2020 Best Counties to Live in South CarolinaAbout this List

Greenville County

• County in South Carolina
• 266 reviews

Current Resident: My experience in Greenville county is great! Something I like about Greenville County is the places you can visit. Some of my favorite places are Falls Park, Swamp Rabbit Trail, and Paris Mountain State Park. Greenville also has some historical places like Paris Mountain, Colonel Elias Earle Historic District, and many other places. Something that I would like to see change is the lack of many colors around. Greenville has some art around, but I feel like there's not enough. I think the more colorful artwork we have around, the more bright things could look.
Read 266 Reviews

• A+

• A

• 498,402 Population

Charleston County

• County in South Carolina
• 112 reviews

Current Resident: Charleston is a beautiful city on the water. For tourists, the downtown area is friendly and charming. Go on the second Sunday of every month when King Street is closed to vehicular traffic for a pedestrian-friendly day of shopping and eating. Be warned: the traffic in Charleston can be abominable. Try to stay close to your destination and avoid driving whenever possible.

Beach-lovers will enjoy any of the area beaches: Folly Beach for a laid-back vibe, Kiawah Island for an exclusive experience, Sullivan's for a Hampton's vibe, and Isle of Palms for a family-friendly experience. Our county parks at Folly Beach and Beachwalker offer beach experiences with showers, bathrooms, gift shops and more.

Sports enthusiasts, there are water sports galore. Take your pick of kayaking, paddle-boarding, or surfing at Folly Beach's Washout. For runners and cyclists, be warned. Charleston County has few bike lanes and pedestrian paths. Hilton Head is the place to visit for these!
Read 112 Reviews

• A+

• A-

• 394,708 Population

Richland County

• County in South Carolina
• 14 reviews

Current Resident: I Love that they care about the school systems here. I have noticed there focus is on education, offering several resources to help students. As a single mom with twin girls graduating in 2019 that is very important to me.
Read 14 Reviews

• A+

• B

• 408,263 Population

York County

• County in South Carolina
• 15 reviews

Current Resident: York County is a small intimate town that is family friendly. It is perfect for a conservative country lifestyle. It is perfect for raising a family. York County is very reasonable when it comes to the cost of living, which is why the number of residents are increasing. York County is filled with historical beautiful sites like the York County Museum, Brattonsville, and McDowell Park that overlooks lake Wylie. It’s a sure place to fall in love with. If you’re located in York County that means you’re only a hop, skip, and a small drive away from Charlotte, NC. Home of the Carolina Panthers and the Charlotte Hornets. We also can’t forget about all of the luxurious restaurants and all the events that take place in Charlotte. York County is the only place you can call rural and urban at the same time. York County is beneficial to all if it’s citizens. There’s no place like York County. It’s home.
Read 15 Reviews

• A+

• A

• 258,641 Population

Beaufort County

• County in South Carolina
• 45 reviews

Current Resident: Beaufort South Carolina is a small community located about an hour drive from Charleston S.C. and Savannah GA. "Low Country" living at its finest, residents enjoy beautiful views of the Intercostal Waterways, marsh views, and an abundance of wildlife. Grab a cold beverage and enjoy a slow paced community that is rich in history. Beaufort was established in the late 1500’s and was the site of battles during the Revolutionary and Civil Wars. Many of the early structures still stand, and there are several buildings listed on the National Historic Associations historic places.
Beaufort is host to two Marine Corps Bases, Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, and Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island. Beaufort is considered a military town, and has close relations with the Marine Corps and Navy. The community and the military mix seamlessly and support each other.
Read 45 Reviews

• A

• B+

• 182,658 Population

Lexington County

• County in South Carolina
• 97 reviews

Current Resident: Lexington County is a very welcoming environment. At the moment Lexington is a very popular moving destination and is continuing to populate very fast. The county is immensely covered in shops, restaurants, and fun for all ages! If you want a collaborative, welcoming community, then Lexington is a great place to move to and/or visit.
Read 97 Reviews

