Looking for info on SC (Columbia, Charleston: where to stay, insurance, house)

[Clifford63]

Hello all.

My wife and I are starting to look into potential areas to winter when we retire. We are currently in Minnesota. I am born and raised in MN, my wife is from Florida. We both love the summers a great deal in MN and we have a property 10 miles south of the Canadian border we plan to summer in. We would sell the house we live in now which is in the twin cities metro.

I did some reading on SC and was surprised to see that the state has more than 4 million people, but not a large metro area. Is it common to see people living on acrages out in the county? This would be something we would like a great deal.

As far as price and weather/climate, how do the NW areas of SC compare to the coastal areas?

We would probably go south after Thanksgiving or maybe Christmas and return North around May 1st.

Closest I have been to SC is Atlanta and Nashville. Thinking that might not be much of a comparission.

Do people fish all year in SC? I am a huge fishing guy and the potential for fishing is a big draw. Thinking mostly freshwater. Lake superior scares me, so I am guessing the ocean would be overwhelming without guide service.

Thanks in advance for any info.

[PawleysDude]

For a relatively small state, SC has a broad geographic range which impacts climates across the state, particularly in winter. The very NW corner is near the Blue Ridge mountains, which significantly affects their wx, but it quickly drops to the piedmont, with cities such as Greenville and Spartanburg. During winter months, their avg temps are about 10 degrees cooler than the coast.
Greenville SC average temps
Charleston SC average temps

If SC currently has 4M people, at least 3.9M of them must live at the coast. Population density is much higher in coastal regions, so if you like space, the coast is not the place to be. There are numerous small towns in the Piedmont region where acreage should be available fairly reasonable. The middle of the state, known as the Sandhills, also has areas that are not densely populated.

SC is blessed with a number of freshwater lakes, unfortunately many of them are also over-developed. Lake Murray, near Columbia, is beautiful but crowded. The Santee-Cooper Lakes (Marion and Moultrie) were once famous for some of the first land-locked striped bass, but they were over-fished and never fully recovered. They are known now primarily for huge catfish. In my opinion, the finest lakes lie along the Savannah River, which forms the border with GA. Lake Hartwell, near Anderson SC, and Clarks Hill, near Augusta, GA are two of the finest. Fishing continues all year for the hard core, but it slows down in winter. Both have hybrid bass, which offer decent winter fishing. Lake Hartwell hosted the Bassmaster Classic in February 2008, and the pro's slayed 'em. The upstate has suffered from drought over the past couple years, severely impacting some water levels. Hartwell is just now beginning to recover.

Largest cities are Columbia, Greenville, Charleston, not necessarily in that order. None to compare to Atlanta or Nashville, but Greenville and Charleston have a lot to offer. Coumbia also has its bright spots. Trying to pick a spot from an area as large as SC is a daunting proposition. If time and budget permits, it's worth an extended visit in winter to get at least a feel for the wide diversity across the state.

[flgargoyle]

It's also more humid along the coast. There are actually three sizable lakes in the upstate- Hartwell, Keowee, and Jocassee. Jocassee in particular is beautiful, with limited development, and it goes right up against the mountains. They catch enormous trout there, but I think they are pretty tricky to catch, since they are at a pretty good depth. Our property is north of Greenville, and what we paid for 7 acres is less than half of what a building lot goes for in our part of FL. Despite that, we are only 20 minutes from downtown Greenville.

[Clifford63]

Originally Posted by flgargoyle

It's also more humid along the coast. There are actually three sizable lakes in the upstate- Hartwell, Keowee, and Jocassee. Jocassee in particular is beautiful, with limited development, and it goes right up against the mountains. They catch enormous trout there, but I think they are pretty tricky to catch, since they are at a pretty good depth. Our property is north of Greenville, and what we paid for 7 acres is less than half of what a building lot goes for in our part of FL. Despite that, we are only 20 minutes from downtown Greenville.

Thanks for that info. We have about 12.5 acres in Ely, MN and that is more than enough elbow room. Good to hear you can find parcels for a reasonable price. We like being out of town, but not too far.

