City profile · South Carolina · Census ACS 2023

Spartanburg, SC

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

38,578
Residents
$51,193
Median income
$185,300
Median home
$1,187
Median rent (state)

Spartanburg - the verdict

Spartanburg ranks in the 21st percentile for household income and the 1st percentile for safety nationally, out of every US city with at least 1,000 residents. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.

21st
percentile, household income
38th
percentile, home value
35th
percentile, median rent
1st
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: Spartanburg, SC

38,578 people live in Spartanburg, South Carolina - a small city by U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. The typical household in Spartanburg brings in $51,193 a year, in the lower quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 20.3%. Typical homes in Spartanburg are valued around $185,300, and the median resident age is 35.6 years. Educational attainment runs 33.3% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher. Separately, 55.3% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

The Census Building Permit Survey recorded 37 residential units authorized here in 2024 (Rapid Growth), up 28% from five years earlier. Spartanburg's reported crime rate runs above the national norm: FBI UCR reporting places total crime at 6709.0 incidents per 100,000 residents, above the national average (voluntary agency reporting, reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score). NOAA puts Spartanburg's yearly average temperature at 61.2°F with 50.2 inches of precipitation per year and 0.8 inches of snowfall.

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). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $1,187 per month. Monthly utility costs average around $224 across South Carolina, per EIA 2023 residential energy estimates. Natural-hazard exposure scores 90.6 out of 100 on FEMA's National Risk Index (Very High).

Population

38,578 residents

Census ACS 2023 - South Carolina

Median Household Income

$51,193 /yr

Poverty 20.3%

Cost of Living Index (state)

93.7 (US=100)

Below Average - BEA RPP 2024, South Carolina average

How does Spartanburg compare to other US cities?

Spartanburg measured against every US city with 1,000+ residents, computed live from the same Census and FBI data shown throughout this page.

Household income 21% higher than other cities
Home value 38% pricier than other cities
Median rent 35% pricier than other cities
Safety 1% safer than other cities

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

National percentiles can mask local variation. Looking only at South Carolina, Spartanburg ranks #114 of 127 South Carolina cities by lowest crime rate - a narrower, more locally useful cut than the national comparison above.

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 Spartanburg'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.

21stIncome percentile
1stSafety percentile

21st percentile nationally for median household income · 1st percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

Spartanburg's profile vs. every US city

Income, affordability, and safety percentile

Spartanburg'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 29 Avg. percentile National median
Spartanburg'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 Spartanburg's home value compares nationally

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

$185,300 Among the most affordable more affordable than 62% 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%). This entry sits in this band. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Above this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Above this entry. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Above this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Above this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $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. Spartanburg $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 - Spartanburg, SC Spartanburg, SC's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Spartanburg, 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 Spartanburg, SC median $51,193/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%
Spartanburg, 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 Spartanburg, SC. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 33.3%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 20.3%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 55.3%

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

Population
38,578
Median Income
$51,193
Median Home Value
$185,300
Median Age
35.6
Poverty Rate
20.3%
Labor force participation
55.3%
Bachelor's Degree+
33.3%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
6709.0
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
1480.1
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
5228.9
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.

Climate

Avg Temperature
61.2°F
Annual Precipitation
50.2"
Annual Snowfall
0.8"

Schools

Total Schools
29
Public schools in this city

Population Change

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

See the fastest-growing cities →
38,000 residents38,500 residents39,000 residents39,500 residents40,000 residents40,500 residents 202020212022202320242025 38,606 residents 39,978 residents ▲ +3.6%
Spartanburg's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Housing Supply

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

📈 Rapid Growth
Total Permits (2024)
37
housing units authorized
Single-Family
37
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
1
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 29
2020 37
2021 42
2022 37
2023 34
2024 37

Permit volume increased 28% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
77.5%
Carpool
10.9%
Public Transit
0.9%
Walk
2.2%
Work from Home
6.6%
Other
1.9%

Based on 16,448 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 Spartanburg sits in

Cost of Living Index
93.7
Below Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,187/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
90.6 / 100
Very High
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in South Carolina

Greer
39,191 people
Hilton Head Island
37,805 people
Myrtle Beach
37,214 people
Florence
40,205 people
Sumter
43,065 people
Aiken
32,334 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Spartanburg's 38,578 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Westerville, OH
38,543 people
Stanton, CA
38,639 people
Security-Widefield, CO
38,659 people
Bell Gardens, CA
38,661 people
Wheeling, IL
38,495 people
Atlantic City, NJ
38,486 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Spartanburg's $51,193 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Clearfield, PA
$51,190 median income
Seagraves, TX
$51,189 median income
Holgate, OH
$51,188 median income
Tomah, WI
$51,185 median income
Holloman AFB, NM
$51,205 median income
Lake City, FL
$51,175 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Spartanburg, 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 Spartanburg, SC - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 47.9% 42.3% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 6.6% White 47.9% Black or African American 42.3% Asian 2.0% American Indian 0.2% Native Hawaiian 0.0% Some other race 2.1% Two or more races 5.5% 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 Spartanburg 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
Spartanburg (this city) 38,578 $51,193
Greer 39,191 $80,030
Hilton Head Island 37,805 $96,715
Myrtle Beach 37,214 $53,679
Census ACS 5-year FIPS SC FBI UCR NOAA Normals NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Spartanburg, SC?

What is the population of Spartanburg, SC? +

The population of Spartanburg, SC stands at 38,578 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Spartanburg, SC? +

Spartanburg households earn a median of $51,193 annually, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Spartanburg? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Spartanburg; 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 Spartanburg, SC safe? +

Spartanburg has a total crime rate of 6709.0 per 100,000 residents, which is above 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 Spartanburg, SC? +

Spartanburg's median home value sits at $185,300, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the climate like in Spartanburg? +

The average annual temperature in Spartanburg runs 61.2°F, 50.2 inches of precipitation, and 0.8 inches of snowfall per year. Source: NOAA Climate Normals.

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.

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.