Is South Carolina the New Washington State? The Truth About Relocating

Added: 2026-06-02

[00:00:00]So, if you're thinking about moving out of Washington State, and especially if you are in the tech world, you've probably eyed beautiful South Carolina.

[00:00:09]And there are some very real reasons as to why that is. So, let me paint a picture for you for a minute here. On March 30th, 2026, two governors signed two tax laws. In Olympia, our governor signed Washington's first broad income tax in almost a 100red years. It's a 9.9% tax on income over a million dollars. That same day, 2,700 miles away, the governor of South Carolina signed a law that points his state's income tax in the exact opposite direction, down toward zero. Same day, opposite directions. And if you're sitting in Washington right now wondering whether you're on the wrong side or the right side of this split, this video is actually going to tell you the actual truth about it. Because here is what I need you to truly understand before you start pricing U-Hauls. South Carolina is selling itself as the no tax kind of lowcost sweet tea paradise. And some of that is absolutely real. And some of that is just a headline that quietly costs middle earners more and not less. There is a hidden yearly bill on your car that nobody mentions. And there is a coastal insurance reality that will hit a Washingtonian who dreams of a marsh front porch like a bucket of ice cold water. So we are going to do this comparison and this analysis of beautiful South Carolina the way that we always do. We're going to go headtohead.

[00:01:42]We're going round by round. We're going to talk about real numbers, honest verdicts, and at the end, I have got five South Carolina towns absolutely worth putting on your radar, including one that I am calling, the San Islands of the South. Yes, that should get your attention. So, I am Leah Courage, and I'm the real estate agent who is going to tell you what the other agents are just too scared to say. So, let's get into it. So, really quick before we dive in, this video of course is for educational and entertainment purposes only, and it's not financial advice. All facts and figures that I state are referenced right in the description below of the video. And the forecasts and the opinions at the end are my professional opinion from 10 plus years in the real estate market. But they're just that. They're opinions. There's no such thing as guarantees. That just doesn't exist in real estate. So, you always want to check with a local pro before you make a move on your specific situation. And that is what we do, in fact. But more on that later. Now, let's get started with all the numbers. So, the lazy version of the Washington versus South Carolina story goes like this. Washington just taxes you to death. South Carolina is the cheap and sunny pick, so go ahead and pack your truck. And look, there is a kernel of truth to this. But the real question, and the one that this whole video is built around, is a lot sharper than that. The question is, does the South Carolina move actually leave you more money in your pocket or does it just leave more money in the pocket of a millionaire who isn't you? Because the two states are not just different. As of this spring, they are literally racing in totally opposite directions on taxes.

[00:03:20]And which direction is actually better for you depends entirely on who you are on a multitude of levels. A retiree with a paid off house gets a completely different answer for South Carolina than a software engineer with stock who gets a completely different answer than say a young family making 80 grand all combined. So let's find out which one is you. So round one is the tax fight. So let's start here with the headline event because it is genuinely pretty dramatic.

[00:03:49]I have to say South Carolina just replaced its old tax system with two brackets. You pay 1.99% on your first $30,000 of taxable income and then 5.21% on everything above that. The old top rate used to be 6%. And the law is built with triggers, which just means automatic future cuts. So if state revenue grows fast enough, that top rate, it's not going to go up. It's going to keep dropping year after year with the stated goal of it eventually hitting zero. But here's the part that the brochure leaves out. This is not a tax cut for everybody. Because South Carolina also stopped letting people use this the federal standard deduction. The state's own number crunchers estimate that only about 43% of taxpayers will actually pay less. Because of this, a big chunk of middle earners are going to pay the same or possibly even more next year, even while the politicians call it tax relief. So, if you are a regular wage earner, do not just assume that your South Carolina tax bill is going to be tiny. Run your actual numbers. Now, let's go over to Washington. So, the thing that Washington has always had going for it is no income tax on your paycheck. And for most of you, that is still true. If you still earn a normal salary, not above a million dollars a year, Washington still doesn't touch it.

