MCCORMICK COUNTY, SOUTH CAROLINA · LIVING HERE
Living in McCormick, South Carolina
No initiation fees, fiber internet to every lot, and a 71,000-acre lake for a backyard.
Is McCormick, SC a good place to retire?
For a lot of retirees, yes. Nearly 38% of McCormick County's population is 65 or older — well above the state average — and the draw is easy to see: low property taxes, a slow pace, and direct access to Lake Thurmond. The town of McCormick's cost of living runs about 20% below the national average, and errands here take minutes, not an afternoon.
What is Savannah Lakes Village?
Savannah Lakes Village is the county's largest residential community — 4,300 acres along Lake Thurmond with two championship golf courses, a 23,000-square-foot recreation center, six lighted tennis courts, pickleball, bowling, multiple pools, a fitness center, and more than 50 social clubs. There's no initiation fee and no monthly minimum, which sets it apart from most gated golf communities in the Southeast, and every homesite has fiber-optic internet — a detail that matters as much to remote workers as it does to retirees.
How far is McCormick, SC from Augusta or Atlanta?
McCormick is about 45 minutes from downtown Augusta, Georgia, and just over two hours from Atlanta — close enough for a hospital system, an airport, and a night out, far enough to stay quiet.
What outdoor access do residents have?
Savannah Lakes Village backs directly onto three state parks and Sumter National Forest, which together add up to more than 100 miles of hiking and biking trails without ever leaving the community. Add the lake itself — 71,000 acres of it — and boating, fishing, and paddling are a short golf-cart ride away rather than a planned trip.
Is McCormick, SC affordable?
Relative to comparable lake and golf communities in the Southeast, yes. Homes in Savannah Lakes Village start around $200,000, property taxes in South Carolina are among the lowest in the country for owner-occupied homes, and the absence of an initiation fee or monthly minimum removes a cost that runs into the thousands at most gated communities.
The town's history explains part of why land here has stayed affordable →