February 17, 2012

Columbia SC One Mission One Message One Columbia Best Place To Live In South Carolina

For some time now we’ve been visiting the best places to live in North Carolina and South Carolina for relocation and retirement and dividing them up according to population size.

Today we take another step up and look at the best places to live in NC and SC with populations between 100,000 and 150,000 people.

For some of you that’s not very big for a town or city but trust me in North Carolina, and especially South Carolina, you’re talking about a pretty large urban area with most of the services and amenities you’d come expect in a larger city.

“Small-town charm” is probably not what you’re going to find in these best places or even look for in these towns and cities but that’s okay because they have a lot of other things to offer that I think you’ll appreciate.

And when your considering a place for your retirement or relocation, there may be a lot more you'll want to have than “Small-town charm.”

To kick things off we’re going to visit one of my favorite best places in South Carolina, Columbia, SC population 129, 272.

Columbia, SC is the capital of South Carolina and also its largest city.

Sitting not far from the geographical center of South Carolina where the Broad and Saluda rivers come together to form the Congaree river, Columbia is located in an area of South Carolina’s central Piedmont region.

This region is often referred to as “the Midlands” precisely because it’s the midway point between the coastal Low Country and mountainous Upcountry, or Upstate, portions of the state.

Columbia, SC is a special place for a number of reasons not least of which is that it is a government town and thus the kind of place that attracts a diverse and professional workforce and tends to enjoy a fairly stable local economy even in challenging economic times.

I also like to point out that Columbia is a college town and home to not only the University of South Carolina but nine other smaller colleges and technical schools which means a lot of young people and a vibrant social and economic scene. It also means that culturally education is a big deal here and as with other college towns you’ll see that translate into support for education and quality local school systems.

While state government, the university and nearby military base, Fort Jackson are major parts of the local economy, you’ll find that this best place to live in South Carolina is also home to several major medical centers. Additionally, high tech manufacturing firms, energy companies, pharmaceutical companies, insurance firms, transport companies and a variety of other firms that do business worldwide.

This means jobs and business opportunities to you in South Carolina.

And don’t worry about access or transportation because one of the benefits of being right smack dab in the middle of the state is that Columbia has long been a transportation hub so you’ll find several major national and state highways converge on the city, railroad lines with Amtrak service to much of the East Coast and the nearby Columbia Metropolitan Airport providing mostly express air service to different parts of the country.

If you couldn’t already tell, Columbia, SC has a lot to offer you and frankly it’s a beautiful place to live.

I’ve always been impressed with the wonderful mix of old and new. Columbia has done a lot of work in the last twenty years.

Columbia SC has spent a lot of time on revitalizing the downtown area so you see beautiful historic buildings mixed in with a new state of the art convention center or what used to be old warehouses turned into art galleries, restaurants and shopping boutiques.

Columbia has a lot of distinct and vibrant neighborhoods and strong communities.

You'll love the tree-lined streets and old Victorian homes in Elmwood Park near downtown, or perhaps your best place to live is in the upscale subdivisions like Longcreek in the northeastern part of town.

However, if your best place to live is a bit more suburban there are fast growing residential neighborhoods in the northwestern part of town.

Not surprisingly there is a lot to do in Columbia, SC. Whether taking in a variety of museums, enjoying a nationally ranked zoo, exploring a very active arts and cultural scene with venues that run from small theaters to stately opera houses and large scale arenas and auditoriums there is something for everyone.

As with most all cities and towns in South Carolina and North Carolina, if you enjoy the great outdoors then you’re in luck because the area around Columbia, SC is full of outdoor recreational opportunities.

Be it hitting the links on one of Columbia's many golf courses, rafting one of the local rivers, hiking in nearby Congaree Swamp National Park or taking in the fishing and watersport fun out on beautiful Lake Murray there's lots to do.

While Columbia, SC provides wonderful recreational, cultural and educational opportunities what makes people choose Columbia as their best place to live in South Carolina is a very affordable housing market.

Housing can be found at fairly reasonable rates. And, a lot of Columbia residents are renters so you’ll find renting is a good option.

Okay, I gotta go but we’ll meet again next week when we look at another best place in North Carolina or South Carolina with a population between 100,000 and 150,000 people!

For more info on Columbia, SC and other best places in South Carolina, check out our SC Best Places. Learn about your best living in South Carolina for your retirement or relocation.

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.