[00:05:20]But the wall officially has a crack in it. Just like I mentioned, there is a 7% tax on big investment gains, our new capital gains tax numbers that just were implemented. and the profit, which is the profit when you sell a stock or a business or it's also on anything above roughly $262,000 in gains in a year. Selling your actual house though is exempt. So, don't worry about that. Your home sale revenue is not going to count towards your capital gains for now. But don't worry because we still have the REIT which is the lovely real estate excise tax which definitely takes a serious wall up of a chunk out of your net proceeds when you sell a house in Washington. But in 2025 the state Washington state added a second higher layer which is a 9.9% tax on gains over a million dollars for capital gains. And then this year came the brand new income tax that I mentioned at the very top. It's a 9.9% tax on income over $1 million and it lands in 2028 if it survives the lawsuits and the vote that are already coming. So I want you to picture someone that we are going to call Devon. So Devon lives in Belleview. Devon has a tech job and he's sitting on a pile of company stock that vests all at once when his startup gets bought. Devon sells. He clears $2 million in gains. So Washington wants its 7% on the slice over the threshold and 9.9% on the slice over a million dollars. That is real money. It's way into six figures and on a sing it's on a single sale, mind you.

[00:07:04]So for Devin, South Carolina's we are heading to zero pitch is not just a slogan. It's a number that could pay for his kids' college. And then there is the quiet killer. It's the estate tax here in Washington, which is the tax on what you leave behind when you pass away. So Washington is one of only about a dozen states that even has an estate tax. And the exemption is around $3 million, but the top rate has become one of the highest in the entire United States at a whopping 35%.

[00:07:38]It dropped to 20% this July, but I promise you, the estate tax is not going away. There's a trend of taxes going up in Washington. South Carolina, on the other hand, has no estate tax and it has no inheritance tax. None. Nada. Zero.

[00:07:54]And before you think that that's just a rich person's problem, I need you to do a little bit of math on yourself because a paidoff house in the North Puget Sound plus say a healthy retirement account really rather quickly quietly adds up to $3 million a lot faster than most people expect. That's the trap. You may not feel rich, but the state just might tax your kids like you were. So, what's the verdict? Well, South Carolina definitely takes round one, but you need to read the fine print. It's a blowout win for high earners in South Carolina and it's also for business sellers and anyone with a giant estate. But for a middle inome wage earner, the gap is much much smaller than the headline. And Washington's no paycheck tax setup still holds for now. So round two is the price of a front door, aka real estate. My favorite topic. So this one is not even close, I have to say. So I'm going to make this fairly quick. The typical Washington home is sitting around $615,000 as of spring 2026. The typical South Carolina home is worth right around $35,000.

[00:09:01]I'm not a rocket surgeon or nothing, but that's roughly half of Washington. So, let me translate that into a real bank picture. So, picture two families exact same down payment of $100,000. The Washington family buys a $700,000 house and they walk away with a $600,000 mortgage. The South Carolina family buys a $400,000 house and walks away with a $300,000 mortgage. It's the same family.

[00:09:26]It's the same down payment, but it's half of the loan. And at today's mortgage rates that which are hovering in the low to mid6% range, that Washington mortgage runs about $3,700 a month in principal and interest.

[00:09:38]Compared to the South Carolina mortgage, which runs about $1850.

[00:09:43]That's a swing of roughly $1,900 per month on the single biggest bill that most families have. $1,900 a month is more than $22,000 every single year. That is a lot of chedda. It could be paying off a car or a family trip to Europe or college. And it's year in and year out, $22,000 just from your house payment savings. So, property taxes tend to lean the same way, by the way. So, property taxes tend to lean the same way. Actually, South Carolina's effective property tax rate, which is just the yearly tax as a share of your home's value, runs about a half a percent on a primary home, which tends to be one of the lowest rates in the entire country for property tax.

[00:10:27]Washington's runs closer to 1%. So, you get a lower rate on a cheaper house. Hm.

