Hi, Im in Columbia, been here all my life so I dont have the luxury to compare SC with other areas, but for me, I love it here. I'm within 3 hours of the coast and 3 hours of the mountains. Lake Murray and Wateree are within 20-30 minutes of my home. I can do day trips to Atlanta, Charleston or Charlotte if I want to get away for shopping or sight seeing. I will say that the humidity is probably my biggest complaint in terms of weather. Summers can get a little hot every now and then. Winters are mild and we jump for joy if we get a dusting of snow as its very rare that we get any snow at all. Please feel free to PM me if you have any questions about the Columbia area, I'll be glad to offer any info I might have.