Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Abbeville gives you more for your money than most places: homes are within reach, about $217K for a typical one, or 4.1 years of the Greenwood area’s $53K median household income. It grades C+ overall, 72nd among South Carolina's 167 graded towns. The low prices come with trade-offs. The median household income is $41K, and 27% of residents live below the poverty line, and residents are less healthy than 84% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. On the plus side, its schools rank ahead of 89% of South Carolina towns. History is its standout character grade: an A+, better than 99% of U.S. towns, with 10 places on the National Register. 27% of residents live below the poverty line in Abbeville, above both South Carolina’s towns (17%) and U.S. towns (9.6%). No town in South Carolina scores higher than Abbeville on history. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 74% of U.S. towns.
Where Abbeville beats most towns.
Armistead Burt House| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Long Cane Primary | PK–2 | 368 |
| Wright Middle | 6–8 | 323 |
| Abbeville High | 9–12 | 463 |
Armistead Burt House is a National Historic Landmark, the National Register’s top tier.
Census counts: 1,252 in 1850, a low of 592 in 1860, 4,874 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1865 and 3 maps from 1892 on.
10 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within South Carolina), ordered by how far Abbeville is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Abbeville, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 12, 2025.
Ordered by what stands out in Abbeville.
Abbeville pairs an A for schools with modest home prices, is healthier than towns with similar incomes and trades workers with Greenwood and other neighbors.
That grade comes with an A for cost of living: the typical home is worth about $217K.
Of its 3 schools, two are listed below, each with the reason. Its public schools are run by the Abbeville 60 school district. The largest public high school is Abbeville High, with 463 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Long Cane PrimaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–2 | Grades PK–2 | 368 | – |
| Abbeville HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 463 | A+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within SC on state tests and graduation
Against the 2,543 U.S. towns with household incomes like Abbeville’s, it is healthier than 64%, so that grade isn’t only a matter of income.
26% of adults say their health is fair or poor in Abbeville. On the CDC’s 32 measures, Abbeville is ahead of South Carolina on 2 and behind on 16. Two figures for adults here: 46% have high blood pressure, 12% binge drink.
| Abbeville | South Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 15% | 12% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 46% | 40% | 35% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 15% | 16% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 33% | 28% | 25% |
| What stands out | Abbeville | SC |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 12.2% | 15.7% |
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 82.9% | 80.2% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 19.7% | 13.9% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
In the year to September 2026, typical home values climbed 4%. Among households in Abbeville, 52% live in a home they own.
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 72% of U.S. communities. FEMA puts 31% of Abbeville’s expected hazard losses down to inland flooding, and 22% to cold waves. Households here have drawn federal disaster aid in 2 declared disasters, most recently in 2024.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Within South Carolina, it does better than two thirds of towns. Abbeville’s violent crime rate is 3.9 per 1,000 residents.
| Abbeville | South Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 3.9 per 1,000 residents | 4.3 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 13.3 per 1,000 residents | 21.7 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
In Abbeville, the typical July afternoon high is 91°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Abbeville has about as many jobs (2,133) as working residents, but only 320 people both live and work here.
The top destinations are Greenwood (14%), Columbia (2%) and Anderson (2%). Commuting out is the norm in Abbeville: 16% of working residents work locally. Its mean commuting time comes in at 21 minutes.
| Abbeville | South Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $41,000 | $57,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 16% | 6.1% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 21 minutes | 24 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Abbeville’s density of trails stands at 0.1 miles per square mile. Count the trails in 4 parks and preserves and they come to 0.4 miles.
| Abbeville | South Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.1 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 0.8% | 1.8% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Wilson Hill Park | — | 6 |
| 2. Chestnut Street Park | 0.1 mi | 5 |
| 3. Secession Hill | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
3 within 15 miles of the center of Abbeville
About 3 of every 100 Abbeville residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across South Carolina.
10 places in Abbeville on the National Register of Historic Places.
16 notable people were born in Abbeville.
City in South Carolina, United States
Abbeville is a city and county seat of Abbeville County, in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It is located 86 miles (138 km) west of Columbia and 45 miles (72 km) south of Greenville. As of the 2020 census, Abbeville had a population of 4,874. Settled by French Huguenot settlers, it was named, along with the county, for the French town of the same name.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Abbeville grades C+ overall, better than 42% of U.S. towns and #72 of 167 in South Carolina. It grades C− for health, C for safety and A for schools. Jobs & income is its weak spot, with a D.
Within South Carolina, it does better than 67% of towns.
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A.
16 notable people were born here, including John C. Calhoun and Christie Benet.
