Millions of Americans packed up and moved in 2020, even during a pandemic, and few destinations were more popular than South Carolina, according to a recent study.
The Palmetto State saw the second highest percentage of inbound migration, with 64% coming from out of state, the study by United Van Lines found, and COVID-19 played a part.
Only Idaho placed higher, with 70% inbound migration.
Nearly 16 million Americans moved during the pandemic, according to USPS data from 2020.
The No. 1 reason people moved to South Carolina was retirement, accounting for 38% of inbound migration. Work followed at 26% — although roughly 43% of those who left South Carolina in 2020 did so for the same reason, the study found. Family came next at 19%, and lifestyle with 18%.
The coronavirus pandemic encouraged many respondents to move, for personal health, to be closer to family, or change in work status, according to the study. COVID-19 also nudged some Baby Boomers to retire earlier than planned, freeing them up to move anywhere they want.
Data show a longstanding nationwide pattern persists — people are leaving urban areas behind to head south and west.
The Aiken housing market saw robust sales in 2020. The number of closed sales on homes in Aiken is up 13.3% from 2019 and the median price of homes is up 13.6% from 2019.
Chamber President/CEO J. David Jameson said, “Aiken is seeing a piece of the action as folks identify South Carolina as a place to call home. For every home sold in Aiken, multiple businesses benefit. It is a true chain reaction. This is great news for Aiken.”
The real estate industry in South Carolina accounted for $43.3 billion or 17.6% of the gross state product in 2019. According to the National Association of Realtors®, the total economic impact of a typical home sale is $72,853 in South Carolina. This is based on income generated from real estate industries (commissions, fees, moving expenses, etc.), expenditures related to home purchases, and the real estate multiplier effect. The multiplier effect accounts for the fact that income earned in other sectors of the economy because of a home sale is then recirculated into the economy.
The Chamber asked area real estate brokers to comment on the local effects of the surge of movers to the state.
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Most of my clients are retiring from up north or from the west. Most are running from the cold weather!!! The other are horse people looking to be active in the horse community.
Catina Broadwater
Broadwater-Toole Realty, LLC
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The low rates have encouraged first time homebuyers and buyers who may have hesitated to move into a larger home to take that next step. We have also seen many people move to the area from other states, something that has always been a trend in Aiken. I've also had the pleasure of welcoming old friends back home as they've decided to settle back down in Aiken now that they can work remotely. There are many silver linings the experience of COVID has taught us, one being that there truly is no place like home.
Julie Moore Whitesell
Meybohm Real Estate
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I have found that some folks that now have the opportunity to work from home would rather live in a smaller community without the city traffic and a better quality of life. I also see that the horse industry has brought a fair number of transplants. Low interest rates have been the deciding factor in relocation through out the country and Aiken is no exception.
Sally Brodie
Real Estate One
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We have seen a large number of people fleeing the North East and West Coast, flocking to Aiken. Many of them wish to rent a house quickly before they build or buy. Over the past 10 years, real estate in Aiken has risen, on average between 3% to 6% each year. A number of these rental properties, in the last several years, have been sold, not to investors, but to homeowners, reducing the available rental pool.
My focus, as owner of Fox and Hound Realty in 2021, working with investors, is a “build to rent” strategy. Aiken is a wonderful place to live and thrive in a historically crazy time.
William Morgan “Billy” Benton
Fox and Hound Realty, Inc.
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It is our experience that people are seeking to move to Aiken for various reasons. Certainly, there are those who are escaping the lockdowns of some of the states where the virus has been worse, but others are coming for family connections. Some are coming strictly for the climate and retirement, while others are coming because of opportunities for work that is better pay and a better atmosphere to raise their family. Aiken offers so much variety that it attracts people from all walks of life and various reasons.
The underlying reason they stay and pick Aiken over other locations is the atmosphere and friendliness of the community as a whole! The people make the difference and makes it easy to sell Aiken.
Ed Girardeau
Re/Max Tattersall
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“I have never seen activity like we experienced in 2020! Because of the increased demand for housing and an inadequate supply in certain price ranges, realtors have been faced with the challenges of multiple offer situations. Also, we are seeing a trend of buyers willing to purchase site unseen. I have encountered many couples who retired to the coast, but they got tired of evacuating because of hurricanes. It was also refreshing to work with young families in 2020 moving to Aiken because of a job opportunity. Most commonly, I communicate with prospective buyers and sellers who want to downsize for a more carefree lifestyle.
