The short answer: California lost 239,575 residents to net domestic migration in a single year — the largest outflow of any state. South Carolina's income tax tops out at 5.21% as of 2026, the median homeowner pays $1,337 in property tax, Social Security isn't taxed, and there's no estate tax. It was the fastest-growing state in the nation in 2025. The honest trade-offs are below.
| Income tax (top rate) | California 13.3% (14.4% counting the payroll surcharge) — the highest in the nation · South Carolina 5.21% |
|---|---|
| Social Security | Not taxed by South Carolina |
| Estate tax | South Carolina has none |
| Movers to SC (2024) | 8,700 people — #5 origin state |
Sources: Census ACS 2024, Tax Foundation, SC Dept. of Revenue, MERIC Q1 2026, NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Census state-to-state flows.
| SC income tax (2026) | 1.99% under $30,000 · 5.21% above, minus $966 |
|---|---|
| SC deduction | $15,000 single · $22,500 head of household · $30,000 married filing jointly |
| Social Security | Fully exempt from SC income tax |
| Retirement income | Up to $10,000/yr deduction at 65+, plus a $15,000 age-65 deduction |
| Military retirement | 100% exempt at any age |
| Estate / inheritance tax | None |
| Sales tax | 6% state · 7.49% average combined · groceries exempt from the state rate |
| Property tax (median paid) | $1,337 vs $3,211 nationally |
South Carolina assesses an owner-occupied legal residence at 4% of fair market value; second homes and rentals are assessed at 6%. Homes at the 4% ratio are also exempt from 100% of school operating millage under Act 388 — usually the single biggest line on the bill. Spartanburg County's own worked example on a $100,000 property: $609.60 a year at 4% versus $2,132.40 at 6%.
It is not automatic. You must file a legal residence application with your county assessor before the first penalty date for the tax year you're claiming. One property at a time, and no household member may claim it elsewhere.
Budget for the vehicle tax. South Carolina charges an annual county property tax on vehicles (6% ratio × local millage), payable before the DMV will renew your registration. Buying a car carries a 5% Infrastructure Maintenance Fee capped at $500, and bringing an already-registered vehicle into the state costs a flat $250. Northeast movers are routinely blindsided by this one.
| Charleston (coast) | Jan 60°/39°F · Jul 91°/74°F · 0.3" snow/yr · 266-day growing season |
|---|---|
| Columbia (midlands) | Jan 57°/35°F · Jul 93°/72°F · 1.2" snow/yr · 229-day growing season |
| Greenville (upstate) | Jan 53°/32°F · Jul 90°/69°F · 3.9" snow/yr · 224-day growing season |
South Carolina recorded 30 hurricane strikes between 1851 and 2010 — about one every 5.3 years — including six major hurricanes and zero Category 5 strikes, roughly a quarter of Florida's count. Risk is concentrated on the coast; all three Project Hometown SC towns are inland or near-coastal rather than oceanfront. Check the FEMA flood zone of any specific address. Source: NOAA.
We publish these because a relocation page that only lists upsides isn't useful to someone making a six-figure life decision — and because you'd find them anyway.
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 →
About 8,700 people moved from California to South Carolina in 2024 according to Census state-to-state migration flows, making it SC's number 5 origin state.
On the two biggest lines, almost certainly. South Carolina's top income tax rate is 5.21% as of 2026 versus California's 13.3% (14.4% counting the payroll surcharge) — the highest in the nation. Social Security is fully exempt and there's no estate or inheritance tax. But claim the 4% owner-occupied ratio — it isn't automatic — and budget for South Carolina's annual vehicle property tax, which most Californians don't expect.
Charleston averages 0.3 inches of snow a year, Columbia 1.2, Greenville 3.9. Outside January, every South Carolina monthly normal is 0.0 inches. Charleston's growing season runs 266 days.
Three honest ones. Unemployment in South Carolina is currently above the national rate (about 4.4–4.6% vs 4.2%). Summers are genuinely hot and humid, and because of air conditioning the average power bill runs slightly higher than the national average even though the rate is lower. And rural healthcare access is thin — SC hasn't expanded Medicaid and has 111 primary-care shortage-area designations.
If you want a small town rather than a metro, Project Hometown SC works in three: Cheraw, Hartsville and Walterboro. Each will connect you with a resident ambassador who answers questions honestly — apply on that town's own community site.
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.