Two hot retirement states, one expected, one surprise
- Thread starter GON
- Start date
GON
$150 Site Donor 2025
I lived in Columbia, SC for one year, 2021.In the words of @SC Maintenance, "we full".
SC is a mixed bag. Three big cities, rest is mostly rural. Incredibly red state. Education level is poor. Suffers from brain drain in most areas.
3 of my kids refuse to live here and are actively trying to leave (accountant, engineer, lawyer). Driving can be dangerous due to road conditions, lack of maintenance of vehicles, and ignorant/low education drivers.
Taxes are low, but public infrastructure matches the lack of investment. I can drive all day long between "big" cities and never see a state trooper. If not for tourism and the military bases, the state would be even more poor. The upstate got lucky with Michelin and then BMW.
Charleston suffered when the Navy shut down and has slowly recovered - and getting Boeing has been a big help.
Gangs are a problem in central SC due to lack of jobs, poor education, and easy access to drugs of all types. Kids shooting kids is unfortunately not uncommon here.
I stay because it's home and I know what to avoid. If I were moving in, I'd really research the areas - and go where the school district is the best (even if you have no kids). The rich gravitate toward the best schools, and that brings less crime and better shopping, eating establishments, etc.
3 of my kids refuse to live here and are actively trying to leave (accountant, engineer, lawyer). Driving can be dangerous due to road conditions, lack of maintenance of vehicles, and ignorant/low education drivers.
Taxes are low, but public infrastructure matches the lack of investment. I can drive all day long between "big" cities and never see a state trooper. If not for tourism and the military bases, the state would be even more poor. The upstate got lucky with Michelin and then BMW.
Charleston suffered when the Navy shut down and has slowly recovered - and getting Boeing has been a big help.
Gangs are a problem in central SC due to lack of jobs, poor education, and easy access to drugs of all types. Kids shooting kids is unfortunately not uncommon here.
I stay because it's home and I know what to avoid. If I were moving in, I'd really research the areas - and go where the school district is the best (even if you have no kids). The rich gravitate toward the best schools, and that brings less crime and better shopping, eating establishments, etc.
AZjeff
$50 Site Donor 2023
There are COL comparison tools by city that you can use. You have to look at the categories and determine if they're relevant to your situation. One I looked at recently says the COL is 33% less in our old town in Pa but taking out child care costs and housing costs COL is much closer.
There's a reason why COL is much less in places, the question is can you tolerate the reason enough to live there?
AZjeff
$50 Site Donor 2023
You guys will retire where the HOT chicks are. You know it.
Smart. I wouldn't want to be without a single family home somewhere. If the market goes crazy your hedged. If it deflates, well you still have a place to live.
Having said that I wouldn't want to own a home in one of those retirement communities - if long term value matters. The next generation is significantly smaller, and significantly poorer. I don't see a bunch of people paying top dollar for those places 5 to 10 years from now, unless we find a way to import a whole bunch of retirees.
No word of a lie - I am retiring in a college town somewhere. Lots to do, events, usually walkable. Hot chicks
I loved and lived the best part of the mixed bag you speak of. My impression of the state (and that of my wife and kids) is the opposite of your and your family.
We moved from Long Island NY to SC 16 years ago and loved it. My daughter started in SC first year middle school in one of the states highest rated public schools. Went on to Clemson University has a killer job now in Charlotte able to work from home and just bought (on her own) here first home in VA
My son, never much college material, almost a decade ago, now married with two kids works for BMW in the upstate. Call me crazy, he got married, bought his first home, wife doesnt have to work, now 2 kids, 2 BMWs AND just now, looking and can purchase at any time a brand new 4 to 5 BR 2 story style home being the 3BR ranch is closing in on them as far as room.
Sorry but SC offers these possibilities all over the state for those who want to work hard. Taxes are low, costs are low, you can find good school districts and I call it the land of the free, free to chose your destiny without government on your back.
Heck, you dont even have to get car inspections, nor to you need tags (plates) for your trailers.
