Choosing an Area Around Lake Wylie

Charlotte (Mecklenburg County). The eastern shore in southwest Charlotte, around Steele Creek and Shopton Road, holds several master-planned waterfront communities, including The Sanctuary and The Palisades. Residents are inside the City of Charlotte and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools.

Belmont and Gaston County. At the lake's northern end, Belmont combines a small downtown with waterfront neighborhoods on the Catawba and South Fork arms. See the companion Belmont guide.

Tega Cay. A city on a peninsula in York County with extensive shoreline and lake-oriented parks. The companion Tega Cay guide goes deeper.

Fort Mill. East of the lake, Fort Mill is a fast-growing town with neighborhoods near but mostly not on the water. See the Fort Mill guide.

Lake Wylie community and Clover. The unincorporated Lake Wylie area along SC Highway 49 in York County includes River Hills and many waterfront neighborhoods, with Clover to the west.

• Confirm the school assignment for a specific address with the district — boundaries change.
• Get property tax figures from the county, not from averages.
• Drive your real commute at the hour you'd make it.
• Read community covenants and ask what amenities are actually owned and maintained.

If you are still deciding on a lake, the companion guides to Lake Norman, Mountain Island Lake and Lake Tillery cover very different settings — larger and busier, smaller and quieter, and farther out, respectively.