Charleston, Myrtle Beach, Columbia, Greenville…what do all these cities have in common? They’re all better than anywhere in North Carolina! Ahh, we’re just kidding. But in all seriousness, if you’re from any of these cities or anywhere else in SC, chances are you’re here looking for a little help getting into online dating.
And guess what? That is exactly what we’ have for you here’re here to do. How? Glad you asked. Our team has compiled (and regularly updates) a list of the best dating sites in South Carolina for singles of all ages. Additionally, we’ve included some dating tips, resources for singles, data on the single population in the state, and some links to free trials at the top dating apps.
Free dating sites in south carolina
So, if you’re ready to find the best dating app options for South Carolina singles just like you, let’s go for it.
The Top 6 Dating Apps in South Carolina
| Rank | Site | Free Trial Link | |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | eHarmony | Free Trial | |
| #2 | Higher Bond | Free Trial | |
| #3 | Elite Singles | Free Trial | |
| #4 | Zoosk | Free Trial | |
| #5 | Christian Mingle | Free Trial | |
| #6 | The League | Free Trial |
Featured App Pick for South Carolina – eHarmony
South Carolina falls in the heart of the south and is wildly known for its southern charm and great people. Couple that with the fact that much of the state population is marriage-minded and interested in a real relationship, and you quickly have a need for a dating app dedicated to committed relationships. For our friends in South Carolina, that means eHarmony.
Filled with singles from all over the Palmetto State, eHarmony has been serving singles in your area for over 20 years with millions of happy couples. Our top pick for the best dating app in South Carolina is easily a win for eHarmony.
Additional Resources for South Carolina Singles
- Why These are Great South Carolina Dating Apps
- What is the South Carolina singles scene like?
- SC Cities With the Most Interest in Dating Online
- Dating Tips for Singles in South Carolina
- South Carolina Dating Apps FAQ
Why These are Great South Carolina Dating Apps
We’ve told you why we think eHarmony is the best option for South Carolina dating, but we also wanted to tell you why we chose the other options. Recommending a dating app or site to someone is a pretty intimate thing, as this is somewhere you’re going to open up, be vulnerable, and potentially meet someone special. For that reason, we don’t take it lightly.
Here are the four biggest reasons we chose these options.
1. South Carolina is a pretty religious state.
According to a recent study, South Carolina is the 5th most religious state in the country with over 69% of the people saying religion is very important in their lives. For this reason, any list of the top South Carolina dating apps should have some faith-focused options. As you can see, we’ve included a few options with Higher Bond and Christian Mingle. If you’re not religious, these options won’t work for you, but for the two-thirds of the state that are—these will be awesome options.
2. Safety and security are important to South Carolina residents.
A quick Google search will reveal a handful of studies that say South Carolina is either one of the least safe states in the country or pretty close to the bottom. Now, we don’t share that to rain on the beauty of the state, but just to say that when picking out a South Carolina dating app, safety needs to be a priority. What’s great is that the dating app options we’ve recommended prioritize security, put user safety first, and proactively work to stay ahead of the threats.
3. Quality members!
One of the most important things we check when ranking dating apps (especially in a geographically defined area like SC) is ensure there are singles from the area! If there weren’t any singles from the state, the app is worthless. Additionally, since South Carolina is a smaller state, we wanted to check on the quality and number of members in the surrounding states of North Carolina and Georgia. That way, if you live on the border and are open to dating someone in a neighboring state, you’ve got that option.
4. Affordable pricing for premium memberships.
In order to get the most out of any dating app, you will eventually need to upgrade to a paid premium account. Anything that is 100% free in this industry is sadly going to be flawed. Just because you need to pay, though, doesn’t mean setting money on fire is necessary. Our team only selects South Carolina dating apps that offer a ton of value for a fair and affordable price. They might not be the lowest price and certainly aren’t going to be 100% free, but you can rest assured knowing you’re getting quality and value for your investment.
What is the South Carolina singles scene like?
More women than men? Over half the women in South Carolina are unmarried? Yes, and yes! Learning as much as you can about the singles community in your state can really help you get a good view of what you’re walking into.
Below, our research team breaks down a ton of really cool facts and figures about South Carolina singles. Additionally, we’ll share some trends and anecdotal observations we’ve seen and heard about the scene in the area. As always, remember that individual results may vary.
- The state is quite religious. – As we stated, South Carolina is the 5th most religious state in the country. Obviously, this is going to have a pretty major impact on the single’s scene. For those who are not religious, this might mean fewer options. For those who are religious, it might mean more people (if they’re within your denomination).
- Late-night nightlife is a bit slower. – Often, singles in other states use a bustling nightlife scene to meet the people they’re looking for. While some areas of the state have a decent nightlife, that’s not the case everywhere. To be clear, we’re not saying there isn’t a nightlife in South Carolina, it’s just that people tend to opt more for happy hours, beach bars, and day-drinking instead of late-night 2 am clubs.
- Southern hospitality and gender roles are important. – We’re not here to say one way or the other what’s right or wrong, but we can tell you that many of the singles in South Carolina subscribe to traditional gender roles and “isms” with dating. For example, many women are going to expect guys to hold the door on a date or get their car door if they’re driving. Failure to do this in many southern states is a certain doom sentence for your chances of seeing them again.
