City profile · South Carolina · Census ACS 2023

Pawleys Island, SC

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

116
Residents
$118,750
Median income
$1,538,500
Median home
$1,204
Median rent (state)

Pawleys Island - the verdict

Pawleys Island ranks in the 87th percentile for household income nationally, out of every US city with at least 1,000 residents. Source: Census ACS.

87th
percentile, household income
99th
percentile, home value
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: Pawleys Island, SC

South Carolina's Pawleys Island is a small town, with 116 residents per the latest Census Bureau ACS figures. Pawleys Island households earn a median of $118,750 annually, placing it in the top quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 0.0%. Home values in Pawleys Island run a median of $1,538,500, and the median resident age is 69.7 years. Educational attainment runs 81.6% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher. Separately, 37.7% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

The Census Building Permit Survey recorded 4 residential units authorized here in 2024 (Low Activity).

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. HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $1,204 per month. Monthly utility costs average around $224 across South Carolina, per EIA 2023 residential energy estimates. The average commute for Pawleys Island workers runs 11.3 minutes, with 74.4% driving alone and 25.6% working from home. Natural-hazard exposure scores 92.5 out of 100 on FEMA's National Risk Index (Very High).

Population

116 residents

Census ACS 2023 - South Carolina

Median Household Income

$118,750 /yr

Poverty 0.0%

Cost of Living Index (state)

93.7 (US=100)

Below Average - BEA RPP 2024, South Carolina average

How does Pawleys Island compare to other US cities?

Here's how Pawleys Island stacks up against the full field of US cities (population 1,000+), computed live from Census and FBI data.

Household income 87% higher than other cities
Home value 99% pricier 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

For each metric we count every US city with population 1,000+ and a non-null value, then compute what share of them fall below Pawleys Island's value: round(cities-below ÷ total × 100). Safety is inverted (percentile = share of cities with a higher crime rate) so a higher number always means safer. The in-state rank narrows that same crime-rate comparison to only the cities PlainCities tracks in South Carolina, breaking ties alphabetically. See the methodology page for the full source-to-figure lineage.

87thIncome percentile

87th percentile nationally for median household income. Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

How Pawleys Island's home value compares nationally

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

$1,538,500 1st percentile more affordable than 1% 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%). Below this entry. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). This entry sits in this band. Pawleys Island $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 - Pawleys Island, SC Pawleys Island, SC's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Pawleys Island, 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 Pawleys Island, SC median $118,750/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%
Pawleys Island, 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 Pawleys Island, SC. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 81.6%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 0.0%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 37.7%

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

Population
116
Median Income
$118,750
Median Home Value
$1,538,500
Median Age
69.7
Poverty Rate
0.0%
Labor force participation
37.7%
Bachelor's Degree+
81.6%

Schools

Total Schools
5
Public schools in this city

Population Change

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

See the fastest-growing cities →
130 residents132 residents134 residents136 residents 202020212022202320242025 131 residents 133 residents ▲ +1.5%
Pawleys Island's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Housing Supply

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

🏗️ Low Activity
Total Permits (2024)
4
housing units authorized
Single-Family
4
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
34.5
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2023 0
2024 4

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Average Commute Time
11.3 minutes
Drive Alone
74.4%
Carpool
0.0%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
0.0%
Work from Home
25.6%

Based on 43 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 Pawleys Island 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

Williams
116 people
Ulmer
118 people
Clarks Hill
125 people
Rockville
125 people
Scotia
126 people
Promised Land
127 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Pawleys Island's 116 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Bon Air, AL
116 people
Hedrick, IN
116 people
Larrabee, IA
116 people
Earlton, KS
116 people
Plevna, KS
116 people
Greenland, MI
116 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Pawleys Island's $118,750 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Redstone Arsenal, AL
$118,750 median income
Fernan Lake, ID
$118,750 median income
Beverly Shores, IN
$118,750 median income
Solway, MN
$118,750 median income
Rutgers University-Busch Campus, NJ
$118,750 median income
Duck, NC
$118,750 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Pawleys Island, 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 Pawleys Island, SC - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 100.0% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 0.0% White 100.0% Black or African American 0.0% Asian 0.0% American Indian 0.0% Native Hawaiian 0.0% Some other race 0.0% Two or more races 0.0% 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 Pawleys Island 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
Pawleys Island (this city) 116 $118,750
Williams 116 $61,250
Ulmer 118 $95,250
Clarks Hill 125 $40,714
Census ACS 5-year FIPS SC NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Pawleys Island, SC?

What is the population of Pawleys Island, SC? +

The population of Pawleys Island, SC stands at 116 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Pawleys Island, SC? +

The median household income in Pawleys Island is $118,750 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Pawleys Island? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Pawleys Island; 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.

What is the median home value in Pawleys Island, SC? +

Pawleys Island's median home value sits at $1,538,500, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

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

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 Editorial

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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.