Best Places to Live in South Carolina

Off-grid & homestead laws in South Carolina

How South Carolina treats the things that matter for living off-grid or homesteading. Scores feed the national rankings; rules often vary by county.

• Building-code freedomAll local governments must adopt/enforce state codes.ICC / NAHB code-adoption summaries (2026) ↗statewide-mandatory
• Greywater reuseNo residential greywater provision; treated as wastewater.Greywater Action / EPA REUSExplorer (2026) ↗none
• Rainwater harvestingNo state restrictions.NCSL (2026) ↗unrestricted
• Zoning / land-use freedomPlan required before zoning but adoption optional; many rural counties unzoned.American Planning Association / Lincoln Institute (2026) ↗local-control
• Water rightsRegistration + permits in Capacity Use Areas; domestic exempt.National Agricultural Law Center (2026) ↗regulated-riparian
• Right-to-farm protectionComing-to-the-nuisance defense; no fee-shifting.National Agricultural Law Center (2026) ↗moderate
• Cottage-food / home sales$25k cap; shelf-stable; online restricted.Institute for Justice / Forrager (2026) ↗limited
• Property tax burdenMedian ~0.5% effective rate across 46 counties.Census ACS (county median) (2023) ↗low
• Income tax burdenGraduated, top 6%.Tax Foundation (2026) ↗graduated-low
• Homestead exemption4% owner-occupant ratio + school-operating millage exemption.Lincoln Institute / state revenue departments (2026) ↗strong

General guidance, not legal advice. Off-grid, building, and land-use rules are often set at the county level and change often. Verify with your county and state before acting. Data reviewed 2026-06-26.

All 46 South Carolina counties, ranked

1. 1Calhoun County71
2. 2Lee County71
3. 3Allendale County70
4. 4Saluda County70
5. 5Bamberg County70
6. 6Edgefield County69
7. 7McCormick County69
8. 8Hampton County68
9. 9Union County68
10. 10Marlboro County68
11. 11Marion County68
12. 12Chester County68
13. 13Fairfield County68
14. 14Barnwell County67
15. 15Abbeville County67
16. 16Darlington County67
17. 17Williamsburg County66
18. 18Dillon County66
19. 19Clarendon County65
20. 20Greenwood County65
21. 21Newberry County65
22. 22Laurens County64
23. 23Chesterfield County63
24. 24Florence County63
25. 25Orangeburg County63
26. 26Cherokee County62
27. 27Sumter County61
28. 28Kershaw County61
29. 29Colleton County61
30. 30Georgetown County60
31. 31Anderson County59
32. 32Pickens County59
33. 33Oconee County57
34. 34Horry County57
35. 35Aiken County57
36. 36Jasper County56
37. 37Lancaster County56
38. 38Spartanburg County55
39. 39Dorchester County54
40. 40Berkeley County53
41. 41Lexington County53
42. 42Greenville County51
43. 43Richland County51
44. 44Beaufort County50
45. 45York County48
46. 46Charleston County41