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AKB Retirement in Carolinas

LionsAndBears

LionsAndBears

All-Conference
Dec 7, 2009
2,264
4,091
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My wife and I are getting to that point in life where we're starting to discuss retirement plans. She told me that she wants to be in a warmer climate but she still wants the seasons. This got me thinking about the Carolinas and Georgia. I have specifically been looking at South Carolina.

After doing some initial research I have begun to focus on Anderson and Lexington Counties because of their similar demographics, lower crime, location, median house value and property taxes.

Both areas are near major Universities (Clemson and USC). I see this as a benefit. Universities help support the economy and add to the culture of the communities that surround them.

Lastly, I prefer being inland as opposed to being near the shore. I'd rather not have to deal with hurricanes directly and my thought is that by being inland a bit, it will reduce their impact.

So, now I ask the AKB for their experiences in retiring in this area and for any insights, experience or advice they might have with this type of situation or about the area in general.

Thanks in advance!
 
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WaffleShopper

WaffleShopper

All-Conference
Sep 20, 2023
504
1,041
93
I don’t have first hand experience but I know several people who have recently moved or retired to NC/SC. Mostly around Charlotte and Columbia or the area between. Everything I’ve heard from them has been positive except that the traffic is horrible. Otherwise, only other thing I’ve heard is from a SC native who is sick of yankees moving to his area. It does sound like there are so many people there from the northeast or Midwest that the culture shock shouldn’t be too bad.
 
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LaJollaCreek

LaJollaCreek

Heisman
May 29, 2001
4,815
10,124
113
LionsAndBears said:
My wife and I are getting to that point in life where we're starting to discuss retirement plans. She told me that she wants to be in a warmer climate but she still wants the seasons. This got me thinking about the Carolinas and Georgia. I have specifically been looking at South Carolina.

After doing some initial research I have begun to focus on Anderson and Lexington Counties because of their similar demographics, lower crime, location, medium house value and property taxes.

Both areas are near major Universities (Clemson and USC). I see this as a benefit. Universities help support the economy and add to the culture of the communities that surround them.

Lastly, I prefer being inland as opposed to being near the shore. I'd rather not have to deal with hurricanes directly and my thought is that by being inland a bit, it will reduce their impact.

So, now I ask the AKB for their experiences in retiring in this area and for any insights, experience or advice they might have with this type of situation or about the area in general.

Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...
I have a one niece at Clemson and one at USCe. I've been to both areas a few times and you'll be fine with either one. For more rolling hills and a prettier area I'd lean towards Clemson, but that is just my opinion. You won't really deal with Hurricanes at either place just what is left of them. If you split the difference to between Charlotte and Columbia which is growing pretty quickly you'll still have access to a major airport, city, and a really quick jump to some pretty parts of the Carolina's. I would honestly suggest taking a week to 10 days off and just explore both places. I imagine one of them will jump out at you and your wife.
 
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LionsAndBears

LionsAndBears

All-Conference
Dec 7, 2009
2,264
4,091
113
WaffleShopper said:
I don’t have first hand experience but I know several people who have recently moved or retired to NC/SC. Mostly around Charlotte and Columbia or the area between. Everything I’ve heard from them has been positive except that the traffic is horrible. Otherwise, only other thing I’ve heard is from a SC native who is sick of yankees moving to his area. It does sound like there are so many people there from the northeast or Midwest that the culture shock shouldn’t be too bad.
Click to expand...

About 20 years ago I was in Charlotte for a Training event and the highways around Charlotte were horrible!
 
LionsAndBears

LionsAndBears

All-Conference
Dec 7, 2009
2,264
4,091
113
LaJollaCreek said:
I have a one niece at Clemson and one at USCe. I've been to both areas a few times and you'll be fine with either one. For more rolling hills and a prettier area I'd lean towards Clemson, but that is just my opinion. You won't really deal with Hurricanes at either place just what is left of them. If you split the difference to between Charlotte and Columbia which is growing pretty quickly you'll still have access to a major airport, city, and a really quick jump to some pretty parts of the Carolina's. I would honestly suggest taking a week to 10 days off and just export both places. I imagine one of them will jump out at you and your wife.
Click to expand...