Anyway, wish your kids luck, not every place is right for everyone but the bottom line is the state is one of the fastest growing in the nation also with industry and retirements. We no longer live there. Our house was huge and just my wife and I left, before it got to old at 16 years and wanting to remodel we decided to buy another new home, smaller with 3 brs and an office now on the coast 4 miles over the SC border in NC. I still like SC but we live in a resort here, yet spend a fair amount of time in the Little River to Myrtle Beach area. Costs are stupid cheap here in NC as well and there is a reason our county is in the top ten growing counties in the USA.
Being your kids are on professional levels they may find their higher income in other areas is eaten up by taxes and high housing costs. Infrastructure ? Maybe because we are from Long Island. SC was great to us. less then 3 miles off I26 near the Chapin area.
We took interstates wherever we went. 2 hours to the beach, a couple hours to the mountains and off those are i95 and i20.
Heck, NY has nothing close to an interstate system like that. Yes, you are right and barely see any police! 80 MPH is the norm.
As you can tell I liked the state a lot but I acknowledge everyone has a point of view where they live. There is a reason though for some people that makes SC and NC such a desirable place to move to and the numbers show it. It really depends on what is most important. I have another daughter who chose to stay in NY, near NYC and that is ok too!
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Unfortunately I do not know Spanish, Italian, or Yiddish so I'm stuck in an English speaking country LOL. Fortunately the signs of 'i need the bathroom' is universal LOL.
My wife gets real hot whenever I happen to be around a hot chick. Even though I do nothing, she just fumes!
This.
There must be something in the water over there....
GON
$150 Site Donor 2025
4WD
$50 site donor 2025
Hot chicks? They wrote a song about California girls... All good.
Money for nothing and chicks for free
Regarding central SC, the capital city county (Richland County) is having to build on to it's existing jail and add over 275 "beds" due to overcrowding. This jail was built in 1994 and the crime has now outstripped this facilities ability to house inmates. Crime has risen here due to population increase and poor education.
https://www.wltx.com/article/news/l...sion/101-8a8af217-98dd-4828-b312-65ea0a5fd5d0
Now, if your kids are willing to work at it, they can get a great education - they will be in AP or IB classes and in separate "schools in a school" environment and away from the general population (so to speak).
My kids did excellent and earned over 30 college credit hours in HS and did excellent in college (all full rides). Nonetheless, it takes work by both parents and the kids to make the education work - it is not a "push", but a "pull".
If you are a retiree it might work out just fine. Young family - there are only two HS in this "zone" that are even worth attending (Dreher and Flora).
https://screportcards.com/overview/...ate/details/?q=eT0yMDIzJnQ9RCZzaWQ9NDAwMTAwMA
And since this thread is about retirement, I agree. Just not a great place IMO to raise your family unless you are on-point at all times. NC (South Charlotte specifically) IMO is a great place for familes and education. When we lived there, it was excellent and I had no concerns at all.
https://www.wltx.com/article/news/l...sion/101-8a8af217-98dd-4828-b312-65ea0a5fd5d0
Now, if your kids are willing to work at it, they can get a great education - they will be in AP or IB classes and in separate "schools in a school" environment and away from the general population (so to speak).
My kids did excellent and earned over 30 college credit hours in HS and did excellent in college (all full rides). Nonetheless, it takes work by both parents and the kids to make the education work - it is not a "push", but a "pull".
If you are a retiree it might work out just fine. Young family - there are only two HS in this "zone" that are even worth attending (Dreher and Flora).
https://screportcards.com/overview/...ate/details/?q=eT0yMDIzJnQ9RCZzaWQ9NDAwMTAwMA
And since this thread is about retirement, I agree. Just not a great place IMO to raise your family unless you are on-point at all times. NC (South Charlotte specifically) IMO is a great place for familes and education. When we lived there, it was excellent and I had no concerns at all.
I was thinking about the Greenville, SC region to retire and was looking around the Five Forks area.
From what I’ve seen it’s a decent, clean, safe area but lots of traffic on heavily traveled roads, just like any other roadways in the USA.
Since I won’t be headed to work or catching a flight I won’t have to worry about rush hour traffic or school zones.
From what I’ve seen it’s a decent, clean, safe area but lots of traffic on heavily traveled roads, just like any other roadways in the USA.
Since I won’t be headed to work or catching a flight I won’t have to worry about rush hour traffic or school zones.
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