Young, educated singles flock to Charleston

Jacob Linderberry, a 24-year-old upstate New York native, visited Charleston on several occasions in recent years to hang out with friends. He liked it so much that this summer, he made it his permanent home --- without having secured a job. "I love it down here," he said.

Linderberry isn't alone. For many of the same reasons that draw tourists to Charleston --- the weather, beaches, history --- the area is becoming a destination for the young, single and college-educated, a demographic group coveted by politicians and business leaders.

According to a recent report from the U.S. Census Bureau, the Charleston area ranked 42nd among the nation's 276 metropolitan areas for growth in this population. That sets it apart from much of the rest of the state. As a whole, South Carolina is losing its young, single, educated people. Aside from Charleston, only Myrtle Beach, which ranked 15th among metro areas, saw growth in this demographic.

Between 1995 and 2000, Charleston saw the number of college-educated people between ages 25 and 39 rise by 918 to nearly 13,000. That's about 2.5 percent of the population. By contrast, the state as a whole had a net loss of 2,546 people in this group, led largely by the Greenville-Spartanburg area, which on its own lost 1,554 young hipsters. South Carolina's net loss of 40.7 such people for every 1,000 already in the state gives it a rate that places it in the middle of the pack nationwide. Its neighbors --- Georgia, North Carolina, Florida and Tennessee --- all did a better job of attracting the young and educated.

It's an important demographic that, according to census numbers, has a level of influence that belies its size. More young, single people can lead to population growth because these are the folks who get married, have children, buy homes and generally help the economy grow. Perhaps more important, these people are highly mobile. Like Linderberry, they choose where they want to live and find a job there. And companies follow them, rather than the other way around. Moreover, some of them start their own companies. And even if they don't, they provide a region with an educated labor force, which makes it easier to attract growing companies, said Don Schunk, an economist at the University of South Carolina.

In his book "The Rise of the Creative Class," Carnegie Mellon University professor Richard Florida says the "creative class" --- people in the science and engineering fields, architecture and design, education, music, arts and entertainment --- are lured to certain creative centers. Creative centers, he said, "are successful largely because creative people want to live there. The companies then follow the people or, in many cases, are started by them." Thus, the loss of young, single and college-educated people, often known as a "brain drain," is disconcerting to political and business leaders. Communities across the country, including in Florida, hire consultants to find ways to lure them back. So concerned was North Dakota, for instance, that a year ago it asked voters to give young people tax breaks to live in the state. Voters rejected the plan.

In South Carolina, the loss of this group could hamper efforts to lure high-tech businesses and reclaim jobs lost in the manufacturing sector. "It doesn't sound good if our college graduates are leaving the state," Schunk said. "It's real critical if we are to achieve these long-range goals that we start to keep those bright students in the state."

One reason Schunk contends people are leaving the state is wages. Per-capita income in South Carolina is about 82 percent of the national average, he said. Dewayne Murray left South Carolina for just that reason. A 1995 graduate of North Charleston High School, he went to DeVry University in Atlanta, where he received a degree in electronic engineering technology. He thought about returning to the area, but opportunities were too few and pay too low. Now, he likes it in the big city. And Atlanta is certainly drawing many such people. It has one of the nation's highest rates of growth in Murray's demographic. But earnings potential isn't everything. Lifestyle helps draw people to an area, experts say.

"People today expect more from the places they live," Florida wrote in his book. "In the past, many were content to work in one place and vacation somewhere else, while frequently getting away for weekends to ski, enjoy a day in the country or sample nightlife in another city. The idea seemed to be that some places are for making money and others are for fun. This is no longer sufficient."

Lifestyle and money issues motivated Alisa Chessler, who like Linderberry is an upstate New York native, to leave Charleston. Chessler moved to the city to attend the College of Charleston in 1987 and stayed in the city for 15 years. She still loves the city and owns two local rental properties but moved in 2002 to Seattle. That city, like Atlanta, has one of the highest rates of growth for the young and educated. Chessler said her career in Charleston reached a plateau. But she also was looking for a more active social life and dating scene. She felt her prospects for finding a single, well-educated and cultured man in Charleston were dim. Nearly two years after moving, Chessler doesn't regret her decision. She likes her job with Botox-maker Allergan, and her social calendar is full. She still hasn't found that special someone, but she has many more options. "I'm living my 20s," she said. "I've never had so much fun. I'm busy and I love it."

Linderberry, meanwhile, also is having a good time and is working at local advertising and public relations firm Rawle Murdy. On Saturday, Linderberry took advantage of the warm November weather by going to the beach. On Sunday, he played golf. He then called his old friends in New York and asked about life there. "They were sitting inside because it was cold and rainy," he said.