Best Places to Retire in South Carolina

Beaufort’s waterfront park at sunset, the marsh and river beyond the lawn

Hilton Head Island and Bluffton, Beaufort, Mount Pleasant, Pawleys Island, Aiken and Greenville are all good places to retire in South Carolina, and they differ most in price and in how far they are from the coast. A house on Hilton Head Island asks about $1.65 million; a typical home in Aiken is worth about $260,000.

Best Places to Retire in South Carolina

Hilton Head Island

Beach, golf and care on one island

Houses on the island ask a median of $1.65 million and condos $439,000, the most on this list. Thirteen senior-living communities, health centers and care programs sit on the island. See moving to Hilton Head and senior living on the island.

Bluffton

Priced below the island, 20 minutes inland

Homes in Bluffton ask a median of $635,000. Five 55+ communities sit within half an hour of the Hilton Head bridges, and the town’s first hospital is due to take patients in early 2027. See is Bluffton a good place to live.

Sun City Hilton Head

A 55-and-over community with its own golf

Del Webb’s gated community in the Bluffton area has three golf courses for residents and over 100 clubs, and homes there ask a median of $481,000. Compare it with four others on 55+ communities in Bluffton.

Beaufort

A historic waterfront town 33 miles away

Downtown Beaufort is a National Historic District, and Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, Parris Island and Naval Hospital Beaufort make it a long-time favorite of military retirees. It is 33 miles from downtown to the Hilton Head bridges. Read a day in Beaufort.

Mount Pleasant and Charleston

City medicine and dining, 100 miles north

Mount Pleasant has about 95,600 residents and sits across the Cooper River from Charleston, home of MUSC, the state’s academic medical center. Charleston is about 100 miles, two hours by car, from Hilton Head. See a day in Charleston.

Pawleys Island

Quiet marsh and beach, with golf

Pawleys Island sits on the south end of the Grand Strand, roughly 25 to 30 miles south of Myrtle Beach and about 70 miles north of Charleston. It is a smaller, quieter coast than Hilton Head, with Myrtle Beach’s airport about 35 to 45 minutes away.

Aiken

Inland horse country at the lowest prices here

A typical home in Aiken is valued near $260,000. The 2,100-acre Hitchcock Woods sits inside the city, with trails open free from dawn to dusk for walkers and riders. There is no beach.

Greenville

A big Upstate city at the edge of the mountains

Greenville County has about 570,700 residents, and about 17% of them are 65 or older. It is a full city with a large hospital system, and it is inland, well away from the coast.

How the Towns Differ

Price is the widest gap. A house on Hilton Head Island asks about $1.65 million and one in Bluffton about $635,000, while Aiken and Greenville cost a fraction of that. You pay for the beach, the golf and the gated communities, and for owning on the coast: wind and flood cover cost more there, so price the insurance before you make an offer (see insurance near Hilton Head).

Hilton Head is the one on this list with a beach, golf and a hospital on the same island, and Bluffton and Sun City put the same amenities within half an hour. Beaufort and Pawleys Island are smaller and quieter; Mount Pleasant and Greenville are cities. Aiken and Greenville are inland, and Aiken is the cheapest. If you plan to buy in a 55+ community, start with the five around Bluffton.

What South Carolina Takes Off for Retirees

The state taxes are the same in every South Carolina town. For 2026, South Carolina doesn’t tax Social Security, and from age 65 you can deduct up to $15,000 a year of other income, less any retirement-income deduction you take. Details are on South Carolina retirement taxes.

Property tax is where the county matters. A home you live in is assessed at 4% of its value instead of 6%, and at 65 the homestead exemption takes the first $50,000 of value off the rolls. In Beaufort County, which covers Hilton Head, Bluffton and Beaufort, you apply to the Assessor for the 4% rate. See Beaufort County property taxes.

Health Care and Senior Living

Check where the nearest hospital and your specialists are before you choose a town, and check which Medicare plans cover them. Hilton Head’s care options are on senior living on Hilton Head Island, and the dates and choices at 65 are on Medicare on Hilton Head.

Frequently Asked Questions

Updated October 2026

What is the best place to retire in South Carolina?

It depends on budget and how close you want to be to the water. Hilton Head Island and Bluffton put beaches, golf and a hospital in one area; Beaufort and Pawleys Island are smaller coastal towns; Mount Pleasant and Greenville are cities; and Aiken costs the least.

Is South Carolina a good state to retire in?

Yes for taxes. South Carolina doesn’t tax Social Security, it lets you deduct up to $15,000 of other income from age 65, and it taxes an owner-occupied home at 4% of its value instead of 6%.

What is the cheapest place to retire in South Carolina?

The inland towns cost the least. A typical home in Aiken is valued near $260,000, against more than $1 million for a house on Hilton Head Island.

Is Hilton Head a good place to retire?

Yes, if you want beaches, golf and care close together. It is the most expensive town on this list, and owning on the coast means paying for wind and flood insurance.

Are there 55+ communities in South Carolina?

Yes. Five sit on the Bluffton side of the Hilton Head bridges: Sun City Hilton Head, Latitude Margaritaville, two Four Seasons neighborhoods and The Haven at New Riverside.

How do I get the lower property tax rate when I retire to South Carolina?

Apply once to your county Assessor for the 4% legal-residence rate after you move in. At 65, apply to the county Auditor for the homestead exemption, which takes the first $50,000 of value off the tax rolls.