City profile · South Carolina · Census ACS 2023

Folly Beach, SC

Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Folly Beach - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.

958
Residents
$97,813
Median income
$951,200
Median home
$1,787
Median rent (state)

Folly Beach - the verdict

Nationally, Folly Beach sits in the 76th percentile for household income and the 21st percentile for safety among US cities with a population of 1,000 or more. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.

76th
percentile, household income
97th
percentile, home value
74th
percentile, median rent
21st
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: Folly Beach, SC

958 people live in Folly Beach, South Carolina - a small town by U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Folly Beach households earn a median of $97,813 annually, placing it in the top quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 10.1%. Home values in Folly Beach run a median of $951,200, and the median resident age is 62.7 years. About 60.5% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 52.0% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

Housing supply pressure shows in Census Building Permit Survey data: 14 residential units were authorized in 2024 (Construction Slowdown), down 46% from five years earlier. Crime here tracks close to the national norm: per-100,000 total crime stands at 2591.2 in FBI UCR data, near the national average (a voluntary reporting program, read this as reporting activity, not a definitive danger score).

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. A typical two-bedroom carries a HUD Fair Market Rent of $1,787 per month statewide. EIA 2023 residential energy data puts South Carolina's average monthly utility costs around $224 (state average). Workers in Folly Beach report an average commute of 18.6 minutes, with 49.1% driving alone and 34.8% working from home. On FEMA's National Risk Index, this area rates 98.6 out of 100 for natural-hazard exposure (Very High).

Population

958 residents

Census ACS 2023 - South Carolina

Median Household Income

$97,813 /yr

Poverty 10.1%

Cost of Living Index (state)

93.7 (US=100)

Below Average - BEA RPP 2024, South Carolina average

How does Folly Beach compare to other US cities?

Where Folly Beach sits among all US cities (population 1,000+) on each measure, computed live from Census and FBI data.

Household income 76% higher than other cities
Home value 97% pricier than other cities
Median rent 74% pricier than other cities
Safety 21% safer than other cities

"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

Zoom in to just South Carolina and the picture shifts: Folly Beach ranks #55 of 127 South Carolina cities by lowest crime rate, a different read than the national percentile above.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

Each percentile compares Folly Beach 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 Home Value is Folly Beach's strongest outlier among South Carolina cities

Among the 404 South Carolina cities PlainCities tracks with reported median home value data, Folly Beach ranks #6 - the 99th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Folly Beach only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.

Median Household Income
#35 of 403
91st percentile in South Carolina
Median Gross Rent
#15 of 441
89th percentile in South Carolina
Median Home Value
#6 of 404
99th percentile in South Carolina
Poverty Rate
#255 of 439
41st percentile in South Carolina
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#19 of 441
96th 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.

76thIncome percentile
21stSafety percentile

76th percentile nationally for median household income · 21st percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

Folly Beach's profile vs. every US city

Income, affordability, and safety percentile

Folly Beach'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. 3-axis radar comparing 1 series across Income, Affordability, Safety. IncomeAffordabilitySafety 37 Avg. percentile National median
Folly Beach'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 Folly Beach's home value compares nationally

Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)

$951,200 3rd percentile more affordable than 3% of 15,600 US cities

$0–$25,000: 5 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$50,000: 54 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $50,000–$75,000: 352 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). Below this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Below this entry. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). This entry sits in this band. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). Above this entry. Folly Beach $0 $1,025,000 every US city, bucketed by value

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

Income distribution context

Household income distribution - Folly Beach, SC Folly Beach, SC's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Folly Beach, SC-specific quintile data). The Lorenz curve traces the national cumulative income share against cumulative population share, perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Folly Beach, SC median $97,813/yr, vs. U.S. national quintile pattern QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
Folly Beach, SC's median household income (Census ACS 5-year estimate) plotted against the U.S. national income-quintile distribution pattern for context; the quintile shares and Lorenz curve are national figures, not computed specifically for Folly Beach, SC. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 60.5%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 10.1%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 52.0%

Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
958
Median Income
$97,813
Median Home Value
$951,200
Median Age
62.7
Poverty Rate
10.1%
Labor force participation
52.0%
Bachelor's Degree+
60.5%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
2591.2
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
335.9
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
2255.3
per 100,000 residents

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.

Population Change

Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025

See the fastest-growing cities →
2,060 residents2,070 residents2,080 residents2,090 residents2,100 residents 202020212022202320242025 2,074 residents 2,081 residents ▲ +0.3%
Folly Beach's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Housing Supply

Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized

📉 Construction Slowdown
Total Permits (2024)
14
housing units authorized
Single-Family
14
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
14.6
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 26
2020 10
2021 33
2022 18
2023 13
2024 14

Permit volume decreased 46% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Average Commute Time
18.6 minutes
Drive Alone
49.1%
Carpool
5.6%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
0.0%
Work from Home
34.8%
Other
10.5%

Based on 485 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 Folly Beach sits in

Cost of Living Index
93.7
Below Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,787/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
98.6 / 100
Very High
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in South Carolina

Seabrook
959 people
Sandy Springs
955 people
Pamplico
952 people
Pinopolis
950 people
Newtown
969 people
Van Wyck
970 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Folly Beach's 958 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Inyokern, CA
958 people
Greenwood, FL
958 people
Ririe, ID
958 people
Elberfeld, IN
958 people
Washburn, ME
958 people
Fort Sumner, NM
958 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Folly Beach's $97,813 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Lake Chaffee, CT
$97,813 median income
Winona Lake, IN
$97,813 median income
Troy, IL
$97,825 median income
Wrenshall, MN
$97,798 median income
Cameron Park, CA
$97,786 median income
St. Anthony city (Hennepin and Ramsey Counties), MN
$97,784 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Folly Beach, SC Race categories sum to one hundred percent per Census methodology. Hispanic or Latino is shown separately as an ethnicity overlay; it cuts across all race categories per OMB Directive 15. Race & Ethnicity Composition Folly Beach, SC - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 94.8% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 0.0% White 94.8% Black or African American 0.0% Asian 0.0% American Indian 0.0% Native Hawaiian 2.2% Some other race 0.0% Two or more races 3.0% Per OMB Directive 15: Hispanic/Latino ethnicity is reported separately from the race categories.
Race categories sum to 100%. Hispanic or Latino ethnicity is reported separately and cuts across race per Census/OMB methodology.

City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.

How Folly Beach 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
Folly Beach (this city) 958 $97,813
Seabrook 959 $62,941
Sandy Springs 955 $68,393
Pamplico 952 $24,646
Census ACS 5-year FIPS SC FBI UCR Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Folly Beach, SC?

What is the population of Folly Beach, SC? +

958 people live in Folly Beach, SC according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Folly Beach, SC? +

Folly Beach households earn a median of $97,813 annually, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Folly Beach? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Folly Beach; 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.

Is Folly Beach, SC safe? +

Folly Beach has a total crime rate of 2591.2 per 100,000 residents, which is near the national average. This reflects incidents reported to the FBI UCR program, not a definitive safety score -- agency reporting is voluntary and completeness varies by jurisdiction.

What is the median home value in Folly Beach, SC? +

A typical home in Folly Beach is worth $951,200, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, 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.

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 PlainCities

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Every 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.