June 12, 2009

Why It's Cheaper To Retire Or Relocate To South Carolina

Don't get me wrong…

I'm not saying it's cheaper to retire or relocate to South Carolina than North Carolina, although that's probably the case.

I'm saying it's cheaper, okay, less expensive to retire or relocate to South Carolina than many places in the United States.

Wanna' know Why?

There's quite a few reasons it's cheaper to relocate or retire to South Carolina.

First of all, land is available and affordable. Like anything else. It's a matter of supply and demand.

South Carolina doesn't have a lot of major, densely populated urban areas. There's many small towns and rural areas, surrounded by beautiful, open, available, and affordable land.

The cost to build a home to retire to in South Carolina is approximately $80-100 per square foot, and now builder's are even more competitive with their pricing.

If you construct a "manufactured" house, which is not the same as a "mobile" home, you can do even better. There are many areas in the U.S., where the cost to build a home is $200 per square foot and more.

The average home price in South Carolina is approximately $191,000, compared to the U.S. average of approximately $225,000.

South Carolina is an at-will employment state which means you don't have to hire more expensive union labor.

Developers are usually charged "impact fees", which are the fees charged by municipalities to pay for the costs of supplying the infrastructure (sewer, water, new roads, etc.) to new developments.

These fees are usually lower or not charged at all in South Carolina, because developments are built just off existing roads, and use septic systems and wells.

And lastly, South Carolina is cheaper to relocate or retire to than many other places, because its Cost of Living Index is approximately 80 which is quite lower than the national average of 100.

The new edition of "America's Best Low-Tax Retirement Towns" compares the total tax burden for retirees in 203 cities across the country.

Of 90 tax "heavens", those towns with the lowest overall taxes, five cities were in South Carolina. They included Charleston, Hilton Head, Clemson, Myrtle Beach, and Beaufort.

So, those are some of the reasons why it's cheaper to retire or relocate to South Carolina.

Take a look at some of the Best Places To Live in South Carolina.

About Bob Bencivenga

Bob Bencivenga is a professional site locator and location analyst for major corporations and has been researching the growth of NC and SC to find the Best Places to Retire or Relocate that are still affordable.

Visit his blog The Carolina Report and sign up for FREE updates by email,his FREE Affordable Best Places To Live Report and, get FREE Expert Advice on how to find Your Best Place to Retire or Relocate to in North Carolina and South Carolina, additional resources, and a lot more.

Bob does not sell real estate.