How far does Social Security get you in Beaufort County?

Beaufort County is a known destination for retirees.

Not only is the county booming with upscale retirement communities, but it’s home of the some of the top-ranked golf courses and beaches in the nation.

Sounds expensive, right?

Not for those receiving Social Security benefits, according to the personal finance research company SmartAsset.

The company’s newest study ranks Beaufort County as the fifth best place to retire in South Carolina based on where “Social Security goes furthest.”

According to the study, the cost of living for Beaufort County sits around $21,318 after taxes. The untaxed, annual Social Security check comes in around $22,249.

The top four counties on SmartAsset’s Social Security index for South Carolina were:

• McCormick County
• Lancaster County
• Oconee County
• Georgetown County

While fifth in the state is not a bad rank for the county, it’s quite a change from last year’s study where Beaufort County not only ranked first for the state, but came in third for the nation.

This year’s national rank did not even break the top 100 — Beaufort County came in at 224 in the nation.

SmartAsset’s study ranked the following counties as the nation’s top 10:

• Sumter County, Fl.
• Antrim County, Mich.
• Box Butte County, Neb.
• Warren County, Ind.
• Barry County, Mich
• McCormick County, S.C.
• Leelanau County, Mich.
• Irion County, Texas
• Leon County, Texas
• Loudon County, Tenn.

This story was originally published May 13, 2017 at 12:06 PM with the headline "How far does Social Security get you in Beaufort County?."