2020 Best Places for Young Professionals in South CarolinaAbout this List

Greenville

• Town in South Carolina
• 210 reviews

Visitor: I love the downtown area especially at night. And my even most favorite time of the year downtown is Christmas. So much to see and do. Beautiful lights everywhere. We stayed at a hotel that had the ice rink below it. We felt like we were in a Hallmark Movie. Something magical about it. I wish some of the activities downtown would last longer into the seasons. Falls Park is absolutely beautiful also, just be careful after dark. Making out on the steps is not for little or big eyes to see!
Read 210 Reviews

• A

• A-

• A+

• 65,727 Population

Charleston

• City in South Carolina
• 609 reviews

Current Resident: I love living in Charleston. It's beautiful and very historic. However, as someone who lives and commutes every day I know the traffic gets worse and worse every day as more move here. Public transportation is not a viable option either and housing is also becoming more daunting every year too. However culture, history, schools, and everything else is fantastic! Also, home to the number one and two schools in the state!
Read 609 Reviews

• A

• B

• A+

• 133,762 Population

Cayce

• Suburb of Columbia, SC
• 42 reviews

Current Resident: Living in Cayce has been a great mixture of having my own personal space in the suburbs, while being less than 10 minutes from downtown without having to travel on the highway. I have had nothing but positive things to say about living in Cayce--the area is growing!
Read 42 Reviews

• A

• B

• A

• 13,621 Population

Mount Pleasant

• Suburb of Charleston, SC
• 124 reviews

Current Resident: I moved here 3 years ago and love it! People are very friendly. I live in a large neighborhood with subdivisions. The neighborhood has bike, running and golf cart paths where people are always outside. I play baseball for my high school which is a very large school. It is very well organized and have excelled during my high school career with academics and athletics. I am extremely lucky and grateful that my parents chose Mount Pleasant to move to .
Read 124 Reviews

• A+

• A

• A

• 83,700 Population

Isle of Palms

• Suburb of Charleston, SC
• 5 reviews

Current Resident: Great community! Family focused; lovely beaches; peaceful and not crowded; extremely well run city; lots of unique housing to choose from; committed city council, DPW, low property taxes, limited rules and govt, great police dept.
Read 5 Reviews

• A

• A

• A

• 4,345 Population

Columbia

• City in South Carolina
• 521 reviews

Current Resident: I have lived in Columbia all of my life! Columbia has beautiful parks and very nice walking/bike trails. There are lots of eateries, catering to all manner of taste buds. There are many activities for children such as EdVenture and Frankie’s Fun Park. For a quick getaway, one can travel only an hour and a half to Charlotte, NC. While the cost of living is low in Columbia, I would like to see a change in salaries in Columbia. Columbia has a lot to offer.
Read 521 Reviews

• A

• B

• A

• 133,352 Population

Clemson

• Suburb in South Carolina
• 83 reviews

Current Resident: Clemson is a great place for family and friends to explore hiking, great food, and fun college life around the town! Locals are super friendly and can show you the best places to eat. I love going to YourPie for some great pizza in downtown Clemson. There is also the cutest boutiques downtown that I and my girlfriends love shopping at on our free time.
Read 83 Reviews

• A+

• A

• A

• 15,966 Population

Mauldin

• Town in South Carolina
• 81 reviews

Current Resident: I have previously lived in four cities throughout the country, and by far, Mauldin is my favorite city I have lived in. Mauldin provides a hospitable and welcoming community with the aspects of a big city. The city provides plenty of community involvement through the Cultural Center along with the high school's involvement in the community. Along with the culture, Mauldin also houses numerous restaurants and stores that do not only provide quality options but serve as community hubs. Mauldin is located right outside of Greenville, one of the most up and coming cities in the south. Not only does Mauldin's close connection with Greenville makes it a great place to live but the location relative to nature is also superb. Within an hour there are the mountains and within three hours the ocean. Given this, Mauldin is a great city due to its community, businesses, and location.
Read 81 Reviews

