Saluda County, South Carolina

County in SC, US

By Neilsberg Research

Last updated May 1, 2026

Key Indicators

A quick look at key numbers

Population

19,131

Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates

Median Age

42.6

years ∙ half population younger than 42.6, half older

Diversity Index

59.9%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Nativity

7.3%

foreign-born population

92.7%Native

7.3% Foreign-born

Geographic Context

Location, size, and surroundings

About

Saluda County is a county in South Carolina, United States.

Location

County in SC, US

Co-ordinates

DEC34.005278° N, 81.727903° W

DMS34° 00′ 19.00″ N, 81° 43′ 40.45″ W

Population Density & area

42.21/sq mi (16.3/km²)

Total Area

462.1 sq mi (1,196.7 km²)

Land Area

453.2 sq mi (1,173.7 km²) · 98.1%

Water Area

8.9 sq mi (23 km²) · 1.9%

Demographics & Living

Who lives here, how households are formed, and community composition

Population Composition

Key characteristics of the population

Sex Distribution

49.7% male

Male 49.7%

Female 50.3%

males per 100 females

Saluda County 98.8

South Carolina 94.8

United States 98

Nativity

7.3%

foreign-born population

92.7%Native

7.3% Foreign-born

% Foreign-born

Saluda County 7.3%

South Carolina 5.8%

United States 14.1%

Age Distribution

How the population is spread across age groups

Median Age

42.6

years ∙ half population younger than 42.6, half older

Saluda County

42.6

South Carolina

40.2

United States

38.9

Dependency ratio

dependents per 100 working-age adults

Saluda County 74

South Carolina 67.5

United States 64.4

AGE DISTRIBUTION

Distribution of age group

Median age

	Saluda County	South Carolina	United States
Age Group
Children (Under 18)	21.9%	21.4%	22%
Working age (18-64)	57.5%	59.7%	60.8%
Senior (65+)	20.6%	18.9%	17.2%
Dependency ratio
Total dependency ratio	74	67.5	64.4
Child dependency ratio	38.2	35.9	36.1
Old-age dependency ratio	35.8	31.6	28.3

Racial & Ethnic Composition

Racial and ethnic makeup and how it compares

Race & Ethnicity

White

57.1%

Black

21.2%

Asian

0.4%

Hispanic

17.1%

Other

4.2%

Note: White, Black, and Asian refer to individuals belonging to a single race and not of Hispanic origin. Hispanics may be of any race.

Diversity Index

59.9%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Saluda County 59.9%

South Carolina 54.9%

United States 61.4%

Note: The Diversity Index (DI), based on the Blau Index, measures the probability that two randomly selected individuals differ in race and ethnicity. Values range from 0 (no diversity) to 1 (high diversity) and are shown as percentages.

RACIAL & ETHNIC COMPOSITION

Race & Ethnicity

Percentage of Saluda County population

Racial and ethnic composition — Saluda County vs South Carolina vs United States. Source: ACS 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates.
	Saluda County	South Carolina	United States
Hispanic or Latino	17.1%	7.4%	19.3%
Mexican	8.9%	3.4%	11.3%
Puerto Rican	1.3%	1%	1.8%
Cuban	0%	0.3%	0.8%
Other Hispanic / Latino	6.9%	2.7%	5.5%
Not Hispanic or Latino	82.9%	92.6%	80.7%
One race	79.9%	88.9%	76.4%
White	57.1%	61.9%	57.4%
Black or African American	21.2%	24.6%	11.9%
American Indian and Alaska Native	0%	0.2%	0.5%
Asian	0.4%	1.7%	5.9%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander	0%	0%	0.2%
Some Other Race	1.1%	0.5%	0.6%
Two or more races (Multiracial)	3%	3.7%	4.3%

Household & Families Composition

Household size, type, and family structure

Household structure

72.5% family

Family 72.5%

Non family 27.5%

% family households

Saluda County 72.5%

South Carolina 65%

United States 64.2%

Average household size

2.45

persons per household

Saluda County

2.45

South Carolina

2.44

United States

2.53

Household & Family COMPOSITION

Households

Percentage of Saluda County population

	Saluda County	South Carolina	United States
Total households	7,670	2,117,989	129,227,496
Average houshold size	2.45	2.44	2.53
Family households	5,563	1,377,369	82,990,528
Average family size	2.92	3.01	3.14
Married couple family	4,073	998,170	60,637,388
Other families	1,490	379,199	22,353,140
Male householder	476	95,077	6,572,819
Female householder	1,014	284,122	15,780,321
Non-family households	2,107	740,620	46,236,968
One-person households	1,965	618,603	37,140,836
Male householder	835	273,409	16,871,444
Senior (65+) living alone	386	86,486	5,225,110
Female householder	1,130	345,194	20,269,392
Senior (65+) living alone	710	172,484	10,089,070
Other living arrangements	142	122,017	9,096,132

