r/AskSouthCarolina

My wife and I are seriously considering moving from Connecticut to the Charleston, SC area within the next year or two, and I’d love to hear from people who have made a similar move or currently live there.
I’m 26 and work in municipal wastewater, and my wife is a pediatric med-surg RN.
Right now, because of my rotating work schedule, my wife only works part-time. If we moved to South Carolina, she’d be going back to full-time.
Financially, here’s what we’re looking at:
Current (Connecticut)
Me: ~$42/hour
Wife: ~$52/hour (part-time)
Combined household income: around $150k-$160k/year.
Potential move to South Carolina
Me: around $32/hour
Wife: around $40/hour (full-time)
Combined household income: roughly $145k-$155k/year before overtime.
So while I’d be taking a pay cut for the first couple years, our overall household income would end up being pretty similar because she’d be working full-time again.
One thing that’s making this decision difficult is retirement.
The jobs we’re looking at participate in the South Carolina Retirement System, which is a defined-benefit pension. From everything I’ve read:
Employees contribute about 9% of their pay.
Employers contribute over 20% toward the retirement system.
The pension is based on your years of service and salary and pays a guaranteed monthly benefit for life once you’re eligible.
That pension is a big factor for me because I’m thinking long-term and would like the security of a guaranteed retirement income.
Aside from that, we’re looking forward to warmer weather, being closer to the coast, and hopefully finding a 4-5 bedroom home on around 1.5 acres within about 45 minutes of Charleston.
For those of you who live in the Charleston area or have moved from the Northeast:
Was the move worth it?
Has your quality of life improved?
Is there anything you wish you’d known before moving?
Does our plan sound realistic, or are we overlooking something?
I’d really appreciate hearing both the positives and the negatives. We’re trying to make the most informed decision possible.

Hi ! I am (24F and single) moving to South Carolina this Fall for medical school and am looking for some insights into dating scene there. I lived in Greenville one summer and visit 3 times a year (stay with my friend in Clemson) so I know some things about the region. Obviously living there is different than visiting, but every time I visit I feel so drawn to the weather, the food, the walkability, the close ties I have with people in the region. I've never felt like this about a place before and struggle with seasonal depression HOWEVER these reddit threads are scaring me with what they have to share about the dating scene. Is it really that superficial and impossible to date in South Carolina (exclude Columbia)?

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Please tell me there are actual dating opportunities in this town.

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