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Place dossier plate
SheetSC-CAMDEN-SC · Camden, SC 8,025 pop · income 25th pct
Instrument codes from this place’s ACS population and household income, BEA state COL, FBI safety, national income percentile, photo-finish peer city, home-value band, and matched Census-tract book - not a moving recommendation.
Income neighbourhood around Camden
Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest Camden on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.
median HH income
Union · lowest
34,112
Union · lowest
34,112 median HH income
19.9% of the leader · rank #1
Oswego · near
53,286
Oswego · near
53,286 median HH income
31.1% of the leader · rank #2
Granger · near
53,287
Granger · near
53,287 median HH income
31.1% of the leader · rank #3
Barre · near
53,288
Barre · near
53,288 median HH income
31.1% of the leader · rank #4
Camden · this city
53,289
Camden · this city
53,289 median HH income
31.1% of the leader · rank #5
Owensboro · near
53,295
Owensboro · near
53,295 median HH income
31.1% of the leader · rank #6
Oak Brook · highest
171,123
Oak Brook · highest
171,123 median HH income
100.0% of the leader · rank #7
What this shows Neighbourhood peers only - not a full nationwide city board. Open a near peer when the gap is small; open the poles when the spread is wide.
Compare beyond this state
Nationwide peers by population, income, and FBI crime rate
Out-of-state nearest neighbors for Camden on ACS population and median household income
, plus FBI UCR reporting rate when the extract covers this place. Link sets are deduped so each column is a distinct comparison path, not a forecast that peers share a labor market or climate.
Similar population
Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS population. This city: 8,025.
Agency-reported UCR totals per 100,000 population, not a neighborhood safety grade or a prediction of personal risk.
Camden - the verdict
Measured against every US city with at least 1,000 residents, Camden lands in the 25th percentile for household income and the 4th percentile for safety. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.
25th
percentile, household income
54th
percentile, home value
46th
percentile, median rent
4th
percentile, safety
📝 How we sourced this
Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.
Data Snapshot: Camden, SC
South Carolina's Camden is a small town, with 8,025 residents per the latest Census Bureau ACS figures. Camden households earn a median of $53,289 annually, below the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 11.6%. Typical homes in Camden are valued around $241,300, and the median resident age is 42.3 years. Educational attainment runs 36.3% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher. Separately, 54.2% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
The Census Building Permit Survey recorded 122 residential units authorized here in 2024 (Building Boom), up 198% from five years earlier. Camden's reported crime rate runs above the national norm: per-100,000 total crime stands at 4808.7 in FBI UCR data, above the national average (a voluntary reporting program, read this as reporting activity, not a definitive danger score). NOAA puts Camden's yearly average temperature at 61.2°F.
Living costs in South Carolina run below the national norm: the state registers 93.7 on a 100-equals-national-average index (Below Average) per BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. A typical two-bedroom carries a HUD Fair Market Rent of $1,155 per month statewide. Monthly utility costs average around $224 across South Carolina, per EIA 2023 residential energy estimates. On FEMA's National Risk Index, this area rates 70.7 out of 100 for natural-hazard exposure (High).
A decision-led reading path
Useful questions to ask of Camden's data
How this reading path is ordered
This is not a composite city score. It is a city-specific route through the available public records, ordered for this profile so the page starts with questions the joined data can actually answer. The route here runs from schools and households to population change to housing and income to work and mobility to comparison shortlist to climate and hazard context to reported crime; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.
For Camden, city-specific coverage includes local building permits, annual population history, commute-mode shares, matched public-school count, FBI reported-crime rates.
No matched row is reported here for within-city Census tract profiles; the page leaves those layers out instead of substituting a statewide or national value.
1. Schools and households
What does the education layer cover for Camden?
The city has a broader matched school footprint, but count alone does not describe performance, capacity, program availability, or attendance boundaries. This profile deliberately avoids converting it into an unsupported family-friendliness score.
The NCES join finds 6 public schools within the city match. 36.3% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher in the ACS estimate. These measures answer different questions: the school count describes local institutions, while adult attainment describes residents and cannot be used as a school-quality rating.
Census PEP estimates show the population grew by +1,399 residents from 2020 to 2025, a +17.9% change. Separately, Census BPS recorded 122 housing units authorized in 2024. PEP and ACS are different Census series, so the trend is kept separate from the headline ACS population.
Recent estimates point upward. Growth can increase housing demand and service needs, but the permit record must move in the same direction before calling it a supply response; the two series measure different things.
How far does income reach against housing in Camden?
This is a citywide price-to-income reference, not a mortgage-affordability test; it does not include interest rates, taxes, insurance, household size, or an individual buyer's down payment. Housing value is high relative to the citywide income median. That flags a question for comparison, not a verdict: tenure, household composition, financing costs, and the age of the ACS estimate can all change what a resident actually pays.
The home-value-to-income reference is comparatively stretched: the ACS median home value is 4.5 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 11.6%, which keeps the citywide median from describing every household.
Which cities make useful reference points for Camden?
