Mount Pleasant, SC

Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, is a thriving coastal community with a population of about 60,000. Rapidly growing and affluent, the town boasts a median household income of approximately $85,000. With a mild climate, a reasonable cost of living, plentiful housing options, a low crime rate, and an excellent public school system, Mount Pleasant continues to attract new residents at a significant rate.

Located in Charleston County, Mount Pleasant enjoys close proximity to several waterways, including the Cooper River and the Wando River, as well as the Atlantic Ocean. The town covers an area totaling about 73 square miles.

NEIGHBORHOODS AND DISTRICTS

Recent rapid growth fueled a great deal of new home development in Mount Pleasant, offering residents a number of housing options, from entry-level homes to high-end gated communities featuring custom homes with golf, swim, and racquet amenities. Aside from single-family homes in the area, housing options include apartments, townhouses, and cluster homes. The median home price in Mount Pleasant is around $325,000.

ECONOMY AND INDUSTRIES

Mount Pleasant's economy is driven by a diverse array of industries, including technology, research and development, information services, and advanced manufacturing. A large, diversified workforce provides a competitive labor market in terms of quality, supply, and cost of labor to companies doing business in the area. Additionally, the Town of Mount Pleasant Economic Development Incentive Grant is awarded to qualifying companies to attract quality employers to the area.

The Port of Charleston's Wando Welch Terminal, located in Mount Pleasant, handles 6 million tons of containerized cargo annually.

FOR VISITORS

Mount Pleasant, like much of the Charleston area, attracts a number of visitors each year. The town's close proximity to beaches and downtown Charleston make it an ideal travel destination. To accommodate visitors, Mount Pleasant supports many tourism-related jobs and is home to numerous hotels and resorts.

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

The award-winning Mount Pleasant Recreation Department offers athletics, community programs, and special events to residents and visitors. The department's staff is dedicated to fostering healthy lifestyles through sports and other leisure and recreational activities.

Mount Pleasant also boasts a number of excellent parks and facilities, among them four championship golf courses and the Palmetto Island County Park, featuring a water park. Other activities available in the area include hiking, biking, kayaking, boating, fishing, crabbing, and tennis.

Special events take place throughout the year in and around Mount Pleasant. These include:

• Lowcountry Oyster Festival
• Mount Pleasant Arts Festival
• Cooper River Bridge Run
• Family Circle Cup Tennis Tournament
• Blessing of the Shrimp Fleet
• Sweetgrass Cultural Arts Festival
• Patriots Point Fourth of July Celebration
• Rice Planters Golf Tournament
• Scottish Games and Highland Gathering
• Mount Pleasant Children's Day Festival
• Taste of Charleston
• Mount Pleasant Holiday Farmer's Market and Craft Show
• Mount Pleasant Christmas Parade

From April through October, the weekly Mount Pleasant Farmer's Market offers live musical entertainment, in addition to fresh local produce.

The Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum is a major cultural attraction in Mount Pleasant. The museum gives visitors the opportunity to see naval ships, such as the aircraft carrier USS Yorktown and submarine USS Clamagore, as well as military aircraft. Patriots Point is also home to the Congressional Medal of Honor Museum.

The Old Village, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, showcases historic homes from the Colonial and Antebellum eras and offers both panoramic harbor views and a beautiful public park.

EDUCATION

Mount Pleasant is served by Charleston County Moultrie Constituent School District II. The district includes ten schools-six elementary schools, three middle schools, and one high school.

Opportunities for higher education are also abundant in and around Mount Pleasant, with nearby colleges and universities offering a wide array of undergraduate and graduate degree programs, as well as technical and career training. These institutions include:

• College of Charleston
• Trident Technical College
• The Citadel
• Charleston Southern University
• Medical University of South Carolina
• Limestone College
• Lowcountry Graduate Center
• Charleston School of Law

GETTING AROUND

• Interstate 95, the east coast's major north-south highway, is located 43 miles from Mount Pleasant and is easily accessible from Mount Pleasant via Highways 26 and 526. The Arthur Ravenel, Jr., Bridge connects Mount Pleasant to Charleston and includes eight lanes and a pedestrian/biking lane.
• The Charleston Area Regional Transportation Authority provides local transit service, with 23 bus routes serving the local area. Additionally, Greyhound Bus Lines provides intercity transit service.
• Rail service in the area is provided by the Southern Railway System and Seaboard Coastline Railroad. Two belt lines are operated by the South Carolina Public Railway Commission, with service to downtown Charleston's waterfront and North Charleston. Passenger rail service is provided by Amtrak.
• Two nearby airports serve Mount Pleasant, Charleston International Airport and East Cooper Airport. Charleston International is 20 minutes from Mount Pleasant and offers more than 80 flights daily with service by five major commercial airlines. East Cooper Airport, located 10-15 minutes from town, is a general aviation airport providing executive and private air service.