Good advice! I was thinking about taking some time to explore the area next year.
 
PSUAVLNC

PSUAVLNC

All-Conference
Oct 28, 2021
819
1,134
93
My wife and I moved between Asheville and Swananoa NC in 2009, we have a beautiful home and very peaceful neighborhood with fantastic mountain views. I retired in October 2025. If I had known then what I know now I would have chosen the Travelers Rest area of South Carolina. Greenville is very nice but terrible traffic. South of Hendersonville NC is also very very nice.
 
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Grant Green

Grant Green

All-American
Jan 21, 2004
3,677
5,115
113
LaJollaCreek said:
I have a one niece at Clemson and one at USCe. I've been to both areas a few times and you'll be fine with either one. For more rolling hills and a prettier area I'd lean towards Clemson, but that is just my opinion. You won't really deal with Hurricanes at either place just what is left of them. If you split the difference to between Charlotte and Columbia which is growing pretty quickly you'll still have access to a major airport, city, and a really quick jump to some pretty parts of the Carolina's. I would honestly suggest taking a week to 10 days off and just export both places. I imagine one of them will jump out at you and your wife.
Click to expand...
Speaking of Clemson, I spent a weekend in nearby Greenville, SC. Really cool town. I would highly recommend checking it out. Big cooperate presence in the surrounding area so the economy seems to be pretty vibrant. Amazing river/waterfall running right through town. When I was there in Feb, the weather was mild - maybe sunny and upper 50s to lower 60s?

I have a number of friends in Asheville, NC and it sounds fantastic. Not sure about weather though since it's getting toward the mountains.

Been to Charlotte a number of times and I thought the downtown was very nice. Didn't experience the traffic though. Probably doesn't get very warm in the winter though.
 
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Nittany.Lion

Nittany.Lion

Senior
Jul 31, 2006
411
651
93
LionsAndBears said:
My wife and I are getting to that point in life where we're starting to discuss retirement plans. She told me that she wants to be in a warmer climate but she still wants the seasons. This got me thinking about the Carolinas and Georgia. I have specifically been looking at South Carolina.

After doing some initial research I have begun to focus on Anderson and Lexington Counties because of their similar demographics, lower crime, location, median house value and property taxes.

Both areas are near major Universities (Clemson and USC). I see this as a benefit. Universities help support the economy and add to the culture of the communities that surround them.

Lastly, I prefer being inland as opposed to being near the shore. I'd rather not have to deal with hurricanes directly and my thought is that by being inland a bit, it will reduce their impact.

So, now I ask the AKB for their experiences in retiring in this area and for any insights, experience or advice they might have with this type of situation or about the area in general.

Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...
Columbia, SC has brutally hot and humid summers. I've heard people call it the armpit of the US.
 
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retsio

retsio

Senior
Feb 18, 2003
304
775
93
North Carolina - no way! Asheville is a dump, used to be weird artsy fartsy, but now visitors are the woe-begotten! Georgia - maybe Columbus, otherwise no with many traffic patterns too unusual to comprehend.

Better bet is Tennessee with no tax on income, east of mountains or over the hill towards south of Nashville. Entertainment value and scenery would be top notch.
 
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B

Bwifan

All-Conference
Oct 12, 2021
2,708
4,752
113
LionsAndBears said:
My wife and I are getting to that point in life where we're starting to discuss retirement plans. She told me that she wants to be in a warmer climate but she still wants the seasons. This got me thinking about the Carolinas and Georgia. I have specifically been looking at South Carolina.

After doing some initial research I have begun to focus on Anderson and Lexington Counties because of their similar demographics, lower crime, location, median house value and property taxes.

Both areas are near major Universities (Clemson and USC). I see this as a benefit. Universities help support the economy and add to the culture of the communities that surround them.

Lastly, I prefer being inland as opposed to being near the shore. I'd rather not have to deal with hurricanes directly and my thought is that by being inland a bit, it will reduce their impact.

So, now I ask the AKB for their experiences in retiring in this area and for any insights, experience or advice they might have with this type of situation or about the area in general.

Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...
My neighbor here in South Florida just sold her house and moved to Greenville, SC. She was in the same situation getting near retirement and she and her husband had been using Greenville as a base to visit Asheville, Glenville, and many other sports in the SC, NC, GA areas. They were sitting at dinner one night and realized they really enjoyed Greenville and decided to move there. She wanted good healthcare, low crime, arts and culture. Had to be near the water and found a great house right on the river there. They are very happy as they start the next chapter of their lives. I am getting to that point as well living here in South Florida. Retiring in the next 5-6 years my wife and I are starting to take long weekends all over Florida, GA and SC. Maybe NC as we have a lot of family there. We do love living in Delray Beach. Why I want to take some time and make a good decision. We are in agreement we won't be moving back north to PA or CT. For multiple reasons.
 
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L

LMTLION

All-Conference
Mar 20, 2008
1,551
3,192
112
rudedude said:
I have a former neighborhood friend who bounces between a lake house in Lake Winnipesaukee, NH and Blufton, SC. They love Blufton.
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Bouncing between those areas sounds like a really awesome life in retirement. Lake Winnipesaukee, NH up to the White Mountains is just a beautiful area of the country.
 
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razpsu

razpsu

Heisman
Jan 13, 2004
14,176
14,240
113
Nothing like the ocean breeze here in north Myrtle beach. Yes we have hurricanes. Once it blows through we are sunny and beautiful. Meanwhile a mile in all the way out to Columbia etc it is flooding out. Also very hot and humid in the middle of the state. I had one of my sports bars in Greenville when in corporate, booming town. 1.5 hours from Charlotte, 3-4 hours from beach. 2 hours from skiing, mountains in Asheville and Boone.
 
CareyFamily

CareyFamily

Freshman
Dec 6, 2025
3
53
13
I live in the foothills of North Carolina (1 hour from Charlotte). We get all 4 seasons, but not much snow. The humidity/dewpoint can make things pretty miserable during the summer, but we have a lot of lakes to cool down on. I would suggest Caldwell, McDowell, Burke, counties. If you want more mountains, Ashe, Avery, and Mitchell counties are beautiful. Avery can get more expensive, and the winters can get pretty bad because of the elevation. Watauga, where App St is, is beautiful, but you deal with a lot of college kids/culture.
I live in Catawba county, and though we love it, we are building on Lake Rhodhiss, which is a calm, clear lake on the Caldwell/Burke county line. I would also recommend Lake James which is mostly in McDowell county.
 
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CFLion

CFLion

All-Conference
May 11, 2023
413
1,040
93
Check out Aiken, SC. South Carolina’s horse country. Nice little town, across the river from Augusta, GA. Growing rapidly, partly due to Meta building a campus there.
 
LionsAndBears

LionsAndBears

All-Conference
Dec 7, 2009
2,264
4,091
113
laKavosiey-st lion said:
Where do/will your grandkids live? We’re super happy moving from north jersey to middle DE. Airport/philly/beach/4 seasons and cheap.
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That's the biggest catch. I'm over here in Reading but 1 year ago my son picked up and moved my grandkids to Pittsburgh. My wife is pretty sure she doesn't want to retire in Western PA.
 
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L

LB99

Heisman
Oct 27, 2021
10,241
14,959
113
razpsu said:
Nothing like the ocean breeze here in north Myrtle beach. Yes we have hurricanes. Once it blows through we are sunny and beautiful. Meanwhile a mile in all the way out to Columbia etc it is flooding out. Also very hot and humid in the middle of the state. I had one of my sports bars in Greenville when in corporate, booming town. 1.5 hours from Charlotte, 3-4 hours from beach. 2 hours from skiing, mountains in Asheville and Boone.
Click to expand...
I haven’t been to N Myrtle/Myrtle in a while, but I remember it being crowded and traffic was a pain. I can’t imagine it got any better. To be fair though, I was always there in July during peak season, but that 3 lane stretch from N Myrtle to Myrtle, and back, really sucked.
 
