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Ward, SC

Last updated
Key Indicators
A quick look at key numbers

Population

260
Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates

Median Age

35.5
years ∙ half population younger than 35.5, half older

Diversity Index

Low High
53.5%
chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Nativity

6.9%
foreign-born population
93.1%Native
6.9% Foreign-born

Geographic Context

Location, size, and surroundings

About

Ward is a town within Saluda County, South Carolina, United States.
Location
Town in Saluda County, SC, US
Co-ordinates
DEC33.857297° N, 81.731334° W
DMS33° 51′ 26.27″ N, 81° 43′ 52.80″ W

Population Density & area

335.1/sq mi (129.4/km²)
Total Area
0.776 sq mi (2.009 km²)
Land Area
0.776 sq mi (2.009 km²) · 100%
Water Area
0 sq mi (0 km²) · 0%

Demographics & Living

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

Population Composition

Key characteristics of the population

Sex Distribution

46.5% male
Male 46.5%
Female 53.5%
males per 100 females
Ward 87.1
Saluda County 98.8
South Carolina 94.8

Nativity

6.9%
foreign-born population
93.1%Native
6.9% Foreign-born
% Foreign-born
Ward 6.9%
Saluda County 7.3%
South Carolina 5.8%
Age Distribution
How the population is spread across age groups

Median Age

35.5
years ∙ half population younger than 35.5, half older
Ward
35.5
Saluda County
42.6
South Carolina
40.2

Dependency ratio

Low High
60.5
dependents per 100 working-age adults
Ward 60.5
Saluda County 74
South Carolina 67.5

AGE DISTRIBUTION

Distribution of age group
Median age
Ward Saluda County South Carolina
Age Group
Children (Under 18) 29.6% 21.9% 21.4%
Working age (18-64) 62.3% 57.5% 59.7%
Senior (65+) 8.1% 20.6% 18.9%
Dependency ratio
Total dependency ratio 60.5 74 67.5
Child dependency ratio 47.5 38.2 35.9
Old-age dependency ratio 13 35.8 31.6
Racial & Ethnic Composition
Racial and ethnic makeup and how it compares

Race & Ethnicity

White
33.1%
Black
59.2%
Asian
0%
Hispanic
6.9%
Other
0.8%
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

Low High
53.5%
chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity
Ward 53.5%
Saluda County 59.9%
South Carolina 54.9%
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 Ward population
Racial and ethnic composition — Ward vs Saluda County vs South Carolina. Source: ACS 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates.
Ward Saluda County South Carolina
Hispanic or Latino 6.9% 17.1% 7.4%
Mexican 6.9% 8.9% 3.4%
Puerto Rican 0% 1.3% 1%
Cuban 0% 0% 0.3%
Other Hispanic / Latino 0% 6.9% 2.7%
Not Hispanic or Latino 93.1% 82.9% 92.6%
One race 92.3% 79.9% 88.9%
White 33.1% 57.1% 61.9%
Black or African American 59.2% 21.2% 24.6%
American Indian and Alaska Native 0% 0% 0.2%
Asian 0% 0.4% 1.7%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 0% 0% 0%
Some Other Race 0% 1.1% 0.5%
Two or more races (Multiracial) 0.8% 3% 3.7%
Household & Families Composition
Household size, type, and family structure

Household structure

83.6% family
Family 83.6%
Non family 16.4%
% family households
Ward 83.6%
Saluda County 72.5%
South Carolina 65%

Average household size

3.56
persons per household
Ward
3.56
Saluda County
2.45
South Carolina
2.44

Household & Family COMPOSITION

Households
Percentage of Ward population
Ward Saluda County South Carolina
Total households 73 7,670 2,117,989
Average houshold size 3.56 2.45 2.44
Family households 61 5,563 1,377,369
Average family size 3.49 2.92 3.01
Married couple family 25 4,073 998,170
Other families 36 1,490 379,199
Male householder 19 476 95,077
Female householder 17 1,014 284,122
Non-family households 12 2,107 740,620
One-person households 12 1,965 618,603
Male householder 12 835 273,409
Senior (65+) living alone 2 386 86,486
Female householder 0 1,130 345,194
Senior (65+) living alone 0 710 172,484
Other living arrangements 0 142 122,017

