Arcadia Mill No. 2 · National Register of Historic Places
Arcadia’s story
124 years in pictures
The archive holds 3 maps from 1949 on.
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1902Arcadia is founded
ArcadiaSC
A town of 3,426, founded in 1902.
3 bordering townsMap →
Arcadia Mill No. 2 · Photo: Bill Fitzpatrick · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
3,426
Census survey, 2020–24
Median home value
$117K
Census ACS
Household income
$55K
median
Median age
29.4
years
Jobs based here
980
A commuter town
TownGrade
C−
#112 of 167 in SC
Is Arcadia a good place to live?
0% of its land is conserved. Overall it grades C−, 112th of 167 graded towns in South Carolina. Natural-hazard risk is low. Its weakest subject is health: CDC estimates put its residents' health behind 80% of the country. 29% of households own their home in Arcadia, where South Carolina’s towns sit at 65% and U.S. towns at 73%.
What makes Arcadia stand out
Where Arcadia beats most towns.
A growing town
Arcadia has grown 23% from 2010 to 2020
2,634 counted in 2010 and 3,246 in 2020.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts
How Arcadia grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within South Carolina), ordered by how far Arcadia is from typical.
Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listAOpen →HealthPrisma Health Greer Memorial Hospital 2.8 miles awayC−Open →Jobs & income$55K median household incomeC−Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 7.8 of 20; 8.8% of households have no car; 0.8% of workers walk, bike or ride transitC+Open →SchoolsB−Open →Cost of livingTypical home $117K, 1.8 years of the Spartanburg metro’s $64K median household incomeB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
ClimateMild winters, 89° summer afternoons–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 29.4; 19% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
Moving to Arcadia: who provides what
Arcadia is unincorporated, so Spartanburg County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerDuke Energy13.5¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterSpartanburg Water System (Sc4210001)No health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet4 providers93% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesSpartanburg CountySpartanburg County provides services here
Register to voteOnlineIn South Carolina you can register online until 30 days before Election Day, in person until 30 days before Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 30 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereSpartanburg Board of Voter RegistrationSpartanburg County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jan 2024
ZIP codes29301, 2932029301 72% · 29320 28%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 12, 2025.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Arcadia.
Arcadia carries less natural-hazard risk than nearly all of South Carolina (mostly inland flooding), is healthier than towns with similar incomes and has homes that are cheap against local pay.
SchoolsB−
Arcadia’s public schools outperform 53% of South Carolina districts
Its public schools are run by the Spartanburg 06 school district. Its one school is below.
53%of SC districts it outscoresB−School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arcadia ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–5 | Grades K–5 | 400 | D |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within SC on state tests and graduation
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade A
Very low risk in Arcadia, with inland flooding at the top
FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk lower than 96% of South Carolina towns; that rating is what its A for hazard risk is built on.
The FEMA risk score in Arcadia is 15 of 100.
15risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingEarthquakesTornadoes
1
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
HealthC−
A smaller share of adults had a checkup this year in Arcadia than in most of South Carolina or the rest of the country
Against the 7,478 U.S. towns with household incomes like Arcadia’s, it is less healthy than 62%, so its C− isn’t only a matter of income.
75% of adults had a checkup this year in Arcadia. Only 7 of the 169 South Carolina towns we compare have a higher share of adults 18 to 64 who have no health insurance than Arcadia. 28% of adults worry about having enough food in Arcadia.
20%healthier than U.S. townsC−Health Grade
| Arcadia | South Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 13% | 8.1% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 21% | 14% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 38% | 33% | 33% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 75% | 80% | 79% |
32 measures vs. South Carolina
5 better9 too close to call18 worse
| What stands out | Arcadia | SC |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 5.2% | 8.6% |
| Fewer adults with arthritis | 22.5% | 28.5% |
| More uninsured adults | 22.5% | 11.8% |
Prisma Health Greer Memorial Hospital
2.8 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
36th
percentile among SC towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C−
Most of Arcadia’s workers commute out: the town has 0.7 jobs for each of them
Most working residents leave Arcadia for work: only 1% work in town. 21% of Arcadia residents live below the poverty line. Since 2013, Arcadia has added 196 jobs, to 980 in 2023.
