SC has 6 of best cities & towns in the South, Southern Living 2023 ranking shows. Is yours listed?
Southern Living’s 7th annual “South’s Best” results are in for 2023. As for cities and small towns, several South Carolina locales were featured.
The results recognize the favorite Southern travel destinations and experiences of the magazine’s readers.
In this year’s South’s Best Awards, results revealed the top 50 Southern small towns, best cities, hotels, state parks, and BBQ joints from a survey conducted toward the end of last year.
The “South’s Best” winners will appear in the April issue of Southern Living, which will also feature the magazine’s first celebrity cover for the South’s Best issue with NBC TODAY co-anchor Hoda Kotb.
“In a year when more people than ever are traveling and moving to the South, we wanted to put a spotlight on small towns in this year’s South’s Best Awards,” said Sid Evans, Editor in Chief of Southern Living. “These are the hidden gems our readers picked for their character, charm, and unmistakable Southernness. We’re also thrilled to have Hoda Kotb sharing her longtime connection to New Orleans as a cover story. This whole issue is about the places we love, and in Hoda’s case, the city clearly loves her back.”
As for the winners of the South’s best small towns and cities, six South Carolina destinations not only made the lists, but were also highly ranked.
A total of 50 small towns were included in Southern Living’s “Best Small Towns In The South 2023” selections. Below are the small towns within the Palmetto State, as well as their rankings, that were highlighted in the list.
Beaufort: Ranked 2nd
Folly Beach: Ranked 9th
Bluffton: Ranked 16th
Georgetown: Ranked 41st
Aside from South Carolina’s small towns, two cities within the state also made the magazine’s ranking for the “South’s Best Cities 2023” list. These include:
Charleston: Ranked 1st overall
Greenville: Ranked 7th
Ranking in first place overall out of 20 total cities in the South, Charleston was selected for its overall livability and beauty.
“Almost everyone who visits Charleston these days is tempted to unpack their bags and move right in,” detailed Southern Living magazine in the “South’s Best Cities” category about Charleston.
“That’s because of the wonderfully walkable downtown, picturesque sidewalks, and distinctive architecture studded with Charleston single houses. We could go on: the vibrant culinary scene, the fantastic shops and boutiques, the coastal breezes blowing in over the Battery–it’s no shock that The Holy City stays at the top of this list year after year,” the magazine continued.
The results of the awards were solely picked by the magazine’s readers. To determine the winners, a survey was developed by the editors of Southern Living and was posted online for a given time period towards the end of last year. Readers were then invited to participate through several different platforms, sites and newsletters.
This story was originally published March 9, 2023 at 8:00 AM.
