Keowee Key, Salem, SC

About Keowee Key

Keowee Key is in Salem, in the Lake Keowee, Hartwell & Savannah River Lakes region of South Carolina. Status: Open. Not age-restricted; it is included for retiree-oriented amenities.

Keowee Key is at 1392 Stamp Creek Road, Salem, SC 29676. Its property owners' association describes it as an amenity-rich, all-inclusive active lifestyle community nestled at the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains along Lake Keowee. The fact sheet describes a 1,600-acre gated community with 32 miles of paved roads surrounded by 15 miles of Keowee Key shoreline, over 1,950 lots of which almost 1,800 are improved and about 150 undeveloped, made up of more than 1,300 single-family homes, 292 condominiums and 47 town homes or cottages. Those counts do not add up to the improved total the sheet gives, so treat them as approximate.

The association says Keowee Key was established in 1972 as a private residential community and that governance moved in the 1980s and 1990s to a member-led Property Owners Association. It says residents collectively own all common property, including amenities and private utilities, that the association is led by a member-elected board, described in the fact sheet as seven elected directors, with a professional management team, and that property owners approve the annual budget. The fact sheet says the large majority of owners live there full time and the average age is 65, and that the association employs almost 100 full-time staff.

The community sits on Lake Keowee, which the association's history page describes as an 18,500-acre reservoir with over 300 miles of shoreline created by Duke Energy's Keowee-Toxaway Project in the late 1960s. The association's buyer guide describes new-construction and exterior renovation review by the Committee for Architectural Review and the Environment, and says new buyers should request the Declaration of Protective Covenants and Bylaws from a realtor or at closing.

Keowee Key is not an age-restricted community, and that distinction matters. The association describes an active lifestyle community that skews toward retirees: average owner age of 65, a large majority of owners living there full time, more than 60 activity groups, a golf course, a marina, tennis and pickleball, indoor and outdoor pools and five dining venues. The result resembles a 55+ community in the way people use it, but nothing on the association's pages makes it one, so younger households, working-age owners and families can be part of the neighborhood. Buyers who want a community in which every household is age-qualified should look at the 55-plus community versus conventional neighborhood guide and at the age-restricted communities elsewhere in the region.

Property taxes depend on the parcel's taxing districts. Oconee County's 2025-26 approved millage sheet lists the Keowee Fire District at 17.5 mills, a county total of 212.0 mills for a parcel inside a town and 214.9 for an unincorporated parcel, and a 37.0-mill Salem town rate. The county auditor's homestead page describes an exemption of the first $50,000 of a legal residence's value for owners 65 or older, and the state Department of Revenue says the amount is temporarily $75,000 for tax year 2026 only. Confirm the parcel's districts and exemption amount with the Oconee County Auditor, and see Salem for the town's tax context and the SC retirement taxes guide.

Age restrictions at Keowee Key

Keowee Key is not marketed or described as age-restricted. It describes itself as an active lifestyle community and gives the average owner age as 65. Any occupancy rules are in the community's governing documents; the association's buyer guide names the Declaration of Protective Covenants and Bylaws, which you can request from a realtor or at closing.

Housing types at Keowee Key

• Single-family homes
• Condominiums
• Town homes and cottages

Pricing at Keowee Key

The association describes a wide variety of home options from cozy wooded cottages and low-maintenance townhomes to expansive waterfront properties. Use current listings and Oconee County's Sales Search for comparable sales, and expect prices to differ widely between a cottage, a condominium and a waterfront home.

HOA and fees at Keowee Key

Keowee Key is governed by the Keowee Key Property Owners' Association, which describes itself as member-led, with a member-elected board and a professional management team supported by volunteer committees. The association says residents collectively own the common property, including the amenities, and that the community owns and operates its own water and sewer utility, so the association's finances bear directly on every owner. Assessments, fees and any special assessments are set under the association's governing documents; request the current budget, the reserve study and the Declaration of Protective Covenants and Bylaws before buying.

The association lists the golf course, dining at The Club, fitness and racquet facilities, pool and marina as community amenities. Ask which of these carry separate use or membership charges, and request the current fee schedule for golf, dining and boating, since slip rentals, storage and rentals are handled by the association.

Amenities at Keowee Key

• Par-72, 6,390-yard golf course with five tee boxes, pro shop and practice facilities
• Marina with more than 300 slips, fueling, valet launch and boat, pontoon, kayak and paddleboard rentals
• The Club with five dining experiences and an Activity Center with conference space and a library
• Fitness and Racquet Center with an indoor heated pool, 14 lighted tennis courts and 8 lighted pickleball courts
• Two outdoor saline pools, walking trails, bocce and shuffleboard courts
• Over 60 activity groups, dog park, community gardens, covered pavilions and sandy beaches
• Dedicated physical therapy provider serving members and 24-hour community security

Healthcare near Keowee Key

The association's fact sheet says Oconee Memorial Hospital, with award-winning inpatient and outpatient services and specialty care, is 15 minutes away, and that the Keowee Fire Department, with a helipad, is adjacent to the community. Prisma Health's page for Oconee Memorial Hospital in Seneca lists 169 licensed general acute-care beds, emergency services, cardiac catheterization, orthopedics, a Cancer Institute and in-hospital hospice and palliative care. For the largest referral center, Prisma Health describes Greenville Memorial Hospital in Greenville, which the health system calls the region's premier referral center. Test the drive at the hours you would travel.

Airport access from Keowee Key

Keowee Key's Who We Are page says it is located in Upstate South Carolina between Charlotte and Atlanta with easy access to Clemson University, Greenville and Asheville. Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport, in Greer, reports over 100 daily nonstop flights and lists Allegiant, American, Avelo, Breeze, Delta, Southwest and United on its airlines page. Time the drive from the gate to the airport yourself.

Why Keowee Key is included

A gated, member-owned active lifestyle community on Lake Keowee whose own association reports an average owner age of 65 and a majority of full-time residents, with golf, a marina, racquet and fitness facilities and a social program; it is not marketed as age-restricted.

Alternatives to Keowee Key

• Savannah Lakes VillagePrivate, member-owned master-planned lakefront community of more than 4,000 acres on Lake Thurmond in McCormick County, with two golf courses, a recreation center and club membership included with property ownership.

Guides relevant to Keowee Key

• 55-Plus Community vs. Conventional Neighborhood in the Carolinas
• South Carolina Retirement Taxes: Income, Property, Vehicle and Sales Tax