Saluda County, South Carolina Income Statistics
Saluda County Wealth Score
The wealth index reflects the overall economic prosperity and financial well-being of a county's residents based on income levels, employment rates, and income inequality metrics.
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D
Saluda County Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Income Statistics Overview
| Metric | Saluda County | South Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Household Income | $51,188 | $69,383 | $80,455 |
| Median Personal Income | $45,771 | $52,934 | $60,758 |
| Average Yearly Income Growth | 2.7% | 5.0% | 4.8% |
| Six-Figure Earners | 5.7% | 10.5% | 13.9% |
| $200k+ Households | 4.0% | 8.9% | 13.2% |
The median household income in Saluda County is about 26% lower than in South Carolina. Income has been growing slower in Saluda County (2.7%/yr) than in South Carolina (5.0%/yr).
About 6% of adults in Saluda County earn six figures ($100,000 or more) a year, lower than the South Carolina average of 11%.
Median Household Income 2009–2024 Trend
Median Household Income Over Time
Median household income in Saluda County, South Carolina grew by 23.7% from 2009 to 2024, reaching $51,188 in 2024. That's an average of about 2.7% per year.
Income Inequality and the Gender Pay Gap in Saluda County
| Metric | Saluda County | South Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gini Coefficient | 0.541 | 0.547 | 0.552 |
| Male Median Income | $52,279 | $62,655 | $69,667 |
| Female Median Income | $46,841 | $49,387 | $56,850 |
| Gender Pay Gap | 10.4% | 21.2% | 18.4% |
The Gini coefficient measures how evenly income is shared between richer and poorer households, from 0 (everyone earns the same) to 1 (one household earns nearly everything). The lower the number, the more equally income is distributed. In Saluda County, it is 0.541, lower than South Carolina's 0.547, so income is more evenly distributed here than there, and lower than the US's 0.552, so income is more evenly distributed here than there.
Men's income is about 12% more than women's income in Saluda County, South Carolina. Over a 35-year career, a 12% wage gap accumulates to roughly $190,330 in unearned income for female workers in the area.
Income by Sex Over Time
The income gap between men and women in Saluda County, South Carolina has stayed about the same since 2009, at around 10%. Over that period the gap was widest at 27% in 2017, and was narrowest at 8% in 2023. In dollar terms, the gap has widened by $2,269 since 2009.
Against the trend: the pay gap in Saluda County widened by 0.8 points while South Carolina's narrowed by 2.3 points.
Employment
| Metric | Saluda County | South Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unemployment Rate | 3.2% | 4.8% | 5.2% |
| Working from Home | 6.2% | 11.5% | 15.0% |
| Commute time (minutes) | 23 | 22 | 22 |
Approximately 282 people are unemployed in Saluda County, South Carolina.
The average commute time in Saluda County is 23 minutes, longer than the 22 minutes in South Carolina.
Unemployment Rate Over Time
Since 2011, the unemployment rate in Saluda County, South Carolina has fallen from 10.1% to 3.2% in 2024. Over that period the rate peaked at 12.2% in 2012 and fell as low as 2.3% in 2023.
Saluda County, SC Wealth 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 income growth, at 2.7%/yr, runs 49% below the 5.3%/yr typical of the counties around it. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
Unemployment tells the same story from another angle: 3.2% against a local median of 4.8%, 33% below it. The picture is mixed rather than uniform: unemployment runs ahead of the neighbourhood while income growth runs behind it, so Saluda County, SC is trading one against the other rather than simply out-performing what surrounds it. The counties themselves spread 1.6%/yr on income growth, 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 income growth of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Income growthAverage yearly change in median household income since 2016. Each year is measured in its own dollars, so this is growth before inflation. | Unemployment | Income inequalityGini coefficient: 0 would mean every household earns the same, 1 that a single household earns everything. The lower the number, the more equally income is shared here. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saluda County, SC | 19,141 | $51,188 #6/6 | 2.7%/yr #6/6 | 3.2% #1/6 | 0.541 #4/6 |
| Newberry County, SC | 38,435 | $62,057 | 5.7%/yr | 4.4% | 0.539 |
| Edgefield County, SC | 27,456 | $71,945 | 5.3%/yr | 4.8% | 0.588 |
| Greenwood County, SC | 69,502 | $52,644 | 4.2%/yr | 5.5% | 0.537 |
| Lexington County, SC | 304,957 | $77,064 | 4.1%/yr | 4.4% | 0.523 |
| Aiken County, SC | 174,097 | $70,949 | 5.4%/yr | 6.0% | 0.547 |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Saluda County, South Carolina has an overall wealth index grade of D, making it somewhat worse than South Carolina, and somewhat worse than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about income and wealth in Saluda County, South Carolina.
How Rich Is Saluda County, South Carolina?
Saluda County has a wealth index grade of D. The wealth index grades areas from A+ (best) to F- by combining income levels, employment rates, and income inequality; a D grade means residents are somewhat worse off than the U.S. average. The median household income is $51,188, about 26% lower than the South Carolina average of $69,383.
Are incomes growing in Saluda County, South Carolina?
Between 2009 and 2024, the median household income in Saluda County, South Carolina rose 24%, from $41,365 to $51,188. Over the same years, income here lagged behind South Carolina as a whole: +24% against +59%.
What was the median household income in Saluda County in 2023?
In 2023, the median household income in Saluda County, South Carolina was $52,574, up 2% from $51,652 in 2022. The South Carolina median that year was $66,973.
What was the median household income in Saluda County in 2020?
In 2020, the median household income in Saluda County, South Carolina was $43,372. By 2024 it had risen 18% to $51,188.
How strong is the job market in Saluda County, South Carolina?
Unemployment in Saluda County, South Carolina is only 3.2%, well below the South Carolina rate of 4.8%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
What is the Gini coefficient in Saluda County, South Carolina?
The Gini coefficient in Saluda County is 0.541. It measures income inequality on a scale from 0 (everyone earns the same) to 1 (one household earns everything). That is lower than the US average of 0.552, so income is distributed more equally than in the country overall.
How has the income gap between men and women changed in Saluda County, South Carolina?
The income gap between men and women in Saluda County, South Carolina has stayed about the same since 2009, at around 10%. Over that period the gap was widest at 27% in 2017, and was narrowest at 8% in 2023. In dollar terms, the gap has widened by $2,269 since 2009.
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