As most of you know by now, I love the mountains.
Especially the mountains of North Carolina.
This week, I have a real treat for you (and me) as we move north and west to the mountain region of North Carolina.
If your looking for a small town to relocate or retire to, you should know the North Carolina mountain region - for reasons of geography and history – has very few towns or cities with populations over 15,000 people.
In fact, before the expansion of roads and more modern means of transportation, there used to be towns so small and remote in this part of North Carolina that local people joked that you “had to be born there to get there.”
On the other hand this area also used to be the place where coastal Carolinian's went to escape the summer heat.
There isn't any wonder why many of my favorite best places to live in the North Carolina Mountains are old time resort towns that have long enjoyed a nice blend of traditional mountain culture with a more forward looking cosmopolitan vibe.
There are so many opportunities and reasons why people are deciding to relocate and retire to live in the North Carolina mountain region.
- Affordable housing
- Low cost of living
- Moderate climate
- Beautiful mountain vistas
- Captivating waterfalls
- Art colonies
- College towns
- Wide variety of outdoor recreational opportunities
These are just a few of the reasons people give for moving to the North Carolina Mountain region.
So let’s look at some of my favorite small towns and cities with population of less than 30,000 in the North Carolina Mountains.
The town of Boone, NC has a population 13, 945 and is nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains in northwestern North Carolina.
Boone has a great combination of a lot of the things I look for when determining a North Carolina or South Carolina best place.
First, Boone is a college town which means you’ll find …
- Affordable housing
- Economic stability
- Cosmopolitan mix of people
- Lifelong learning opportunities
- Wide variety of civic and cultural events
Second, there’s a lot to do in and around Boone, NC.
I’ve already mentioned all the things the Appalachian State brings to the table, but there really aren’t a lot of places you can spend part of the day hanging out downtown or taking in a museum and the rest of the day skiing, fishing, golfing, hiking, camping and so on and so forth.
Last of all, but certainly not the least of reasons, even with all that’s going on in Boone it’s still really just a small town where you won’t feel like you’re getting lost in the shuffle.
The median house value in Boone is about $202,000 and the average rental cost starts at $591 a month.
With a population of only 1,490, Blowing Rock, NC, is named for it's nearby 
4,000 foot cliffs whose powerful gusts of wind often return light objects tossed from its heights.
Blowing Rock is only six miles south of Boone, NC and is the only full service town on the Blue Ridge Parkway.
While its population almost doubles during the summer Blowing Rock still has a delightful small town atmosphere.
Complete with a vibrant art scene, unique mix of great restaurants, small shops, and art galleries, Blowing Rock, NC also has plenty of natural beauty to enjoy.
A bit more pricey than its neighbor Boone, the median home value in Blowing Rock is $424,000 and the average rental cost starts at about $686 a month.
Moving on east of Boone about thirty minutes, Banner Elk, NC with a 
population of 900 is often referred to as either the “Balcony of the Blue Ridge Mountains” due to its high elevation or;
The “Christmas Tree Capital of the World” due to the thick forests that make it a major Christmas tree supplier.
Although small in size, Banner Elk is about as active a place as you’ll find in the mountains.
Ski resorts, fishing tournaments, bird watching, year round festivals and a small liberal arts college keep things hopping year round.
A bit more like Boone, the median home value in Banner Elk is $264,000 and the average rental cost starts at $519 a month.
Now, if your looking for a very small town, Little Switzerland, NC might be your next home with a population of around 46.
Little Switzerland, NC is a longtime resort village located about half way between Boone, NC and Asheville, NC.
High in the mountains, Little Switzerland is the kind of place people go for the quiet and the natural beauty.
From mountains to lakes and streams the Little Switzerland area is genuinely breathtaking.
The median home value in Little Switzerland is around $380,000.
It's been great showing you some of my favorite places in the North Carolina mountains. Come back next week when we look at more of my favorite North Carolina Mountain best places to relocate or retire.
