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Retirement Communities in South Carolina

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retirement communities in south carolina

The best retirement communities in South Carolina are definitely a sight to see. From pristine beaches and palm trees to miles of hiking trails, South Carolina offers several opportunities to relax and stay active as you settle in a community of your contemporaries during your golden years. In this article, we’ll explore what you can expect at the best retirement communities in South Carolina. The area offers something in everyone’s price range. We list different retirement communities in order of home prices, from lowest to highest. Of course, consulting with a financial advisor can always help as you arrange your financial strategy in your post-work life.

Latitude Margaritaville Hilton Head

Price Range: Mid $200ks – Mid $300ks
Number of Homes: 3,000
Age Restrictions: 55+

Surrounded by pristine beaches and world-class golf courses, you can bet you’d be retiring in style at the Latitude Margaritaville Hilton Head. In fact, the palm-tree-lined town center houses a resort-style pool you can relax in. And to stay active, you can visit the major fitness center. When done breaking a sweat, you can relax at the spa. Nearby, the Workin’ N’ Playin’ center offers space for arts and crafts, club rooms and more. You can also catch some flicks at the Last Mango theater and banquet hall.

Potential homebuyers can choose from villa homes models offering space ranging from 1,503 to 1,862 square feet. Single-family homes boast nine different floor plans and provide 1,684 to 2,564 square feet of living space.

Bridgewater

Price Range: $100ks – Low $300ks
Number of Homes: 1,550 homes
Age Restrictions: None

Nestled in Myrtle Beach, the Bridgewater retirement community offers plenty of opportunities to stay active. Outdoor enthusiasts in particular will enjoy the miles of hiking trails that surround it. You can also keep fit at the state-of-the art gym. Popular classes include Breathe & Balance, Yoga and Tai Chi. You can also explore the seven nearby parks

And the 5,000-square foot clubhouse offers plenty of room for activities and meeting new friends. The community is also surrounded by various universities where you can continue your lifelong learning. You can take courses at Bridgewater College or Blue Ridge Community College, for example.

Home options include single-family homes and cottages in various floor plans and providing 1,586 to 2,860 square feet of living space. Homes are available in one- to two-bedroom apartments.

Myrtle Beach Golf & Yacht Club

Price Range: Low $100ks – High $100ks
Number of Homes: 1,024 homes
Age Restrictions: None

Another reasonably priced retirement community that made our list is the Myrtle Beach Golf & Yacht Club. This vibrant option offers plenty to do. The community center alone offers a range of amenities and provides plenty of space for the community’s different clubs to join. This opens the door to perfect opportunities to get to know like-minded people and make new friends. From yoga to Mahjong clubs, you’re bound to find something that suits you here. Or you can play a friendly game of tennis with your neighbors. The area also offers plenty of hiking and biking trails for active adults. The space also provides an R.V. and boat parking area.

And as far as living options go, you can choose from single-family resale homes providing 1,100 to 1,800 square feet of living space.

Del Webb at Cane Bay

Price Range: Mid $200ks – High $300ks

Number of Homes: 1,000
Age Restriction: 55+

History buffs may feel right at home within the confines of the Del Webb at Cane Bay nested in Charleston. The active body also will find no shortage of activities here. The fitness center offers high-end cardio and weight training equipment. You can also exercise in the aerobics studio or enjoy everything from a crafts studio to a major ballroom. Plus, you’d be surrounded by a resort-style pool, beach, fishing lake and even a dog park.

Homes are available on a resale basis only. However, they’re among the most reasonably priced in the region. Single-family homes offer about 1,109 to 2,722 square feet of living space.

Tree Tops

Price Range: Mid $200ks – High $300ks
Number of Homes: 850
Age Restrictions: 55+

According to its website, the Tree Tops retirement community supports an active adult life fully inspired by nature. So outdoors enthusiasts may find a slice of heaven here. You’ll be surrounded by miles of walking trails cutting through a pristine canopy. You’d also be able to stay active on the tennis and pickleball courts. Or you can take a break at the resort-style pool. But don’t stop there. You’d also be near a series of recreation centers including the Catawba Cultural Preservation. And you’d be close to a hospital, post office, library and more.