Housing Profile

Housing stock, ownership, rentals, and cost burdens

Total housing units

79
housing units
Ward 79
Saluda County 9,543
South Carolina 2,443,039

Occupancy status

92.4% occupied
Occupied 92.4%
Vacant 7.6%
vacancy rate
Ward 7.6%
Saluda County 19.6%
South Carolina 13.3%
Housing Characteristics
How the housing supply is structured and used

Types of Housing unit

77.2%
Single family houses
Single family houses
77.2%
Apartments in multi-unit structures
7.6%
Mobile homes
15.2%
Boat, RV, van, etc
0%

Median Year Built

1973
Half of houses were built before 1973, and half after.
Historic ∙ 1939 or earlier
22.8%
Postwar & mid-century ∙ 1940 - 1969
21.6%
Late 20th century ∙ 1970 - 1999
54.4%
Modern ∙ 2000 or later
1.3%
Note: Median year built reflects occupied units only; distribution includes all units.

Housing Characteristics

Units, rooms & bedrooms
Physical characteristics of housing units
Ward Saluda County South Carolina
Rooms per unit
Median rooms 5.1 5.7 5.7
1–3 rooms 7.6% 5.3% 9.1%
4–6 rooms 62% 62.1% 55.3%
7+ rooms 30.4% 32.6% 35.5%
Bedrooms
No bedroom / studio 0% 1.5% 1.5%
1 bedroom 7.6% 3.7% 5.7%
2 bedrooms 24.1% 19.6% 22.5%
3 bedrooms 60.8% 60.6% 47.5%
4+ bedrooms 7.6% 14.5% 22.8%
At a glance
Median year built 1973 1988 1993
Total housing units 79 9,543 2,443,039
Occupancy Profile
Who is inside and how they use it

Homeownership

39.7% owners
Renter-occupied 60.3%
Owner-occupied 39.7%
homeownership rate
Ward 39.7%
Saluda County 78.7%
South Carolina 71.9%

Average household size

3.07
Owner-occupied
3.89
Renter-occupied
owner-occupied average size
Ward 3.07
Saluda County 2.42
South Carolina 2.49

Housing Characteristics

Occupied unit characteristics
Tenure, crowding, and utilities
Ward Saluda County South Carolina
Total occupied units 73 7,670 2,117,989
Year moved in
2020 or later 4.1% 17% 25.6%
2010 to 2019 52.1% 35% 39.4%
2000 to 2009 38.4% 14.8% 16%
1999 or earlier 5.4% 33.2% 19%
Occupants per room
1.00 or fewer 86.3% 94.5% 98%
1.01 to 1.50 13.7% 4.3% 1.4%
1.51 or more 0% 1.2% 0.6%
Vehicles availability
No vehicles 12.3% 4.4% 5.7%
1 vehicle 32.9% 23.4% 32.2%
2 vehicles 34.2% 39.2% 38.5%
3 or more vehicles 20.5% 33.1% 23.6%
House heating fuel used
Gas 41.1% 22.1% 27.1%
Electricity 39.7% 72.2% 70.8%
Solar 0% 0.1% 0.2%
Fuel oil, kerosene etc 9.6% 1.3% 0.5%
All other fuels 6.9% 2.9% 0.6%
No fuel used 2.7% 1.5% 0.7%
Selected characteristics
Lacking complete plumbing 0% 0.6% 0.3%
Lacking complete kitchen 0% 0.6% 0.6%
No telephone service available 1.4% 0.6% 0.8%
Housing Value
What owner-occupied units are worth

Median home value

$164,800
owner-occupied units
Median value(USD)
Ward
$164,800
Saluda County
$146,500
South Carolina
$259,000

Housing Cost Burden

0%
of homeowners with a mortgage are cost-burdened
% Cost-Burdened Households
Owners with a mortgage
0%
Owners without a mortgage
9.1%
Renters
72.2%
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
Ward Saluda County South Carolina
Property value
Median Value $164,800 $146,500 $259,000
Under $100,000 27.5% 38.1% 16.8%
$100,000 - $200,000 51.7% 21.6% 19.5%
$200,000 - $300,000 13.8% 14.8% 21.8%
$300,000 - $500,000 0% 15.8% 25.5%
$500,000 - $1,000,000 0% 7.1% 12.7%
$1,000,000 and more 6.9% 2.5% 3.7%
Owner-occupied households
With a mortgage 24.1% 38.1% 57.1%
Without a mortgage 75.9% 61.9% 42.9%
Median monthly owner costs
With a mortgage $— $1,362 $1,529
Without a mortgage $— $407 $448
Gross rent
Median rent $922 $851 $1,180

