Best Places to Live in the Charleston Area From Movoto

These Are The 5 Best Places To Live Near Charleston

Whether you’re just tired of the hustle and bustle that comes with living in Charleston, you’re looking for more space to spread out, or you couldn’t find that perfect beachside cottage in the city, this list of the best places to live near Charleston will get you started.

We looked at data from the U.S. Census, AreaVibes, and business listings to find the top five. Let’s take a look at the winners.

1. Mount Pleasant

Source: The Town of Mount Pleasant, South Carolina via Facebook

Key Stats:

• Total crimes per 100k: 2,111

• Unemployment rate: 6.5 percent,

• Average commute time: 22 minutes

Mount Pleasant kicks off our list of the best suburbs of Charleston. This city is just across the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge from downtown nightlife, shopping, and entertainment. Housing options range from quaint cottages near the water to condos with amenities on site. Though Mount Pleasant is just a quick drive away from Charleston, residents looking for shopping, dining, and nightlife won’t have to leave their neighborhood. Grab a bite to eat in a creative, lively local cafe like The Pickled Palate, have an upscale New American meal at chic Graze, or grab a drink and get to know your neighbors at sports and sushi bar, Locals Bar.

Outdoor enthusiasts can spend their days on the water at beautiful Memorial Waterfront Park. Residents also enjoy convenient shopping at the open air Mount Pleasant Towne Centre.

2. Sullivan’s Island

Source: Poe’s Tavern via Facebook

Key Stats:

• Total crimes per 100k: 818

• Unemployment rate: 4.3 percent

If you can’t get enough of waterfront views, a condo in a turn of the century building or historic home on Sullivan’s Island is the perfect fit. Miles of beaches perfect for jogging, swimming, and water sports will satisfy any outdoor enthusiast.

Grab a bite at local burger bar, Poe’s Tavern, named after the author who once called the island home, or see live music at local bar and venue, The Windjammer.

With the lowest number of total crimes per 100k, Sullivan’s Island isn’t just one of the prettiest suburbs of Charleston; it’s also one of the safest.

3. Folly Beach

Source: Flickr user 22711505@N05

Key Stats:

• Unemployment rate: 5.1 percent

• Average commute time: 22 minutes

Folly Beach is another great suburb of Charleston for potential residents seeking waterfront views. Chic high rises and townhomes along the river are mixed in with oceanfront beach homes.

Outdoor enthusiasts will love walking, biking, and swimming at the scenic Folly Beach County Park’s trails and beaches, and fishing enthusiasts will flock to Folly Beach Fishing Pier.

There are a number of local eateries and bars along Folly Beach Road, including local favorites like Lost Dog Cafe, Rita’s Seaside Grille, and Black Magic Cafe, where foodies can get their fix.

4. Hanahan

Source: City of Hanahan via Facebook

Key Stats:

• Average commute time: 20 minutes

Located north of Charleston, the suburb of Hanahan may not be on the ocean, but Goose Creek Reservoir is a great spot for kayaking and bird watching. Mid-century homes on large lots give residents plenty of room to spread out.

Local eateries and bars like LG’s By the Creek provide a laid back, welcoming atmosphere for residents to relax over a good meal and drink.

Great schools like Hanahan Elementary School and Hanahan Middle School make Hanahan a good Charleston suburb for young families. Hanahan also has the lowest average commute time of any suburb we ranked, making it the perfect spot for those who work (or just love to play) in Charleston.

5. Summerville

Source: Town of Summerville, SC via Facebook

Key Stats:

• Total amenities: 3,758, the second most per capita

Summerville rounds out our list of the best places to live near Charleston with tons of amenities and attractive historic homes, from bungalows to turn of the century brick houses.

Arts and culture enthusiasts will enjoy Summerville’s public sculpture program, Sculpture in the South, or seeing a live show by the local Summerville Orchestra.

Foodies can get their fix at local restaurants like Myles and Jun Yakitori, which serves Japanese cuisine, or Perfectly Franks, which serves creative hot dogs.

The Summerville Country Club and The Club at Pine Forest provide the perfect spots to hit the links or get to know your new neighbors.

Our Methodology

To figure out which Charleston suburbs would make the cut, we took a look at the following criteria:

• Amenities per capita

• Standard of living (cost of living, median home value, median

rent, median household income, and high school graduation

rate)

• Total crimes per 100k • Unemployment rate

• Total crimes per 100k • Average commute time

After collecting data for each of the above categories, we ranked each suburb and averaged the scores. The suburbs with the five lowest overall scores made up our best places to live near Charleston.