In the meantime if your looking for more information about these towns and cities and more best places to retire or relocate to in the North Carolina and South Carolina, check out NC Best Places and SC Best Places .
Have a great week!
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. |
 |
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This is our last week in South Carolina’s Piedmont region and while I’m sorry to be moving on, there's still lots to discover in the Carolinas.
Before we move on, let’s take a little time and do a short recap of where we've been during our visit to the South Carolina Heartland – Piedmont region.
Among our best small towns and cities with populations under 30,000 in South Carolina’s northern Piedmont region were:
All five of these best places we've visited in the Piedmont region of South Carolina had…
- Low cost of living
- History
- Art
- Cultural outlets
- Natural beauty
- Outdoor recreation
- Affordable housing
These small cities/towns all have in common the benefits of being close to the economic growth of the Charlotte, NC metropolitan area just across the North Carolina – South Carolina border.
In the central Piedmont region of South Carolina, known also as the "areas around the state capital of Columbia, SC", we looked at best places to retire or relocate
In discussing these best places to live in South Carolina, we talked about a lot of the same things that made the northern towns and cities so special (history, great natural beauty, culture, etc.).
However, during our visits we also looked at how their location near most of South Carolinas large cities and major transportation routes combined with overall affordability and wonderful small town setting, give these best places to live in South Carolina the intangibles that are attracting both young and old for relocation and retirement.
Walterboro, SC was the only town in the south Piedmont area that we’ve looked.
However, even Walterboro, had a lot of the same special qualities young people and retirees are looking for with the added advantage of being that much closer to the beach.
Located near the Georgia border only about 15 minutes from Augusta, GA sits Aiken, SC, population 29, 434.
Flat out…
Aiken, SC is one of my favorite best small cities in South Carolina.
Much like Camden, SC, Aiken has long been an equestrian center and it’s not uncommon to pass horses grazing in yards with beautiful old antebellum homes set in the background.
Downtown Aiken can be busy with tourist traffic but you’ll find a lot of interesting shops, restaurants, museums and art galleries and the people are warm and welcoming.
Aiken, SC is one of those places in South Carolina that started out as a winter colony for people from the Northeast.
It's easy to see the influence of the Northeast in the local architecture from the fountains and arches to the amazing old brickwork that really transports you back in time.
If you enjoy doing things outdoors, Aiken’s subtropical climate lets you do that pretty much all year round.
Best of all Aiken is still quite an affordable place to live; the median home value is only $148,500 and average rental costs start around $575 a month.
Irmo, SC, population 11,684, only 15 minutes northwest of Columbia, SC used to be a sleepy little town of 500 not more than a few decades ago.
Today, Irmo has become one of the hottest places to live in South Carolina’s central Piedmont area.
Right next to Lake Murray, Irmo, SC combines outdoor fun and small town contentedness with a young, highly educated professional population to boot.
When not taking in the outdoors you’ll love the quaint shops, galleries and restaurants downtown.
And just wait, in the Fall you’ll definitely get caught up in the annual Okra Strut festival.
If all that isn't appealing enough for your relocation or retirement, housing is also quite affordable in Irmo with a median housing value of $93,800 in one of the faster growing places in the state!
Our last stop is Santee, SC, population 718, which sits on the banks of Lake Marion east of Orangeburg, SC.
Santee and is one of the best places for outdoor lovers in the state.
- Fishing
- Hunting
- Golfing
- Hiking and more
Simply put, if you can do it outside… Santee’s the place.
The town itself is small and very walkable and the people are laid-back and friendly.
Moreover, it is incredibly inexpensive to live here with the median home value of $68,500 and average rental costs starting as low as $111 a month. However, you have to love small town living.
Well, that's it for this week and our journey through the South Carolina Piedmont Region.
Thanks again for hanging out with me and come back next week for more of the best small cities and towns with populations under 30,000 in the Carolinas.
Remember if you want more information about the places we’ve visited and more, check out our SC Best Places and NC Best Places sections.
