Population
333 residents
Census ACS 2023 - South Carolina
City profile · South Carolina · Census ACS 2023
South Union, SC
Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for South Union - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.
- 333
- Residents
- $941
- Median rent (state)
South Union - the verdict
South Carolina's South Union counts 333 residents. Source: Census ACS.
- 10th
- 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: South Union, SC
South Union is a small town in South Carolina, home to 333 residents per U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. The median resident age is 38.8 years. Educational attainment runs 5.9% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher. Separately, 41.1% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
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 $941 monthly. Statewide, average monthly utility bills in South Carolina run around $224, per EIA 2023 residential energy data. Natural-hazard exposure scores 85.6 out of 100 on FEMA's National Risk Index (Very High).
Median Household Income
N/A /yr
Poverty 1.3%
Cost of Living Index (state)
93.7 (US=100)
Below Average - BEA RPP 2024, South Carolina average
How does South Union compare to other US cities?
Where South Union sits among all US cities (population 1,000+) on each measure, computed live from Census and FBI data.
Median rent 10% 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 South Union'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.
Income distribution context
Median household income is not available for South Union in the current Census ACS release (common for very small places).
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 5.9%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL) 1.3%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+) 41.1%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
333
Median Income
N/A
Median Home Value
N/A
Median Age
38.8
Poverty Rate
1.3%
Labor force participation
41.1%
Bachelor's Degree+
5.9%
Commute Patterns
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Drive Alone
79.1%
Carpool
0.0%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
20.9%
Work from Home
0.0%
Based on 115 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 South Union sits in
Cost of Living Index
93.7
Below Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$941/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
85.6 / 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 South Union's 333 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).
Race & Ethnicity Composition
City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.
How South Union 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 |
|---|---|---|
| South Union (this city) | 333 | N/A |
| Perry | 333 | $35,179 |
| Salley | 335 | $34,189 |
| Mount Carmel | 338 | $41,534 |
Census ACS 5-year FIPS SC OMB Bulletin 23-01
What do people ask about South Union, SC?
What is the population of South Union, SC? +
South Union, SC counts 333 residents according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the cost of living in South Union? +
BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for South Union; 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 PlainCities EditorialEvery 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.