[00:10:33]This is starting to paint a pretty clear picture of how much housing cost costs in South Carolina. So the verdict is South Carolina wins round two by a absolute landslide. If your number one pain in Washington is the cost of the house itself, South Carolina is definitely going to feel like a major pressure relief valve. So speaking of your specific situation, if you are here in the greater North Puget Sound like Ana Cortis, Mount Vernon, Whidby, Bellingham, my team and I do this every single day and we would love to offer you an absolutely no pressure conversation about your home and your timeline. All you need to do is reach out to us. And if you're also looking at leaving Washington for say South Carolina or anywhere else or relocating anywhere within the United States, even if you're not from Washington, we have an expert vetted agent partner referral program network that runs all across the country. We at our team will personally connect you with someone that we would send our own family to. And we like our families, by the way, so that's a good thing. and we make sure that you're not handing your biggest financial decision to a stranger that you just found on Zillow who may or may not know what the hell they're actually doing. So, our contact information is in the description below and we truly look forward to hearing from you and to being of service in whatever way that looks like. So, round three is the hidden bills that nobody mentions. So, this is the round that protects you. So, I need you to stay with me. So, first it's the car tax. So, South Carolina charges you a yearly property tax on your vehicle based on what it's worth. And you cannot renew your registration until you pay it every single year. So, a Washingtonian who is used to annual tabs is going to open that first little county bill and they're going to feel a little bit upset. It's not an enormous tax, but it is a recurring sting that nobody really warns you about, espec especially if you're coming from out of state. So second is the second home trap. So do you remember that lovely 1 half% property tax rate in South Carolina that I was talking about? Sounds pretty nice, right? Well, that is for your primary home only, the one you actually live in.

[00:12:45]If you buy a beach condo as a rental, for example, the state assesses it at a higher ratio and it strips out the school tax break and the bill on that vacation place can run three to four times higher than the identical house next door that somebody lives in full-time. So, the dream of a beautiful little Myrtle Beach rental comes with a serious tax footnote that I want to make sure you're very aware of. And third, and this is the big one, it's insurance.

[00:13:14]So, let me talk to you for a minute about a gal named Diane. So, Diane is from Anacortis. She has saltwater in her blood and she falls in love with the idea of a marshfront cottage near the coast. Here's what Diane finds out.

[00:13:29]Coastal South Carolina sits in hurricane territory and homeowners insurance there has gotten absolutely brutal. Premiums along the coast can run double or triple the inland rate. and a lot of the listings that she likes carry serious flood risk along with them. Also, insurance carriers have gotten strict about roof age. If the roof is more than about 15 years old, they may just refuse to cover it at full replacement value or refuse to write that policy at all. So, that ends up turning roofs into a live negotiation point on pretty much every single coastal offer. So Washington, by contrast, for all of its faults, does not have hurricanes. Thank heaven. And that keeps the insurance market a lot calmer. So what's the verdict here?

[00:14:21]Well, Washington actually wins round three, believe it or not. It's not on the sticker price, but it's on the surprises. South Carolina's true cost of ownership, especially near the water, has asterisks all over it. And the person who ignores them is the person who is absolutely going to get unexpectedly railed. And we don't want that to happen to you, now do we? So, round number four is a fun topic. It's the weather and the great outdoors. So, here is where a lot of Washingtonians quietly fall in love and then they quietly panic. So, let's talk about the love part first. South Carolina winters are gentle. Coastal January highs sit around 60°. the gray dripping eightmon Pacific Northwest ceiling that totally wears people down. Gone when you hit South Carolina. The upstate near Greenville gets real seasons but without the brutal cold if that's what you're looking for. There's also a genuine lake culture with big warm reservoirs where weekend where summer weekends end up turning into all day boat parties. And I'm not going to lie, that kind of sounds amazing. And the coast offers the kind of saltwater creek and marsh life that maritime people absolutely love.