Potential homeowners can choose from thousands of single-family homes offering 1,436 to 2,762 square feet of living space.

Sun City Hilton Head

Price Range: High $100ks – Mid $700ks
Number of Homes: 8,200
Age Restriction: None

Sun City Hilton stands among the biggest retirement communities in South Carolina. And it offers a plethora of activities so that residents can stay entertained during their golden years. It has more than 50 holes of golf available. The Town Square also holds the 17,000-square-foot Pinckney Social which hosts lectures, concerts, dances and more. You can also enjoy ceramic making, photography, sewing and more at the Yemassee Crafts Center. Meanwhile, the Magnolia Hall provides entertainment in a 16,000-square-foot space with stadium-style seating for more than 400 people. You can also have fun at the adult playground complete with Har-Tru tennis courts, a softball field, a dog park, an outdoor party pavilion and more.

In addition, your home options include 1,000 square-foot villa townhomes and custom single-family homes that provide as much as 4,000 square feet of living space.

Savannah Lake Village

Price Range: $100ks – High $600ks
Number of Homes: 4,800 homes
Age Restrictions: None

Nestled in McCormick, this community offers everything you’d expect from a country-club style neighborhood. Owning a home here gives you access to all recreation centers and amenities. The main vibe of the community emanates from the 23,000-square-foot Recreation Center. It features a ballroom, bowling alley, indoor pool and more. And of course, you’d have access to both 18-hole golf courses. The Monticello Golf Club contains the popular Monticello Bar & Grill restaurant.

Nature lovers would be happy to know Savannah Lakes is surrounded by popular state parks, parks and waterways.

Your home options include attached and detached single-family homes with about 1,200 to 2,400 square feet of living space.

Sun City Carolina Lakes

Price Range: Low $200ks – High $600ks
Number of Homes: 3,160

With two 18-hole golf courses and two clubhouses loaded with amenities for all tastes, it’s no surprise the Sun City Carolina Lakes stands as a popular retirement community. If you think spending your Golden Years in the midst of pine forests and rolling hills is paradise, this community may be the place for you.

And when you’re not taking in the nature, you can spend time with your neighbors by engaging in more than 130 clubs at the 55,000 square-foot clubhouse and recreation center. You can also watch some sports and take a few finesses classes there. Around the clubhouse, you can find tennis courts, an outdoor pool and a community garden.

Your housing options include single-family homes, town villas and carriage homes. Single-family houses contain at least two bedrooms and two-car garages. Floor plans span from 1,103 to 2,597 square feet.

retirement communities in south carolina

Del Webb Charleston at Nexton

Price Range: $200ks – High $500ks
Number of Homes: 1,000
Age Restriction: None

With tall palm trees and resort-style pools, Del Webb Charleston at Nexton truly offers a picture-perfect retirement postcard. But you can actually live it. In fact, you can reside in what the Charleston Trident Homebuilders Association declared the “Best Master-Planned Community” in 2015. You can also stay active at its luxury clubhouse with its fully-loaded gym. Then, you can relax by the indoor heated pool or by the fire pit.

It also hosts a range of events for your entertainment and hosts a number of clubs. With that said, it’s not hard to have fun and make new friends at this luxury retirement community. You can also choose from ten different floor plans. The community surrounds single-family homes that range in size from 1,262 to 1,424 square feet.

Four Seasons at The Lakes of Cane Bay

Price Range: Low $200ks – Mid $500ks
Number of Homes: 800
Age Restrictions: 55+

With its lakefront location, this Four Seasons community offers great opportunities for fishing, boating and other watery fun. This recently established retirement community offers single-story homes as well as houses with large loft space. You can also expect energy-saving upgrades and spacious outdoor living areas.

Developer K. Hovnanian plans to bring even more offerings to this community, including a 20,000-square foot clubhouse. It aims to house various sports courts for tennis and pickleball, as well as two pools and a yoga lawn. But for now, you can enjoy the 300-acre lake and eight miles of navigable waterways.

Hilton Head Plantation

Price Range: Mid $200ks – High $3 millions
Number of Homes: 4, 278
Age Restrictions: None

With more than 4,000 acres, the Hilton Head Plantation stands as one of the largest retirement communities on Hilton Head Island. Its homes offer scenic glimpses over pristine blue waters along with the nearby beach getaways of Port Royal Sound and Skull Creek.