• A

• B+

• 286,316 Population

Spartanburg County

• County in South Carolina
• 109 reviews

Current Resident: Spartanburg is full of hidden gems. These gems range from The Beacon, where George W. Bush has eaten; to quaint coffee shops; affordable bookstores; restaurants and even a frozen custard shop. You can also head to the Fr8 Yard - an outside place where you can watch sports on a big screen T.V., eat amazing food, and even dogs are welcome! After eating you can play at the Sparkle City Mini Putt course, or in the winter you can ice skate on the ice rink that comes to Downtown Spartanburg - a must see attraction. Another sparkling aspect of Spartanburg is the Chapman Cultural Center where a variety of plays are performed and has gallery exhibitions. Spartanburg is home to the Hub City Railroad Museum, Hub City Farmer’s Market, and Hatcher Gardens, where you can stroll the scenic, indescribable, woodland paths. Spartanburg also sponsors Spring Fling and Red, White, and Boom. Spartanburg is the perfect mix of historical and modern styles, and you will never be bored here.
Read 109 Reviews

• A

• A-

• 302,195 Population

Dorchester County

• County in South Carolina
• 10 reviews

Former Resident: Dorchester County is a great community full of opportunities! Public education should be #1 in the Lowcountry. A network of jobs is flowing in and all around is a great area.
Read 10 Reviews

• A

• A

• 155,474 Population

Pickens County

• County in South Carolina
• 9 reviews

Current Resident: I love the county of Pickens! It is a nice, quiet place for people of all ages to reside. There are so many beautiful places. From the Botanical Gardens in Clemson, to the beautiful mountains and lakes. There is barely any crime where I stay so it is perfect for people with kids, and also for people with pets. I love the county of Pickens! There is always so much to do!
Read 9 Reviews

• A-

• B

• 122,746 Population

Anderson County

• County in South Carolina
• 49 reviews

Current Resident: Anderson is filled with historic sites and a treasure trove of parks, art exhibits, shopping, fine dining, and entertainment. There's never a lack of things to do, from the many productions, fairs, festivals, and annual events.
Read 49 Reviews

• A-

• B+

• 195,995 Population

Aiken County

• County in South Carolina
• 44 reviews

Current Resident: Aiken is home. Aiken is not a big place with tall buildings and or shopping malls. We don't have much to do for the teens around town but I have enjoyed the trees, horses, and the warm welcome of those who have been here most of their lives. All places can approve, especially on how we treat one another as a whole, but I feel everyone is always welcome in Aiken!
Read 44 Reviews

• A-

• B-

• 166,926 Population

Horry County

• County in South Carolina
• 7 reviews

Current Resident: Horry County has it all. Country life, bustling city, quiet downtown and Main Street, the beach, the rivers, food, attractions, nightlife - we have it all! Living in Horry County is wonderful. I am always close to my family, I love where I work, and I never get bored!
Read 7 Reviews

• A-

• A-

• 320,915 Population

Oconee County

• County in South Carolina
• 13 reviews

Current Resident: Great place to live. You have so many great outdoor activities to enjoy, mountains, lakes, rivers, etc....I love this area and wouldn't change a thing.
Read 13 Reviews

• A-

• B+

• 76,696 Population

Lancaster County

• County in South Carolina
• 80 reviews

Current Resident: My overall experience with Lancaster County has been a beautiful and humbling experience. I have been privileged to volunteer with Lancaster Promise Neighborhood. To see the people of Lancaster come together to keep the different communities clean and vibrant, safe and secure has brought me great joy. It is not every day that you will see the Mayor, Government Officials, School Board Directives, Business and Faith Community come together as one to keep Lancaster operating in a spirit of excellence. The people of Lancaster are tight knit. Although Lancaster is growing at a rapid rate it still manages to keep its small-town rapport. I love Lancaster County. I enjoy going to different metropolitan areas for vacationing but there is nothing better than coming home to Lancaster County.
Read 80 Reviews

• A-

• B

• 89,546 Population

Berkeley County

• County in South Carolina
• 9 reviews

Current Resident: Berkeley is a culturally diverse college town. People are friendly and helpful, and most of my neighbors try to pursue a healthy life style. There is a lot to do around here as well, and many types of foods and cuisines are available. Libraries and parks are open to the public, and street markets are open on the weekends. The public transportation which includes the AC Transit and BART are easy to use and can take you around, although the BART can get a little pricey if you're a regular commuter.

Being very close and accessible to San Francisco, there are plenty of Job opportunities here, but the cost of living continues to rise in the Bay Area as a whole, which is a concern for many of us. Several of my friends have suggested moving somewhere else due to this, perhaps more South or even out of state.

