Catawba Rosenwald School · National Register of Historic Places
Catawba’s story
171 years in pictures
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1855Catawba is settled
CatawbaSC
A town of 1,071, settled in 1855.
Catawba Rosenwald School · Photo: Charlesbackroads · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
1,071
Census survey, 2020–24
Typical home
$322K
−2.2% in a year
Household income
$60K
median
Median age
35.6
years
Jobs based here
511
Balanced
Is Catawba a good place to live?
Catawba’s best subject grade is an A− for cost of living; its weakest is a D− for walkability. Landsford Canal and Waxhaw Presbyterian Church Cemetery is on the National Register of Historic Places. Catawba has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Catawba stand out
Where Catawba beats most towns.
Small town
1,071 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
How Catawba grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within South Carolina), ordered by how far Catawba is from typical.
WalkabilityEPA walkability 3.7 of 20; 0% of households have no car; 0% of workers walk, bike or ride transitD−Open →Cost of livingA−Open →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 35% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listBOpen →Jobs & income$60K median household incomeB−Open →HealthMUSC Health Lancaster Medical Center 10.6 miles awayB−Open →SchoolsBeat 51% of South Carolina districts on tests and graduationB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors3 miles of trailsDOpen →History1 place on the National Register; 1 notable person born hereC−Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
Climate–Open →Housing market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 35.6; 18% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
Moving to Catawba: who provides what
Catawba is unincorporated, so York County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerYork Electric Coop13.7¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterRock Hill City of (Sc4610002) water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet3 providers99% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesYork CountyYork 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 hereYork Board of Voter RegistrationYork County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jan 2024
ZIP codes29704, 2973029704 96% · 29730 4%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 Catawba.
Climate
Catawba has mild winters and hot summers
In Catawba, the peak summer temperature is 91°F, against 91°F in South Carolina’s towns and 85°F across U.S. towns.
3″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter33–56°
Spring48–73°
Summer67–89°
Fall50–74°
Nov 5
typical first frost
Mar 27
typical last frost
+0.9°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B
Low risk in Catawba, with inland flooding at the top
Federal disaster aid has reached households in Catawba once, in 2024. On expected storm and flood damage, Catawba sits below 65% of U.S. communities. FEMA puts 52% of the town’s expected hazard losses down to inland flooding, and 25% to tornadoes. Also worth knowing: the town has had 6 paid flood insurance claims since 2010.
35risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesStrong wind
6
paid flood claims since 2010
1
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B−
Catawba has 0.9 jobs per working resident, so most workers leave town for work
For most workers, Catawba is a place to come home to: only 2% work in town. In Catawba, the average commute is 32 minutes, where South Carolina’s towns sit at 24 minutes and U.S. towns at 25 minutes. Between 2013 and 2023, jobs in Catawba dropped by 418, to 511. Just over a tenth of Catawba residents live below the poverty line.
2%work in town
| Catawba | South Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 32 minutes | 24 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 1.7% | 6.1% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 12% | 17% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $60,000 | $57,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Catawba2%
Rock Hill29%
Charlotte19%
Columbia3%
Fort Mill2%
16 mi
median commute distance
511
jobs based in Catawba
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
D−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 2% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
HousingCost of living grade A−
A typical Catawba home is worth about $322K
Home values are down 2.2% over the year to September 2026. Among households in Catawba, 63% are owner-occupiers.
$322KZillow home value
Typical home value
Catawba$322K
South Carolina$304K
−2.2%
value change, 1 year
1
homes sold in March
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
HealthB−
Residents of Catawba are less healthy than 53% of U.S. towns
For adults in Catawba, the share who have diabetes is 13%. In Catawba, 30% of adults feel lonely.
47%healthier than U.S. townsB−Health Grade
| Catawba | South Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 33% | 33% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 34% | 38% | 36% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 15% | 12% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 21% | 14% |
32 measures vs. South Carolina
2 better30 too close to call0 worse
| What stands out | Catawba | SC |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 7.3% | 8.9% |
| Fewer adults without reliable transportation | 7.3% | 8.6% |
MUSC Health Lancaster Medical Center
10.6 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: primary care
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
OutdoorsD
0% of Catawba is conserved land
2.8 miles of trail. The density of trails in Catawba is 0.3 miles per square mile.
0%conserved
0%
conserved · 0 of 6,600 acres
2.8 mi
of trails · 0.3 per sq mi
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Nearby attractions
All 28 attractions →Carowinds and 16 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Catawba. Close and well known come first.
18 mi Theme parkCarowinds
Big draw27 mi Stadium & arenaBank of America Stadium26 mi MuseumSullenberger Aviation Museum70K visitors a year
26 mi Stadium & arenaBojangles Coliseum26 mi TheatreOvens Auditorium
24 mi MuseumBilly Graham LibrarySources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Carowinds: Pi.1415926535, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Bank of America Stadium: HangingCurve, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Bojangles Coliseum: James Willamor, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Billy Graham Library: Billy Hathorn, CC BY 3.0
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Catawba
18pages on Catawba
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
4 within 15 miles of the center of Catawba
York Technical CollegeCommunity college · Public · Rock Hill8.5 mi$8,036 in-state tuitionUniversity of South Carolina-LancasterCommunity college · Public · Lancaster9.6 mi$7,558 in-state tuitionWinthrop UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Rock Hill10.3 mi$14,678 in-state tuition
About 2 of every 100 Catawba residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across South Carolina.
About Catawba
Census-designated place in South Carolina, United States
Catawba ( kə-TAW-bə) is an unincorporated community in York County, South Carolina, United States, southeast of the city of Rock Hill. The community, Catawba, was once referred to as Catawba Ridge, but this name recently became unpopular. Only tribal elders from the Catawba Indian Reservation now refer to the community as Catawba Ridge.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Elevation
- 558 ft
- ZIP code
- 29704
Questions about Catawba
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Catawba, SC expensive?
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A−.