designated place
- General Quality
- Population
- 2,121
- Median home value
- $458,000
- th
India Hook, SC
Census-designated place
- General Quality
- Population
- 3,960
- Median home value
- $348,300
How this list is ranked
Places are ordered by General Quality score. General Quality is a balanced livability composite spanning safety, affordability, healthcare, climate, education, jobs, mobility, outdoors, taxes, and other core factors.
Largest to smallest
Population-ranked places
- st
Charleston, SC
City
- Population
- 159,423
- Median home value
- $509,700
- Median rent
- $1,722
- nd
Columbia, SC
City
- Population
- 147,035
- Median home value
- $264,300
- Median rent
- $1,204
- rd
- Population
- 129,245
- Median home value
- $302,200
- Median rent
- $1,430
- th
- Population
- 95,469
- Median home value
- $748,500
- Median rent
- $2,159
- th
Rock Hill, SC
City
- Population
- 75,911
- Median home value
- $295,100
- Median rent
- $1,341
- th
Greenville, SC
City
- Population
- 75,310
- Median home value
- $487,500
- Median rent
- $1,312
- th
Summerville, SC
Town
- Population
- 53,177
- Median home value
- $328,100
- Median rent
- $1,526
- th
Goose Creek, SC
City
- Population
- 52,010
- Median home value
- $306,000
- Median rent
- $1,690
- th
Greer, SC
City
- Population
- 50,007
- Median home value
- $288,700
- Median rent
- $1,198
- th
Sumter, SC
City
- Population
- 43,094
- Median home value
- $199,100
- Median rent
- $1,076
- th
Florence, SC
City
- Population
- 41,231
- Median home value
- $211,400
- Median rent
- $992
- th
Myrtle Beach, SC
City
- Population
- 40,937
- Median home value
- $388,800
- Median rent
- $1,261
- th
Spartanburg, SC
City
- Population
- 39,978
- Median home value
- $203,700
- Median rent
- $1,099
- th
Fort Mill, SC
Town
- Population
- 38,673
- Median home value
- $487,500
- Median rent
- $1,503
- th
- Population
- 38,196
- Median home value
- $687,400
- Median rent
- $1,479
- th
Bluffton, SC
Town
- Population
- 36,807
- Median home value
- $492,100
- Median rent
- $2,256
- th
Aiken, SC
City
- Population
- 33,808
- Median home value
- $286,800
- Median rent
- $1,180
- th
Mauldin, SC
City
- Population
- 31,465
- Median home value
- $258,500
- Median rent
- $1,490
- th
Anderson, SC
City
- Population
- 31,323
- Median home value
- $218,200
- Median rent
- $975
- th
Conway, SC
City
- Population
- 30,627
- Median home value
- $260,900
- Median rent
- $866
- st
Simpsonville, SC
City
- Population
- 28,459
- Median home value
- $299,300
- Median rent
- $1,415
- nd
Easley, SC
City
- Population
- 27,319
- Median home value
- $263,500
- Median rent
- $947
- rd
- Population
- 26,982
- Median home value
- $233,600
- Median rent
- $1,169
- th
Carolina Forest, SC
Census-designated place
- Population
- 26,263
- Median home value
- $336,800
- Median rent
- $1,668
- th
Lexington, SC
Town
- Population
- 25,729
- Median home value
- $297,700
- Median rent
- $1,545
How this list is ranked
Places are ordered by their latest available population estimate. Incorporated places and census-designated places are both eligible when they appear in the published location data.
Annual Census population estimates are used where available; ACS place estimates fill coverage gaps.