Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 7,233, settled in 1877. Public schools that outperform most of South Carolina.
For most people who can afford it, yes. Blythewood grades B overall, 51st among South Carolina's 167 graded towns. The median household earns $94K. The catch is cost: the typical home is worth about $340K, 5 years of the Columbia metro’s $68K median household income. 46% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Blythewood, above both South Carolina’s towns (23%) and U.S. towns (29%). George P. Hoffman House is on the National Register of Historic Places. Among 169 South Carolina towns, just 10 have a lower share of residents below the poverty line than Blythewood.
Where Blythewood beats most towns.
2,034 counted in 2010 and 4,772 in 2020; an estimated 7,233 in 2025.
Growth hasn’t slowed: 52.3% since 2020, after 134.6% in the decade before.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within South Carolina), ordered by how far Blythewood is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 92 in 1980, 4,772 in 2020. The archive holds 1 old photo or paper going back to 1855 and 4 maps from 1935 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Blythewood, 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 Blythewood.
Blythewood has less tooth loss than most of South Carolina, but it has lost a quarter or more of its jobs in ten years and has property taxes about twice the South Carolina norm.
7.8 miles of trail in 2 parks and preserves. Blythewood’s trail density is 0.7 miles per square mile. The biggest park or preserve is Doko Meadows Park, at 25 acres.
| Blythewood | South Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.7 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 0.4% | 1.8% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Doko Meadows Park | 0.8 mi | 25 |
| 2. Blythewood Park | 0.3 mi | 22 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Its public schools are run by the Richland 02 school district. Its two schools are below. The largest public high school is Blythewood High, with 2,164 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bethel-Hanberry ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 711 | B |
| Blythewood HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 2,164 | A+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within SC on state tests and graduation
Jobs based here fell from 1,549 in 2013 to 1,168. 26.3% of workers work from home, against 11.5% across South Carolina.
Most working residents leave Blythewood for work: only 3% work in town. The average trip to work in Blythewood is 31 minutes. Since 2013, Blythewood has lost 381 jobs, to 1,168 in 2023.
| Blythewood | South Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 31 minutes | 24 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $94,000 | $57,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 2.5% | 6.3% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Its widest gap with South Carolina is tooth loss: 8.8% of those 65+ have lost all their teeth, against 13.9% statewide.
Blythewood beats the South Carolina average on 13 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1. 20% of Blythewood adults get no exercise outside work.
| Blythewood | South Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 28% | 25% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 18% | 17% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 15% | 14% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 38% | 36% |
| What stands out | Blythewood | SC |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 8.8% | 13.9% |
| Fewer uninsured adults | 8.8% | 11.8% |
| More adults sleeping under 7 hours | 40.4% | 35.8% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 73% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Blythewood has mild winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 92°, January nights drop to 34° and snow is almost unheard of.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The median property tax bill is $3,199, against $1,251 across South Carolina, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
82% of households own their home in Blythewood. The typical Blythewood home is worth about $340,000, up 0.8% in a year, 12% above the South Carolina typical home.
| Blythewood | South Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 82% | 65% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,107 a month | $1,058 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Blythewood. Close and well known come first.
16 mi Stadium & arenaWilliams-Brice Stadium8 mi LakeAlcohol and Drug Abuse Lake
27 mi National ParkCongaree National Park288K visitors a year
22 mi LakeLake Murray
15 mi Stadium & arenaColonial Life Arena
15 mi Zoo & aquariumRiverbanks ZooWilliams-Brice Stadium: SRA MARVIN PRESTON, Public domain · Congaree National Park: Unknown, Public domain · Lake Murray: Greygh0st at English Wikipedia, Public domain · Colonial Life Arena: Dfscgt21, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Riverbanks Zoo: Carlo Giovannetti (Thief12), CC BY-SA 3.0
6 within 15 miles of the center of Blythewood
About 4 of every 100 Blythewood residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across South Carolina.
Where Blythewood’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
7 notable people were born in Blythewood.
Town in South Carolina, United States
Blythewood is a town in Richland and Fairfield counties, South Carolina, United States; and a suburb of Columbia. As of the 2020 United States census, the population of the town was 4,772.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
For most people who can afford it, yes. Blythewood grades B overall, better than 55% of U.S. towns and #51 of 167 in South Carolina. It grades B+ for health and B+ for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a D.
Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades D.
7 notable people were born here, including Elizabeth Hawley Gasque and Amaré Barno.
