Florida might get all the headlines, but there’s another Southern state quietly stealing the spotlight — and saving residents thousands of dollars in the process.
For the sixth consecutive year, South Carolina has claimed the top spot as America’s most popular moving destination, and the financial incentives are hard to ignore.
According to moveBuddha’s 2025 report, which analyzed relocation data from 2020 through October 2025, South Carolina shows about double the interest in moves into the state compared to moves out, with a 1.97 in-to-out ratio.
The Palmetto State also captured 13.7% of net move-related searches, landing it among the five states with the highest moving volume (1).
What makes South Carolina so attractive isn’t just the coastline and mild weather but what you’ll keep in your bank account. Compared to the rest of the country, it costs about 9% less to live in the state, according to RentCafe data from September 2025 (2).
Housing represents the biggest savings opportunity, with those costs being more than 14% less than the national average, making homeownership and renting substantially more affordable. According to Redfin, as of September 2025, the median home value in South Carolina is $381,400, compared to the national median of $435,285 (3, 4).
Renters can also see substantial savings, with average rent for a one-bedroom apartment around $1,328 and two-bedroom units averaging $1,500, according to Zillow (5).
Beyond housing, RentCafe shows that everyday expenses remain manageable. Groceries cost roughly the same as they do nationwide, while clothing runs about 11% lower. The only category where South Carolina exceeds national averages is utilities, which are 10% higher (6).
Whether South Carolina will save you money depends largely on where you’re currently living.
If you’re relocating from pricier markets like California, New York or Massachusetts, the difference could mean hundreds of dollars less in monthly mortgage payments — or tens of thousands saved on a down payment.
However, if you’re moving from states with similar or lower costs of living, the financial advantage diminishes.
