8 Best South Carolina School Districts for Buying a House

When buying a house, one of the more important considerations is the school district your kids will attend. If you’re moving to South Carolina or looking to relocate within the state, you’ll need to know about the quality of schools in that area before buying a house and settling your family. We’ve looked closely into the top schools across the Palmetto State. To help you get a head start in your home search, here are the 8 best South Carolina school districts for buying a house.

1 – Spartanburg School District One

The top spot on our list of best South Carolina school districts for buying a house goes to Spartanburg School District One. Headquartered in the upstate town of Campobello, SC, Spartanburg School District One is regularly ranked as one of the top school districts in the state for students and teachers alike.

Here’s a quick look inside Spartanburg School District One:

• 5,047 students
• 10 schools (2 high schools and a career center)
• Ranked 2nd safest school district in SC
• Ranked 2nd best school system to teach in SC
• The 92.4% 4-year graduation rate is nearly 10% higher than the state avg.
• 76.1% of graduating students have completed college applications

These are just a few of the impressive education stats that land Spartanburg School District One in the top school districts for buying a house in SC. But, it also helps that Spartanburg School District One students regularly achieve math and reading test scores well above state averages.

According to the South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE) School Report Cards, 47.2% of Spartanburg School District One students test proficient or higher in reading while 44% test proficient or higher in math.

So, what about buying a house in this school district? The Spartanburg One school district encompasses parts of Campobello, Inman and Landrum, SC. These are relatively small, remote towns located right along the border of North and South Carolina and are easily accessible to I-26.

Although these are small country towns, you’re still only a short drive to both Greenville, SC, and of course, Spartanburg, SC for work and business. That’s not all, though. The towns of Campobello, Inman and Landrum are all safe, quaint, beautiful places to live and raise a family. You’ll get to enjoy the laid-back lifestyle offered by living along the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains but still be close to larger cities and towns – it’s truly the best of both worlds!

Despite the remote, country settings, the real estate markets are looking incredibly favorable across the Spartanburg One School District. Currently, there are 127 homes for sale in Inman, SC with an average listing price of $310K. As for Campobello, there are currently 38 homes listed for sale in Campobello, SC with an average listing price of $396K. Finally, Landrum currently lists 235 homes for sale with an average listing price of $249K. This is all very good news for anyone looking to invest in homes and properties around the upstate.

2 – Fort-Mill School District

The second spot on our list of best South Carolina school districts for buying a house takes us halfway back across the state to Fort Mill School District (FMSD) formerly known as York County 4. FMSD offers quality education to its students and deserves strong consideration for the top spot on our list. It’s an excellent district for anyone looking to buy a house and who wants good schools for their kids in South Carolina.

Here’s a glimpse at Fort Mill School District:

• 16,883 students enrolled
• 20 schools (including 3 high schools)
• 94% graduation rate
• 0.8% dropout rate
• 83.2% of students graduating are college OR career ready
• 67% of students score proficient or higher in English Language Arts (ELA)
• 64.9% of students score proficient or higher in math

Based on test scores alone, FMSD is one of the best school districts in the state. FMSD is also classified as an AccreditED school, which is a global accreditation organization that works with more than 32,000 districts around the world and has strict standards for maintaining eligibility.

The one aspect that keeps FMSD from taking the top spot on our list involves the cost of living. Fort Mill, SC is a fast-growing town that’s widely considered a suburb of Charlotte, NC and with that designation comes a higher cost of living.

However, the real estate market in Fort Mill is definitely alive and well with plenty of available properties and new listings hitting the market every day. Currently, there are 359 homes for sale in Fort Mill, SC with an average listing price of $473K.

3 – Lexington-Richland School District No. 5

Coming in at number three on our list is School District Five of Lexington and Richland Counties, which is commonly referred to as simply District Five. The story of how District Five came to be is rather interesting and worth reading more about. As the name suggests, this SC school district is comprised of parts of both Richland and Lexington Counties and is located northwest of Columbia, SC.

