The short answer: three South Carolina towns — Cheraw, Hartsville and Walterboro — run a structured program that pairs prospective residents with a local ambassador, hosts you for a visit, and helps you settle in. County median home values run $116,200 to $162,500. What follows is how they actually differ.
| Cheraw | Chesterfield County · ~5,000 people · county median home value $116,200 · 7,361-acre state park · Dizzy Gillespie's birthplace · new $45M hospital under construction |
|---|---|
| Hartsville | Darlington County · ~7,400 people · county median home value $158,200 · Sonoco (Fortune 500) HQ · Coker University · public STEM school Niche ranked #1 in SC |
| Walterboro | Colleton County · ~5,500 people · county median home value $162,500 · 50 miles to Charleston · 600-acre wildlife sanctuary in town · 135-bed hospital |
Read the detail on each: Cheraw · Hartsville · Walterboro.
South Carolina was the fastest-growing state in the nation in 2025, gaining 66,622 people through net domestic migration. But the number that matters for small towns is this: of the $9.12 billion in capital investment announced in 2025, 46% went to rural counties, along with 44% of the 8,100+ new jobs — the highest rural share since 2010.
Combine that with the property tax structure — a $1,337 median bill statewide, the 4% owner-occupied ratio, and the school-millage exemption — and small-town South Carolina is unusually well-positioned relative to its size.
Project Hometown SC is a two-year initiative of Main Street South Carolina, funded by a $305,000 Southeast Crescent Regional Commission grant with matching support from partners and the towns. It's free to apply.
Three steps: apply and connect with a resident ambassador for an honest conversation; visit the town with that ambassador as your guide; and if it fits, make the move with introductions and networks already in place. More on the funding and partners →
Project Hometown SC works in three South Carolina communities. Each runs its own program, with its own resident ambassadors and its own application — those community sites are where you apply.
Living history on the Pee Dee — a 7,361-acre state park, Dizzy Gillespie's birthplace, and county median home values around $116,200.
A Fortune 500 headquarters, a university downtown, and a public STEM school Niche ranked #1 in South Carolina.
The Front Porch of the Lowcountry — an hour from Charleston, with a 600-acre wild sanctuary inside the city limits.
Not ready to apply? Read our background pages first: Cheraw · Hartsville · Walterboro
Have a question about the overall program rather than one town? Ask us directly →
Three towns currently run a structured recruitment program with resident ambassadors: Cheraw (Chesterfield County), Hartsville (Darlington County) and Walterboro (Colleton County). County median home values range from $116,200 to $162,500, and each pairs applicants with a local who answers questions honestly and hosts a visit.
Of the three, Cheraw — Chesterfield County's median owner-occupied home value is $116,200, against $158,200 in Darlington County (Hartsville) and $162,500 in Colleton County (Walterboro). All three are well under the US median of $332,700.
Hartsville is home to the South Carolina Governor's School for Science and Mathematics — a tuition-free public residential high school for grades 11–12 that Niche ranked #1 in South Carolina and #4 nationally in 2025 (admission is competitive and limited to SC residents). For district schools, check current ratings on the state's report cards.
Walterboro — 50 miles to Charleston International Airport (116 daily flights), about an hour to both Charleston and Savannah, with two I-95 exits into downtown.
No. Project Hometown SC is a grant-funded public program — there's no cost to apply or to be matched with an ambassador.
Pick a community and a resident ambassador reaches out for a real conversation — no pitch, just questions and answers. Applications are handled on each town's own site.