While we get to experience all four seasons, Sumter, South Carolina has a mild climate year-round. The average high is 73.8˚F and the average low is 50.5˚F. In a typical year, there are 222 sunny days and less than 1 inch of snow.
Source: U.S. Climate Data
Sumter residents enjoy the convenience of being within driving distance to anywhere in the state.
Just 45 minutes east of the capital, it’s easy to access any of the four nearby major interstates: I-20, I-26, I-77 and I-95.
Sumter is just a short 2.5-hour drive from some of the state’s most beautiful beaches. You can easily take a day trip to Myrtle Beach, explore historic Charleston or spend a weekend playing golf in Hilton Head.
Sumter is just hours away from some of the best hiking, fishing, mountain biking and scenic views in Upstate South Carolina and Western North Carolina. A drive to Table Rock State Park or the Blue Ridge Parkway will take a little over 3.5 hours, while Great Smoky Mountains National Park is around 4 hours away.
Sumter is a small-town rich in history. Incorporated in 1845 as an agricultural community, the city saw an explosion in growth after the arrival of Shaw Air Force Base in 1941. Today, around 40,000 residents call Sumter home. While modern-day Sumter offers all the amenities you’d expect from a big city—parks, museums, shopping and nightlife—it holds strong to its small-town roots, as demonstrated by the city’s annual local festivals and charming downtown Main Street.
Sumter, South Carolina
Swan Lake
Sumter, South Carolina
K-9 School Visit
In Sumter, you aren’t just another number. You’re part of the community. The City of Sumter is proud of the progressive spirit and patriotism that is woven into its communities. Whether you are relocating to join the Sumter Police Department, on vacation, or on military assignment, you’ll be treated like family. Sumter is a community filled with friendly people and Southern hospitality. When you come to Sumter, you’ll immediately notice the warm welcome and feeling of home.
Sumter is a tight-knit community and its residents enjoy a sense of security. Safety is not only a priority for local law enforcement, but also the U.S. government, with U.S. Army Central, Shaw Air Force Base located within city limits. Shaw Air Force Base ranks as one of the oldest installations in the Air Force and is the home of the 9th Air Force Headquarters and the 20th Fighter Wing and is the largest combat F-16 fighting wing.
One of the great things about Sumter is the reasonable cost of living and affordable
real estate and land prices. The average cost of a home in Sumter is 26% lower than the national average, with the overall cost of living—including the costs of goods and services—being 3% lower than the national average.
Source: Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER) 2017 Cost of Living Index