• A

• A-

• A

• 25,009 Population

Socastee

• Suburb in South Carolina
• 32 reviews

Current Resident: We love living in the Socastee area in Myrtle Beach, SC. We bought our home over a year ago and we’ve loved it. Our home backs up to a creek that leads to the waterway. It is very peaceful and quiet in our cul-de-sac and we have great neighbors. We are very happy with our location choice!
Read 32 Reviews

• A-

• A

• A

• 24,056 Population

Seven Oaks

• Suburb of Columbia, SC
• 19 reviews

Niche User: Only complaints are that everything is spaced out just far enough so that you can't walk/bike everywhere, and that quality of living isn't consistent across the area--there are very poor places, average places, and very rich places.
Read 19 Reviews

• A+

• A-

• A

• 15,559 Population

Forest Acres

• Suburb of Columbia, SC
• 7 reviews

Current Resident: Forest Acres is a great neighborhood to live in especially with kids from elementary to high school ages. You are close to the best schools in Columbia, plenty of parks are nearby, and there is an amazing social atmosphere including places to eat and shop like Trenholm Plaza. The location is perfect since you can easily get on the interstate or head downtown within a matter of minutes.
Read 7 Reviews

• A+

• A-

• A

• 10,433 Population

Wade Hampton

• Suburb in South Carolina
• 50 reviews

Niche User: I think the police presence in Greenville is better than most, but their response time for certain events (ex: car accident) aren't always the quickest.
Read 50 Reviews

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• A-

• A

• 20,925 Population

Sans Souci

• Suburb in South Carolina

• A-

• A-

• A

• 8,776 Population

Lexington

• Suburb of Columbia, SC
• 111 reviews

Current Resident: Lexington, SC has a great school system and is growing rapidly! There are new neighborhoods popping up and much new business growth in the area. The only downfall to the area is the traffic in downtown Lexington. If you have been here a while you can navigate around the traffic. However, Town council is keeping this on the agenda to better. Come to Lexington for live, education of your children and a great economy!
Read 111 Reviews

• A+

• A

• A

• 21,040 Population

Surfside Beach

• Suburb in South Carolina
• 16 reviews

Current Resident: Surfside Beach is a beautiful little town a short drive south of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. It has mostly local businesses and plenty activities for visiting families. I'd recommend it for families with kids! With less traffic on the residential streets, close proximity to beach accesses & family environment its the perfect fit for most families. It has plenty of rental houses so coming with another family or group would help keep the costs low if you're trying to vacation here instead.
Read 16 Reviews

• A-

• A

• A

• 4,312 Population

Myrtle Beach

• Town in South Carolina
• 206 reviews

Current Resident: I’d give Myrtle 5 stars but it’s not for everyone. However I’ve lived here 10 years and have enjoyed it. People need to realize crime is everywhere, and Myrtle just keeps growing. Crime is expected to rise. With that said I have never felt unsafe in Myrtle, that’s because I know the areas to avoid like any city. Myrtle Beach isn’t that small beach town people once knew (take it or leave it) I still think it’s a pretty laid back area when it comes to beach towns. Plenty of things to do for visitors and families. It’s all of what you make of it!
Read 206 Reviews

• B+

• A-

• A

• 31,783 Population

Hilton Head Island

• Town in South Carolina
• 40 reviews

Current Resident: Hilton Head Island is a beautiful Island filled with people who enjoy a casual, resort lifestyle. Enjoy almost year-round sunshine, beautiful beaches, and even ride your bicycle along the sandy shore. Beaches and many of the area's local attractions are dog-friendly so leash up Fido and head for the outdoors! There are also dozens of restaurants to try with new offerings frequently popping up.
Read 40 Reviews

