Residents Love Living In Western South Carolina
Live, work and play happily in Western South Carolina.
When Kristen Laird moved from Greenville, South Carolina, to Aiken in 2023, she had a lot of questions about her new community.
“I didn’t know anything about Aiken except that I have a friend whose grandmother lives here. I thought, ‘Well, at least I have a grandmother I can count on,’” says the 25-year-old director of first impressions for the Aiken Chamber of Commerce.
Newly married to Hunter Laird, the worship leader of NewSpring Church, she worried whether they would find a house, make friends and have enough activities to fill their time.
Fast forward to today, and the Lairds have quickly settled into Aiken. They are enjoying a relaxed, affordable lifestyle in their friendly community – not to mention they found a home and plenty of fun things to do.
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Friendly & Affordable
“I loved Greenville, but here, I really enjoy the small town, slower pace of life,” Laird says. “People stop and talk to you in the supermarket, and everyone is always looking for ways to help you.”
Laird isn’t the only one who loves the “warm and welcoming” people of Western South Carolina.
“For me, it’s the people that make this place special,” says Ben Pennisi, an engineering manager for Aiken Electric Cooperative. “Southern hospitality is still vibrant here.”
Pennisi relocated to the area six years ago for work. He and his wife, Dr. Taylor Pennisi, clinical pharmacist for Internal Medicine Associates of Aiken, are raising two young kids. And like so many others, they’re finding that Western South Carolina is perfect for family life.
An important aspect of that is affordability. A wide variety of homes, from farmhouses with substantial acreage to new builds in suburban neighborhoods, cost, on average, $180,880, according to the Western SC Economic Development Partnership.
“We knew we wanted a place of our own where we could make a home,” Laird says. “We thought it would be very hard to fit into a newbie budget, but it was so much easier than I thought. We found a great house in a nice part of town.”
Speaking of finding a great house, the region is home to several friendly, inviting neighborhoods.
Near North Augusta is Hammond’s Ferry, which is known for its urban design and refined architecture. Here, those looking for housing can choose from small and large single-family homes, apartments and townhomes. Plus, many residences offer views of the Savannah River.
Close to McCormick is Savannah Lakes Village. This neighborhood is a private lakefront community on Lake Thurmond. As far as housing, the community has multiple options, such as lakefront condos and family-style homes. A perk of this neighborhood is its access to hiking trails, lake activities and other outdoor fun.
Woodside, in Aiken, is a private, master-planned community that offers four golf courses, miles of trails, on-site medical providers and several groups and clubs. Individuals can choose from existing homes or opt for a new construction.
Ample Activities
Also contributing to the region’s high quality of life is its beautiful weather and great location.
“We’re under three hours to the beach, a few hours from the mountains, and it’s easy to get to big cities like Atlanta, Savannah and Charleston,” says Mike Uhle, a human resources manager at Bridgestone and an area resident. “A lot of people take advantage of our location to take three-day weekends.”
Looking for fun closer to home? Western South Carolina has you covered. Laird loves the region’s parks and gardens, golf courses, eateries, music and, of course, pickleball courts, but these only begin to scrape the surface of Western South Carolina’s entertainment scene.
Popular restaurants include Christine’s Farm to Fork in Edgefield, El Sombrero Mexican Grill in McCormick and AnShu Asian Café and Whiskey Alley in Aiken. After a great meal, residents can have a little fun at Woodchuckers Axe Throwing in Aiken, a GreenJackets minor league baseball game at SRP Park or the North Augusta Greeneway. Plus, the region is bursting with festivals.
“Pretty much any fruit, flower or vegetable grown around here has a festival: the Watermelon Festival, the Peach Festival – you name it,” Uhle says.
Other events include the Aiken Bluegrass Festival, BBQ & Sweet Tea Festival, Aiken Steeplechase, Ridge Spring Harvest Festival, and Amp The Alley, which is a music series held on Thursdays.
Great Careers
In addition to its various entertainment options, the region is also the perfect place to start or grow a career. Western South Carolina is home to several thriving industries, like advanced manufacturing, chemicals, plastics, energy research, food processing, and research and development.
“We’ve got an excellent workforce here in Western South Carolina,” Uhle says. “But, as is the case around the country, there is a lot of competition. The future looks good economically. I think we’ll continue to see a lot of good manufacturing jobs in this area.”
Community Connections
When longtime Los Angeles resident Tonia Moore and her husband were deciding where to retire, they settled on McCormick County, South Carolina. Moore’s husband is an avid angler, so they needed an area with great fishing options. Plus, they wanted their retirement nest egg to stretch further, and they were looking for a slower pace of life with fewer people. McCormick fit the bill, and the couple moved here in 2016.
Moving from a large, sprawling city to a county whose population is under 10,000 was a big change for the Moores, though they quickly settled into their new life.
“We both firmly believe that home is what you make it, and so that’s what we did” Moore says. “We said, ‘This is where we picked to live and own a home. Now, let’s make it home.’ So that set us on a course of getting involved in things or trying new things that we never had time for before we retired.”
In addition to exercise classes at the rec center, Moore met neighbors and attended local events like the Gold Rush Festival. However, taking bridge classes is how Moore met a group of people who were active in the community.
“They have become my South Carolina family and introduced me to the things that I could volunteer to do. One of those was working with the McCormick County Historical Commission …,” she says. “I feel like it’s important to give back at this point in my life. You know, my husband and I have been very fortunate, and we have the time now to give back. So that’s what we do.”
Rebecca Treon contributed to this article.
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