West Columbia is among the best places to retire in South Carolina, according to a new study.

SmartAsset has ranked the cities with the most recreational and social opportunities for retirees as part of their research on the Best Places to Retire. In that ranking, West Columbia came in eighth in South Carolina.

Murrells Inlet was No. 1, Hilton Head Island was No. 2 and Seneca was No. 3. Nos four through seven were: North Myrtle Beach, Camden, and Little River, in that order. Laurens was No. 9 and Georgetown No. 10.

“These rankings are distributed annually to community leaders in the top locations,” said Steve Sabato of SmartAsset.

The index of Best Places to Retire factors in the number of recreation centers and retirement centers available to seniors as well as what percentage of the city’s population they represent. There are other factors, too.

West Columbia has a tax rate of 11.1 percent and 3.7 doctors per 1,000 residents. The pressence of Lexington Medical Center in West Coilumbia was a factor in that statistic.

West Columbia also has one recreation facility and 0.4 retirement centrers per 1,000 people. The percentage of seniors in West Columbia was listed at 18.1 in the study and the recreation and social index for West Columbia was almost 29 percent.

For a look at the methodology and interactive map, visit the website: Link To Retirement Data