Real Estate Directory - South Carolina

Population: 4,147,152 (2003)
Capital city/population: Columbia (117,357)
Largest cities/population: Columbia, Charleston (101,024),
North Charleston (81,577), Rock Hill (56,114)

South Carolina
The coastal and midland areas of the state have a mild to subtropical climate.  In the mountains, temperatures can dip to below 0ºF, with occasional snowfalls.  Overall, summers are warm and quite humid, with the majority of the rain falling in July.  Annual precipitation ranges from 40” – 50”.  South Carolina entered the union on May 23, 1788.  The state is the nation’s leading peach producer and shipper east of the Mississippi River, and the Public Works Board in Gaffney even built an elevated water storage tank in the shape of a peach in 1981.

HOUSING

Columbia – Average price for a single-family home at the close of 2005 was $161,075, an increase in price over 2004.  The real estate market here includes many distinct areas, including downtown, southwest, and rural, each with its own unique characteristics and amenities.  Throughout greater Columbia, the building of many new communities ensures homes available in varying price ranges, many with pools, nearby golf courses, and other amenities. 

Charleston – This town’s market is moving along at a fast clip.  In late December, 2005, over 470 homes were sold at an average price of $301,583, with an average stay on the market of 23 days.  A good seller’s market is in place, with home sellers receiving almost 98% of asking price.  This city is famous for its cobblestone streets, its culture, and its overall feel.  Truly a great place to live.

North Charleston – Since incorporation in 1972, North Charleston has tripled its population.  The real estate market is keeping up at a brisk pace.  Single-family homes are selling for an average of $136,991, staying on the market for an average of 45 days.  This city offers great business and career opportunities, and is the state’s leader in retail sales for the last 10 years.  North Charleston offers shopping malls, restaurants, and a great Performing Arts Center.

Rock Hill – Average home price for a single-family home is $139,289.  This town is growing quickly, home to many new businesses, restaurants, and specialty shops.  With its close proximity to Charlotte, N.C., Rock Hill is a becoming a great place to live due to the easy commute.  This community offers a nice home town feel and great housing values.

BUSINESS/ECON

Principal industries include tourism, agriculture, and manufacturing.  Manufactured goods include textiles, chemicals, machinery, fabricated metal products, and apparel.  Crops include tobacco, soybeans, corn, cotton, peaches, and hay.  Total gross state product for 2004 was $135,253 million, with a per capita income for that year of

HISTORY

  In 1786, Columbia was chosen as the new capital of South Carolina due to its central location.  After the war, religious freedom was established and primogeniture abolished; however, property qualifications for voting were retained, ensuring that planters would retain control of the legislature.
  In the early 1800s, the cotton gin enabled the spread of plantations and extended the control planters had in the state’s politics.  It didn’t take long for cotton from western states to enter the local market, causing an economic decline. 
  Tariff reforms in the following years brought about talk of secession, and economic problems and abolitionist attacks exacerbated problems. 
  Following Lincoln’s election, South Carolina became the first state to secede from the Union.  The firing on Fort Sumter in 1861 started the Civil War.  Because South Carolina was viewed as the start of secession, it was difficult to restrain Union forces as they fought in the area. 
  Reconstruction was difficult; the rebuilding of the infrastructure was offset by waste, corruption, and high taxation.  Due to the difficulties in reestablishing order in the state, an election in 1876 resulted in the election of Wade Hampton as new governor.  Daniel Chamberlain, the incumbent, refused to accept defeat, and two state governments existed until 1877, when President Hayes removed federal troops, which also removed Chamberlain’s support.  He withdrew shortly afterward. 
  Wartime destruction and the abolition of slavery led to the near-ruin of the state’s economy.  The Panic of 1873 was followed by twenty years of recession. 
In the 1920s, agriculture suffered another setback as land erosion and boll weevil attacks destroyed valuable farmland.  The textile industry also suffered in the Great Depression of the 1930s. 
  After World War II, African-Americans received the right to vote, Ku Klux Klan activities were reduced, and the educational system was improved – most notably integration in 1963 at Clemson College. 
  In recent years, low tax rates and a large workforce have attracted new business and a new crop of workers, with the Greenville-Spartanburg area attaining rapid growth.

SCHOOLS

  South Carolina has been identified as one of 14 states that are consistent “outperformers” on National Education assessments.  Schools have performed above expectations on mathematics and reading tests administered in grades four and eight.  South Carolina has also developed educational programs that work toward eliminating the relationship between student poverty and educational performance.  In the public sector, student-teacher ratio for 1994 was 16:4, with an average teachers’ salary for 1995 of $31,568.
  The University of South Carolina has its main campus at Columbia; it also has eight regional campuses throughout the state. Other state-supported schools are Clemson University, at Clemson; Winthrop College, at Rock Hill; The Citadel, the Military College of South Carolina, at Charleston; South Carolina State College, at Orangeburg; and the Medical University of South Carolina, at Charleston. The oldest of all the institutions of higher learning in the state is the College of Charleston, founded in 1770 and chartered in 1785. 
   South Carolina's technical-education program, begun in 1961 in cooperation with local communities, has served as a model for other states. Its 16 technical-education centers and colleges offer training for specific careers in modern business. Industry also cooperates in special training programs.

DEMOGRAPHICS (2004)

66.1% White
29.5% Black
2.4% Hispanic
0.9% Asian
0.3% Native American
1.0% Mixed race

 

RELIGION (2004)

Christian – 92%
Protestant – 84%
Baptist – 45%
Methodist – 15%
Presbyterian – 5%
Other Protestant – 19%
Roman Catholic – 7%
Other Christian – 1%
Other Religions – 1%
Non-Religious – 7%