In fact, you can enjoy more than two-miles of beaches on the scenic Port Royal sound. You’d also have access to a full-scale marina, fishing lagoons and two nature conservancies. And to stay active, you have six miles of walking and biking trails around you.

Indoor activity can be just as fun. The recreation center offers classes like Zumba and aerobics. Or you can work on your swing at one of four golf courses. And when you’re done having fun, you can kick back at a condo, townhouse, empty lot or resale home.

Hampton Lake

Price Range: Mid $300ks – High $900ks
Number of Homes: 900
Age Restrictions: None

Nestled in Bluffton, this luxury resort-style community offers plenty of opportunities to have fun and stay active. You can enjoy all the amenities you’d expect at the clubhouse, including a state-of-the-art fitness center. Afterward, you can relax at the spa. Then, you may want to check out the outdoor bar and fireplace. You can also join a tennis league. The boathouse offers free kayak rentals as well.

The community sponsors several clubs including one devoted to movie buffs who get together to watch flicks at the local theater. And if you want to take a break, you can easily jump onto I-95. But rest assured, you’d always have a pristine 165-acre lake to come home to.

Your real estate options include single-family homes that offer space stretching from 1,500 to 3,500 square feet of living space.

Sun City Hilton Head

Price Range: High $100ks – Mid $700ks
Number of Homes: 8,200
Age Restrictions: None

Surrounded by sea marshes and pine trees, Sun City Hilton Head stands as the largest retirement community in South Carolina. In fact, it houses 54 holes of golf. Residents enjoy coming together at the Town Square. And the staple is the 17,00-square-foot Pinckney Social Hall. Here you can attend lectures, concerts and parties. And to stay fit, you can visit the popular Purrysburg Fitness Center. Art lovers will enjoy studios dedicated to ceramics, sewing, photography and more.

And for home options, you can choose from villa townhomes with 1,000 square feet of living space and single-family homes with up to 4,000 square feet of living space.

The Bays of Prince Creek

Price Range: Low $200ks – High $400ks
Number of Homes: 799
Age Restrictions: None

The Bays of Creek fosters a mix of the active and laid back. Outside the clubhouse stretches a picnic pavilion with a grill ready to come in handy for large parties and banquets. There’s also a community fire pit. But when you’re feeling competitive, you can break a sweat at tennis courts, a half basketball court, and a sand volleyball court.

You can also get to know your neighbors by joining one of the many clubs the community supports including one dedicated to card games, books and movies. Plus, you’ll be nearby large shopping centers, entertainment hubs and golf of course.

Homebuyers can check out single-family homes and attached duplexes. Models stretch from 1,819 to 4,147 square feet.

Carolina Reserve Meadows

Price Range: Mid $200ks – Mid $300ks
Number of Homes: 239
Age Restrictions: None

Carolina Reserve Meadows hasn’t been around as long as some of the entries on our list,  but it’s a great community for many satisfied residents. All have access to the clubhouse, where people come together for everything from workouts to games of cards or sewing sessions. The center is also known for hosting large holiday-themed parties, including for Halloween and St. Patrick’s Day.

Plus, you’ll be surrounded by even more attractions outside your community. These include the Pineville and Blakeney shopping malls. Nature enthusiasts will enjoy being nearby the Catawba River, which they can utilize year-round.

The community’s ranch-style homes feature various floor plans with two- to four-bedrooms, ranging from 1,686 and 2,776 square feet of living space.

retirement communities in south carolina

Tips on Planning a Healthy Retirement

  • If you’re looking at different retirement communities in the Palmetto State, you may want to check out the best places to retire in South Carolina.
  • Now may be a good time to check up on your retirement plan such as a 401(k) and make sure it’s in good health.
  • If you need help on saving for retirement or developing a strategy around preparing for your golden years, it’s best to seek the professional advice of a financial advisor. Our SmartAsset financial advisor matching tool connects you with advisors in your area. You can then review their profiles and even set up interviews before deciding which one would best suit you.

Photo credit: ©iStock.com/Craig McCausland, ©iStock.com/RiverNorthPhotography, ©iStock.com/bauhaus1000

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