1%work in town
| Arcadia | South Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 21% | 17% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 21 minutes | 24 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 1.2% | 6.3% | 8% |
| Median household income | $55,000 | $57,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Arcadia1%
Spartanburg14%
Greenville7%
Southern Shops4%
Fairforest3%
7 mi
median commute distance
980
jobs based in Arcadia
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
C+
Walkability grade: more walkable than 44% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
Mild winters and hot summers in Arcadia
The Spartanburg 3 Sse weather station, 6 miles away, records that the frost-free season runs about 206 days: longer than most of the country, but shorter than 92% of South Carolina places with climate records. July afternoons average 89.4°: hotter than most of the country, but cooler than 88% of South Carolina places with climate records; January nights average 31.5°.
Arcadia has mild winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. Arcadia’s January low is 32°F. Snow is almost unheard of.
89°summer high
| Arcadia | South Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| January low | 32°F | 34°F | 22°F |
| July high | 89°F | 91°F | 85°F |
Typical low → high °F
Winter33–54°
Spring48–72°
Summer67–88°
Fall50–72°
Nov 1
typical first frost
Apr 8
typical last frost
+1.0°
vs. the 20th-century average
89°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
HousingCost of living grade B−
A home in Arcadia sells for about $238K at the median
At 1.8 years of the Spartanburg metro’s $64K median household income, the typical home costs less against local pay than in 95% of South Carolina towns; that ratio is one input to its B− for cost of living.
$238Kmedian sale price
3
homes sold in May
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Nearby attractions
All 40 attractions →Peachoid and 17 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Arcadia. Close and well known come first.
20 mi LandmarkPeachoid
24 mi Stadium & arenaBon Secours Wellness Arena
15 mi National BattlefieldCowpens National Battlefield175K visitors a year
36 mi State parkChimney Rock State Park
33 mi National Historic SiteCarl Sandburg Home National Historic Site95K visitors a year
38 mi Park & preserveDuPont State ForestSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Peachoid: Carol M. Highsmith, Public domain · Bon Secours Wellness Arena: Nicolas Henderson from Coppell, Texas, CC BY 2.0 · Cowpens National Battlefield: Ken Lund from Reno, Nevada, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Chimney Rock State Park: Jmturner, Public domain · Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site: Victoria Stauffenberg, Public domain · DuPont State Forest: Ccalvin, CC BY-SA 3.0
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Arcadia
16pages on Arcadia
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
6 within 15 miles of the center of Arcadia
Spartanburg Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Spartanburg1 mi$5,071 in-state tuitionSpartanburg Methodist CollegeCommunity college · Private nonprofit · Spartanburg1.3 mi$20,650 tuitionUniversity of South Carolina-UpstateUniversity or college · Public · Spartanburg2.8 mi$11,588 in-state tuition
About 3 of every 100 Arcadia residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across South Carolina.
A commuter town
99% of working residents leave Arcadia for work
Where Arcadia’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
980jobs based in Arcadia
1%of working residents work in town
7 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
Landmarks
2 places in Arcadia on the National Register of Historic Places.
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About Arcadia
CDP in South Carolina, United States
Arcadia is a Census-designated place located in Spartanburg County in the U.S. State of South Carolina. According to the 2010 United States census, the population was 2,634.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 2.0 sq mi
- ZIP code
- 29320
Arcadia’s neighbors
3 towns share a border with Arcadia.
SaxonFairforestSouthern ShopsArcadia
How the neighbors grade
| Town | SC rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arcadia | #112 | C− | B− | — | B− | C− |
| Saxon | #102 | C | B+ | — | B− | D− |
| Fairforest | — | — | C+ | — | B− | C |
| Southern Shops | #111 | C− | B | — | A− | D− |
Fairforest has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Arcadia, Saxon, Fairforest and Southern Shops report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Arcadia with a neighbor →
Questions about Arcadia
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Arcadia, SC a good place to live?
Arcadia grades C− overall, better than 23% of U.S. towns and #112 of 167 in South Carolina. It grades C− for health and B− for schools. Health is its weak spot, with a C−.
Is Arcadia, SC expensive?
The typical home is worth about $117,000, 62% below the South Carolina typical home. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B−.