Side-by-side metrics and state or size-class ranks use the same Census and FBI fields shown on this profile. Results stay in the URL so you can bookmark or share them.
Place dossier plate
SheetSC-FOUNTAIN-INN-SC · Fountain Inn, SC 11,307 pop · income 52nd 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 Fountain Inn
Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest Fountain Inn on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.
median HH income
Newberry · lowest
47,885
Newberry · lowest
47,885 median HH income
31.3% of the leader · rank #1
Clark Mills · near
72,019
Clark Mills · near
72,019 median HH income
47.1% of the leader · rank #2
Union · near
72,019
Union · near
72,019 median HH income
47.1% of the leader · rank #3
Fountain Inn · this city
72,021
Fountain Inn · this city
72,021 median HH income
47.1% of the leader · rank #4
Cold Spring · near
72,022
Cold Spring · near
72,022 median HH income
47.1% of the leader · rank #5
Basin · near
72,024
Basin · near
72,024 median HH income
47.1% of the leader · rank #6
Mitchellville · highest
152,795
Mitchellville · highest
152,795 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 Fountain Inn 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: 11,307.
Agency-reported UCR totals per 100,000 population, not a neighborhood safety grade or a prediction of personal risk.
Fountain Inn - the verdict
Fountain Inn ranks in the 52nd percentile for household income and the 62nd percentile for safety nationally, out of every US city with at least 1,000 residents. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.
52nd
percentile, household income
57th
percentile, home value
46th
percentile, median rent
62nd
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: Fountain Inn, SC
Census ACS 2023 estimates count 11,307 residents in Fountain Inn, a small town within South Carolina. Fountain Inn households earn a median of $72,021 annually, above the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 10.3%. Fountain Inn's housing stock carries a median value of $255,400, and the median resident age is 33.9 years. Educational attainment runs 30.8% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher. Separately, 66.2% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
The Census Building Permit Survey recorded 402 residential units authorized here in 2024 (Building Boom), up 115% from five years earlier. Fountain Inn reports a comparatively low crime rate: the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program logs 1057.4 total incidents per 100,000 residents here, below the national average (agency reporting is voluntary, so this measures reporting activity, not a definitive danger score). NOAA climate normals record an annual average temperature of 60.5°F with 50.2 inches of precipitation per year.
Living costs in South Carolina run below the national norm: BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 puts South Carolina at 93.7 on a 100-equals-national-average scale (Below Average). Statewide, HUD pegs Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom unit at $1,155 monthly. EIA 2023 residential energy data puts South Carolina's average monthly utility costs around $224 (state average). FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 70.7 out of 100 (High).
A decision-led reading path
Useful questions to ask of Fountain Inn'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 climate and hazard context to schools and households to housing and income to reported crime to work and mobility to comparison shortlist to population change; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.
For Fountain Inn, city-specific coverage includes matched public-school count, FBI reported-crime rates, commute-mode shares, annual population history, local building permits.
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. Climate and hazard context
What physical conditions frame life in Fountain Inn?
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 60.5°F, with 50.2 inches of precipitation. 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.
What does the education layer cover for Fountain Inn?
The matched institution count is small, so district boundaries and schools outside the city line may matter more than the municipal count suggests. Use the number as a coverage cue, then verify attendance zones with the district before making a household decision.
The NCES join finds 2 public schools within the city match. 30.8% 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.
How far does income reach against housing in Fountain Inn?
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. Income and home value move within the same broad scale here. The useful next check is not a generic affordability label, but whether similar-size cities offer a materially different income, housing, or commute trade-off.
The home-value-to-income reference sits in a middle range: the ACS median home value is 3.5 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 10.3%, which keeps the citywide median from describing every household.
Which cities make useful reference points for Fountain Inn?
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 Powdersville (11,321 residents, $88,125 income); Red Bank (10,950 residents, $60,348 income); James Island (11,738 residents, $100,176 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Snyder, TX (11,310 residents); Selma, TX (11,302 residents); Clawson, MI (11,314 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.
Reported crime
What can the FBI record say about safety in Fountain Inn?
The joined FBI UCR record reports 1057.4 violent and property crimes per 100,000 residents, below the 2280.5 national reference used here. The difference is 54% lower 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
1057.4
Violent rate
78.6
Property rate
978.9
FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, incidents per 100,000. Voluntary agency reporting; not a danger score.
What does the journey to work look like in Fountain Inn?
Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 77.4%. 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
77.4%
Work from home
12.6%
Public transit
0.0%
City-level Census ACS commuting estimates covering 5,470 workers age 16+.
Is Fountain Inn growing, shrinking, or holding steady?
Census PEP estimates show the population grew by +4,211 residents from 2020 to 2025, a +40.1% change. Separately, Census BPS recorded 402 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.