Here’s a quick look at what makes School District Five of Lexington and Richland Counties such an excellent SC school district:

• 16,780 students enrolled (4 high schools and one Center for Advanced Technical Studies)
• 87.7% 4-year graduation rate (4% higher than state avg)
• 51.5% of graduates score proficient or higher in ELA
• 46.6% score proficient or higher in math
• 80.4% of graduates are college OR career ready
• 5.3% dual enrollment (11th and 12th grade only)

Like most school districts, you need to look beyond the numbers to determine the quality of schools. Traditionally, District Five sets the standard for teaching excellence and is home to the SC Teacher of the Year, Amy Carter. This marks the second consecutive year that a District Five teacher has won this prestigious award.

As far as buying a home in District Five goes, it can be tricky. You’re going to need to do your homework, which is also where hiring a qualified, experienced realtor comes into play. Again, the school district is situated across portions of two different counties. District Five also spans a whopping 196 square miles, giving you plenty of options for choosing neighborhoods and being picky about where in the district you’d like to raise your family.

To narrow it down, the district consists of the northern portions of Lexington County and the northwestern portions of Richland County. The three main attendance areas for District Five are Dutch Fork, Chapin and Irmo including areas north of Lake Murray in Lexington County and south of the Broad River in Richland County. If you’re looking to buy in these areas and aren’t sure about the school district limits, you can always contact the school district directly and they’ll be happy to tell you for sure.

Currently, there are hundreds of listings in both Lexington and Richland Counties. In Chapin, SC, there are currently 117 homes for sale with an average listing price of $423K. In Irmo, SC, there are currently 65 homes for sale with an average listing price of $298K. Again, buying a house in either of these beautiful SC cities doesn’t guarantee your kids will attend District Five schools, so be sure to double-check a listing’s school district.

4 – Spartanburg School District Seven

Fourth place on our list brings us back to the upstate and over to Spartanburg School District Seven or D7 for short. Despite its many challenges, D7 is consistently one of the top districts in the state of South Carolina. Spartanburg School District Seven is comprised of several of the most populous areas of Spartanburg County and is the district for most of the residents within Spartanburg city limits.

Let’s take a look at what makes Spartanburg School District Seven one of the top systems in the state of South Carolina:

• 7,052 student enrollment
• 12 schools (1 high school)
• Ranked 9th in the state for diversity among students
• Ranked 3rd best school system to teach in SC
• 11:1 student-to-teacher ratio
• Average SAT scores of 1150

Despite 70% of D7’s students being considered below the poverty level, this school district maintains excellent graduation rates and high average SAT scores. D7’s lone high school is Spartanburg High School. It is the first high school in the nation to with the prestigious National Blue Ribbon School Award four times.

Since D7 serves most of the citizens within Spartanburg city limits, you’ll want to start your home search in the city. Along with Greenville, SC, Spartanburg, SC is one of the main cities located in the upstate of South Carolina. According to the Spartanburg MLS, there are currently 431 homes for sale in Spartanburg, SC with an average listing price of $264K.

5 – Chesterfield County School District

Coming in at the fifth spot on our list of best South Carolina school districts for buying a house is Chesterfield County School District. Located in the central Piedmont portion of the state, Chesterfield County offers a quaint lifestyle with plenty of rural areas and a school district that serves the entire county.

Let’s take a fast look inside Chesterfield County School District:

• 7,200 student enrollment
• 19 schools (3 high schools)
• 87% 4-year graduation rates
• 75% of graduates are career OR college ready
• Approximately 75% of students scored level 2 or above in both ELA and Math standardized tests

Chesterfield County School District does a great job of preparing its high school students for the next phase of their lives. One of the main reasons for this is Chesterfield County is home to three high schools across the county. As a result, the student-to-teacher ratios in high schools are also considerably below the state average.

Chesterfield County offers some excellent opportunities for anyone getting started with their first home, too. Currently, there are 29 homes for sale in Chesterfield County, SC with an incredibly favorable average listing price of $205K.

