Population
6,434 residents
Census ACS 2023 - South Carolina
City profile · South Carolina · Census ACS 2023
Clemson University, SC
Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Clemson University - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.
- 6,434
- Residents
- $1,339
- Median rent (state)
Clemson University - the verdict
South Carolina's Clemson University counts 6,434 residents. Source: Census ACS.
- 49th
- percentile, median rent
📝 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: Clemson University, SC
6,434 people live in Clemson University, South Carolina - a small town by U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. The median resident age is 19.3 years. Educational attainment runs 100.0% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher. Separately, 26.7% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
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. HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $1,339 per month. EIA 2023 residential energy data puts South Carolina's average monthly utility costs around $224 (state average). Commute times here average 12.3 minutes, with 49.8% driving alone and 9.7% working from home, per Census ACS commuting data. Natural-hazard exposure scores 77.6 out of 100 on FEMA's National Risk Index (High).
Median Household Income
N/A /yr
Census ACS B19013
Cost of Living Index (state)
93.7 (US=100)
Below Average - BEA RPP 2024, South Carolina average
How does Clemson University compare to other US cities?
Where Clemson University sits among all US cities (population 1,000+) on each measure, computed live from Census and FBI data.
Median rent 49% pricier than other cities
"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.
How we calculate these percentiles & ranks
Each percentile compares Clemson University 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
Bachelor's Degree or Higher is Clemson University's strongest outlier among South Carolina cities
Among the 441 South Carolina cities PlainCities tracks with reported bachelor's degree or higher data, Clemson University ranks #1 - the 100th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Clemson University only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.
Median Gross Rent
#82 of 441
73rd percentile in South Carolina
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#1 of 441
100th percentile in South Carolina
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.
Income distribution context
Median household income is not available for Clemson University in the current Census ACS release (common for very small places).
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 100.0%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Labor force participation (adults 16+) 26.7%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
6,434
Median Income
N/A
Median Home Value
N/A
Median Age
19.3
Poverty Rate
N/A
Labor force participation
26.7%
Bachelor's Degree+
100.0%
Commute Patterns
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Average Commute Time
12.3 minutes
Drive Alone
49.8%
Carpool
4.3%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
33.5%
Work from Home
9.7%
Other
2.7%
Based on 1,531 workers 16 and over.
Monthly Utility Costs
State-average estimates for South Carolina - EIA 2023 residential energy data
Electricity
$130
avg/month
Natural Gas
$52
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$42
avg/month
Total Utilities
$224
estimated/month
Estimates reflect South Carolina state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.
Living Costs & Risk
Cost of living is a South Carolina state average from BEA; rent and hazard risk are county-level figures from HUD and FEMA for the county Clemson University sits in
Cost of Living Index
93.7
Below Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,339/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
77.6 / 100
High
FEMA NRI composite score (county)
Similar Cities in South Carolina
Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide
Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Clemson University's 6,434 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).
Race & Ethnicity Composition
City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.
How Clemson University compares to nearby South Carolina cities
Population + median household income, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).
Census ACS 5-year FIPS SC OMB Bulletin 23-01
What do people ask about Clemson University, SC?
What is the population of Clemson University, SC? +
6,434 people live in Clemson University, SC according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the cost of living in Clemson University? +
BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Clemson University; the closest available measure is the South Carolina state average, a cost of living index of 93.7 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Below Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data. Costs within South Carolina vary by metro area.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, 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.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES.
Citation & verification links
Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCitiesEvery figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.