I fish trout in MN mostly early season before they go find the deep holes. Mostly rainbow and browns here with some brookies and some of the deep northern lakes have lakers. Never been much of a bass fisherman, but I might have to start if we end up in SC.

I have been reading some about Greenville. Guessing might be good for hunting up near the hills too. I'll have to check into that some more.

Pretty sure the wife could be happy within 4-5 hours from the coast. She still has family in Orlando and Naples, so we could get down there with too much effort as well.

We just spent a week in Arizona. Weather was perfect, but we don't think we could spend 4-6 months there. Just not enough trees and green.

Take care

[Clifford63]

Originally Posted by PawleysDude

For a relatively small state, SC has a broad geographic range which impacts climates across the state, particularly in winter. The very NW corner is near the Blue Ridge mountains, which significantly affects their wx, but it quickly drops to the piedmont, with cities such as Greenville and Spartanburg. During winter months, their avg temps are about 10 degrees cooler than the coast.
Greenville SC average temps
Charleston SC average temps

If SC currently has 4M people, at least 3.9M of them must live at the coast. Population density is much higher in coastal regions, so if you like space, the coast is not the place to be. There are numerous small towns in the Piedmont region where acreage should be available fairly reasonable. The middle of the state, known as the Sandhills, also has areas that are not densely populated.

SC is blessed with a number of freshwater lakes, unfortunately many of them are also over-developed. Lake Murray, near Columbia, is beautiful but crowded. The Santee-Cooper Lakes (Marion and Moultrie) were once famous for some of the first land-locked striped bass, but they were over-fished and never fully recovered. They are known now primarily for huge catfish. In my opinion, the finest lakes lie along the Savannah River, which forms the border with GA. Lake Hartwell, near Anderson SC, and Clarks Hill, near Augusta, GA are two of the finest. Fishing continues all year for the hard core, but it slows down in winter. Both have hybrid bass, which offer decent winter fishing. Lake Hartwell hosted the Bassmaster Classic in February 2008, and the pro's slayed 'em. The upstate has suffered from drought over the past couple years, severely impacting some water levels. Hartwell is just now beginning to recover.

Largest cities are Columbia, Greenville, Charleston, not necessarily in that order. None to compare to Atlanta or Nashville, but Greenville and Charleston have a lot to offer. Coumbia also has its bright spots. Trying to pick a spot from an area as large as SC is a daunting proposition. If time and budget permits, it's worth an extended visit in winter to get at least a feel for the wide diversity across the state.

Good to know that the coast is more populated. We are starting to plan a trip for next winter. Gathering info now while I have time. Guessing we would fly to Atlanta start from there. Love to see some of the upstate areas as well as the coast. Thanks for the info. Big decisions can be tough like you say. It took me 5 years to find my land here, but it was worth the effort.

[Buckeye in SC]

Originally Posted by PawleysDude

If SC currently has 4M people, at least 3.9M of them must live at the coast. Population density is much higher in coastal regions, so if you like space, the coast is not the place to be.

I'm guessing you were exaggerating w/this statement b/c it is way off base that 97% of SC's residents live on the coast! The 2 largest metros are inland - Greenville's MSA is over 600k - 3 1/2 hours from the coast & Columbia's MSA is over 700k - 2 hours from the coast; not to mention Spartanburg is around 300k and the SC portion of the Charlotte metro is well over 100k as well. The only major metro on the coast is Charleston around 600k, so to say that everyone lives on the coast is a huge overstatement - more like 1/4 of the residents live on the coast.

[flgargoyle]

Orlando is about 600 miles from Greenville- roughly 10 hours including stops. We live on the west coast of FL in the St Petersburg area. There is some stream fishing for trout in SC, both upstate, and, oddly enough, in the Saluda River below Lake Murray. Despite being a hot area, the Saluda comes from the bottom of a deep lake, and so the water is cool enough for trout. We would have loved to have been close to the coast, but after living in FL for 28 years, the threat of hurricanes has gotten tiresome. That, and the homeowner's insurance went up 400% here, and I expect in coastal areas of SC, too.

Be sure to come back when you are ready to visit- we can give you detailed ideas of what to see and where to stay.