Peggy Penland
Houndslake Realty
The Penland Company
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Woodside Development invests over $1M a year in sales and marketing for Woodside Communities (Woodside Plantation, The Reserve at Woodside, The Village at Woodside, Bridgewater and Anderson Farms). As a result, more than 90% of our sales are to buyers from outside the Aiken market. Nearly 30% of the buyers that are already Aiken residents are folks who were from other areas of the country having previously purchased in Woodside Communities and are moving within or between the communities.
While in the past our marketing has targeted the retirement demographic, we have been intentionally moving that needle younger for a few years now. Today, partly as a result of COVID, more people are discovering they can work remotely. As a result, we have experienced a more significant trending to a younger pre-retirement audience.
Diana M. Peters
Woodside Development, LLC
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Dynamic leaders join Chamber board |
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The Aiken Chamber of Commerce board of directors welcomes four new members. Debbie Eblen, Charlie Hartz and Larry Ling have been appointed to fill unexpired terms and King Laurence will fill an ex-officio seat.
The board of directors is the leadership body of the Aiken Chamber, the area’s largest voluntary, membership-driven business organization. The board consists of a seven-member executive committee and three classes of six business and community leaders each serving a three-year term.
The board leads the organization in being a catalyst for business growth, the convener for leaders and influencers, and the champion for a stronger community.
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Debbie Eblen is the senior director for business services for Atlantic Broadband where she leads wholesale teams from Maine to Florida. Eblen has been in the telecommunications industry since 1993 with her work concentrating on wireless, wireline, cable, telephone and data sales and operations. She has won sales awards for delivering more than 150 percent in annual revenue targets and is a consistent President’s Club winner.
Eblen attended the University of South Carolina Aiken where she received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Management and Psychology. She has taken additional course work in accounting and project management, attended Thayer Women’s Leadership Group at West Point Academy, and leadership classes with McGill University in Montreal, Canada.
Eblen is interested in leadership and mentoring young professionals to excel in the telecom industry and in life. Eblen participated as a panelist in the Chamber’s 2018 Women in Business program Hindsight is 20/20…What I wish I could tell my younger self.
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Charlie Hartz is the franchise owner of the three Dunkin’ Donuts located in Aiken County. His newest adventure is the Village Café at Woodside which opened January 2018. Hartz has over 30 years of country club/resort management experience. He has worked for ClubCorp Golf Management, located in Aiken and Debary, Florida; Arnold Palmer Golf Management with locations in Bangkok, Thailand, Los Angeles, California, and Orlando, Florida, and Bennigan’s Restaurant in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania.
Hartz served as the Chair of the Aiken Chamber board of directors in 2016 and 2017. He is a board member of the Sertoma Club, the Aiken Technical College Foundation, and The Family Y – Aiken Branch, where he serves as the current board chair. In addition, he is a member of the Club Managers Association of America and the United States Parachute Association.
Hartz has a Bachelor of Science in Marketing and Management from Alfred University, Alfred, New York.
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Lawrence “Larry” Ling is the Chief of Staff for Savannah River Remediation (SRR). He is responsible for providing strategic high-level support to the SRR office of the president. He advances and aligns the organizations top priorities and oversees and coordinates government affairs. He works with SRR policies, requirements, strategies, and actions that support meeting Department of Energy (DOE) requirements and contract commitments.
Ling also serves as SRR’s senior technical adviser and provides leadership, oversight, and technical guidance to resolve complex technical, organizational, and strategic issues that have extensive site-wide implications.
For more than 30 years, Mr. Ling has led and managed major projects and programs with specific expertise in nuclear power, radioactive waste disposal, and environmental management for the Department of Navy and DOE.
Ling was awarded the U.S. vice president’s Hammer Award for leading the closure of the first high-level radioactive liquid waste tanks in history. He is a member of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers and is a Senior Fellow in the Council for Excellence in Government.
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King Laurence was named Superintendent of Aiken County Public Schools in 2020 after serving as interim superintendent since September 2019. With an educational career spanning more than three decades, Laurence is an experienced administrator dedicated to the Aiken County community’s future success. A graduate of the University of South Carolina Aiken in 1985 with a Bachelor of Arts in Education, Laurence received his master’s degree in educational administration in 1990 from the University of South Carolina.
