Saluda County, South Carolina Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Saluda County, SC Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
-
C
Health Below average
-
D
Income Well below average
-
F
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Saluda County | South Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 19,141 | 5,295,781 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 41.5 | 165.5 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.60% | 1.16% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 43.7 | 40.4 | 37.3 |
| Households | 7,675 | 2,118,015 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Saluda County grew by 1.1% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 19,141 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Saluda County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 21.3% of residents. That is 1.1 points above South Carolina as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 3,668 19.2% -2.0 pts
- Millennials 29–44 3,632 19.0% -2.0 pts
- Gen X 45–60 4,072 21.3% +1.1 pts
- Boomers 61–79 3,749 19.6% +1.1 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below South Carolina, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 49.4% of the people living in Saluda County and men 50.6%.
- Women 49.4% South Carolina 51.2%
- Men 50.6% South Carolina 48.8%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Saluda County
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Economy
Saluda County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Saluda County | South Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $51,188 | $69,383 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 2.67% | 5.01% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.2% | 4.8% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Saluda County is about 26% lower than in South Carolina.
Housing
| Metric | Saluda County | South Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $193,929 | $239,609 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $851 | $1,179 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 78.7% | 71.9% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Saluda County is about 19.0 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $851 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Saluda County spend about 48 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 199 hours, about 8.3 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Saluda County | South Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 23.9 | 22.3 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 47.7 | 44.5 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 199 | 186 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $6,163 | $5,753 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 6.2% | 11.5% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | — | 9,507 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 642 | 1,499 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
South Carolina:
Greenwood County (16.5 min), Sumter County (18.2 min), Florence County (18.3 min).
Slowest:
McCormick County (33.9 min), Fairfield County (30.8 min), Chester County (30.6 min).
The average commute time in Saluda County is 24 minutes, longer than the 22 minutes in South Carolina.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Saluda County has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Saluda County | South Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 17.9% | 28.2% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.45 | 2.44 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
South Carolina:
Charleston County (0.4), Beaufort County (0.3), Richland County (0.3).
Lowest:
Allendale County (0.1), Marlboro County (0.2), Chesterfield County (0.2).
Health
Saluda County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Saluda County | South Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 78.2 | 75.8 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 21.3% | 19.6% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 22.2% | 21.5% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
South Carolina:
Beaufort County (0.8), Charleston County (0.8), Dorchester County (0.8).
Lowest:
Dillon County (0.8), Allendale County (0.8), Marlboro County (0.8).
Saluda County, SC Compared With Nearby Counties
Saluda County, SC is the smallest of the 6 counties compared here, 19,141 residents against a local median of 69,502. Saluda County, SC's median household income, at $51,188, runs 28% below the $70,949 typical of the counties around it. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves spread $24,420 on median household income, so Saluda County, SC sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Saluda County, SC has the 6th highest median household income of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saluda County, SC | 19,141 | $51,188 #6/6 | $193,929 #4/6 | 23.9 min #6/6 |
| Newberry County, SC | 38,435 | $62,057 | $224,444 | 21.9 min |
| Edgefield County, SC | 27,456 | $71,945 | $63,750 | 22.8 min |
| Greenwood County, SC | 69,502 | $52,644 | $82,557 | 16.5 min |
| Lexington County, SC | 304,957 | $77,064 | $260,113 | 22.9 min |
| Aiken County, SC | 174,097 | $70,949 | $363,520 | 22.5 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Saluda County, South Carolina.
What is the population of Saluda County, South Carolina?
About 19,141 people live in Saluda County, South Carolina, in 7,675 households of 2.5 people on average. The median age is 43.7, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 6 years.
Is Saluda County, South Carolina urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Saluda County, South Carolina has 41 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 48% of the U.S. average of 86.
Is Saluda County, South Carolina an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 3.8 times the median household income ($193,929 against $51,188), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $851 a month takes about 20% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How strong is the job market in Saluda County, South Carolina?
Unemployment in Saluda County, South Carolina is only 3.2%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
How educated are people in Saluda County, South Carolina?
17.9% of adults in Saluda County, South Carolina hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 6), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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