Housing Profile

Housing stock, ownership, rentals, and cost burdens

Total housing units

9,543

housing units

Saluda County 9,543

South Carolina 2,443,039

United States 143,775,355

Occupancy status

80.4% occupied

Occupied 80.4%

Vacant 19.6%

vacancy rate

Saluda County 19.6%

South Carolina 13.3%

United States 10.1%

Housing Characteristics

How the housing supply is structured and used

Types of Housing unit

68.9%

Single family houses

68.9%

Apartments in multi-unit structures

3.2%

Mobile homes

27.8%

Boat, RV, van, etc

0.2%

Median Year Built

1988

Half of houses were built before 1988, and half after.

Historic ∙ 1939 or earlier

8.8%

Postwar & mid-century ∙ 1940 - 1969

19.8%

Late 20th century ∙ 1970 - 1999

48.7%

Modern ∙ 2000 or later

22.8%

Note: Median year built reflects occupied units only; distribution includes all units.

Housing Characteristics

Units, rooms & bedrooms

Physical characteristics of housing units

	Saluda County	South Carolina	United States
Rooms per unit
Median rooms	5.7	5.7	5.5
1–3 rooms	5.3%	9.1%	15.1%
4–6 rooms	62.1%	55.3%	51.6%
7+ rooms	32.6%	35.5%	33.4%
Bedrooms
No bedroom / studio	1.5%	1.5%	2.9%
1 bedroom	3.7%	5.7%	10.9%
2 bedrooms	19.6%	22.5%	25%
3 bedrooms	60.6%	47.5%	38.7%
4+ bedrooms	14.5%	22.8%	22.4%
At a glance
Median year built	1988	1993	1981
Total housing units	9,543	2,443,039	143,775,355

Occupancy Profile

Who is inside and how they use it

Homeownership

78.7% owners

Renter-occupied 21.3%

Owner-occupied 78.7%

homeownership rate

Saluda County 78.7%

South Carolina 71.9%

United States 65.2%

Average household size

2.42

Owner-occupied

2.56

Renter-occupied

owner-occupied average size

Saluda County 2.42

South Carolina 2.49

United States 2.64

Housing Characteristics

Occupied unit characteristics

Tenure, crowding, and utilities

	Saluda County	South Carolina	United States
Total occupied units	7,670	2,117,989	129,227,496
Year moved in
2020 or later	17%	25.6%	24.8%
2010 to 2019	35%	39.4%	39.6%
2000 to 2009	14.8%	16%	16.4%
1999 or earlier	33.2%	19%	19.1%
Occupants per room
1.00 or fewer	94.5%	98%	96.6%
1.01 to 1.50	4.3%	1.4%	2.2%
1.51 or more	1.2%	0.6%	1.2%
Vehicles availability
No vehicles	4.4%	5.7%	8.4%
1 vehicle	23.4%	32.2%	33.1%
2 vehicles	39.2%	38.5%	36.6%
3 or more vehicles	33.1%	23.6%	21.9%
House heating fuel used
Gas	22.1%	27.1%	51.4%
Electricity	72.2%	70.8%	41.3%
Solar	0.1%	0.2%	0.3%
Fuel oil, kerosene etc	1.3%	0.5%	3.9%
All other fuels	2.9%	0.6%	2%
No fuel used	1.5%	0.7%	1.2%
Selected characteristics
Lacking complete plumbing	0.6%	0.3%	0.4%
Lacking complete kitchen	0.6%	0.6%	0.8%
No telephone service available	0.6%	0.8%	0.9%

Housing Value

What owner-occupied units are worth

Median home value

$146,500

owner-occupied units

Median value(USD)

Saluda County

$146,500

South Carolina

$259,000

United States

$332,700

Housing Cost Burden

30.2%

of homeowners with a mortgage are cost-burdened

% Cost-Burdened Households

Owners with a mortgage

30.2%

Owners without a mortgage

9.2%

Renters

47.2%

Note: Households spending 30% or more of their income on housing costs are considered cost-burdened.

Financial characteristics

Property value and housing costs

Tenure, crowding, and utilities

	Saluda County	South Carolina	United States
Property value
Median Value	$146,500	$259,000	$332,700
Under $100,000	38.1%	16.8%	11.4%
$100,000 - $200,000	21.6%	19.5%	15.8%
$200,000 - $300,000	14.8%	21.8%	17.8%
$300,000 - $500,000	15.8%	25.5%	26.9%
$500,000 - $1,000,000	7.1%	12.7%	20.9%
$1,000,000 and more	2.5%	3.7%	7.1%
Owner-occupied households
With a mortgage	38.1%	57.1%	60.6%
Without a mortgage	61.9%	42.9%	39.4%
Median monthly owner costs
With a mortgage	$1,362	$1,529	$1,963
Without a mortgage	$407	$448	$638
Gross rent
Median rent	$851	$1,180	$1,413