Use the in-state set to hold state policy and broad price conditions more nearly constant. Use the nationwide size set to ask whether cities with a similar resident count produce different housing, income, or commute outcomes. The income set is a third lens, deliberately separate from population matching. The nationwide peer panel below adds a fourth FBI UCR reporting-rate lens, not personal risk.
Within South Carolina, the closest population matches are Union (8,047 residents, $34,112 income); Travelers Rest (8,137 residents, $49,655 income); White Knoll (7,865 residents, $79,531 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Pismo Beach, CA (8,024 residents); Island Lake, IL (8,023 residents); Oak Brook, IL (8,028 residents). A third, income-matched reference set of 6 out-of-state cities sits in the income neighbourhood chart near the Place Dossier plate. These are mechanical peer sets, not claims that the places share a labor market, climate, culture, or metro context.
These joined records add useful context, but they do not need another full-size panel. Each remains a separate measure with its own geography and source boundary.
Work and mobility
What does the journey to work look like in Camden?
Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 83.4%. A reliable mean commute time is not available for this row, so the mode shares carry the comparison.
Mode share answers how workers usually travel; it does not measure congestion, reliability, distance to a particular job, or the quality of transit service. No single mode completely explains the work trip here. The mix is more useful than a one-number commute grade, especially when comparing places where transit, walking, and remote work divide the non-driving share differently.
Drive alone
83.4%
Work from home
4.0%
Public transit
0.0%
City-level Census ACS commuting estimates covering 3,648 workers age 16+.
The two sources should not be blended into one comfort or safety score. Use the climate values for baseline conditions and the risk index as a prompt to inspect specific hazards, insurance, and local emergency guidance for a particular address.
NOAA normals put the annual mean temperature at 61.2°F. FEMA's state-averaged National Risk Index score for South Carolina is 70.7 out of 100. Climate normals describe long-run weather; the FEMA score on PlainCities is a state average of county NRI inputs and combines hazards, exposure, vulnerability, and resilience.
FEMA risk index (state avg)
70.7
Mean temperature
61.2°F
NOAA Climate Normals and FEMA National Risk Index (state-averaged on PlainCities). Hazard context is not address-level.
What can the FBI record say about safety in Camden?
The joined FBI UCR record reports 4808.7 violent and property crimes per 100,000 residents, above the 2280.5 national reference used here. The difference is 111% higher in arithmetic terms, but agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies.
Treat this as a reporting-rate comparison, not a prediction of personal risk or a neighborhood-level safety grade. Tourism, daytime population, reporting practices, and variation inside the city are not adjusted away. The state rank and same-state peer table are the narrower comparisons available on this page.
Total reported rate
4808.7
Violent rate
947.9
Property rate
3860.8
FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, incidents per 100,000. Voluntary agency reporting; not a danger score.
Near national cost · BEA RPP 2024, South Carolina average
F
City profile score · Camden, SC
37/100
5 published dimensions · ACS/FBI 2023
Comparative score against U.S. cities with population of 1,000 or more on Census ACS medians
(income, poverty, bachelor's share, cost of living) and FBI UCR violent-crime rates when
published. Higher means a stronger standing on those published figures, not a livability
rating, not a recommendation to move, buy, or pick a "best" city. Missing inputs drop out
and redistribute weight.
How it is calculated.
Cost of living B
93.7 index
BEA state Regional Price Parities index (100 ≈ national average); lower is stronger on this axis. Same value for every city in the state.
Bachelor's+ share B-
36.3%
Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.
Poverty rate F
11.6%
Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.
Household income F
$53,289
Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.
Violent crime F
948 /100k
FBI UCR violent offenses per 100,000 residents; lower is stronger on this axis.
Camden profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)Read the chart values
Cost of living: 70/100 (B) · 93.7 index
Bachelor's+ share: 69/100 (B-) · 36.3%
Poverty rate: 33/100 (F) · 11.6%
Household income: 25/100 (F) · $53,289
Violent crime: 0/100 (F) · 948 /100k
Where Camden sits on home value vs crime among peer cities
Camden's median home value and FBI crime rate plotted with similar-size and
same-state peers (padded with large cities when the peer set is thin). The second
read: pricey does not always mean safer, check which quadrant this city lands in.
Census ACS median home value vs FBI UCR crime rate - Camden highlighted among 10 peers.Read the chart values
Camden, SC (this city): home $241,300, crime 4,809/100k
Pismo Beach, CA : home $992,900, crime 2,377/100k
Island Lake, IL : home $241,900, crime 589/100k
Oak Brook, IL : home $867,900, crime 6,388/100k
Parkville, MO : home $557,100, crime 853/100k
Fletcher, NC : home $324,000, crime 1,411/100k
Union, SC : home $103,400, crime 7,531/100k
Travelers Rest, SC : home $281,400, crime 2,751/100k
Clinton, SC : home $154,700, crime 5,308/100k
Georgetown, SC : home $158,600, crime 4,454/100k
How does Camden compare to other US cities?