[00:15:38]And if you like any of those Nicholas Sparks novels or movies like I do, yeah, you're kind of going to get drawn in there. Now, the panic part. So, the South Carolina summers are an absolute wall of heat and humidity. We are talking about a feelslike temperature that pushes past 105 on a regular July afternoon with a kind of wet, heavy air that instantly fogs my husband's glasses when he walks outside. We sensitive, moody little artisal espresso sipping Washingtonians cannot truly comprehend this kind of weather until we experience it firsthand. I remember the first time I experienced real humidity in Chicago in the summertime and I thought I was going to die. And then there is hurricane season every year from late summer into fall. That is a category of worry that Washington simply does not have. I don't care about the atmospheric rivers. Yes, they suck. They are not the same thing. And for the hardcore outdoors crowd, let's be honest, South Carolina does have some absolutely lovely foothills and some beautiful scenery and a truly special national park. But you know where I'm going with this. It does not have the Cascades. It doesn't have Alpine Territory. It doesn't have the mystical Olympic Mountains or Nia Bay or the Gorge or the Okonagan or Mount Baker or Mount Reineer or Mount Adams. I think you catch my drift. I am clearly biased because I love Washington State's great outdoors so much. So, if your whole identity is built on big mountains and running around on glaciers, no amount of sunshine is going to fully replace that.

[00:17:20]So, what's the verdict? It's a genuine draw here, and it really genuinely depends on who you are and what you love to do. So, if you're sick of the gray and you want warm winters and warm water, South Carolina is going to absolutely win over your heart. But if you live for the mountains and you absolutely melt in humidity, Washington State is definitely going to keep the crown in this round. Now, round five is who you are as a person. So, this last round is the one that people forget to think about, and honestly, it matters the most when you're moving across the country. Moving states does not just change your address. It changes your neighbors, your ballot, and what your Sundays look like. South Carolina, for example, leans deeply traditional and deeply southern. Church is a real social anchor in much of the state. Having actual manners is not optional in South Carolina, and politically, it is solidly conservative top to bottom. in a way that will feel like home to some of you and it will feel like a total foreign country to others. So, it comes down to being a fit question. Plenty of Washingtonians are leaving precisely because they feel politically outvoted in their own state. And for them, South Carolina is going to feel a lot like exhaling. Others are going to miss Washington a lot more than they would previously expect that they might. So, be honest with yourself about which which category you are in before the truck is loaded and not after. And as always, if you have the resources to visit the state before you make any decisions or get your hopes up, do it.

[00:18:55]And when you visit, don't just travel like a tourist. You need to talk to people. Walk into open houses. Go into the grocery stores and neighborhoods that you might want to find a home in.

[00:19:05]Stick that big toe into the community and really, really feel it out. You'll thank yourself later. So, what's the verdict? There's no winner, of course, because this one is all about you. It's not just data. You just need to go into any situation with eyes open. So, now we are going to cover five South Carolina towns that are actually work worth a look. So, if the beautiful Palmetto State is your answer, you are not going to want to skip this section. So, prices here are as of spring 2026 and they move. So, you need to treat them as a snapshot and not a promise. So number one is the city of travelers rest. What a great freaking name by the way. So this is the Pacific Northwest but sunny pick. It's a hip little town at the foot of the Blue Ridge and it's built around a 22mile walking and biking trail that runs right downtown and it's packed with coffee shops and breweries. So congratulations Washingtons Washingtonians, you are in luck here.

[00:20:05]Homes near the trail and downtown run in the mid500s around 525,000 on average, although you can find cheaper as you spread out from the town center. So number two is Bufort. So this is my San Juan Islands of the South that I was telling you about. Bufort is a historic coastal town wrapped in salt marsh and tidal creeks. And it's made for kayaks and crab traps and slow mornings, but without Charleston's tourist crush. It's kind of like almost like the Anacortis of South Carolina if you're asking me.

[00:20:37]Median home prices here are around 425,000 which is genuine low country water access at a real value. You just need to seriously respect that coastal insurance reality that we were talking about in round number three because you're definitely finding it here.

