This popular SC travel spot ranks as nation’s No. 1 small city — again. Here’s why

A popular South Carolina destination “punches well above its weight” — and earned a top spot on a national list.

Charleston again ranks No. 1 on a list of small cities that visitors love the most.

And it wasn’t the only place in South Carolina to be honored. Greenville landed at No. 5 in the rankings, which Condé Nast Traveler published Oct. 1.

To determine the nation’s top small cities and other readers’ choice award winners, the magazine conducted an online survey about people’s favorite vacation destinations . It gathered more than 575,000 votes from April through June.

“Candidates must receive a required minimum number of responses and a minimum overall rating to be eligible for a readers’ choice award ,” the magazine wrote on its website. “Candidates are judged on a set of criteria relevant to their category, based on a standard five-point scale converted to a percentage: excellent, very good, good, fair, and poor.”

What makes the SC cities rank high?

Though Charleston is the most populous place in South Carolina , it was considered a small city for the national rankings.

“Charleston may be a small town, but this city punches well above its weight,” the magazine wrote in its report. “When you consider everything it has to offer — history, culture, food, charm — it’s no wonder the so-called Holy City has repeatedly topped our list of the best small cities in the US.”

Charleston — home to about 150,000 people — also ranked No. 1 on last year’s Condé Nast Traveler list. At the time, the magazine considered a small city to be a place with fewer than 350,000 residents, McClatchy News reported.

The praise for Charleston continued this year, with the magazine again giving a nod to the waterfront destination’s “good looks” and “robust food scene.”

Also ranking high was Greenville, which the magazine called a “food lover’s town” with an emerging craft beer scene.

“Paired with its dynamic urban spaces are abundant natural resources, including 32-acre Falls Park, which runs through the middle of town, and the Swamp Rabbit bike trail — now at a whopping 22 miles and counting.”

The results were published after Hurricane Helene unleashed powerful winds in the Greenville area , knocking out power to thousands. Several of the city’s attractions remained closed days after the deadly late-September storm, The State reported.

Overall, Condé Nast Traveler said Chicago was the No. 1 big city in the United States. Following Charleston in the list of fan-favorite small cities:

• Santa Fe, New Mexico, at No. 2
• Alexandria, Virginia, at No. 3
• Lexington, Kentucky, at No. 4

A spokesperson for Condé Nast Traveler didn’t share additional information with McClatchy News on Oct. 1.

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