Overall, Berkeley is a unique, one of a kind town that is a great place for students to live!
Read 9 Reviews

• B+

• B

• 209,065 Population

Florence County

• County in South Carolina
• 61 reviews

Current Resident: It is a county that I had just moved to about 4 years ago. At first I was shy and nervous but I had met a lot of friends here. There is not much to do in Florence but me and my friends make it work. A positive thing about Florence is that everything is close by. My job is only five minutes away. My school is about two minutes away, the mall is fifteen minutes away, and the beach is about an hour! Florence is my favorite place that I have lived in, and I am glad I moved here.
Read 61 Reviews

• B+

• C+

• 138,561 Population

Greenwood County

• County in South Carolina
• 24 reviews

Current Resident: I have lived in Greenwood county my entire life and I've enjoyed it so much. Although it is a small town, there is still a lot to do! Not to mention the "big city" is barely an hour away. There are just enough people to where you don't know everyone but you still know a good amount of people. Greenwood has definitely been an amazing county to live and grow up in.
Read 24 Reviews

• B+

• B-

• 70,264 Population

Kershaw County

• County in South Carolina
• 23 reviews

Former Resident: I have been in Kershaw county since May 1st and I am pleased to say that I love it here!. Moving from the city like to a small country side area has been a big change with its challenges yet effective. The neighborhood I live is suburban and mainly friendly. A lot of people in the area have been here for most of their lives and know their way around. It is a quite area which is a plus for me. I am able to have a walk without having the hustle and bustle of the city. Their are plenty of communities in the area as well.
Read 23 Reviews

• B+

• B

• 64,361 Population

Edgefield County

• County in South Carolina
• 2 reviews

Current Resident: Living here my entire life I've gotten to know the area pretty well. The land and structures are enticing for a Sunday afternoon drive and the downtown is quaint and full of thrilling history.
Read 2 Reviews

• B+

• B+

• 26,769 Population

Georgetown County

• County in South Carolina
• 17 reviews

Current Resident: What I love about Georgetown County is the family friendly environment, a great place to raise a family. I also love the way our public Schools system gets the whole family involved by having family Math, Science and literacy night. What I would like to see improved is our Job opportunities. Georgetown, South Carolina needs more variety of jobs, so when natives graduate, they can give back to community by becoming a working-class citizen.
My community also needs to provide more local teen actives. There’re are limited amount of teen activities outside of school and leaves time for mischievous behavior. I believe if we keep our youth busy and more productive, they will give back to our small area and make it a better place.
Read 17 Reviews

• B+

• B-

• 61,605 Population

Laurens County

• County in South Carolina
• 15 reviews

Current Resident: Many people see Laurens as small dirty and poor but I see it as a place of opportunity. So many great things come out of Laurens such as Robotz garage; Robotz garage is an award-winning robotic time that creates stem camps and helps to inspire the younger generation and the best part its made of kids and mentors from Laurens. It was a Robotz Garage stem camp that taught me what it means to be a female engineering. What I really love about is the sense of family and love for one another, how even in the midst of tragedy we are ready to lead a hand even when times are the darkest. It's this love that created Raiders untied an organization to promote mental health after the tragic death of two young high schoolers. We spared this program to first united a program set up to help Robotic teams world wide.
Read 15 Reviews

• B+

• B

• 66,710 Population

Abbeville County

• County in South Carolina
• 5 reviews

Current Resident: Very welcoming, small town all about tradition! You can find some of the sweetest and most considerate people here! There is not always much to do, but there are good people that will do nothing with you!
Read 5 Reviews

• B+

• A-

• 24,657 Population

Calhoun County

• County in South Carolina

• B+

• C+

• 14,713 Population

Chesterfield County

• County in South Carolina
• 9 reviews

Niche User: Chesterfield County is a small rural area where everyone knows everyone. When you drive b someone you automatically wave at the car going by. There are lots of watermelons and peaches in the summer and lots of soybean fields in the winter. There is the sound of chainsaws and the smell of wood burning from the pot belly stoves. I grew up here and there is nothing like GOOD OLE COUNTRY LIVING!
Read 9 Reviews

• B

• B-

• 46,024 Population

Newberry County

• County in South Carolina
• 8 reviews

Current Resident: It's a pretty nice place. There's a good bit of fast food restaurants, however, the fine dining is mainly in the historical downtown area. Newberry is well known for its opera house which has a lot of famous people coming there all the time. Other than that, there's wonderful other little places to eat there such as the Flying Pie and the Coffee & Wine restaurants. While there's definitely a school district, it's more so a nice place to retire than anything. If you start up a business, you better build up your reputation first to get to word out a bit more. Otherwise, it's a decent place to live.
Read 8 Reviews

• B

• B-

• 38,068 Population