After 12 years as a teacher and assistant principal in Edgefield County Public Schools, Laurence moved to Aiken County in 1998, and has since served in a variety of leadership roles for Aiken County Public Schools.
Laurence has served on the executive committee of the Instructional Leaders Division of the South Carolina Association of School Administrators (SCASA), and most recently chaired SCASA’s 2020 Innovative Ideas Institute committee.
Awards Laurence has received include the Robert E. Alexander Outstanding K-12 Administrator of the Year and the National Association of Federal Education Program Administrators State Leadership Award.
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S.C. Chamber unveils 2021 Competitiveness Agenda |
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The South Carolina Chamber of Commerce annual Competitiveness Agenda outlines its most pressing policy priorities for the year's legislative session. Year in and year out, the SC Chamber’s goal is to fight for policies that make South Carolina the best place in the nation to live, work, and do business.
The Competitiveness Agenda consists of initiatives impacting job creators and businesses from industry sectors and regions across the state. Competitiveness Agenda items will help South Carolina create a more competitive environment for jobs and businesses, especially as the economy continues to deal with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
As the champion for business in the state, this year the SC Chamber is calling for policymakers to revitalize the economy by bringing jobs back and keeping tax burdens low. The Chamber is also calling for policymakers to expand opportunities for all South Carolinians by passing a hate crimes law, expanding rural broadband, and improving educational and economic opportunities.
The Aiken business community contributes to the development of the annual agenda by participating in the Chamber Alliance Grassroots Tour. This year over 20 virtual meetings were held across the state. Feedback received from the tour is critical and is used to help shape the list of priorities for the upcoming legislative session.
SC Chamber of Commerce Interim CEO Swati Patel said, “We know the impact of the pandemic on businesses and families has been heavy, but the business community is optimistic about opportunities ahead for the 2021 legislative session. South Carolina was on strong economic footing when the pandemic hit, and we have made progress toward recovering, but there is work ahead of us. The businesses that make our communities strong deserve protection from frivolous lawsuits. They should know we have their back and remain committed to keeping them open. The last year reminded each of us in the business community that diversity, equity and inclusion make us stronger and more productive. Hate has no place in South Carolina, and it is time to pass a hate crimes law. We look forward to working closely with the Governor, House and Senate to ensure that these and other business priorities are passed this session.”
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Chamber Ambassadors ready to connect |
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The 2021 Aiken Chamber Ambassador Team is ready to connect and serve the Aiken Chamber’s membership. The 31-member team, who represent a cross section of the Aiken Chamber membership, qualified for the prestigious program.
Ambassadors have a prominent position of responsibility in the business community. They act as the Aiken Chamber’s primary liaisons for new and existing members and are highly visible at Chamber events.
Working in conjunction with Jim Tunison, the Chamber’s director of membership services, the Ambassador Team works to ensure members are maximizing, the many benefits of Chamber membership, such as networking opportunities, educational seminars, and a variety of marketing opportunities.
The Ambassador Team will continue to connect one on one with members, but this year they will also invite Chamber members to participate in an introductory “Meet Your Ambassador” Zoom meeting. This will allow the ambassador to connect with each of his or her assigned members in a small group, allow the members to promote their business to one another, make connections in the community, and learn about the Chamber’s plan of action for the year.
