Manning offers a quiet lifestyle near Charleston, Columbia and Myrtle
Manning is a classic Southern town north of Lake Marion. The seat of Clarendon County, it hosts a quaint downtown with local businesses, homes on peaceful roads, annual festivals and friendly neighbors. “It has a small community vibe because people know you by your name,” says Realtor Peggy Haley with Premier Properties of the Carolinas, who lives in town. The community also attracts folks who work in bigger cities. “We’re centrally located and far enough inland that there’s not high traffic,” Haley says. “It’s under 2 hours to Charleston, Myrtle Beach and Columbia, so we draw people who commute or don’t want to live in a densely populated area.”
Walkable downtown with soul food, boutiques and bake shops
Manning’s walkable downtown offers many shopping and dining options. It’s centered around the Clarendon County Courthouse, which sits on a grassy, tree-lined square. Across from the courthouse, Lucy’s Traditional Southern Bakehouse serves classic country cooking, like potpies and pimento cheese, alongside homemade sweets, from cupcakes to banana pudding. A few doors down, Gullah Gullah Fish offers soul food dishes, while Calla Lilly Café pours coffee drinks and serves breakfast and lunch dishes. Belladonna Boutique sells women’s clothing, and Reliable Pawn Shop carries secondhand treasures. For big-box and grocery shopping, there’s a Walmart Supercenter, Dollar General and Tractor Supply Co. on the west side of town. A Piggy Wiggly and Manning IGA Supermarket can be found on South Mill Street.
From playgrounds to performances, Manning has it all nearby
While some small parks are within walking distance of many homes, Haley notes that Manning’s proximity to 110,000-acre Lake Marion, the state’s largest, is a major draw. “Folks mainly just fish and play on the lake,” she says. Marion hosts numerous marinas, campsites, restaurants and more along its hundreds of miles of shoreline. For an outdoor space closer to home, Gibbons Street Park has a playground, fitness equipment and a splash pad, while Memorial Street Park features a playground and basketball courts. Bellwood Park also offers a small play area. Nearby Shannon Greens Golf Course offers a scenic 18-hole game. The Weldon Auditorium is the place to go for a cultural event, regularly hosting musicals, plays, dance competitions, concerts and more. Its large parking lot is the site of many annual events, including the Juneteenth Jazz Festival. The Clarendon County Recreation Department’s gym links to Weldon Auditorium via a short hallway. The rest of the recreation department’s facilities are on the west side of town at J.C. Britton Park, whose sports complex spans 15 acres. The park hosts many baseball and softball tournaments throughout the year and has basketball and tennis courts, playgrounds, a walking trail and more.
Rural charm and classic architecture define Manning’s housing
Homes in Manning sit on quiet roads, and mature oak and pine trees dot grassy lawns. “It’s still kind of a rural area and has a country feel, which is great,” Haley says. Cape Colds, Colonial Revivals and ranch-style homes are common. Houses needing significant repairs can cost under $100,000, while move-in-ready properties can range from $130,000 to $380,000. Plots of land are also available.
Festivals, concerts and parades fill Manning’s event calendar
The Manning Farmers Market runs on Saturdays from June to October, and the city regularly hosts summer concerts. For the Fourth of July, the Red, White, And Blue Celebration starts in the evening with music and food vendors and continues into the night with a fireworks display. In the fall, the Scarecrows on Main competition celebrates the changing seasons, as businesses downtown decorate scarecrows and display them along sidewalks. The city also gets into the seasonal spirit during the winter. “Christmas in Manning is beautiful,” Haley says. “Downtown and all of the trees are full of lights.” The Parade of Lights showcases these decorations as floats and organizations process through downtown. The Harvin Clarendon County Library also hosts events throughout the year, like book clubs.
Zoned for Clarendon School District 2
Clarendon School District 2 serves Manning. Students can attend Manning Early Childhood Center, which Niche does not score, for prekindergarten to third grade. Then, they can attend Manning Elementary School for fourth through sixth grade, which gets a B-minus. Manning Junior High gets an A-minus and is ranked as the third-best standout middle school in South Carolina. Manning High gets a C-plus and earned the AP Computer Science Female Diversity Award in 2024, honoring the school’s high female representation in the AP Computer Science Principles course.
Manning’s location offers easy access to major routes and cities
Manning is car-dependent. U.S. routes 521 and 301 run through town, and U.S. Interstate 95 is easily accessible. Columbia is about 65 miles away, Charleston is about 90 miles away and Myrtle Beach is about 100 miles away. Charleston International Airport is about 80 miles away. In case of emergency, the McLeod Health Clarendon hospital is in town.
Written By
Adreanna DeMarino
