Population
750 residents
Census ACS 2023 - South Carolina
City profile · South Carolina · Census ACS 2023
Dunbar, SC
Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Dunbar - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.
- 750
- Residents
- $88,250
- Median income
- $1,204
- Median rent (state)
Dunbar - the verdict
Measured against every US city with at least 1,000 residents, Dunbar lands in the 69th percentile for household income. Source: Census ACS.
- 69th
- percentile, household income
- 36th
- 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: Dunbar, SC
Census ACS 2023 estimates count 750 residents in Dunbar, a small town within South Carolina. Dunbar households earn a median of $88,250 annually, above the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 0.0%. The median resident age is 30.0 years. 8.0% of adults here have a bachelor's degree or higher; 45.8% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
Living costs in South Carolina run below the national norm: on BEA's 100-equals-national-average cost index, South Carolina scores 93.7 (Below Average), per the 2024 Regional Price Parities release. Statewide, HUD pegs Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom unit at $1,204 monthly. Monthly utility costs average around $224 across South Carolina, per EIA 2023 residential energy estimates. The average commute for Dunbar workers runs 27.0 minutes, with 84.3% driving alone and 4.2% working from home. On FEMA's National Risk Index, this area rates 92.5 out of 100 for natural-hazard exposure (Very High).
Median Household Income
$88,250 /yr
Poverty 0.0%
Cost of Living Index (state)
93.7 (US=100)
Below Average - BEA RPP 2024, South Carolina average
How does Dunbar compare to other US cities?
Where Dunbar sits among all US cities (population 1,000+) on each measure, computed live from Census and FBI data.
Household income 69% higher than other cities
Median rent 36% 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 Dunbar 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
Poverty Rate places Dunbar near the bottom of South Carolina's cities
Among the 439 South Carolina cities PlainCities tracks with reported poverty rate data, Dunbar ranks #403 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Dunbar only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.
Median Household Income
#48 of 403
88th percentile in South Carolina
Median Gross Rent
#198 of 441
54th percentile in South Carolina
Poverty Rate
#403 of 439
0th percentile in South Carolina
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#379 of 441
14th 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.
69th percentile nationally for median household income. Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
Income distribution context
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 8.0%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL) 0.0%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+) 45.8%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
750
Median Income
$88,250
Median Home Value
N/A
Median Age
30.0
Poverty Rate
0.0%
Labor force participation
45.8%
Bachelor's Degree+
8.0%
Commute Patterns
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Average Commute Time
27.0 minutes
Drive Alone
84.3%
Carpool
11.5%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
0.0%
Work from Home
4.2%
Based on 191 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 Dunbar sits in
Cost of Living Index
93.7
Below Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,204/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
92.5 / 100
Very 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 Dunbar's 750 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).
Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide
Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Dunbar's $88,250 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).
Race & Ethnicity Composition
City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.
How Dunbar compares to nearby South Carolina cities
Population + median household income, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).
| City | Population | Median Household Income |
|---|---|---|
| Dunbar (this city) | 750 | $88,250 |
| DeBordieu Colony | 748 | $193,182 |
| Fripp Island | 753 | $101,731 |
| Furman | 747 | $57,708 |
Census ACS 5-year FIPS SC OMB Bulletin 23-01
What do people ask about Dunbar, SC?
What is the population of Dunbar, SC? +
The population of Dunbar, SC stands at 750 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in Dunbar, SC? +
Dunbar households earn a median of $88,250 annually, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the cost of living in Dunbar? +
BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Dunbar; 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.