[Clifford63]

Originally Posted by flgargoyle

Orlando is about 600 miles from Greenville- roughly 10 hours including stops. We live on the west coast of FL in the St Petersburg area. There is some stream fishing for trout in SC, both upstate, and, oddly enough, in the Saluda River below Lake Murray. Despite being a hot area, the Saluda comes from the bottom of a deep lake, and so the water is cool enough for trout. We would have loved to have been close to the coast, but after living in FL for 28 years, the threat of hurricanes has gotten tiresome. That, and the homeowner's insurance went up 400% here, and I expect in coastal areas of SC, too.

Be sure to come back when you are ready to visit- we can give you detailed ideas of what to see and where to stay.

I think I am going to like the upstate or upcountry area. Found a website with nice photos of Lake Keowee. That area is on the list for sure. Looks to be upper bracket and then some, but the photos of the land are inspiring.

[Geechie North]

Originally Posted by Clifford63

Hello all.

My wife and I are starting to look into potential areas to winter when we retire. We are currently in Minnesota. I am born and raised in MN, my wife is from Florida. We both love the summers a great deal in MN and we have a property 10 miles south of the Canadian border we plan to summer in. We would sell the house we live in now which is in the twin cities metro.

I did some reading on SC and was surprised to see that the state has more than 4 million people, but not a large metro area. Is it common to see people living on acrages out in the county? This would be something we would like a great deal.

As far as price and weather/climate, how do the NW areas of SC compare to the coastal areas?

We would probably go south after Thanksgiving or maybe Christmas and return North around May 1st.

Closest I have been to SC is Atlanta and Nashville. Thinking that might not be much of a comparission.

Do people fish all year in SC? I am a huge fishing guy and the potential for fishing is a big draw. Thinking mostly freshwater. Lake superior scares me, so I am guessing the ocean would be overwhelming without guide service.

Thanks in advance for any info.

.

Do not be fooled by "official" population figures for a specific city, as that is a reflection of SC law and how difficult annexation is rather than size.
For that, look at metro areas: Charleston, Greenville (with Spartanburg), and Columbia all tip-in in the 3/4- 1 million range.

Large land parcels?
Not in the cities. SC is very poor in zoning, and therefore lots are postage-stamp sized compared to Midwest.

UpCountry is colder than the coast, but mild compared to Midwest. Average Temp in Spartanburg in Jan is 41F; mtns get approx 7 inches of snow per year.

Nashville I've been through, but no to. Atlanta is far bigger than anything in SC, but comparable as far as social structure to Greenville.

Fishing is possible year-round. Be advised that SC is the #1 state in the Union as to the pounds of carcenogenic chemicals which are dropped into the waterways.

Worked on a shrimpboat out of Mt Pleasant during summers in college; floated on Superior for the Feds. Both can be very, very rough, although Superior's waves have shorter intervals.

[Clifford63]

Originally Posted by Geechie North

.

Do not be fooled by "official" population figures for a specific city, as that is a reflection of SC law and how difficult annexation is rather than size.
For that, look at metro areas: Charleston, Greenville (with Spartanburg), and Columbia all tip-in in the 3/4- 1 million range.

Large land parcels?
Not in the cities. SC is very poor in zoning, and therefore lots are postage-stamp sized compared to Midwest.

UpCountry is colder than the coast, but mild compared to Midwest. Average Temp in Spartanburg in Jan is 41F; mtns get approx 7 inches of snow per year.

Nashville I've been through, but no to. Atlanta is far bigger than anything in SC, but comparable as far as social structure to Greenville.

Fishing is possible year-round. Be advised that SC is the #1 state in the Union as to the pounds of carcenogenic chemicals which are dropped into the waterways.

Worked on a shrimpboat out of Mt Pleasant during summers in college; floated on Superior for the Feds. Both can be very, very rough, although Superior's waves have shorter intervals.

Not looking so much to eat the fish. Just like catching them. We have some water issues in MN too, so you do have to pay attention to that stuff. Those short waves of superior make me green more than the ocean waves.

41 is a lot warmer than it will be in Ely, MN in Jan