Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Anderson's police reported 179 violent crimes reported to the FBI in 2025, a higher rate per resident than 97% of U.S. towns. Overall it grades C−, ranked 121st of 167 in South Carolina. It is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 78% of U.S. towns. Its weakest subject is incomes: the median household income is $47K, and 21% of residents live below the poverty line. Anderson’s property crime rate is 41.2 per 1,000 residents, against 21.1 in South Carolina’s towns and 9.9 across U.S. towns. Its National Register listings include Anderson Downtown Historic District (Boundary Increase) and Ralph John Ramer House.
Where Anderson beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Caldwell-Johnson-Morris Cottage
Census counts: 625 in 1860, a peak of 41,316 in 1960, 28,106 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1907 and a map from 1954 on.
11 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within South Carolina), ordered by how far Anderson is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Anderson, 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 Anderson.
Anderson draws workers from Centerville and beyond and is healthier than towns with similar incomes, but it reports property crime at about twice the South Carolina rate.
Property crime runs at 41.2 per 1,000 residents, about twice the South Carolina rate, most of it theft. Reported crimes fell from 1,783 to 1,469 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
The violent crime rate in Anderson is 5.7 per 1,000 residents. Anderson reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 97% report less. Within South Carolina, it does better than 27% of towns.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Its public schools are run by the Anderson 05 school district. Three of its 12 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Concord ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 615 | A |
| South Carolina Preparatory Leadership SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 6–12 | Grades 6–12 | 1,005 | – |
| Southwood Academy for the ArtsTop results in townGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 409 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within SC on state tests and graduation
20,978 jobs are based in Anderson, 1.7 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in.
About one in 5 of Anderson’s working residents works in town. Anderson’s average trip to work is 22 minutes. The top destinations are Greenville (9%), Clemson (2%) and Columbia (2%).
| Anderson | South Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 22% | 6.1% | 8% |
| Median household income | $47,000 | $57,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 5.8% | 8.8% | 11% |
| Average trip to work | 22 minutes | 24 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
8.9 miles of trail in 10 parks and preserves. Anderson Sports & Entertainment Complex, at 124 acres with 6 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve.
| Anderson | South Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.5 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 4.1% | 1.7% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Anderson Sports & Entertainment Complex | 6 mi | 124 |
| 2. Anderson Recreation Complex | 0.6 mi | 22 |
| 3. Linley Park | — | 13 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Against the 4,635 U.S. towns with household incomes like Anderson’s, it is healthier than 67%, so its C isn’t only a matter of income.
Anderson beats the South Carolina average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 15. 36% of Anderson adults feel lonely.
| Anderson | South Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 36% | 33% | 33% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 15% | 16% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 23% | 23% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 21% | 14% |
| What stands out | Anderson | SC |
|---|---|---|
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 12% | 8.9% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 18.5% | 13.9% |
| More adults facing food insecurity | 22.8% | 17.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Only 51.1% of households own their home, against 71.9% across South Carolina.
Adults 18 to 34 are 31% of residents (22% statewide); adults 35 to 64 are 30% of residents (38% statewide). Anderson has grown 6.3% since 2020, to 31,323 residents in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. 28% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 32% across South Carolina.
| Anderson | South Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 32.7 years | 38.9 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 28% | 23% | 29% |
54% women, 46% men
About 84 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±1.8 points). Across South Carolina, 51.3% of residents are women. Among residents 75 and older, 74% are women (SC 57%).
| Anderson | SC | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 12.6% | 11.4% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 8.9% | 10.1% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 14.5% | 9.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 16.5% | 12.8% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 10.2% | 12.5% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 9% | 12% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 11.2% | 13.2% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 9.1% | 11.4% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 8% | 7.4% | 7% |
| No diploma | 11.7% | 9.9% | 10.4% |
| High school | 27.5% | 28.2% | 26% |
| Some college | 21.8% | 19.8% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 10.7% | 10% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 17.6% | 19.8% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 10.7% | 12.3% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Anderson has mild winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. July afternoons reach 90°, January nights drop to 33° and snow is almost unheard of.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The typical Anderson home is worth about $270,000, up 0.9% in a year, 11% below the South Carolina typical home. 51% of households own their home in Anderson.
| Anderson | South Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 51% | 65% | 73% |
| Median rent | $975 a month | $1,062 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 58% of U.S. communities. Since 1998, 10 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Anderson.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Anderson. Close and well known come first.
16 mi Stadium & arenaMemorial Stadium, Clemson
12 mi LakeLake Hartwell
24 mi LakeLake Keowee
34 mi LakeLake Jocassee
27 mi Stadium & arenaBon Secours Wellness Arena
36 mi State parkTable Rock State ParkMemorial Stadium, Clemson: Caseyh at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Lake Hartwell: blahedo, CC BY-SA 2.5 · Lake Keowee: Inundated_38Oc1.jpg: Matthew T. Bradley from Berkshire County, Mass., USA deriva, CC BY 2.0 · Lake Jocassee: Clemson3564, Public domain · Bon Secours Wellness Arena: Nicolas Henderson from Coppell, Texas, CC BY 2.0 · Table Rock State Park: Clemson3564, CC BY 3.0
2 within 15 miles of the center of Anderson
About 10 of every 100 Anderson residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across South Carolina.
11 places in Anderson on the National Register of Historic Places.
39 notable people were born in Anderson.
City in South Carolina, United States
Anderson is a city in and the county seat of Anderson County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 28,106 at the 2020 census, making it the 16th-most populous city in South Carolina. It is one of the principal cities in the Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had an estimated population of 975,480 in 2023. It is included in the larger Greenville-Spartanburg-Anderson, SC Combined Statistical Area, which had an estimated population of 1,590,636 in 2023. It is just off Interstate 85 and is 120 miles (190 km) from Atlanta and 140 miles (230 km) from Charlotte. Anderson is the smallest of the three primary cities that make up the Upstate region, and is…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
One town shares a border with Anderson.
Northlake reports no FBI crime data of its own. Compare Anderson with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Anderson grades C− overall, better than 18% of U.S. towns and #121 of 167 in South Carolina. It grades C for health, D− for safety and B+ for schools. Safety is its weak spot, with a D−.
Within South Carolina, it does better than 27% of towns.
That is 3.8 years of the area's median household income ($71,240 across the Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC metro area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B.
39 notable people were born here, including Chadwick Boseman and Larry Nance.
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