More people move into South Carolina each year than move out, and that has been true for several years running. Money is part of the reason. The top state income tax rate is 6.2%, and property taxes on a primary home are among the lowest in the country. Winters stay mild enough that heating bills barely register. The real question for new arrivals is which part of the state to choose. The nine places ahead each work for a different kind of buyer.
Aiken
Aiken became a winter colony for wealthy Northeasterners in the 1880s, drawn by mild winters and the network of unpaved sand roads that suited polo and Thoroughbred training. That history still defines the town. The Aiken Triple Crown, three weekends of horse racing in March, runs every spring at the Aiken Training Track and Aiken Steeplechase course. The Hopelands Gardens, a 14-acre estate gifted to the city in 1969, still hosts summer concerts on the grounds.
The modern economy runs heavily on Savannah River Site, the Department of Energy nuclear facility 25 miles southwest, which employs about 10,000 people across engineering, security, and environmental cleanup roles tied to the Cold War-era plutonium production legacy. The University of South Carolina Aiken campus draws another 3,500 students. Aiken Regional Medical Centers operates a 273-bed facility in town, and Piedmont Augusta sits 17 miles southwest across the Georgia line. Median home sale prices ran about $355,000 in 2025. Aiken’s population is about 33,000.