Straight answers about the program, the ambassadors, and where to apply.
Applications are handled on each town's own community site, run by that local team. Pick your community below — that's the fastest route to a real conversation.
A two-year community relocation and recruitment program of Main Street South Carolina (itself a program of the Municipal Association of South Carolina). It connects people considering a move South with three small South Carolina towns — Cheraw, Hartsville and Walterboro — and with residents who'll answer honest questions and help you land.
It's funded by a $305,000 grant from the Southeast Crescent Regional Commission plus matching support from partners and the towns. More on the background and funding →
No. There's no cost to apply or to be matched with an ambassador. This is a grant-funded public program, not a relocation service that charges fees.
Three: Cheraw (Chesterfield County), Hartsville (Darlington County), and Walterboro (Colleton County). Each runs its own program with its own ambassadors and its own website.
No — completely unrelated. Project Hometown SC is a relocation program of Main Street South Carolina. Belk, Inc. operates a separate charitable giving program that uses a similar name. We are not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by Belk.
On the community site for the town you're interested in — that's where each local team receives applications:
Not sure which town yet? Read the background pages here first, then apply where it fits.
Three steps:
A resident volunteer — business owners, principals, nurses, chamber presidents, retirees. They're not recruiters or agents. Their job is to tell you what living there is actually like, including the drawbacks, and to introduce you to people and places once you arrive. Read 19 of their stories →
No. Applying starts a conversation, not a commitment. Plenty of people apply while they're still deciding whether a move South makes sense — and some conclude it doesn't. That's a legitimate outcome.
Project Hometown SC's role is connection and support — ambassadors, introductions, and help navigating a new town. We don't publish a cash relocation incentive here because we'd rather not overstate it. If a specific town offers any incentive, that town's team is the accurate source — ask them directly through the community site.
The overall cost of living index is 91.9 against a national 100, but the advantage is almost entirely housing (79.8 — about 20% below national). Groceries, utilities and healthcare are all within about three points of average. The bigger lever is usually property tax: the median SC homeowner pays $1,337 versus $9,358 in New Jersey and $3,211 nationally. Full breakdown with sources →
Social Security is fully exempt. At 65+ you can also deduct up to $10,000 of other retirement income plus a $15,000 age-65 deduction, military retirement is 100% exempt at any age, and there's no estate or inheritance tax. Details →
Winters are mild: Columbia averages 1.2 inches of snow a year against Boston's 49.2 and Buffalo's 95.4. Charleston's growing season runs 266 days. The honest trade-off is summer — July average highs run 90–93°F with real humidity, and air conditioning means South Carolina power bills average slightly above the national average even though the rate is lower.
South Carolina recorded 30 hurricane strikes between 1851 and 2010 — roughly one every 5.3 years — with 6 major hurricanes and zero Category 5 strikes, about a quarter of Florida's count. Risk is concentrated on the coast; check the FEMA flood zone for any specific address. More →
South Carolina has $551.5 million in federal BEAD broadband funding, after a completed $400M state effort that connected 112,380+ locations. But availability is address-specific — check the FCC broadband map for any property before committing, and ask your ambassador what their own service is actually like.
Each town's own site is where you apply and meet your ambassador.