The Coastline of the Carolinas – Some of the Best Places to Live
It’s summertime, and for many of us that means heading to the beach for a little sun, sand, surf and, perhaps, a little solitude.
Now what if you’re the kind of person who wants to do more than visit?
Maybe you’re looking out at that deep blue water breathing in the salty sea air and saying to yourself …" my best place lies somewhere here, somewhere near the ocean."
If this is you, then this week you’re in luck because we’re going to look at some of our best places to live, retire or relocate to on the North Carolina and South Carolina coasts; some the most beautiful and unique places you’ll find anywhere in the United States.
Before we get started it might be a good time to describe the basic “lay of the land” as it were.
The Atlantic coastal plain, including both North Carolina and South Carolina, consists primarily of sandy beaches and is very, very flat. In fact, much of the coastline of both states isn’t more than 20 feet above sea level.
Also you’ll find in both North Carolina and South Carolina that the areas near the coast have historically been devoted to farming. This means they hold a great many small to medium size towns many of which are good buys for people like yourselves looking to retire or relocate to the Carolinas coasts.
North Carolina has two coastal plains, an inner and an outer.
The outer plain is marked by a long line of barrier islands we know as the Outer Banks with beautiful white sandy beaches and distinctive sand dunes while the inner plain is marked by marshlands and large freshwater estuaries. These inland rivers and estuaries are home to many of our best places to retire or relocate in North Carolina, the largest of which is probably Wilmington, NC at just over 90,000 people.
By contrast, most of our best places on the coast are like:
and the sleepy little fishing village of Oriental, NC
All these best places are quite small and thankfully not totally overrun with tourists.
Another best place just off the coast south of Wilmington is Bald Head Island with its natural beauty, recreation opportunities and small planned communities.
The South Carolina coast is split between the long flat uninterrupted beaches in the north that make Myrtle Beach, SC a top draw for both tourists and newcomers and the tranquil low country creeks and salt marshes that dominate its southern coast around best places like Beaufort, SC down to Savannah, GA.
In the areas in between you’ll find extraordinary inland tidal rivers and beautiful natural bays that are home to major cities like Charleston, SC but also quaint little historical towns like Murrels Inlet and Georgetown, SC, one of my favorite best places in South Carolina.
Most interesting are the many sea islands that dot the South Carolina coast.
Here is where you’ll find the really popular local beaches like:
Kiawah Island and Johns and James Islands around Charleston.
And of course our famed best place, Hilton Head Island, SC further south.
Also, keep an eye out for our favorite small tranquil sea island community of Pawleys Island not far from Myrtle Beach.
So many best places and so little time.
When looking for your best place in North Carolina and South Carolina, you can’t go wrong checking out the coast!
About Bob Bencivenga
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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. |
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