6 – Lexington County School District One

The number six spot on our list of best SC school districts for buying a house goes to Lexington County School District One. Lexington County School District One is the largest district to make our list. It’s common for school districts with this many students to struggle with things like student-to-teacher ratio, but Lexington County School District One is definitely an outlier in that group.

Here’s a small window into Lexington County School District One:

• 27,072 student enrollment
• 31 schools (5 high schools and 1 career center)
• 47.7% score proficient or higher in ELA and math (nearly 5% higher than state averages)
• 90% 4-year graduation rate
• 0.6% dropout rate
• 77.8% of graduates are college OR career ready

Again, these numbers are incredibly high given the number of students this district serves annually. Lexington County School Distric One encompasses parts of Columbia, SC and serves nearly 50% of the entire county, or approximately 150,000 residents. The district’s attendance area reaches from Lake Murray to Lexington County’s southern border with Aiken County and covers an astonishing 360 square miles.

With a central location that encompasses parts of the city of Columbia, SC, you’re definitely going to find plenty of available homes for sale in Lexington County School District One. Currently, there are 588 homes listed for sale across Lexington County, SC with an average listing price of $325K. Of course, not all of Lexington County is served by District One schools, so you’ll need to double check the school district with your realtor.

7 – Anderson School District Four

The seventh spot on our list takes us back to the upstate and over to Anderson County School District Four. Anderson District Four as it’s known, is a small school district headquartered in Pendleton, SC. As this county continues to grow in population, Anderson District Four schools remain dedicated to student success and fostering a sense of community amongst its patrons.

Let’s take a quick look at Anderson County District Four:

• 2755 student enrollment
• 6 schools (1 high school)
• 87.3% 4-year graduation rate
• 56% proficiency in both ELA and math (both well above state averages)
• 69.4% of graduates are college OR career ready

Anderson County School District Four features one high school, Pendleton High, and has schools located in both Pendleton and Townville, SC. This definitely helps broaden your South Carolina home search and opens up a few more options for buying a home.

Currently, there are 220 homes listed for sale in Anderson County, SC with an average listing price of $300K. Again, not all of Anderson County is part of District Four’s attendance area, so having an experienced realtor is a must.

8 – Horry County Schools

Our final entry on the list of best South Carolina school districts for buying a house brings us to the easternmost county in the state and Horry County Schools. Located along the beautiful coast of South Carolina, Horry County is one of the best areas for finding the waterfront home of your dreams in the state. Headquartered in gorgeous Conway, SC, Horry County Schools serves the entire county, is the third largest system in the entire state and the largest district to make our list of best school districts for buying a house.

Here’s a short look into Horry County Schools:

• 44,479 student enrollment
• 54 schools (9 high schools with 9 attendance areas)
• 27.6% of 7th and 8th grade students are enrolled in High School credit courses
• 83% 4-year graduation rate
• 68% of graduates are college OR career ready
• Over 8,000 high school students enrolled in career and technical education (CTE) courses

One of the best aspects of Horry County Schools is their career and college readiness programs. Students are engaged in the next levels of their educations from the time they’re in middle school through the time they graduate high school.

For anyone looking to relocate to SC or move within the state, you can’t go wrong with Horry County. Horry County is home to Myrtle Beach, Surfside Beach and Little River. Located just over the North and South Carolina border and a short drive from Wilmington, NC, Horry County has plenty of available homes for sale. Currently, there are more than 4,000 homes for sale across Horry County, SC with an average listing price of $399.9K.

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Buying a home in the best school district possible is one of the best ways to set your kids up for success both now and in the future. These eight school districts are all excellent options for parents who simply want the best for their kids education. With new listings hitting the market every day, it can be hard to keep track of your options. That’s where EZ Home Search comes in.

We’re dedicated to providing you with the information needed to make an informed buying decision. After all, a home is the largest investment you’ll make. Register for your free EZ Home Search account now and you’ll receive instant access to the latest real estate listings and other info from around South Carolina and the southeast.