What it's like to live in Tega Cay
Tega Cay is a small city in South Carolina with household incomes running above the national average, crime rates well below the national average, a highly educated workforce, and a population that has grown fast since 2020. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Tega Cay deals with home prices well above the national average and commute times longer than most cities.
The good
- Higher-than-average incomes
- Low crime rates
- Highly educated workforce
- Fast-growing population
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- High home prices
- Above-average commute times
How Tega Cay compares
Median household income
Median home value
What it takes to move to Tega Cay
Based on Tega Cay's median rent, home value and household income
To buy
$105,840
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $52,920
- Homes cost 3.7× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Job market
4.5% county unemployment
Unemployment in York County is 4.5%, close to the national average of 4.3%. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.
York County (county-wide)
Safety▼ 77% below US
75 violent crimes per 100k
Safety is genuinely one of the selling points here. Both violent and property crime run well below the national average, the kind of numbers that fade into the background after a week of living somewhere.
Property crime 613/100k · Tega Cay Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▲ 18% above US
31 min average commute
Traffic is a real factor here. The 30.6 minute average means plenty of commuters are pushing 45 to 60 minutes on a bad day. Proximity to work matters more here than it might elsewhere. 7 in 10 workers drive to work; 32% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are hot and humid, with highs regularly hitting 89°F, and winters are chilly but manageable, with lows around 33°F. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforce▲ 86% above US
67% bachelor's degree or higher
This is a highly educated city, with over half the adult population holding a college degree. That tends to shape the job market and the broader culture, and it's a solid indicator of a strong professional scene.
Schools
3 public schools inside the boundary
There are 3 public schools inside the boundary. The student-to-teacher ratio is 14:1, well below 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 Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail (22 miles away). There are 8 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Tega Cay's strongest points are household incomes running above the national average and crime rates well below the national average; the main tradeoffs are home prices well above the national average and commute times longer than most cities. It tends to suit anyone prioritizing low crime, remote workers (32% of workers here already work from home), and college-educated professionals.
Other places near Tega Cay
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