2020 estimate
10,511
2025 estimate
14,722
Period change
+40.1%
Census Population Estimates Program, 2020–2025; permit context uses Census BPS.
Above median income · poverty 10.3% (Above-median poverty)
Cost of Living Index (state)
93.7 (US=100)
Near national cost · BEA RPP 2024, South Carolina average
C
City profile score · Fountain Inn, SC
59/100
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.
Violent crime B+
79 /100k
FBI UCR violent offenses per 100,000 residents; lower is stronger on this axis.
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 C
30.8%
Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.
Household income C-
$72,021
Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.
Poverty rate F
10.3%
Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.
Fountain Inn profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)Read the chart values
Violent crime: 76/100 (B+) · 79 /100k
Cost of living: 70/100 (B) · 93.7 index
Bachelor's+ share: 59/100 (C) · 30.8%
Household income: 52/100 (C-) · $72,021
Poverty rate: 38/100 (F) · 10.3%
Where Fountain Inn sits on home value vs crime among peer cities
Fountain Inn'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 - Fountain Inn highlighted among 8 peers.Read the chart values
Fountain Inn, SC (this city): home $255,400, crime 1,057/100k
Snyder, TX : home $102,500, crime 2,332/100k
Selma, TX : home $288,700, crime 2,455/100k
Clawson, MI : home $250,800, crime 756/100k
Holbrook, MA : home $436,500, crime 1,693/100k
Elon, NC : home $355,800, crime 388/100k
Irmo, SC : home $193,100, crime 1,807/100k
Newberry, SC : home $124,600, crime 3,698/100k
How does Fountain Inn compare to other US cities?
Fountain Inn measured against every US city with 1,000+ residents, computed live from the same Census and FBI data shown throughout this page.
Household income52% higher than other cities
Home value57% pricier than other cities
Median rent46% pricier than other cities
Safety62% 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: Fountain Inn ranks #12 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 Fountain Inn 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 Fountain Inn near the bottom of South Carolina's cities
Among the 441 South Carolina cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Fountain Inn ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Fountain Inn only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.
Median Household Income
#93 of 403
77th percentile in South Carolina
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 441
0th percentile in South Carolina
Median Home Value
#78 of 404
81st percentile in South Carolina
Poverty Rate
#253 of 439
42nd percentile in South Carolina
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#96 of 441
78th 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
52nd percentile nationally for median household income · 62nd percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
Fountain Inn's profile vs. every US city
Income, affordability, and safety percentile
Fountain Inn'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 Fountain Inn's home value compares nationally
Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)
$255,40043rd percentilemore affordable than 43% 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
Fountain Inn's home-value-to-income ratio: 3.5×
ACS median home value divided by median household income.
Band
moderate
3.0–5.0×
National rank
#9,169 of 15,516
More affordable than 41% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#1,536 of 3,317
Small cities (10,000–49,999)
At 3.5×, Fountain Inn sits in the moderate band:
national rank #9,169 of 15,516 and #1,536 of 3,317small cities (10,000–49,999).
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
$72,021Fountain Inn, SC median household income (Census ACS)
Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context Fountain Inn, 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 Fountain Inn, SC.
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+)30.8%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL)10.3%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+)66.2%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
11,307
Median Income
$72,021
Median Home Value
$255,400
Median Age
33.9
Poverty Rate
10.3%
Labor force participation
66.2%
Bachelor's Degree+
30.8%
Safety & Crime
Total Crime Rate
1057.4
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
78.6
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
978.9
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
60.5°F
Annual Precipitation
50.2"
Annual Snowfall
N/A
Schools
Total Schools
2
Public schools in this city
Population Change
PEP vintage
Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025
Fountain Inn's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.Read the chart as text
Period
Population
2020
10,511 residents
2021
11,018 residents
2022
11,762 residents
2023
13,062 residents
2024
13,828 residents
2025
14,722 residents
Housing Supply
BPS source
Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized
📈 Building Boom
Total Permits (2024)
402
housing units authorized
Single-Family
402
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
35.6
permits per 1,000 residents
5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)
Year
Total
Single-Family
Multifamily
Est. Value
2019
187
153
34
$36.2M
2020
256
226
30
$60.6M
2021
350
350
0
$124.7M
2022
543
543
0
$137.0M
2023
302
302
0
$89.4M
2024
402
402
0
$115.1M
Permit volume increased 115% from 2019 to 2024.
Commute Patterns
Commute source
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Drive Alone
77.4%
Carpool
4.0%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
0.5%
Work from Home
12.6%
Other
5.5%
Based on 5,470 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 Fountain Inn. 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 Fountain Inn 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 Fountain Inn sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.
How Fountain Inn 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.