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• A-

• A

• 39,820 Population

Fort Mill

• Suburb in South Carolina
• 114 reviews

Current Resident: Fort Mill is a nice southern town. It is very pretty and the weather is lovely. The FM natives are friendly and hospitable. There are so many positives to living here. The negatives are: rapid growth, there are thousands of northerners moving here and thousands of new homes going up. We are missing many of our beautiful trees now. The traffic lights are not timed, hopefully this will change in the following years. It’s not a big deal until rush hour comes. Finally, our schools are very highly ranked. I can tell you that your kids will get a solid education here. Unfortunately, our public schools don’t care about the mental health of kids and will shove them into honors and AP classes (because they get more money) until the stresses of life are just too much to handle and the teenager reaches their breaking point. I know the last part of my review wasn’t happy, but if you are planning to move here I want you to be able to make the most informed decision possible. Good luck!
Read 114 Reviews

• A+

• A+

• A-

• 15,924 Population

Hanahan

• Suburb of Charleston, SC
• 26 reviews

Current Resident: I have lived in Hanahan for just about a year and a half. I really like the neighborhood, the people are nice, friendly and kind. There is a police presence daily, just making sure all is well and people are obeying the speed limit of 25 through the neighborhoods. They are very strict about the speed limit and making sure the neighborhood is safe. My husband and I walk all over the place.
Read 26 Reviews

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• A-

• A-

• 22,963 Population

Irmo

• Suburb of Columbia, SC
• 57 reviews

Current Resident: Irmo is a seemingly pleasant town on the outskirts of Columbia, defining the suburbs to the T! The schools in Irmo are a part of Lexington/Richland District 5 which is one of the most distinguished in the state of SC; competitive in rigorous academics, sports, and the arts. Lake Murray is a huge part of Irmo's culture always circling with charity's, water sports, & an up and coming music scene! Irmo's small town charm appeals to many while also having it's own nightlife with a major mall, multitude of dive bars/billiards hall, and growing shopping centers. Irmo PD is always roaming town to keep this beautiful town safe in comparison to other parts of SC. The close proximity of the downtown area, as well as other neighboring cities with no more than a 45 minute commute max. Irmo is n ideal place to live to be close to the city and a skip away to the country, lake, and Georgia & North Carolina making it a more desirable upper-class section of Columbia.
Read 57 Reviews

• A+

• A+

• A-

• 12,087 Population

Port Royal

• Town in South Carolina
• 14 reviews

Current Resident: I love Port Royal. As a military member who moved here recently... It has been a great experience. The town is ideally located, close to both bases (MCAS and Parris Island. There is a local little beach which is great in the summer. The town seems friendly, and the local area housing market is starting to boom, which makes it ideal for investors or military members moving temporarily.
Read 14 Reviews

• B

• B-

• A-

• 12,446 Population

Greer

• Suburb in South Carolina
• 132 reviews

Current Resident: I think Greer is a wonderful community. Ever since we have moved here, it has only become better. The town is experiencing substantial growth both in population and economy. The people here are just one of the friendliest ever. Anyone you meet in Greer will be glad to lend a helping hand. Greer is also in a very convenient location, sitting midway between the city of Greenville and the city of Spartanburg. I would not want to be anywhere else!
Read 132 Reviews

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• A-

• A-

• 29,717 Population

Taylors

• Suburb in South Carolina
• 85 reviews

Nearby Resident: Taylors is a town within Greenville County South Carolina. It has most of the popular shops and eateries that are in mainstream America. If you can't find what you're looking for, don't worry. Everything is within thirty minutes in any direction. My favorite thing about Taylor's is that you can have laid back country living but only minutes from city life.
One of my favorite Elementary schools in Taylors is Mountain View Elementary. Smaller school, great ratings, great teachers! Oh and the surrounding community is very supportive!
Read 85 Reviews

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• A-

• A-

• 21,923 Population

Bluffton

• Town in South Carolina
• 72 reviews

Niche User: It's a lovely town with a friendly atmosphere! The people here are all so nice and if you like horses, you'll love living here! Golf is another activity that this area is great for! So many different courses to enjoy! There is also some great shopping, and a small-town feel to this area. Anyone would love it!
Read 72 Reviews

• A-

• A-

• A-

• 18,835 Population

Shell Point

• Town in South Carolina
• 4 reviews

Niche User: It is a good place to grow up in.
Read 4 Reviews

• A-

• C+

• A-

• 2,694 Population