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. |
|
Can I reprint your article or blog posts?
There seems no end to the number of best small towns and cities on my list to relocate or retire to with less than 30,000 people in South Carolina’s Piedmont region.
We’re entering week three of this part of our journey and I hope you know I will spare no effort to get you the information you need to find your best place to live, retire or relocate to in South Carolina and North Carolina.
In addition to all the things I’ve mentioned about living in the South Carolina Piedmont, I want to point out some of the things you’ll find advantageous.
When it comes to this part of South Carolina, one thing that stands out for me is the great variety of unique communities.
I think you’ll see what I mean as we start out in the high country of Kershaw County, South Carolina.
Camden, SC, population, 7,033, sits about 40 minutes northeast of the state capital of Columbia, SC.
What makes Camden, SC so unique?
Well… Camden, SC is a horse lover’s paradise.
Camden is a place historically so well suited to raising and keeping horses that the local equestrian industry now provides more jobs than the area’s largest manufacturer, Investa.
Attend Camden’s annual Carolina and Colonial Cups to see what I mean but frankly Camden, SC is more than horses.
Like a lot of small towns in this part of South Carolina you’ll find an impressive downtown historic district punctuated by beautiful old homes.
Camden, SC has an amazing recently restored courthouse and plenty of shops and malls dedicated to art and antiques that provide another of Camden’s many claims to fame.
Given the unique nature of the local economy Camden enjoys a friendly small town atmosphere and a diverse population drawn from all over the country. A definite best place to live in South Carolina for relocation or retirement.
The median home value in Camden, SC is around $152,000 and the average rental cost is about $411 a month. Affordable housing, equestrian pursuits, great schools, antiques and the arts what could be better?
The town of Cheraw, SC, population 5,427, is located in the northeastern corner of the state not far from the North Carolina border.
Hometown of jazz legend Dizzy Gillespie, Cheraw, SC is one of South Carolina’s oldest towns sporting a historic district.
The town of Cheraw is also home to three centuries worth of different architectural style buildings and sits on every major historical trail from the Revolutionary War through the Civil War.
Cheraw, SC's charming well-maintained downtown is full of small shops, quaint restaurants, art galleries, and a new park providing welcome green space.
Local recreation areas, parks and lakes make also Cheraw a great place to enjoy the outdoors.
The median home value in Cheraw, SC is $107,000 and the average monthly rent is around $346 a month.
Chester, SC, population 6,045, is another small city not far from the Charlotte, NC metropolitan area that finds itself enjoying recent growth.
Combining history, culture and proximity to several large cities, Chester, SC has great civic pride as well as an awful lot of natural beauty.
Did I mention Chester is also quite an affordable place to relocate or retire?
The median home value in Chester, SC is approximately $95,500 and the average rental cost starts at around $368 a month.
Until we continue our tour of the best small towns and cities of the South Carolina Piedmont region I hope you’ll check out our SC Best Places page for more information on the places we’ve been.
Take care and see you next week!
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. |
|
Can I reprint your article or blog posts?
Hey, Welcome Back!!!
If you haven’t kept track of where we are in our search for the best small towns and cities to live in with populations under 30,000 people, then I’m more than happy to let you know that we are in the heartland of South Carolina and making our way around the Piedmont region of the state.
Similar to North Carolina, the Piedmont region of South Carolina is a great place to find your best place to relocate or retire to live in and I say that for three reasons.
More on South Carolina Heartland
Welcome back to a whole new adventure in finding the best small city or town living for your relocation or retirement, in South Carolina or North Carolina.
If you’ve been with us from the beginning of our journey this spring, you know we’ve hit the North Carolina Piedmont region, the North Carolina coastal region, and the South Carolina coastal region.
This week our journey in search of the best small towns and cities with populations of 30,000 or less, takes us into the heart of the South Carolina Piedmont region.
More on Discovering South Carolina
Get Detailed Information on the Best Cities and Towns in the North Carolina Ultimate Guide!
