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Most Affordable Cities in South Carolina

The lowest cost of living across home prices, rent, services and rent burden.

Retirees Remote Workers Families Young Professionals Affordability All Rankings →
All United States  ·  South Carolina

How We Score

Each metric is normalized 0-100 across U.S. cities, then weighted and summed. Cities missing any metric are excluded.

Home Prices · 30% Rent · 20% Cost Index · 25% Rent Burden · 15% Jobs · 10%

Top 12 Affordability Cities in South Carolina

Ranked by composite score across 5 weighted metrics.

#1
Score 67.9
Joanna, SC
1,375 residents
Home Prices $107,800
Rent $597
Cost Index 94
#2
Score 67.8
Fairforest, SC
1,711 residents
Home Prices $176,000
Rent $696
Cost Index 94
#3
Score 67.4
Whitmire, SC
1,241 residents
Home Prices $51,900
Rent $783
Cost Index 94
#4
Score 67.1
McColl, SC
2,453 residents
Home Prices $47,100
Rent $480
Cost Index 94
#5
Score 66.5
Mayo, SC
1,963 residents
Home Prices $159,200
Rent $591
Cost Index 94
#6
Score 66.3
Gayle Mill, SC
1,119 residents
Home Prices $26,800
Rent $710
Cost Index 94
#7
Score 66.2
New Ellenton, SC
2,604 residents
Home Prices $164,900
Rent $695
Cost Index 94
#8
Score 66.2
Pelion, SC
1,147 residents
Home Prices $148,400
Rent $850
Cost Index 94
#9
Score 66
Marion, SC
6,338 residents
Home Prices $119,400
Rent $624
Cost Index 94
#10
Score 65.9
Jackson, SC
1,782 residents
Home Prices $192,000
Rent $540
Cost Index 94
#11
Score 65.8
Bishopville, SC
2,958 residents
Home Prices $105,400
Rent $554
Cost Index 94
#12
Score 65.8
Lamar, SC
1,446 residents
Home Prices $112,700
Rent $947
Cost Index 94

Full Ranking, South Carolina

Top 50 cities. Click any city to see its full profile.

1 Joanna SC 67.9
2 Fairforest SC 67.8
3 Whitmire SC 67.4
4 McColl SC 67.1
5 Mayo SC 66.5
6 Gayle Mill SC 66.3
7 New Ellenton SC 66.2
8 Pelion SC 66.2
9 Marion SC 66
10 Jackson SC 65.9
11 Bishopville SC 65.8
12 Lamar SC 65.8
13 Conestee SC 65.7
14 Pacolet SC 65.7
15 Monarch Mill SC 65.6
16 Calhoun Falls SC 65.3
17 Abbeville SC 65.3
18 Cottageville SC 65.3
19 Fairfax SC 64.9
20 Bennettsville SC 64.8
21 Edmund SC 64.7
22 Yemassee SC 64.5
23 East Gaffney SC 64.4
24 Kershaw SC 64.3
25 Williamston SC 64.3
26 Ridgeland SC 64.2
27 Gaston SC 64.2
28 St. Stephen SC 63.8
29 Williston SC 63.8
30 Walhalla SC 63.4
31 Kingstree SC 63.3
32 Honea Path SC 63.2
33 Laurens SC 63.2
34 Loris SC 63.1
35 Saluda SC 63
36 McCormick SC 62.9
37 Northlake SC 62.7
38 South Congaree SC 62.7
39 Westminster SC 62.6
40 Whitney SC 62.5
41 Privateer SC 62.5
42 Belton SC 62.4
43 Jonesville SC 62.4
44 Allendale SC 62.4
45 Prosperity SC 62.4
46 Woodruff SC 62.4
47 Roebuck SC 62.3
48 Cowpens SC 62.1
49 Newberry SC 61.9
50 Slater-Marietta SC 61.8

Joanna, SC tops the list with a composite score of 67.9 out of 100, followed by Fairforest and Whitmire. SC dominates the top 12 with 12 cities, reflecting strong performance across the weighted metrics for affordability.

Rankings combine 5 independent metrics: Home Prices, Rent, Cost Index, Rent Burden, Jobs. Cities are weighted to reflect what matters most to affordability, and any city missing one or more metrics is excluded to avoid artificially inflated rankings.

Explore Other Best Cities Rankings

Best Cities for Retirees
Low crime, warm climate, affordable cost of living and strong healthcare access.
Best Cities for Remote Workers
Strong broadband, affordable rent, low traffic and existing remote-work culture.
Best Cities for Families
Strong schools, low crime, affordable homes and family-friendly commutes.
Best Cities for Young Professionals
High incomes, educated peers, transit access and an under-35 demographic.

Related Single-Metric Rankings

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