Families flock to Summerville, South Carolina

The hottest place to live isn’t in a huge metropolitan area, but in a small southern city.

Summerville, South Carolina is said to be an emerging workforce hub Move Buddhawhich named the hidden gem the “top job magnet suburb” in the country.

The moving and storage company’s experts analyzed search data from the beginning of the year to October 1, 2024 and examined which areas were most popular and how their job market was developing.

“Metropolises with strong job growth are attracting interest in nearby suburbs, and newcomers are attracted by the chance to build both a stable career and a comfortable life,” the report authors wrote, adding that “the American dream takes very different forms can accept.”

“Together they illustrate a clear trend: as job opportunities increase, so does the attractiveness of the surrounding suburban areas.”

The company reported that the city of Summerville has a high in- and out-migration ratio, meaning that for every person leaving the city, about 3.76 people want to settle there.

According to Move Buddha, the popularity of real estate in South Carolina has contributed to an economic boom: 5,500 construction jobs were created in just one year, and a total of 80,000 new jobs were created in the local market.

The report also found job growth of 4.2% from August 2023 to August 2024 in Summerville, home to just over 52,000 residents.

Experts at Move Buddha noted that the once-undeveloped region is a growing hub for the tech industry, with the state’s lowlands ranking fifth in the U.S. for “High-tech industry production.”

But even as more people flock to the Summerville suburbs, real estate prices have not yet caught up with demand. The average home cost $380,000 in September of this year, Move Buddha reported, citing Zillow data.

By comparison, homes in the least affordable job center — Beverly Hills, California — average a whopping $3,511,964 in an area with just 1.6% job growth.

“While many moves to the suburbs are being driven by the remote work trend that allows for more affordable lifestyles in far-flung locations, many movers also view proximity to a robust job market as a real estate feature that can support them should they lose their remote job.” , wrote the Move Buddha authors.

“As a result, suburbs and small towns – particularly those close to workplaces – remain popular.”