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 67.7
Joanna, SC
1,375 residents
Home Prices $107,800
Rent $597
Cost Index 94
#2
Score 66.6
Whitmire, SC
1,241 residents
Home Prices $51,900
Rent $783
Cost Index 94
#3
Score 66.3
Fairforest, SC
1,711 residents
Home Prices $176,000
Rent $696
Cost Index 94
#4
Score 66.3
Mayo, SC
1,963 residents
Home Prices $159,200
Rent $591
Cost Index 94
#5
Score 66.3
Gayle Mill, SC
1,119 residents
Home Prices $26,800
Rent $710
Cost Index 94
#6
Score 66.2
McColl, SC
2,453 residents
Home Prices $47,100
Rent $480
Cost Index 94
#7
Score 66
Pelion, SC
1,147 residents
Home Prices $148,400
Rent $850
Cost Index 94
#8
Score 65.7
Conestee, SC
1,175 residents
Home Prices $211,600
Rent $952
Cost Index 94
#9
Score 65.6
New Ellenton, SC
2,604 residents
Home Prices $164,900
Rent $695
Cost Index 94
#10
Score 65.5
Jackson, SC
1,782 residents
Home Prices $192,000
Rent $540
Cost Index 94
#11
Score 65.5
Bishopville, SC
2,958 residents
Home Prices $105,400
Rent $554
Cost Index 94
#12
Score 65.5
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 67.7
2 Whitmire SC 66.6
3 Fairforest SC 66.3
4 Mayo SC 66.3
5 Gayle Mill SC 66.3
6 McColl SC 66.2
7 Pelion SC 66
8 Conestee SC 65.7
9 New Ellenton SC 65.6
10 Jackson SC 65.5
11 Bishopville SC 65.5
12 Lamar SC 65.5
13 Marion SC 65.3
14 Pacolet SC 65.2
15 Calhoun Falls SC 65.2
16 Cottageville SC 65
17 Abbeville SC 64.8
18 Monarch Mill SC 64.4
19 Gaston SC 64.1
20 Kershaw SC 64.1
21 East Gaffney SC 64
22 Williamston SC 63.8
23 Ridgeland SC 63.7
24 Fairfax SC 63.5
25 Bennettsville SC 63.4
26 Williston SC 63.3
27 Yemassee SC 63.2
28 Edmund SC 63
29 Laurens SC 62.8
30 St. Stephen SC 62.8
31 Saluda SC 62.7
32 Loris SC 62.7
33 South Congaree SC 62.6
34 Walhalla SC 62.5
35 Whitney SC 62.5
36 Northlake SC 62.4
37 Roebuck SC 62.2
38 Woodruff SC 62.1
39 Belton SC 62
40 Honea Path SC 62
41 McCormick SC 62
42 Prosperity SC 61.9
43 Kingstree SC 61.8
44 Cowpens SC 61.8
45 Jonesville SC 61.7
46 Allendale SC 61.6
47 Pickens SC 61.5
48 Lugoff SC 61.4
49 Westminster SC 61.4
50 Slater-Marietta SC 61.2

Joanna, SC tops the list with a composite score of 67.7 out of 100, followed by Whitmire and Fairforest. 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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