Education Profile

How educated is the community and how education pays off

Adults with a college degree

10%
of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher
Ward 10%
Saluda County 20.4%
South Carolina 32.1%

Adults without a high school diploma

35.7%
of adults (25+) without a high school diploma
Ward 35.7%
Saluda County 15.9%
South Carolina 9.9%
School Enrollment
Who is enrolled in school and at what level

School enrollment

65
population (age 3+) enrolled in school
Nursery / Preschool
0%
K–12
100%
College / Undergraduate
0%
Graduate / Professional
0%

College-going rate (18-24 yr olds)

0%
of 18-24-year-olds in college or graduate school
Ward
0%
Saluda County
17.7%
South Carolina
37.5%

Enrollment & school type

Enrollment levels, college-going rate, and public vs private school split
Population 3+ currently enrolled in a school
Ward Saluda County South Carolina
Total enrolled (age 3+) 65 4,094 1,202,992
Nursery / preschool 0% 6% 5.2%
K–12 100% 79.2% 69.7%
Kindergarten 0% 4.1% 5.5%
Elementary: Grades 1–4 27.7% 23.1% 20.6%
Elementary: Grades 5–8 38.5% 21.1% 21.4%
High School: Grades 9–12 33.8% 30.9% 22.2%
College or graduate school 0% 14.8% 25.1%
College, undergraduate 0% 10.3% 20%
Graduate, professional school 0% 4.5% 5%
College-going rate · 18-24 yr olds 0% 17.7% 37.5%
School type
Public school 100% 84% 82.7%
Private school 0% 16% 17.3%
Education Attainment by Level & Gender
What is the highest level of education completed among adults

Education attainment

160
population 25 years and over
Total adults (25+)
Less than 9th grade
8.8%
9th-12th, no diploma
26.9%
HS graduate
33.1%
Some college no degree
13.1%
Associates degree
8.1%
Bachelors degree
0%
Graduate or professional degree
10%

Attainment by gender

Male vs Female
Adults (25+) · Share within each education level
% male · % female
Less than 9th grade
100% · 0%
9th-12th, no diploma
67.4% · 32.6%
HS graduate
41.5% · 58.5%
Some college no degree
85.7% · 14.3%
Associates degree
0% · 100%
Bachelors degree
—% · —%
Graduate or professional degree
37.5% · 62.5%

Educational Attainment Overview

Distribution and key education attainment rates for adults (25+)
Highest credential completed · adults 25+
Ward Saluda County South Carolina
Population (25+) 160 13,429 3,677,078
Less than 9th grade 8.8% 6.8% 3.1%
9th–12th, no diploma 26.9% 9.1% 6.8%
High school diploma or GED 33.1% 36.6% 28.2%
Some college, no degree 13.1% 16.6% 19.8%
Associate's degree 8.1% 10.5% 10%
Bachelor's degree or higher 10% 20.4% 32.1%
Bachelor's degree 0% 11.6% 19.8%
Graduate or professional 10% 8.8% 12.3%
High School or higher 64.4% 84.1% 90.1%
Earnings by education level
percentage as applicable

Median Earnings

$30,192
Median earnings for adults 25+, by level
Less than HS graduate
$—
HS graduate
$15,000
Some college or associates
$53,750
Bachelors degree
$—
Graduate or professional degree
$—

Poverty Rate

0%
for ages 25+, with bachelors degree or higher
Less than HS graduate
5.3%
HS graduate
60.4%
Some college or associates
0%
Bachelors degree or higher
0%

Outcomes by Education Level

Earnings and poverty rates across education levels (25+)
Adults 25+
Ward Saluda County South Carolina
Median earnings
Population 25+, with earnings $30,192 $44,614 $47,658
Less than high school graduate $— $24,379 $30,223
High school graduate (includes equivalency) $15,000 $39,286 $37,196
Some college or associate's degree $53,750 $43,479 $44,160
Bachelor's degree $— $50,996 $61,860
Graduate or professional degree $— $67,089 $73,671
Poverty rates
Less than high school graduate 5.3% 31.4% 28.4%
High school graduate (includes equivalency) 60.4% 17.6% 15.6%
Some college or associate's degree 0% 15.9% 10.2%
Bachelor's degree or higher 0% 4.1% 4.7%
Insights for Ward, by topic

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