Education Profile

How educated is the community and how education pays off

Adults with a college degree

20.4%

of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher

Saluda County 20.4%

South Carolina 32.1%

United States 35.7%

Adults without a high school diploma

15.9%

of adults (25+) without a high school diploma

Saluda County 15.9%

South Carolina 9.9%

United States 10.4%

School Enrollment

Who is enrolled in school and at what level

School enrollment

4,094

population (age 3+) enrolled in school

Nursery / Preschool

K–12

79.2%

College / Undergraduate

10.3%

Graduate / Professional

4.5%

College-going rate (18-24 yr olds)

17.7%

of 18-24-year-olds in college or graduate school

Saluda County

17.7%

South Carolina

37.5%

United States

40.9%

Enrollment & school type

Enrollment levels, college-going rate, and public vs private school split

Population 3+ currently enrolled in a school

	Saluda County	South Carolina	United States
Total enrolled (age 3+)	4,094	1,202,992	80,089,790
Nursery / preschool	6%	5.2%	5.7%
K–12	79.2%	69.7%	67.6%
Kindergarten	4.1%	5.5%	5%
Elementary: Grades 1–4	23.1%	20.6%	19.8%
Elementary: Grades 5–8	21.1%	21.4%	21%
High School: Grades 9–12	30.9%	22.2%	21.7%
College or graduate school	14.8%	25.1%	26.7%
College, undergraduate	10.3%	20%	21%
Graduate, professional school	4.5%	5%	5.8%
College-going rate · 18-24 yr olds	17.7%	37.5%	40.9%
School type
Public school	84%	82.7%	82%
Private school	16%	17.3%	18%

Education Attainment by Level & Gender

What is the highest level of education completed among adults

Education attainment

13,429

population 25 years and over

Total adults (25+)

Less than 9th grade

6.8%

9th-12th, no diploma

9.1%

HS graduate

36.6%

Some college no degree

16.6%

Associates degree

10.5%

Bachelors degree

11.6%

Graduate or professional degree

8.8%

Attainment by gender

Male vs Female

Adults (25+) · Share within each education level

% male · % female

Less than 9th grade

51.2% · 48.8%

9th-12th, no diploma

58.6% · 41.4%

HS graduate

54.7% · 45.3%

Some college no degree

41.8% · 58.2%

Associates degree

48.3% · 51.7%

Bachelors degree

49.5% · 50.5%

Graduate or professional degree

36.9% · 63.1%

Educational Attainment Overview

Distribution and key education attainment rates for adults (25+)

Highest credential completed · adults 25+

	Saluda County	South Carolina	United States
Population (25+)	13,429	3,677,078	230,807,303
Less than 9th grade	6.8%	3.1%	4.7%
9th–12th, no diploma	9.1%	6.8%	5.7%
High school diploma or GED	36.6%	28.2%	26%
Some college, no degree	16.6%	19.8%	19.1%
Associate's degree	10.5%	10%	8.8%
Bachelor's degree or higher	20.4%	32.1%	35.7%
Bachelor's degree	11.6%	19.8%	21.6%
Graduate or professional	8.8%	12.3%	14.1%
High School or higher	84.1%	90.1%	89.6%

Earnings by education level

percentage as applicable

Median Earnings

$44,614

Median earnings for adults 25+, by level

Less than HS graduate

$24,379

HS graduate

$39,286

Some college or associates

$43,479

Bachelors degree

$50,996

Graduate or professional degree

$67,089

Poverty Rate

4.1%

for ages 25+, with bachelors degree or higher

Less than HS graduate

31.4%

HS graduate

17.6%

Some college or associates

15.9%

Bachelors degree or higher

4.1%

Outcomes by Education Level

Earnings and poverty rates across education levels (25+)

Adults 25+

	Saluda County	South Carolina	United States
Median earnings
Population 25+, with earnings	$44,614	$47,658	$52,696
Less than high school graduate	$24,379	$30,223	$32,485
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	$39,286	$37,196	$40,153
Some college or associate's degree	$43,479	$44,160	$47,260
Bachelor's degree	$50,996	$61,860	$70,044
Graduate or professional degree	$67,089	$73,671	$90,720
Poverty rates
Less than high school graduate	31.4%	28.4%	24.2%
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	17.6%	15.6%	14.4%
Some college or associate's degree	15.9%	10.2%	9.8%
Bachelor's degree or higher	4.1%	4.7%	4.5%

Insights for Saluda County, by topic

Income By year By race By age By gender

Population By year By race By age By gender

About Neilsberg Research

Neilsberg Research team are data scientists with expertise in processing, analysis and visualization of big data helping small businesses make right decisions.

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