Where Camden sits among all US cities (population 1,000+) on each measure, computed live from Census and FBI data.
Household income25% higher than other cities
Home value54% pricier than other cities
Median rent46% pricier than other cities
Safety4% safer than other cities
"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.
National percentiles can mask local variation. Looking only at South Carolina, Camden ranks #96 of 127 South Carolina cities by lowest crime rate - a narrower, more locally useful cut than the national comparison above.
How we calculate these percentiles & ranks
Each percentile compares Camden against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to South Carolina only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.
South Carolina-relative analysis
Median Gross Rent places Camden near the bottom of South Carolina's cities
Among the 441 South Carolina cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Camden ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Camden only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.
Median Household Income
#186 of 403
54th percentile in South Carolina
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 441
0th percentile in South Carolina
Median Home Value
#85 of 404
79th percentile in South Carolina
Poverty Rate
#234 of 439
46th percentile in South Carolina
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#73 of 441
83rd percentile in South Carolina
How in-state ranks are ordered
Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "better" for every measure, see each metric's own context above. This is a comparison within South Carolina only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.
Gauge source note
25th percentile nationally for median household income · 4th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
Camden's profile vs. every US city
Income, affordability, and safety percentile
Camden's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown.
How Camden's home value compares nationally
Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)
$241,30046th percentilemore affordable than 46% of 15,600 US cities
Show national distribution
Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023
Camden's home-value-to-income ratio: 4.5×
ACS median home value divided by median household income.
Band
moderate
3.0–5.0×
National rank
#12,036 of 15,516
More affordable than 22% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#9,214 of 11,323
Micro cities (under 10,000)
At 4.5×, Camden sits in the moderate band:
national rank #12,036 of 15,516 and #9,214 of 11,323micro cities (under 10,000).
Income and home value move in the same broad scale; check same-state peers before treating the multiple as an advantage or a warning.
How this ratio is calculated
Ratio = Census ACS 2023 median home value ÷ median household income for cities with both fields and population ≥ 1,000.
Rank 1 = lowest ratio (most compact). Bands match the fleet affordability thresholds used on guides (<3.0 / 3.0–5.0 / >5.0).
This is not a mortgage payment estimate and does not include rates, taxes, insurance, or down payment.
Income distribution context
$53,289Camden, SC median household income (Census ACS)
Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context Camden, SC median household income (Census ACS 5-year) with U.S. national quintile shares for context. Diagonal = equality; the curve is national, not computed for Camden, SC.
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+)36.3%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL)11.6%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+)54.2%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
8,025
Median Income
$53,289
Median Home Value
$241,300
Median Age
42.3
Poverty Rate
11.6%
Labor force participation
54.2%
Bachelor's Degree+
36.3%
Safety & Crime
Total Crime Rate
4808.7
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
947.9
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
3860.8
per 100,000 residents
Crime reporting caveat
Reflects incidents reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score. Not adjusted for tourism, commuter, or daytime population.
Climate
Avg Temperature
61.2°F
Annual Precipitation
N/A
Annual Snowfall
N/A
Schools
Total Schools
6
Public schools in this city
Population Change
PEP vintage
Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025
Camden's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.Read the chart as text
Period
Population
2020
7,802 residents
2021
7,953 residents
2022
8,253 residents
2023
8,504 residents
2024
8,952 residents
2025
9,201 residents
Housing Supply
BPS source
Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized
📈 Building Boom
Total Permits (2024)
122
housing units authorized
Single-Family
122
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
15.2
permits per 1,000 residents
5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)
Year
Total
Single-Family
Multifamily
Est. Value
2019
41
41
0
$6.0M
2020
110
110
0
$21.3M
2021
157
157
0
$30.9M
2022
47
47
0
$8.9M
2023
222
222
0
$64.2M
2024
122
122
0
$42.1M
Permit volume increased 198% from 2019 to 2024.
Commute Patterns
Commute source
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Drive Alone
83.4%
Carpool
10.1%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
0.0%
Work from Home
4.0%
Other
2.5%
Based on 3,648 workers 16 and over.
Monthly Utility Costs
South Carolina statewide monthly utility average (EIA 2023): $224
EIA 2023 residential energy data puts average monthly utilities across South Carolina at $224 (electricity about $130 , water and sewer about $42 ).
These are South Carolina statewide averages, not a meter reading for Camden. Actual bills vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.
Living Costs & Risk
South Carolina's BEA cost-of-living index is 93.7 (Below Average; US average = 100, RPP 2024). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in the county around Camden is $1,155/mo. FEMA's National Risk Index, averaged to South Carolina statewide on PlainCities, rates natural-hazard exposure at 70.7 / 100 (High).
Cost/risk geography note
Cost of living is a South Carolina statewide BEA average; rent is a county-level HUD Fair Market Rent for the county Camden sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.
How Camden compares to similar-size South Carolina cities
Same-state peer method
Closest same-state population matches, not geographic neighbors. Population + median household income come from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 and B19013.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES CCD, Census BPS 2024, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.