Charleston, South Carolina

People who moved recently how is Charleston?

I moved from Park City -Utah and I absolutely love it. I have embraced the differences in landscape, culture, infostructure and so on. That has helped with the transition.

And like everywhere else in the U.S. my home town in UT use to be small, quaint and drivable, but with all the growth it is no longer that, and so I accept that the yester-years of Charleston are more appealing to native Charlestonians.

Infostructure:

I feel that Charleston and South Carolina are about 20-30 years behind the rest of the nation. I think many people complain about all the new people moving in causing the roads to be unsatisfactory, but I actually think it is the State that does not manage them well. I am hoping that with the new Infostructure bill and all the additional taxes from population growth that South Carolina will start to improve its roads and cities by focusing on walkability and green transit.

Charleston Lacks

Clear and Safe Bike Lanes

King Street - Walking Zone Only.

Well - Defined City Area Transit System (Busses & Trains) with Carpool Stops

Appropriate Stop Lights and New Light Stops

Middle Change Lands

Strong Sheriff/Police for ensuring safe driving

Mid-Year Refresh: Thinking about moving to Charleston and want a vibe check? Moving to Charleston and curious about where to live -- this threads for you!

Hope I can add some good insight here. I’m actually being relocated back to Michigan after almost 4 years here with my company. Charleston is a hell of a city and a total gem! Heck a few weeks ago we did a weeknight dinner on Folly and walked the beach. We’re definitely spoiled to live here… if you can afford it that is lol. It also is an overbuilt, overpriced, sprawling HOA essentially with your cost of living being fully dependent essentially on your proximity to downtown and the ocean. I always say it’s awesome on the weekends, and downright inconvenient Monday thru Friday.

Regardless while it’s bittersweet in my opinion this area isn’t worth the cost. The job opportunities and quality of schools just aren’t here to justify a median home price of $450k in the region, up from $277k in 2019. I’ve had fun but would recommend Charlotte, Atlanta or Dallas over this city

I’ll add that it really is a pain to get to the beach anymore, traffic is to the point it can take 1-2 hours to drive and get parked during the summer. Kudos to the city for growing as a tourist area but man it’s tough

Hello! I am considering putting in for a transfer to Charleston. I am newly married and would be looking to buy a house on maybe 1.5-2 acres, willing to commute up to an hour to the city. Budget around $500k. The likely plan would be to rent (house not apt) until we get established, find what we want, and/or wait for a better market. What are thoughts about finding homes both to buy and to rent? Thank you!

Yeah I see the appeal from where you’re sitting. And it might end up being a good move for ya, depending on where you are now. But I’ll tell you that while Charleston may be less expensive than where you are now, you might be surprised to learn that it isn’t so much cheaper like you’d expect. And I’ve heard people who moved here from HCOL areas say that, that’s not just my perspective. For example, folks moving from New Jersey where property tax is sky high are obviously thrilled by our low property tax. But some are suprised to find that the cost of housing, home insurance, other taxes (income, sales tax), etc. are not cheap. And the quality of the schools is not what they are used to (might have something to do with the low property tax, among other things).

Also look at the salary for the job in Charleston. It might be that your company pays well and it’s not an issue but be aware (for future jobs, your spouses job) that many industries/fields here do not pay wages commensurate with the COL. That was true before the recent significant increase in housing costs/COL in the area + inflation and it doesn’t seem to have changed. Many of the people who have moved here since the pandemic and find the COL to be better than where they came from have remote jobs that pay HCOL area wages.

In terms of outdoorsy stuff- we do have a fair amount of that here, it is a beautiful place (though sadly much of it is being bulldozed for housing- sigh). But anyway keep in mind that having a boat is quite expensive and it’s very hot and humid here for a good chunk of the year. And for a few months (I’d say June-September) the weather can actually limit certain outdoor activities. Walking around outside in August feels like walking through a bowl of soup. Also lots of mosquitos and other critters. The critters don’t bother me but the mosquitos are the worst (and they love my ass so it’s a constant battle).

So yeah idk. I just tell everyone to really do their research and try to remember that charleston is a lovely place, but it’s not shangri la. A lot of people seem to move here cause they came on vacation once or heard it was great and then are suprised that it’s expensive and they aren’t going to the beach every weekend, that we have alligators and hurricanes and flooding etc.

Ooh yeah last thing- finding a rental can be hard, you will probably have to rent an overpriced “luxury” apartment while looking for a house if you decide to move. If you do buy a house, really consider 2 things: your commute (traffic sucks and I’ve lived in metro areas with bad traffic) and flooding. Water and flooding is a part of life here (it’s called the low country for a reason) BUT you really wanna look at the fema maps (will determine your flood insurance), the type of foundation, the neighborhood, etc.

Why is Everyone moving to Charleston SC in 2023?