- Expect some of the same frustrations. While we think everyone in South Carolina is amazing and super nice, our research and interviews show that single men and single women still deal with the same stereotypical struggles of dating you hear about all over the country. We’re talking about things like “no one wants to settle down” or “people are flaky” etc.
- People are attractive. There is just something about states that border the ocean with prominent beach towns—they always have a ton of attractive people. While this trend seems to extend statewide, it’s pretty heavy in the beach areas (we’re looking at you Charleston).
- The average age is getting older. – According to recent census data, the average age in the state of South Carolina is about half a year older than it was. While this doesn’t seem like a lot, it’s actually a fairly sizeable shift with a lot of people leaving the 20-29 year old bracket and more entering the 30-39 year old bracket. Based on your age and what you’re looking for, this could be a great thing or not so much for you dating options.
Here are some additional facts and figures about the South Carolina population and singles scene to give you a little more information about what you’re diving into.
Total Population
- 5,190,705
Population in South Carolina by Gender
- There are 142,355 more women in South Carolina than men.
- 52.0% female
- 47.6% male
Overall Singles by Gender
- 53% of women in South Carolina are single (Unmarried)
- 49% of men in South Carolina are single (Unmarried)
Population in South Carolina by Age
- Median age = 40.2 years old (1.5 years older than the national average)
- 12.4% aged from 20-29 years old
- 12.9% aged from 30-39 years old
- 12.0% aged from 40-49 years old
- 12.7% aged from 50-59 years old
- 25.7% aged 60+ years old
% Households With Internet in SC
- 75.3% of households in South Carolina with internet access
Source(s): Census.gov
SC Cities With the Most Interest in Dating Online
If you’re from Charleston, Myrtle Beach, or Columbia—you’re going to like what we’re about to share. Our team took a look at internet search trends within the state over the past year. Why? We wanted to see which areas had the most interest in online dating and dating apps. In other words, what parts of South Carolina were hotspots for singles looking to let technology help them find love.
And as you might already have figured out, Charleston, Myrtle Beach, and Columbia took the top three spots. Does this mean if you live anywhere else in the Palmetto State you’re out of luck? Not at all. The only purpose of this study was to find the overachievers and the hot spots. Here’s the full results.
- Charleston SC – (100)
- Florence-Myrtle Beach SC – (68)
- Columbia SC – (60)
- Greenville-Spartanburg SC-Asheville NC-Anderson SC – (52)
- Augusta GA – (29)
- Savannah GA – (10)
- Charlotte NC – (8)
Dating Tips for Singles in South Carolina
The last thing we want to do before you go about your way is give you some unsolicited advice.
- Know what you want. – South Carolina is packed full of a diverse group of singles. You have beach lovers, city-slickers, young, old, college students, blue-collar folk…you’ve literally got it all. So, what this means is that you need to take a minute and determine what type of singles you’re looking for. Whether you’re dating at a bar or using the best South Carolina dating sites we’ve recommended, this information will help you have better success.
- Be proactive but patient with the process. – While the fishing analogy for dating is a good one, it’s not a perfect analogy. In fishing, you often drop your line in and then just sit and wait. While that could work with online dating in South Carolina, it’s not the best course of action. Instead, you need to be proactive by filling out your profile completely, sending messages, sending flirts, and responding to interested singles. On top of that, be patient. Rome wasn’t built in a day, and it might take a few for you to find love. Be okay with that, and you’ll have a great experience!
- Take advantage of South Carolina dating sites. – Yes, we are partial to using dating apps and sites in South Carolina to find love. But that’s not just because that’s our preference! We have seen first-hand the benefits that these pieces of technology can bring to the table. If you’re serious about turbocharging your quest for love or to find someone to spend time with, online dating apps are the logical next step!
- Be yourself. – Sometimes there are cities that have a strong culture and way of doing things. It can be tempting to try and mold yourself to that in order to find someone. However, that’s not healthy and not the way to approach things. Be patient, be you, and be ready to find the right person. And in case you’re wondering, we’re not talking about any cities in particular here *cough* Charleston *cough*…sorry, we have a bit of a cold.
South Carolina Dating Apps FAQ
What is the best dating app in South Carolina?
Our pick for the best dating app in South Carolina is eHarmony because it matches many of the cultural traits that most of the state embodies as well as being diverse enough to handle the uniqueness of the population.
Is dating in South Carolina hard?
While we don’t want to be negative, yes, dating in South Carolina can be challenging. If you live in the outskirts, you may have issues with the number of options in your area. If you live in some of the coastal cities, you may have issues with a large number of the single population not matching up with your culture (if you’re not heavy into the southern charm/beach scene). Still, though, dating in SC is not impossible and you can have a lot of success, especially through the use of dating apps.
What’s the best dating app for Charleston, South Carolina?
While we really like eHarmony for the state of South Carolina, Zoosk is our top pick for Charleston. This is because the city has a wider mix of single looking for different relationship goals (serious and casual dating) and Zoosk caters well to both needs.