[00:20:53]Number three is Aken. So Aken is the quiet, sophisticated kind of horse country pick. It's got a grand old downtown, a 2100 acre urban forest that is laced with trails right in town, and the best dollar stretch on this list at a median home price of around $310,000.

[00:21:12]That is impressive compared to Washington numbers. If your money matters the most to you when you're making a move, you need to look here first. So, number four is John's Island.

[00:21:23]So, this is the close to the action pick. It's got big live oaks, farm-totable food, and it's fast growing, and it's only about 15 minutes from downtown Charleston and the beach.

[00:21:34]It is the priciest on this list, and generally homes on average, median home prices sit in the high 600s. And True Marsh can clear a million for sure. So, you need to come with a real budget.

[00:21:47]Number five is Fort Mill. So, this is the polished suburb pick right over the line from Charlotte. So, Fort Mill has top rated schools and master plan neighborhoods and a corporate job kind of commute and also a very big nature greenway. Median home prices here are around 475 to 490,000. And this, by the way, is going to be your Belleview and Redmond kind of energy in a much cheaper South Carolinian package. So, finally, the big old question. Should you go?

[00:22:19]Well, here is the honest answer broken out by who you actually are. If you're a high earnner or you're selling a business or big stock position, South Carolina is going to be one of the strongest cases on this whole channel right now. Washington's capital gain tax and that new millionaire income tax are aimed straight at you high earners.

[00:22:39]South Carolina is sprinting in the other direction for you. The move here is not going to be necessarily an emotional one. It's all arithmetic and the arithmetic definitely says go and take a look. So, if you are a retiree, this is close to a dream setup. They have no tax on social security, military retirement is fully exempt. There's no estate tax for your kids, low property taxes on your primary home, and very gentle winters. Just buy your home as your primary residence, and think hard before you take on a coastal home with that insurance math that we were talking about, because it's pretty real. If you're a remote worker chasing affordability, then the housing cut is real and it's lifechanging. It's roughly half the price of a Washington home. But do not assume that the income tax is near zero for you. You need to run the numbers because middle earners do not automatically win with the new law. If you're a family still on the grind, the lower house payment can genuinely change your life, but you need to go in totally cleareyed about the heat and the hurricanes and the yearly car tax and also massively the cultural shift. Pick a town like Fort Mill or Aken where the math and the schools both still work.

[00:23:58]And if you're staying put no matter what, I need you to take a big breath because for a normal paycheck, Washington, yes, it's getting more expensive, but for the time being, it still does not tax your income, and you get to keep the mountains. You're far from crazy for wanting to stay to stay, despite what loads of people in our comments say. Washington is still an incredible state, and it is entirely worth fighting for. But you have got to do what is right for you. And I cannot and would never presume to tell you what that looks like. So, let's bring it home here. You've got two governors, one day totally opposite directions that they're heading. South Carolina is cheaper. It's sunnier. And it's the tax winner for the wealthy and the retired. Washington still wins on no paycheck tax for regular earners, on calmer homeowners insurance, and on those beautiful mountains that we take for granted. And the hidden bills also in South Carolina are real. So do not let the brochure do your math for you. And if you want to learn more about South Carolina, or better yet, if you want to go out and visit and you want to get hooked up with an incredible South Carolina real estate advisor, you know what to do. Go ahead and reach out to us and we will be honored to help you make your next move with confidence. Thank you so much for watching our video and if this helped you out even just a little bit, do me a favor. Go ahead and like it. Subscribe it and subscribe. Subscribe it. I don't know what that means. Subscribe to it and turn on notifications so that the next comparison or the next video we do talking about what's great about Washington or what's awful about it finds you. And go ahead and share this with the one person in your life who keeps threatening to make a move and keeps asking you if it's a good idea.

[00:25:37]And I know that you know exactly who that is. So, I am Leah Courage. Thank you again so much for watching all the way through the end. Keep exploring and we will see you in the next one.