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
$1,155
Median rent

Data Snapshot: Spartanburg, SC

Spartanburg is a city in South Carolina with a population of 38,578 residents based on U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Median household income here reaches $51,193 per year, while the poverty rate sits at 20.3%. Typical homes in Spartanburg are valued around $185,300, and the median resident age is 35.6 years. About 33.3% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 55.3% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

Housing supply pressure shows in Census Building Permit Survey data: 37 residential units were authorized in 2024 (Rapid Growth), up 28% from five years earlier. FBI UCR reporting places total crime at 6709.0 incidents per 1,000 residents, above the national average, indicating elevated public-safety concerns. NOAA climate normals record an annual average temperature of 61.2°F with 50.2 inches of precipitation per year and 0.8 inches of snowfall.

On a cost-of-living index where 100 equals the national average, South Carolina registers 93.7 (Near Average) per BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $1,155 per month. Average monthly utility bills run around $224 based on EIA 2023 residential energy data. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 70.7 out of 100 (High).

According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2023 American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, PlainCities renders standardized city-level demographic, income, education, employment, and housing indicators across more than 19,000 incorporated places nationwide. Population counts and median household income figures are sourced directly from Census Table B01003 and B19013 respectively, with poverty rates from B17001 and cost-of-living adjustments from the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) Regional Price Parities (RPP) 2024 release. Every value displayed in this snapshot links back to the official upstream tables and is refreshed on the ACS annual release cadence (typically December of the survey year + 1).

Methodology: city boundaries follow the Census Bureau's place-level geography (incorporated places, census-designated places, and consolidated city-county governments), with FIPS codes ensuring consistent identifiers across decennial and annual surveys. Cost-of-living comparisons use BEA's Regional Price Parities (RPP) indexed to the national average (100), enabling cross-city purchasing-power comparisons. See our methodology page for full source attribution, refresh cadence, and known data quality limitations including margin-of-error disclosure and sample-size thresholds.

Population

38,578 residents

Census ACS 2023 — South Carolina

Median Household Income

$51,193 /yr

Poverty 20.3%

Cost of Living Index

93.7 (US=100)

Near Average — BEA RPP 2024

How does Spartanburg compare to other US cities?

Where Spartanburg sits among all US cities (population 1,000+) on each measure — computed live from Census and FBI data.

Household income 21% higher than other cities
Home value 38% pricier than other cities
Median rent 46% pricier than other cities
Safety 1% safer than other cities

Percentiles compare Spartanburg against every US city with at least 1,000 residents. "Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

Income distribution context

Household income distribution — Spartanburg, SC Quintile shares of aggregate household income for Spartanburg, SC. The Lorenz curve traces 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 — Census ACS quintile shares 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%
Household income distribution for Spartanburg, SC — Census ACS 5-year estimates. 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 1,000 residents
Violent Crime
1480.1
per 1,000 residents
Property Crime
5228.9
per 1,000 residents

Climate

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

Schools

Total Schools
29
Public schools in this city

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

South Carolina state-level data from PlainCost, PlainRent, and PlainHazard

Cost of Living Index
93.7
Near Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,155/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
State-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
70.7 / 100
High
FEMA NRI composite score

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% 59.5% 12.1% 6.1% 10.6% 10.3% ETHNICITY — Hispanic or Latino (any race) 18.7% White 59.5% Black or African American 12.1% Asian 6.1% American Indian 1.2% Native Hawaiian 0.2% Some other race 10.6% Two or more races 10.3% 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.

National-average reference values shown when city-level race/ethnicity table is not loaded. Source: Census ACS 5-year, OMB Directive 15 race-and-ethnicity categories.

How Spartanburg compares to nearby South Carolina cities

Census ACS 2023 — population and median income benchmarks

Side-by-side population + income comparison anchored on the current city (Spartanburg) plus the nearest peer cities in South Carolina, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).
Selected

SC

Spartanburg

51.19% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$51,193
Brackets
39
Selected

SC

Greer

65.00% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$3,920
Brackets
39
Selected

SC

Hilton Head Island

65.00% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$3,780
Brackets
38
Selected

SC

Myrtle Beach

65.00% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$3,720
Brackets
37
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? +

Spartanburg, SC has a population of 38,578 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

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

The median household income in Spartanburg is $51,193 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Spartanburg? +

Spartanburg has a cost of living index of 93.7 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Near Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data.

Is Spartanburg, SC safe? +

Spartanburg has a total crime rate of 6709.0 per 1,000 residents, which is above the national average. Source: FBI UCR data.

What is the median home value in Spartanburg, SC? +

The median home value in Spartanburg is $185,300, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the climate like in Spartanburg? +

Spartanburg has an average annual temperature of 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.

Related

Data sourced from official U.S. government datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities Editorial

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