What it's like to live in Goose Creek
Goose Creek is a small city in South Carolina with a population that has grown fast since 2020 and schools with class sizes near the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Goose Creek deals with rent well above the national average, above-average rainfall, fewer dining and entertainment options than a bigger city, and a car-dependent commute, with few people using transit.
The good
- Fast-growing population
- Average class sizes
The not so good
- Rent well above the national average
- Above-average rainfall
- Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How Goose Creek compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Goose Creek
Based on Goose Creek's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$3,380
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $67,600 a year
- 43% of Goose Creek renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$61,200
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $30,600
- Homes cost 3.5× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▲ 20% above US
$1,690/mo median rent
Rent runs on the higher side, at $1,690 a month median. Whether that premium makes sense usually comes down to the local job market and what it pays. Home prices are reasonable, with a median around $306,000. Not a steal, but not intimidating either.
Median home value $306,000 · 43% of renters cost-burdened
Job marketNear US average
4.0% unemployment
Unemployment here is 4.0%, close to the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▼ 25% below US
247 violent crimes per 100k
Pretty safe, all things considered. Violent crime sits below the national average, nothing alarming, just ordinary city-life awareness.
Property crime 1215/100k · Goose Creek Police Department · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
27 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 26.7 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 13% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are hot and humid, with highs regularly hitting 90°F, and winters are chilly but manageable, with lows around 41°F. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
1 hospital
There's one Medicare-certified hospital inside city limits, rated 5.0 out of 5 by Medicare. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▼ 18% below US
30% bachelor's degree or higher
College degree attainment runs below average at 30%. That tends to reflect a more trade and working-class economy, which can be great or limiting depending on the industry.
Schools
11 public schools inside the boundary
There are 11 public schools inside the boundary and 1 private school. The student-to-teacher ratio is 16:1, close to the national average of 16:1. Smaller class sizes are generally a positive sign for a district.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Charles Pinckney National Historic Site (15 miles away). There are 5 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Goose Creek's strongest point is a population that has grown fast since 2020; the main tradeoffs are rent well above the national average and above-average rainfall. A year of median rent ($1,690/mo) equals 23% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit anyone prioritizing low crime.
See all the data for Goose Creek →·All South Carolina cities →
Other places near Goose Creek
All South Carolina guides →Moving to North Charleston →
7 mi away · pop. 119,913
Rent $1,430/mo · Income $62,956
Compare with Goose Creek →Moving to Summerville →
10 mi away · pop. 51,654
Rent $1,526/mo · Income $81,046
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