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Place dossier plate
SheetSC-GOOSE-CREEK-SC · Goose Creek, SC 46,964 pop · income 69th 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 Goose Creek
Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest Goose Creek on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.
median HH income
Huntsville · lowest
45,401
Huntsville · lowest
45,401 median HH income
27.5% of the leader · rank #1
Battlefield · near
87,414
Battlefield · near
87,414 median HH income
53.0% of the leader · rank #2
Danbury · near
87,417
Danbury · near
87,417 median HH income
53.0% of the leader · rank #3
Davis · near
87,421
Davis · near
87,421 median HH income
53.0% of the leader · rank #4
Goose Creek · this city
87,437
Goose Creek · this city
87,437 median HH income
53.0% of the leader · rank #5
Forked River · near
87,455
Forked River · near
87,455 median HH income
53.0% of the leader · rank #6
Newark · highest
164,909
Newark · highest
164,909 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 Goose Creek 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: 46,964.
Agency-reported UCR totals per 100,000 population, not a neighborhood safety grade or a prediction of personal risk.
Goose Creek - the verdict
Out of every US city with 1,000+ residents, Goose Creek places in the 69th percentile for household income and the 39th percentile for safety. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.
69th
percentile, household income
62nd
percentile, home value
46th
percentile, median rent
39th
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: Goose Creek, SC
46,964 people live in Goose Creek, South Carolina - a small city by U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Goose Creek households earn a median of $87,437 annually, above the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 4.6%. Typical homes in Goose Creek are valued around $279,500, and the median resident age is 33.7 years. About 29.4% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 59.0% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
The Census Building Permit Survey recorded 503 residential units authorized here in 2024 (Rapid Growth), up 39% from five years earlier. Goose Creek reports a comparatively low crime rate: per-100,000 total crime stands at 1721.9 in FBI UCR data, below 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: the state registers 93.7 on a 100-equals-national-average index (Below Average) per BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. Statewide, HUD pegs Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom unit at $1,155 monthly. 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 Goose Creek'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 population change to housing and income to schools and households to reported crime to work and mobility to comparison shortlist; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.
For Goose Creek, city-specific coverage includes matched public-school count, local building permits, FBI reported-crime rates, commute-mode shares, annual population history.
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.
Question 1
Is Goose Creek growing, shrinking, or holding steady?
Census PEP estimates show the population grew by +5,675 residents from 2020 to 2025, a +12.2% change. Separately, Census BPS recorded 503 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 Goose Creek?
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 3.2 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 4.6%, which keeps the citywide median from describing every household.
What does the education layer cover for Goose Creek?
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 14 public schools within the city match. 29.4% 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.
Which cities make useful reference points for Goose Creek?
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 Sumter (43,065 residents, $53,071 income); Summerville (51,262 residents, $78,621 income); Florence (40,205 residents, $56,433 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are East Providence, RI (46,970 residents); La Mirada, CA (46,945 residents); Huntsville, TX (46,917 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 Goose Creek?
The joined FBI UCR record reports 1721.9 violent and property crimes per 100,000 residents, below the 2280.5 national reference used here. The difference is 24% 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
1721.9
Violent rate
256.5
Property rate
1465.4
FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, incidents per 100,000. Voluntary agency reporting; not a danger score.
What does the journey to work look like in Goose Creek?
Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 72.7%. 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
72.7%
Work from home
11.8%
Public transit
0.2%
City-level Census ACS commuting estimates covering 26,470 workers age 16+.
Above median income · poverty 4.6% (Below-median poverty)
Cost of Living Index (state)
93.7 (US=100)
Near national cost · BEA RPP 2024, South Carolina average
C+
City profile score · Goose Creek, SC
61/100
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.
Poverty rate B-
4.6%
Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.
Household income B-
$87,437
Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.
Bachelor's+ share C
29.4%
Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.
Violent crime F
257 /100k
FBI UCR violent offenses per 100,000 residents; lower is stronger on this axis.
