City profile · South Carolina · Census ACS 2023

Walterboro, SC

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

5,490
Residents
$48,366
Median income
$170,500
Median home
$1,155
Median rent

Data Snapshot: Walterboro, SC

Walterboro is a city in South Carolina with a population of 5,490 residents based on U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Median household income here reaches $48,366 per year, while the poverty rate sits at 30.6%. Typical homes in Walterboro are valued around $170,500, and the median resident age is 40.5 years. About 19.8% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 54.8% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

Housing supply pressure shows in Census Building Permit Survey data: 11 residential units were authorized in 2024 (Building Boom), up 175% from five years earlier. FBI UCR reporting places total crime at 6386.1 incidents per 1,000 residents, above the national average, indicating elevated public-safety concerns. NOAA climate normals record an annual average temperature of 64.1°F with 51.4 inches of precipitation per year.

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. Workers in Walterboro report an average commute of 31.4 minutes, with 77.4% driving alone and 10.1% working from home. 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

5,490 residents

Census ACS 2023 — South Carolina

Median Household Income

$48,366 /yr

Poverty 30.6%

Cost of Living Index

93.7 (US=100)

Near Average — BEA RPP 2024

How does Walterboro compare to other US cities?

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

Household income 17% higher than other cities
Home value 34% pricier than other cities
Median rent 46% pricier than other cities
Safety 2% safer than other cities

Percentiles compare Walterboro 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 — Walterboro, SC Quintile shares of aggregate household income for Walterboro, SC. The Lorenz curve traces cumulative income share against cumulative population share — perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Walterboro, SC — median $48,366/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 Walterboro, SC — Census ACS 5-year estimates. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 19.8%

Census ACS S1501 — educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 30.6%

Census ACS S1701 — poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 54.8%

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

Population
5,490
Median Income
$48,366
Median Home Value
$170,500
Median Age
40.5
Poverty Rate
30.6%
Labor force participation
54.8%
Bachelor's Degree+
19.8%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
6386.1
per 1,000 residents
Violent Crime
1006.4
per 1,000 residents
Property Crime
5379.7
per 1,000 residents

Climate

Avg Temperature
64.1°F
Annual Precipitation
51.4"
Annual Snowfall
0.0"

Schools

Total Schools
6
Public schools in this city

Housing Supply

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

📈 Building Boom
Total Permits (2024)
11
housing units authorized
Single-Family
5
detached homes
Multifamily
6
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
2
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 4
2020 8
2021 3
2022 6
2023 4
2024 11

Permit volume increased 175% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work — Census ACS 2023

Average Commute Time
31.4 minutes
Drive Alone
77.4%
Carpool
10.0%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
0.0%
Work from Home
10.1%
Other
2.5%

Based on 2,484 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 — Walterboro, 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 Walterboro, 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 Walterboro 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 (Walterboro) plus the nearest peer cities in South Carolina, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).
Selected

SC

Walterboro

48.37% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$48,366
Brackets
5
Selected

SC

Belvedere

65.00% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$550
Brackets
5
Selected

SC

Laurel Bay

65.00% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$560
Brackets
6
Selected

SC

Hollywood

65.00% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$530
Brackets
5
Census ACS 5-year FIPS SC FBI UCR NOAA Normals NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Walterboro, SC?

What is the population of Walterboro, SC? +

Walterboro, SC has a population of 5,490 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

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

The median household income in Walterboro is $48,366 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Walterboro? +

Walterboro 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 Walterboro, SC safe? +

Walterboro has a total crime rate of 6386.1 per 1,000 residents, which is above the national average. Source: FBI UCR data.

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

The median home value in Walterboro is $170,500, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the climate like in Walterboro? +

Walterboro has an average annual temperature of 64.1°F, 51.4 inches of precipitation. 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

Verify with HUD →

Verify with FBI →

Verify with NOAA →

Verify with U.S. Census Bureau →

Verify with EPA →

Verify with FEMA →

Verify with BEA →

Verify with EIA →

Verify with NCES →