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Best Cities for Families in South Carolina

Strong schools, low crime, affordable homes and family-friendly commutes.

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.

Schools · 25% Safety · 20% Home Affordability · 15% Low Poverty · 10% Jobs · 10% Short Commute · 10% Education · 10%

Top 12 Families Cities in South Carolina

Ranked by composite score across 7 weighted metrics.

#1
Score 86.3
Newport, SC
4,142 residents
Schools 5.9
Safety 46/100K
Home Affordability $310,300
#2
Score 85
Central, SC
5,299 residents
Schools 5.5
Safety 19/100K
Home Affordability $228,500
#3
Score 85
Clemson, SC
17,759 residents
Schools 5.5
Safety 182/100K
Home Affordability $359,100
#4
Score 84.6
Due West, SC
1,185 residents
Schools 6.0
Safety 0/100K
Home Affordability $178,500
#5
Score 83.9
Five Forks, SC
19,093 residents
Schools 5.5
Safety 181/100K
Home Affordability $424,600
#6
Score 83.4
Pendleton, SC
3,542 residents
Schools 5.6
Safety 181/100K
Home Affordability $236,900
#7
Score 83.1
Wellford, SC
3,432 residents
Schools 5.5
Safety 37/100K
Home Affordability $217,700
#8
Score 83
Keowee Key, SC
3,307 residents
Schools 5.5
Safety 377/100K
Home Affordability $512,000
#9
Score 82.9
Travelers Rest, SC
8,137 residents
Schools 5.5
Safety 94/100K
Home Affordability $281,400
#10
Score 82.8
Surfside Beach, SC
4,217 residents
Schools 5.7
Safety 167/100K
Home Affordability $412,100
#11
Score 82.5
Simpsonville, SC
25,125 residents
Schools 5.5
Safety 194/100K
Home Affordability $267,500
#12
Score 82.5
Mauldin, SC
25,985 residents
Schools 5.5
Safety 224/100K
Home Affordability $242,100

Full Ranking, South Carolina

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

1 Newport SC 86.3
2 Central SC 85
3 Clemson SC 85
4 Due West SC 84.6
5 Five Forks SC 83.9
6 Pendleton SC 83.4
7 Wellford SC 83.1
8 Keowee Key SC 83
9 Travelers Rest SC 82.9
10 Surfside Beach SC 82.8
11 Simpsonville SC 82.5
12 Mauldin SC 82.5
13 Reidville SC 82.5
14 Port Royal SC 82.4
15 Mount Pleasant SC 82.3
16 Sans Souci SC 82.1
17 Duncan SC 82
18 Lexington SC 82
19 Golden Grove SC 81.8
20 North Myrtle Beach SC 81.5
21 Greer SC 81.4
22 Charleston SC 81.1
23 James Island SC 81.1
24 Greenville SC 80.8
25 Sangaree SC 80.8
26 Ridgeville SC 80.7
27 Arial SC 80.7
28 St. George SC 80.5
29 Summerville SC 80.5
30 West Columbia SC 80.3
31 Rock Hill SC 80
32 Hilton Head Island SC 80
33 South Congaree SC 79.8
34 Bluffton SC 79.8
35 Isle of Palms SC 79.7
36 Red Bank SC 79.6
37 Calhoun Falls SC 79.6
38 Shell Point SC 79.4
39 Wade Hampton SC 79.4
40 Berea SC 79.3
41 White Knoll SC 79.3
42 Fountain Inn SC 79.3
43 Taylors SC 79.1
44 Litchfield Beach SC 79
45 Forest Acres SC 79
46 Ladson SC 78.9
47 Pelion SC 78.9
48 Lyman SC 78.9
49 Oak Grove SC 78.7
50 Easley SC 78.7

Newport, SC tops the list with a composite score of 86.3 out of 100, followed by Central and Clemson. SC dominates the top 12 with 12 cities, reflecting strong performance across the weighted metrics for families.

Rankings combine 7 independent metrics: Schools, Safety, Home Affordability, Low Poverty, Jobs, Short Commute, Education. Cities are weighted to reflect what matters most to families, 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 Young Professionals
High incomes, educated peers, transit access and an under-35 demographic.
Most Affordable Cities
The lowest cost of living across home prices, rent, services and rent burden.

Related Single-Metric Rankings

Safest Cities → Most Affordable → Most Educated →