Retirement Relocation in Low Country Waterville ME

This article about the "low country" of South Carolina is the first in a series of retirement regions. Go to the " Regions " section of the Tips & Picks feature to read the others in this series.

South Carolina has experienced rapid growth in the last 30 years, much of it from retirees seeking a warmer climate and lower cost of living.  As more and more baby boomers begin to retire that trend is certain to continue. Although retirees have been moving into all parts of the state, the area in the southwest low country near Hilton Head has experienced the most explosive growth.   This part of SC is actually closer to Savannah, GA than it is Charleston , although that too is relatively close.

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South Carolina's population in 2008 was 4,479,800 and growing at about 1.7% per year. Some of that growth is coming from retirees entering the state. Obviously the housing market crash has impacted sales and prices in 55+ and active adult communities in SC, but probably less so than for the housing market in general. For the record, South Carolina has an income tax (maximum rate of 7%, people over 65 get some significant exemptions), and a sales tax (6%). Property taxes are relatively modest compared to other states; its total tax burden is 37th highest of the 50 states (source: The Tax Foundation).

Thanks to the great success of Hilton Head Island as a vacation and retirement spot, the entire southwestern area of the state is now a retirement hot bed. Part of the attraction are the many rivers and bays are in the area, making waterfront living possible for many people at somewhat reasonable prices. Here we will take a look at the various areas near Hilton Head.

Hardeeville .  If you have ever driven to FL from the East Coast you probably went through here on I 95. Although the town itself has only about 2800 people, there are 4 huge planned active adult communities being built here that will add significantly to the population. While it is doubtful that many affluent baby boomers from the northeast might want to live in Hardeeville proper, they will almost certainly like the lifestyle in the new active adult communities:

• Hilton Head Tradition   This huge master-planned community is still in the process of being built
  
• Hilton Head Lakes       Another very large development in the area, initially  focused on single-family residential development with lagoon-front lots

In the New River  and East Argent section of town are 2 more developments for boomers:

• Hampton Pointe , a residential golf course development by luxury home builder Toll Brothers
• Courtney Bend , a luxury garden apartment community

Bluffton .  This is a much nicer town, located on a bluff overlooking the May River. In this old town near the river you can discover art and antique galleries and the Riverfront Pocket Park and Garden. The area is famous for its Bluffton oysters, and...

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