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razpsu

razpsu

Heisman
Jan 13, 2004
14,176
14,240
113
LB99 said:
I haven’t been to N Myrtle/Myrtle in a while, but I remember it being crowded and traffic was a pain. I can’t imagine it got any better. To be fair though, I was always there in July during peak season, but that 3 lane stretch from N Myrtle to Myrtle, and back, really sucked.
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Yes July busy is peak busy. There are highways now that divert traffic away from 17. Most of year it is moving very easily. As many Restaurants and hotels like Charlotte in a town like state college. Oh so nice.
 
laKavosiey-st lion

laKavosiey-st lion

Heisman
Sep 10, 2013
17,724
12,856
113
LionsAndBears said:
That's the biggest catch. I'm over here in Reading but 1 year ago my son picked up and moved my grandkids to Pittsburgh. My wife is pretty sure she doesn't want to retire in Western PA.
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I understand but personally we’re following the grandbabies, wherever they may go. I’ve lived in 5/6 different cities and spend a ton of time in LA, every area has a cool spot to live.
 
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L

LB99

Heisman
Oct 27, 2021
10,241
14,959
113
razpsu said:
Yes July busy is peak busy. There are highways now that divert traffic away from 17. Most of year it is moving very easily. As many Restaurants and hotels like Charlotte in a town like state college. Oh so nice.
Click to expand...
That’s good that they have other options besides Route 17 now. That would be maddening to live there otherwise. Nothing about that area reminds me of State College, but to each his own.
 
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J

JAS

Sophomore
Jun 29, 2001
162
162
43
Moved now going on 3 years to Sun City in Bluffton, SC from State College.. I will gladly speak with anyone 1:1 openly on my experiences.
We vacationed for decades in Sea Pines, so I was very familiar with HHI.
 
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N

Nits1989

All-Conference
Oct 29, 2021
1,304
1,871
113
Anybody spend winters in the Jacksonville FL area and the rest of the year up north? if so, how is Jacksonville FL from January thru May?
 
troutrus

troutrus

All-Conference
Oct 7, 2021
844
1,139
93
I moved to North Carolina in 1978 when the population was approx half what it is now. I enjoyed it back then because of the climate and lack of ice on the lakes in winter time. There was solitude to be found in some out of the places that now seem to be crowded even in what used to be off-season.
I live in North Central NC in a town (Eden) of about 15,000 Which is the same as when I arrived. About 40 miles from the closest city (Greensboro). Suits me, but it ain’t for everyone.
Summers seem to be getting hotter and more humid, beyond what I like for being at a beach or on a lake, so the advantage of outdoor days in winter is now offset by unbearable heat of summer.
Moving inland is not necessarily going to hide you from the effects of tropical storms. Google Hurricane Helene and its impact on the NC mountain towns.
Everyone has their own likes and dislikes. Best thing would be to spend a decent amount of time in a place and make sure ya like it before making the big move.
Good luck and hope you find what makes y‘all happy.
p.s. In my opinion, southern hospitality is B.S. Some people are nice, some are not. Same as everywhere.
 
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D

DaytonRickster

All-Conference
May 29, 2001
2,718
3,171
113
Nittany.Lion said:
Columbia, SC has brutally hot and humid summers. I've heard people call it the armpit of the US.
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We were stationed at Shaw AFB, SC, 45 miles east of Columbia. The area know as the Midlands in which Columbia sits is very hot & humid in the summer, however there are some very nice lake areas outside of Columbia. Columbia has a crossroads of interstates for travel to Charlotte, NC, Charleston, SC, Greenville, SC. Columbia is also home to a very large U.S. Army training base (Ft. Jackson) of course USCe is right inside Columbia. Anderson would be a more mild summer climate and closer to the mountains. As several have mentioned Greenville, SC is a very nice area. Charlotte, NC does have serious traffic issues and has interstate toll roads running through the several areas.
 
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84lion

84lion

All-Conference
Oct 7, 2021
856
1,500
93
I am prejudiced, having lived in Georgia for over 40 years. My wife and I live in metro Atlanta and are looking to move to north Georgia (about 2 or 3 counties north). The north Georgia mountains are beautiful. The air is clear and the weather is a bit cooler - nice in the summer yet not too much cooler in the winter. The area is getting more and more developed, but it's still mostly rural to suburban. You can find nice mountain homes with some spectacular views, including sunsets. The pace of life is a bit more mellow than in metro Atlanta. You still have access to the amenities of the Atlanta area if you desire that.
 
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