Forget Florida, Americans are now flocking to South Carolina for a better life — why retirees on a budget should care

Florida mightiness get each the headlines, but there's different Southern authorities softly stealing the spotlight — and redeeming residents thousands of dollars successful the process.

For the sixth consecutive year, South Carolina has claimed the apical spot arsenic America's astir fashionable moving destination, and the fiscal incentives are hard to ignore.

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According to moveBuddha's 2025 report, which analyzed relocation information from 2020 done October 2025, South Carolina shows astir treble the involvement successful moves into the authorities compared to moves out, with a 1.97 in-to-out ratio.

The Palmetto State besides captured 13.7% of nett move-related searches, landing it among the 5 states with the highest moving measurement (1).

What makes South Carolina truthful charismatic isn't conscionable the coastline and mild upwind but what you'll support successful your slope account. Compared to the remainder of the country, it costs astir 9% little to unrecorded successful the state, according to RentCafe information from September 2025 (2).

Housing represents the biggest savings opportunity, with those costs being much than 14% little than the nationalist average, making homeownership and renting substantially much affordable. According to Redfin, arsenic of September 2025, the median location worth successful South Carolina is $381,400, compared to the nationalist median of $435,285 (3, 4).

Renters tin besides spot important savings, with mean rent for a one-bedroom flat astir $1,328 and two-bedroom units averaging $1,500, according to Zillow (5).

Beyond housing, RentCafe shows that mundane expenses stay manageable. Groceries outgo astir the aforesaid arsenic they bash nationwide, portion covering runs astir 11% lower. The lone class wherever South Carolina exceeds nationalist averages is utilities, which are 10% higher (6).

Whether South Carolina volition prevention you wealth depends mostly connected wherever you're presently living.

If you're relocating from pricier markets similar California, New York oregon Massachusetts, the quality could mean hundreds of dollars little successful monthly owe payments — oregon tens of thousands saved connected a down payment.

However, if you're moving from states with akin oregon little costs of living, the fiscal vantage diminishes.