[Mathilde]

That may be a long shot, but if anyone in this forum has experience or feedback on living there, including on neighborhoods, public schools, cost of living, taxes, etc., or any other advice to optimize value (cost/quality) while living there, it would be most helpful.

For background, we are a family of 4 with a 7yo and a 4yo.

My husband would work downtown and I work fully remote.

We dislike driving places (we favor walking or biking), are not HOA materials, and like being close to coffee shops and the like.

Thank you!

[Marcy]

I live in Mt Pleasant and love it. Two kids in Charleston County schools. We do live in an HOA community, but dues are reasonable and we have a gym, walking trails, tennis courts, basketball court, soccer field, and 2 pools for just over $1k/ yr.

SC is tax friendly for retirees. Since this area is a tourist destination, local sales tax, specially on prepared food, is higher.

Let me know if you have specific questions.

[Holland]

Check out James island. Cheaper than downtown but not a far drive and lots of young families there. And it is less expensive generally that Mt pleasant, isle of palms, etc.

[Erica]

It is one of my favorite cities in the world. Seriously. The food, the culture, the historical significance. It’s .. Best wishes for your move!

[Maggie]

Hi! Charleston is a great area. We seriously considered a move there but ultimately chose not to in order to stay near family. However, we do have family in the CHS area and visit every summer.

Here’s what we learned when we were considering the move:
1. The area is booming with transplants. The infrastructure isn’t keeping pace, so roads (traffic) and schools all crowded. They’re building but not at pace with the influx of people.

2. Cost of living used to be low but now homes in highly sought after areas like Mt Pleasant are much higher, even bordering on HCOL. Tear downs in some neighborhoods are going for over half a million.

3. HOA – I could easily be proven wrong since I’m not an expert on the area, but everywhere we looked in Mt Pleasant had some type of HOA. That was new to us since I’ve only known HOAs to be for condos/townhomes, not single family homes. Neighborhoods in MtP typically have their own clubhouse, playgrounds, and swimming pools. These are for residents’ use and cared for as part of the dues. If you would enjoy those amenities and don’t mind paying, great! If you’re like us and didn’t love the idea of that expense, you might have to look outside Mt Pleasant. (again, can’t speak to other suburbs because we only looked in MP)

Charleston is an incredible area and I wish you the best of you decide to move there!

[Angela]

I don’t have specific advice but my son got married in Charleston and I fell in love with that area! From what I remember it seems like many families live in the Mt. Pleasant area.

[Marci]

College of Charleston graduate here:) I love Charleston even though I live back in Virginia. It has grown a ton!!! A lot of traffic! But beautiful! My best friends husband is a Realtor there if you ever needed a recommendation. I LOVE Charleston!:)

[Erika]

Visit in August when the humidity is the highest. It’s affordable depending on where you’re coming from. I’m from Los Angeles and it’s definitely somewhere I’ve considered investing in. Really cool town.

[Sheila]

Where are you moving from? I only ask because that area heavily depends on driving so trying to gauge your level of tolerance. That’s just how all the South is. Not a lot of public transportation and a lot of driving, everywhere.

It’s been a few years since I visited and all my friends moved away from the area (due to costs), so hopefully someone can point you in right direction. Some lived in Mt. Pleasant but they were always complaining about traffic and going over the bridge. Goose Creek seems to be a good mix of everything. Several friends loved living there. My best friend used to teach there and loved their school system. But I haven’t been there since before Covid so things could have changed a lot. One thing to budget is the 7% state income tax. It’s tiered, but you hit the 7% pretty early.

Good luck!

[Heather]

Born and raised in Charleston, it’s beautiful but expensive, especially downtown, and it’s hard to find affordable housing. Not sure where you’re coming from and if you’re planning to buy. If you’re not living downtown there aren’t a lot of areas that aren’t car dependent and traffic can be a nightmare. Mt. Pleasant, Daniel Island and Nexton, further out near Summerville, are great family friendly areas with good amenities and schools.

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