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MichaelAllen
City Billiards
Lee Ann Brubeck
Crescent Hospice
Belinda Byars
The Aiken Standard
Kristi Carney
Coldwell Banker Realty
Nancy Cerra
Meybohm Real Estate
Ericka Collins
Broadwater-Toole Realty, LLC
Allen Cooke
Hixon's Roofing & Construction, LLC
Brad Crain
First Community Bank
Nikasha Dicks
Aiken Technical College
Frank Fulmer - Chair
CardConnect
Roger Gibson
Atlantic Broadband
Lisa Glass
RE/MAX Tattersall Group, LLC
Mark Hodges
R. D. Brown Contractors, Inc.
Heidi Hoffman
First Tee – Aiken
Daniel Kiernan
AECON-WACH
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Isaac Lewis
Holiday Inn Express & Suites Aiken
Colen Lindell
George Funeral Home & Cremation Center
Woody Malone
Meybohm Real Estate
Alex Marozzi
Woodside Country Club
Kirk McGowan
SCORE
John McMichael
Anderson Insurance Associates, LLC
Emily Murphy
Atlantic Broadband
Julia Quick
Matthews Motors
Martha Ruthven
Congressman Joe Wilson
Sarah Schultz
Shepeard Community Blood Center
Alethea Spann
G. L. Williams & Daughter Trucking Inc.
LaShaunda Tucker
Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations, LLC
Caroline Turner
Herlong & Doran Financial Group
Alex Vlahos
Janney Montgomery Scott, LLC
Kristine Whalon
Blue Moon Estate Sales – Augusta
Janice Young
Security Federal Bank
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The Etherredge Center for the Fine & Performing Arts held a ribbon cutting on Friday, January 15 to celebrate the completion of their $600,000 investment into a new fly wheel system. The new system provides state-of-the-art technology and allows operation at both fixed-speed and variable-speed line sets to fly scenery, soft goods, lighting equipment, and more. Pictured from left to right are Allen Cooke, Aiken Chamber Ambassador, Dr. Mark Hollingsworth, Dean College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, Jo Anna Mitchell, Etherredge Center Box Office Manager, Teddy Palmer, Etherredge Center Assistant Technical Director, Michael St. John, Etherredge Center Event Coordinator and House Manager, Paul B. Crook, Etherredge Center Executive Director, Emilie Belisle, Etherredge Center Administrative Assistant, Chet Longley, Associate Professor of Theatre and Etherredge Center Technical Director and Martha Ruthven, Aiken Chamber Ambassador. To stay up-to-date on future performances, make sure to follow The Etherredge Center on all social media platforms and visit their website: https://www.usca.edu/etherredge-center
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Premier Networx held a groundbreaking ceremony on Wednesday, January 13 and showcased renderings of their new office space set to be completed this fall at 3247 Riverwatch Parkway, Augusta. Pictured from left to right are Columbia County Chairman Doug Duncan, President/CEO Augusta Metro Chamber of Commerce, Sue Parr, Premier Networx COO Jen Davis, Premier Networx President/CEO Chad Harpley, Premier Networx CFO Jessica Wingard, Augusta Mayor Pro Tem Sean Frantom, President/CEO Columbia County Chamber of Commerce Russell Lahodny, and Aiken Chamber Director of Membership Services Jim Tunison. Premier Networx is an award winning, outsourced IT managed services provider. Premier Networx provides enterprise-quality IT support to small and medium-sized organizations across the greater Augusta area. Learn more at augustaitguys.com
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Colin A. Houston & Associates, Inc. – Consulting Services
Technical consulting and market intelligence: market research and analysis services for the specialty chemical industry; consumer and industrial cleaning products, personal care, agricultural, textile, construction, and oil and gas segments.
218 Richland Avenue, W
Aiken, SC 29801
Contact: Matthew Jordan
Phone: (803) 226-0350
The Lamington Group, Inc. – Insurance, Employee Benefits
Flexible solutions for group insurance – Medical, RX, Dental, Vision, Group Term Life, AD&D, Short and Long Term Disability, and more
324 Laurens Street, SW
Aiken, SC 29801
Contact: Jaime Clark
Phone: (908) 268-2293
Needlepoint Cottage – Needlework and Knitting
A full service needlepoint and knitting shop - We carry a wide variety of needlepoint canvases and fibers. Our yarn room houses an assortment of fine natural yarn with an inspiring color palette.
224 Park Avenue, SE
Aiken, SC 29801
Contact: Ashley Seawell
Phone: (803) 226-0040
Rowell Heating & Air – Heating & Air Conditioning
A family owned business, dedicated to providing your family with the best products and services possible. We are an established Carrier factory authorized dealer for over 50 years.
346 Old Millen Highway
Waynesboro, GA 30830
Contact: Sandy Kruse
Phone: (706) 554-2665
Wise Warehousing Solutions – Warehouse Storage
We provide both public and contract warehousing, container breakdown, inventory management, operational support, packaging, and transportation.
285 Main Drive
Aiken, SC 29801
Contact: David S. Wise, IV
Phone: (803) 648-5725
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