Families are flocking to this safe, affordable haven in the South

The hottest place to live isn’t in a massive metro — rather, it’s a small town down South.

Summerville, South Carolina, is an up-and-coming hub for workers, according to Move Buddha, which named the hidden gem the “top job-magnet suburb” in the country.

The experts at the moving and storage company analyzed search data from the beginning of the year until Oct. 1, 2024, looking at which areas were most popular and how their job market fared.

Move Buddha analyzed data from the last year to determine the country’s largest job hub suburb, declaring the small town of Summerville as no. 1. visitsummerville

“Metro areas with robust job growth are fueling interest in nearby suburbs, with newcomers drawn by the chance to build both a stable career and a comfortable life,” the report authors wrote, adding that “the American dream can take vastly different forms.”

“Together, they highlight a clear trend: as employment opportunities expand, so does the appeal of surrounding suburban areas.”

The town of Summerville, the company reported, has a high in-to-out move ratio, which stated that for every one person who leaves, an approximate 3.76 people are wanting to settle down there.

The popularity of South Carolina real estate has contributed to an economic boom, with 5,500 construction jobs added in just a year, and 80,000 jobs in total have been added in the local market, according to Move Buddha.

A house with a brick walkway and trees in Summerville, known as 'Charleston's younger sister', famous for its blooming flowers and historical charm. — The quaint town has affordable real estate and a booming job market. visitsummerville

The report also revealed a 4.2% job growth from August 2023 to August 2024 in Summerville, which has a population of just over 52,000.

Experts at Move Buddha noted that the once untapped region is a growing hub for the tech industry, with the state’s lowcountry ranking fifth in the US for “high-tech industry output.”

But even as more people flock to the Summerville suburbs, housing prices haven’t yet caught up to the demand. The average home as of September of this year cost $380,000, Move Buddha reported, citing Zillow data.

For comparison, houses in the least affordable job hub — Beverly Hills, Calif. — cost a whopping $3,511,964 on average in an area with only 1.6% job growth.

“While many suburban moves are spurred on by remote work trends that allow more affordable lifestyles in far-flung locations, many movers also consider living near a robust job market to be a real estate feature that can support them should they lose a remote job,” the Move Buddha authors wrote.

“As a result, suburbs and small towns — especially near jobs — remain popular.”