Bethune Water Tower, 2012
Bethune’s story
126 years in pictures
Census counts: 317 in 1910, a peak of 639 in 1950, 315 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2004 and 2 maps from 1970 on.
- 1900Bethune is settled
BethuneSC
A town of 339, settled in 1900.
Photo: Evanoco · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
339
2025 Census estimate · +9.4% since 2020
Typical home
$168K
+1.4% in a year
Household income
$44K
median
Median age
41.7
years
Jobs based here
64
A commuter town
Is Bethune a good place to live?
34% of residents live below the poverty line in Bethune, above both the South Carolina town median (17%) and the median of U.S. towns (9.6%). Only 6 of the 170 South Carolina towns we compare have a lower share of working residents who work in town than Bethune. Bethune’s trail density is 0.9 miles per square mile, above both South Carolina’s towns (0.3) and U.S. towns (0.4). Bethune has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
339 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Bethune: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Bethune, and how to reach them.
PowerLynches River Elec Coop16.3¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterBethune Town of (Sc2810002) water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet2 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Bethune’s trash rules yet
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 hereKershaw Board of Voter RegistrationKershaw County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jan 2024
ZIP code2900929009 100%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 Bethune.
Housing
Homes in Bethune are worth about $168K, by Zillow’s estimate
The typical Bethune home is worth about $168,000, up 1.4% in a year, 45% below the South Carolina typical home.
$168KZillow home value
Typical home value
Bethune$168K
South Carolina$304K
+1.4%
value change, 1 year
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Work & commute
Bethune has 0.5 jobs for every working resident, so most commute out
Most working residents leave Bethune for work: only 1% work in town. Since 2013, Bethune has added 22 jobs, to 64 in 2023. Bethune’s average trip to work is 29 minutes.
1%work in town
Where working residents work
In Bethune1%
Camden8%
Columbia8%
Lugoff7%
Hartsville5%
36 mi
median commute distance
64
jobs based in Bethune
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazards
Low risk in Bethune, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 73% of U.S. communities.
27risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingHurricanesEarthquakes
3
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
Bethune has mild winters and hot summers
Bethune has mild winters and warm summers. The July high in Bethune is 91°F.
91°summer high
Typical low → high °F
Winter34–58°
Spring49–75°
Summer68–90°
Fall51–75°
Nov 4
typical first frost
Mar 29
typical last frost
+1.1°
vs. the 20th-century average
91°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
How healthy Bethune is
Bethune beats the South Carolina average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 15. 18% of adults have diabetes in Bethune.
| Bethune | South Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 15% | 12% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 15% | 14% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 45% | 40% | 35% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 33% | 28% | 25% |
32 measures vs. South Carolina
1 better16 too close to call15 worse
| What stands out | Bethune | SC |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 83.3% | 80.2% |
| More adults with COPD | 11.9% | 7.5% |
Carolina Pines Regional Medical Center
14.7 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Outdoors
Bethune has set aside 2.4% of its land for conservation
1.0 miles of trail in 0 parks and preserves.
2.4%conserved
2.4%
conserved · 17 of 706 acres
1.0 mi
of trails · 0.9 per sq mi
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Bethune
17pages on Bethune
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Bethune; the nearest are
Coker UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Hartsville16.1 mi$33,416 tuitionNortheastern Technical CollegeCommunity college · Public · Cheraw30.5 mi$5,664 in-state tuitionFrancis Marion UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Florence42.6 mi$11,160 in-state tuition
About 6 of every 100 Bethune residents are enrolled in college, about the same as South Carolina.
A commuter town
99% of working residents leave Bethune for work
Where Bethune’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
64jobs based in Bethune
1%of working residents work in town
36 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Bethune
Town in South Carolina, United States
Bethune is a small town in Kershaw County, South Carolina, United States. As of the 2020 census, Bethune had a population of 315. It is part of the Columbia, South Carolina Metropolitan Statistical Area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 1.1 sq mi
- Elevation
- 289 ft
- ZIP code
- 29009
- Area code
- 843
Questions about Bethune
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Bethune, SC a good place to live?
Bethune has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.