Tega Cay is one of 11 South Carolina communities named the best small towns in the state for retirees by WorldAtlas, the online geography and travel publication, in a list published Sunday, Oct. 4.
The article, written by WorldAtlas contributor Dan Singer, places Tega Cay alongside better known retirement destinations such as Hilton Head, Beaufort and Aiken. It is the only community from York County, and the only one in the Charlotte region, to make the list.
Lake, golf and safety cited
The writeup centers on the city’s place on Lake Wylie. Singer described Tega Cay as a lakefront suburb that sits just across the state line from Charlotte, and he pointed to the city’s boat ramps, swim beaches and long stretch of shoreline as part of the appeal.
The article also highlighted the Tega Cay Golf Club, which it said covers more than 200 acres and has been voted the top course in the Fort Mill area.
Singer repeated the longstanding local account that the name Tega Cay comes from a Polynesian phrase meaning “beautiful peninsula.”
Price tag noted
The list did not gloss over cost. WorldAtlas said Tega Cay is one of the more expensive towns among the 11, with a median home price well above the national figure. In exchange, the article said, residents get one of the safest communities in South Carolina and quick access to Charlotte’s airport, hospitals and other big city amenities.
Singer summed up the city as a fit for retirees who want “lake living with a city close at hand.”
Statewide company
The other towns named were Seneca, Murrells Inlet, Beaufort, Hilton Head, Aiken, Georgetown, Clemson, Pawleys Island, Camden and Bluffton. Most sit on the coast or in the Upstate lake country, which leaves Tega Cay as the lone pick from the Piedmont region along the North Carolina line.
WorldAtlas did not rank the towns or publish a scoring method. In its introduction, the article said it looked for towns that are quiet and safe, close to hospitals and everyday shopping, and near water or woods. It also credited South Carolina’s mild climate, low cost of living and tax treatment of retirees, noting the state does not tax Social Security benefits and offers a deduction on other retirement income.
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Thomas Hyslip lives in Tega Cay with his wife and daughter. After 27 years in the U.S. Army and Federal Law Enforcement, he retired to pursue his passion for teaching. Tom is now an Associate Professor of Instruction at the University of South Florida. In 2 short years he has won 10 awards from the South Carolina Press Association, including first place in column writing, education beat reporting and best podcast.
