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I'm hoping to find out some useful info about some areas of SC that are low in crime, have job opportunities and are nice places to raise a family. I've read many threads and came up with a couple of places that sound nice but I think it would be very useful to hear some opinions from locals or people with knowledge of the state
I'm originally from South FL and moved up to Appleton WI about 3 years ago with my kids; ages 13, 9 & 7. I recently married and my husband is originally from Hartford CT. Basically we're over the weather and looking for a nice new place for our fam.
Being we're both from big cities we're used to some crime, diversity & lots to do so we're not looking for a little village or anything just a place where we can earn a fair income (about $50,000 joined annually), afford the rent (3+BR around $800) and not have drug dealers or other illegal activity in our front yard. Please point out high drug areas so they can be avoided since this is one of the top reasons I left FL and another reason why I'm starting to dislike my current area.
Some cities that appealed to us from the internet are: Goose Creek, Simpsonville, Clemson, Florence, Lexington & Sumter. I know these areas are spread pretty far apart. Id prefer to live closer to the coast but the Anderson/Greenville area seems like such a nice place for a fam so this is why I need opinions from the people who know these places best!!! I'm obviously open to other cities that meet the criteria so please let me know if I've excluded or over looked any, especially ones close to the water!! Im sick of dirty lakes
Some other important facts:
1. Once we get it narrowed down we will be coming to scout the areas before moving
2. We're not planning to move until March 2015
3. We both have only a high school education; I am a bookkeeper/administrative worker and my husband has construction, warehouse and food service exp.
as a WI transplant who understands being over those winters lol, one thing i'd throw in the mix is not to worry as much about distance to the water and instead look for the ideal community that fits your family's needs. Work, school, and just the overall situation would be what i'd shoot for knowing recreational options exist throughout the state. And being from WI where a trip to the ocean normally included air fare, being able to take a little drive to it is a big plus.
We live in the Columbia/Lexington area, which is right next to Lake Murray (sort of like Winnebago without the weeds lol) and just a 2 hour drive to Charleston and the ocean. We do day trips down there frequently, easy to do from this region. Heading to the Greenville area puts you close to the mountains, but there are also some nice lakes nearby and then you're maybe 3+ hours to the beach. Those who reside in the communities you listed can give more details on what they offer for pros and cons.
I'm sure you can find several locations that will be of interest for you, once you can narrow it down a bit then you may be able to do some more in depth research for actual employment, schools and housing, as some of what you listed would actually be suburbs of larger markets. Note i'd highly suggest as it can be a tough job market here, to have something lined up before making the move so you dont run into hardship because of it (just my .02).
I've been curious about SC for a couple years now I think mostly because of the lower cost of living (compared to FL) and decent weather (compared to WI) so I started looking into cities that seemed safe, had good schools and not too high of rent. All the info I've found is through this site, area vibe or just using Google to read a little on the cities. So far these ones seem to be the closest fit to what I'm looking for. Now I'd like to know if my impression is accurate or if anyone has suggestions on other places that might be just as nice and opinions on why one place would be better suited than the other so I can narrow my search down to at least one county.
Thank you ranger17 that was some good info. I think until I hear more replies I'll start looking into Lexington a bit more.
i think you'll find some really like Lexington and others not so much; no different then any other town in the US lol. It is smaller in population figures then Neenah, but still seems to get crowded due to the growth it is seeing. It is a short drive to Columbia, is close to (some neighborhoods are actually on) lake Murray, and has some large employers in the area (Amazon, Michelin, Home Depot, etc) that may give some initial options for work. Good schools as well. I cant comment on rent, but that's easy enough to search for.
Note if Lexington becomes a top choice, you may get more feedback by posting it on the Columbia sub forum as well.
Lexington sucks. I live there. Snobs and traffic.
Simpsonville is a nice town, is growing. May be getting too crowded, especially to people like my cousins that have lived there their whole life.
Clemson is cool, but there's not much in Clemson. Anderson or Easley would have more amenities.
Don't know enough about Goose Creek. Nothing has stood out in my travels to Goose Creek High School.
Sumter has a good bit, but the public schools there are getting rough. There was recently a brawl where 15 students were arrested or suspended at Sumter HS.
Have you looked at Fort Mill, Summerville, Aiken, Easley, Anderson, Rock Hil?
I suspect the Goose Creek houses have come down quite a bit especially since the custom home expansions in Mt Pleasant and Dorchester Rd part of North Charleston during the early 2000s. Check out Crowfield in Goose creek. Don't you go past the 176 & 52 intersection
Lexington sucks. I live there. Snobs and traffic.
Simpsonville is a nice town, is growing. May be getting too crowded, especially to people like my cousins that have lived there their whole life.
Clemson is cool, but there's not much in Clemson. Anderson or Easley would have more amenities.
Don't know enough about Goose Creek. Nothing has stood out in my travels to Goose Creek High School.
Sumter has a good bit, but the public schools there are getting rough. There was recently a brawl where 15 students were arrested or suspended at Sumter HS.
Have you looked at Fort Mill, Summerville, Aiken, Easley, Anderson, Rock Hil?
Have you lived in SC your whole life? Just wondering because of the comment about snobs and traffic lol I've gotten used to very little traffic here in WI but peoples ideas of traffic can greatly differ. Summerville and Rock Hill seemed nice too from what I gathered. I will keep them in mind to look into more.
Have you lived in SC your whole life? Just wondering because of the comment about snobs and traffic lol I've gotten used to very little traffic here in WI but peoples ideas of traffic can greatly differ. Summerville and Rock Hill seemed nice too from what I gathered. I will keep them in mind to look into more.
OP, for what it's worth, traffic in and around the Columbia market (including Lexington) is somewhat similar to the Madison area if you've driven down there at all. Madison's south beltline at rush hour reminds me of hwy 26 into and out of Columbia, same can be said for 378 around Lexington. For someone used to here, it can seem bad. For someone who's from a large metro area or has driven in big city backups (for me that means Chicago, the Twin cities, perhaps even Milwaukee) then it's not bad.
Not saying one point of view is correct over the other, it's just how one perceives it. And it depends on how many miles the congestion is packed into. Lexington to downtown Columbia may be 12-15 miles, i'd bet you've been on 41 in winter anywhere along the fox valley area where traffic and weather conditions had you stopped for longer stretches then that (only for reference).
Now i wont defend Lexington itself (or put it down) as I live on the other side of the lake, but we did go there enough to have an idea if we wanted to live there or not. Just wasnt what we wanted, but it is for plenty of others.
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