Buford's Massacre Site · National Register of Historic Places
Buford’s story
Buford in pictures
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Explore the history →BufordSC
A town of 346.
Buford's Massacre Site · Photo: The original uploader was CarolinAL at English Wikipedia. · Public domain
Population
346
Census survey, 2020–24
Median home value
$211K
Census ACS
Household income
$82K
median
Median age
37.1
years
Jobs based here
173
Balanced
Is Buford a good place to live?
Buford’s mean commuting time is 39 minutes, above both the South Carolina town median (24 minutes) and the median of U.S. towns (25 minutes). No town among the 170 in South Carolina we compare has a higher share of households owning their home than Buford. Buford's Massacre Site is on the National Register of Historic Places. Buford has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
346 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Getting set up
Moving to Buford: who provides what
Buford is unincorporated, so Lancaster County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerLynches River Elec Coop16.3¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
Internet4 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesLancaster CountyLancaster 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 hereLancaster Board of Voter RegistrationLancaster County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jan 2024
ZIP code2972029720 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 Buford.
2″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter33–56°
Spring48–73°
Summer67–89°
Fall50–73°
Nov 1
typical first frost
Apr 3
typical last frost
+1.2°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Schools
The schools Buford’s kids attend
Of its 3 schools, two are listed below, each with the reason. Its public schools are run by the Lancaster 01 school district. The largest public high school is Buford High, with 532 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buford ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 792 | B+ |
| Buford HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 532 | B+ |
NCES · EDFacts
Work & commute
Buford sends most of its workers out of town
Among 170 South Carolina towns, just 6 have a lower share of residents below the poverty line than Buford. Just 1% of the town’s working residents have a job in town. Jobs in Buford grew by 146 from 2013 to 2023, reaching 173. The top destinations are Lancaster (14%), Charlotte (13%) and Rock Hill (7%).
1%work in town
| Buford | South Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 2.9% | 17% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 0.6% | 6.1% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Buford1%
Lancaster14%
Charlotte13%
Rock Hill7%
Monroe4%
26 mi
median commute distance
173
jobs based in Buford
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Health
How healthy Buford is
In Buford, 16% of adults report frequent mental distress, where South Carolina’s towns sit at 18% and U.S. towns at 17%. This South Carolina town beats the South Carolina average on 4 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 8. Two figures for adults locally: 17% report frequent physical distress, 30% feel lonely.
| Buford | South Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 15% | 12% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 15% | 14% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 33% | 33% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 40% | 35% |
32 measures vs. South Carolina
4 better20 too close to call8 worse
| What stands out | Buford | SC |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 10.2% | 13.3% |
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 6.9% | 8.9% |
| More adults with heart disease | 9.9% | 6.8% |
MUSC Health Lancaster Medical Center
9.2 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Natural hazards
Buford has a moderate natural-hazard risk, chiefly from inland flooding
Expected losses in Buford break down as 46% from inland flooding and 16% from tornadoes. Compared with 52% of U.S. communities, expected storm and flood damage in the town is higher.
52risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesCold waves
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Buford
16pages on Buford
The big questions
Out and about
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Buford
About 0 of every 100 Buford residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across South Carolina.
About Buford
Census-designated place in South Carolina, United States
Buford is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Lancaster County, South Carolina, United States. It was first listed as a CDP in the 2020 census with a population of 398. It lies at the intersection of South Carolina Highways 9 and 522.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Questions about Buford
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Buford, SC a good place to live?
Buford has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.