Goose Creek profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)Read the chart values
Cost of living: 70/100 (B) · 93.7 index
Poverty rate: 68/100 (B-) · 4.6%
Household income: 67/100 (B-) · $87,437
Bachelor's+ share: 57/100 (C) · 29.4%
Violent crime: 39/100 (F) · 257 /100k
Where Goose Creek sits on home value vs crime among peer cities
Goose Creek'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 - Goose Creek highlighted among 11 peers.Read the chart values
Goose Creek, SC (this city): home $279,500, crime 1,722/100k
East Providence, RI : home $322,100, crime 755/100k
La Mirada, CA : home $763,200, crime 1,966/100k
Huntsville, TX : home $225,800, crime 2,045/100k
Beavercreek, OH : home $261,200, crime 2,068/100k
Newark, CA : home $1,094,200, crime 4,344/100k
Sumter, SC : home $188,400, crime 4,804/100k
Summerville, SC : home $295,700, crime 1,991/100k
Florence, SC : home $189,800, crime 4,725/100k
Greer, SC : home $264,300, crime 2,072/100k
Spartanburg, SC : home $185,300, crime 6,709/100k
How does Goose Creek compare to other US cities?
Here's how Goose Creek stacks up against the full field of US cities (population 1,000+), computed live from Census and FBI data.
Household income69% higher than other cities
Home value62% pricier than other cities
Median rent46% pricier than other cities
Safety39% 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: Goose Creek ranks #31 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 Goose Creek 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 Goose Creek near the bottom of South Carolina's cities
Among the 441 South Carolina cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Goose Creek ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Goose Creek only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.
Median Household Income
#50 of 403
88th percentile in South Carolina
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 441
0th percentile in South Carolina
Median Home Value
#63 of 404
84th percentile in South Carolina
Poverty Rate
#350 of 439
20th percentile in South Carolina
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#109 of 441
75th 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
69th percentile nationally for median household income · 39th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
Goose Creek's profile vs. every US city
Income, affordability, and safety percentile
Goose Creek'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 Goose Creek's home value compares nationally
Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)
$279,50038th percentilemore affordable than 38% 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
Goose Creek's home-value-to-income ratio: 3.2×
ACS median home value divided by median household income.
Band
moderate
3.0–5.0×
National rank
#7,680 of 15,516
More affordable than 51% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#1,166 of 3,317
Small cities (10,000–49,999)
At 3.2×, Goose Creek sits in the moderate band:
national rank #7,680 of 15,516 and #1,166 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
$87,437Goose Creek, SC median household income (Census ACS)
Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context Goose Creek, 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 Goose Creek, SC.
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+)29.4%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL)4.6%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+)59.0%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
46,964
Median Income
$87,437
Median Home Value
$279,500
Median Age
33.7
Poverty Rate
4.6%
Labor force participation
59.0%
Bachelor's Degree+
29.4%
Safety & Crime
Total Crime Rate
1721.9
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
256.5
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
1465.4
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.
Schools
Total Schools
14
Public schools in this city
Population Change
PEP vintage
Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025
Goose Creek's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.Read the chart as text
Period
Population
2020
46,335 residents
2021
46,817 residents
2022
47,823 residents
2023
49,607 residents
2024
50,730 residents
2025
52,010 residents
Housing Supply
BPS source
Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized
📈 Rapid Growth
Total Permits (2024)
503
housing units authorized
Single-Family
503
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
10.7
permits per 1,000 residents
5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)
Year
Total
Single-Family
Multifamily
Est. Value
2019
363
363
0
$62.6M
2020
380
380
0
$69.5M
2021
372
372
0
$75.4M
2022
527
527
0
$200.9M
2023
341
341
0
$143.5M
2024
503
503
0
$198.0M
Permit volume increased 39% from 2019 to 2024.
Commute Patterns
Commute source
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Drive Alone
72.7%
Carpool
9.0%
Public Transit
0.2%
Walk
5.7%
Work from Home
11.8%
Other
0.6%
Based on 26,470 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 Goose Creek. 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 Goose Creek 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 Goose Creek sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.
How Goose Creek 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, 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.