Santee, South Carolina
What It Is Like to Retire in Santee
Santee is a small town in Orangeburg County located along the Atlantic Seaboard, in the low country of South Carolina. With a diverse population of about 800 residents, it has become a resort town and a popular tourist destination attracting over 100,000 visitors a year for its golf, fishing and outdoor recreation. Retirees are attracted to the area as the median age is 58. The proximity to Lake Marion, a 110,000 acre man-made hydroelectric reservoir, along with several golf courses, have recently spurred economic and population growth. Santee is also home to the Santee National Wildlife Refuge and Santee State Park. Photo of Interstate 95 bridge over Lake Marion, courtesy of Wikipedia and Pollinator; photo of The 18th hole at the Santee-Cooper Country Club, showing the I-95 causeway crossing Lake Marion at Santee (Public Domain), Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0/
Where to Retire in Santee and Home Prices
Zillow reports the median home value to be $217,473 in mid-2023. There is a master-planned lakefront community located here.
What Is Special about Santee
Santee is known for great fishing, and water recreation as it is located on the largest freshwater lake in South Carolina, and calls itself an "Oasis of Recreation". Boaters can travel from Santee to Charleston as Lake Marion connects to Lake Moultrie. The small town also offers several golf courses, hiking, biking and bird watching.
What Is Not Special about Santee
Santee is a very small town with the nearest large city (Charleston), about 70 miles away. Summers are hot. You have to enjoy golf, fishing, water activities, and the great outdoors to live here, and it is a tourist destination.
Who Will Like Retirement in Santee
Santee is a small town with a diverse population, and a lot of outdoor activities to keep you busy. It is known for great fishing and is host to fishing tournaments. The town is also popular with golfers and features over 15 golf courses in the area. There is a library, and aquatics center, a state park, and a medical center located in nearby Orangeburg.
Local Economy Is Driven by
Tourism, retail and education drive the economy.
Climate and Physical Environment
The average January temperature is 47 degrees, with July's average 93 degrees.
Restaurants & Cultural Scene
The small town offers a variety of dining options including restaurants, delis, barbecue, and ice cream shops. There are also several chain restaurants located here. For the cultural scene, the nearby towns of Summerville and Orangeburg provide events, and the vibrant town of Charleston is just an hour away, as is Columbia, the state capital.
Crime
The crime rate here is high, with most incidents involving theft.
Medical facilities
There is a medical center in Orangeburg, about 22 miles away.
Transportation
The nearest International airports are in Charleston 60 miles south, and Columbia about 60 miles north of Santee.
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