Summerville, SC Homes For Rent

Homes for Rent in Summerville, SC: What You Need to Know

The name Summerville evokes languid days and indulgent nights as befitting the town known as the Birthplace of Sweet Tea. Summerville is part of the Charleston metropolitan area in southeastern South Carolina.

Local Culture

Most people thought sweet tea was invented at the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair. That changed with the discovery of a receipt circa 1890 for a reunion of Confederate soldiers in Summerville. It showed the purchase of 600 pounds of sugar and 880 gallons of tea, proof enough that Summerville folks were drinking sweat tea at least 14 years before the World’s Fair. Today, there’s a Sweet Tea Trail in town that includes a stop at a mural, a tea plantation, various businesses offering tea-related products, and “Mason,” a 15-foot-tall jar downtown.

Local History

In the late 1700s, residents of the South Carolina Lowcountry flocked to the area in the summer to escape the heat and mosquitos. Hence, the name Summerville, which officially became a town in 1847. In the spring, the area has historically been covered with blooming flowers, especially azaleas. Even today, residents celebrate Summerville’s blossoms during the annual Flowertown Festival.

What is the Cost of Living in Summerville, SC?

Summerville’s cost of living rate and housing costs are 1.4% and 14.8% higher than the national average, respectively, comparable to Charleston. At least, food costs are 13.9% lower than the national average. The median gross rent is $1,108. South Carolinians pay 0% to 7% in state income tax and 6% to 9% in sales tax.

What are the Best Neighborhoods in Summerville, SC?

Most of Summerville (population: 52,549) is part of Dorchester County, with some parts extending into Berkeley and Charleston Counties. Residents like their hometown’s excellent amenities and proximity to Charleston, just 24 miles away. Summerville has top-notch public schools with rankings higher than the schools in other Dorchester County suburbs. If you’re looking for communities within commuting distance of Summerville, check out Ridgeville and Goose Creek.

Things to Do in Summerville, SC

Summerville, SC boasts of more than 700 homes and buildings on the National Register of Historic Places. Drayton Hall, circa 1738, is the oldest unaltered plantation in the U.S. that’s open to the general public. Located along the Ashley River, the estate includes one of the oldest African-American cemeteries in the country. The Magnolia Plantation and Gardens features the oldest public garden in America, not to mention one of the most beautiful. The estate was built in 1676.