Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
32% of residents live below the poverty line in Chesnee, above both the South Carolina town median (17%) and the median of U.S. towns (9.6%). Among 170 South Carolina towns, just 2 have a lower January low than Chesnee. Cowpens National Battlefield and Zeno Hicks House is on the National Register of Historic Places. Chesnee has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Where Chesnee beats most towns.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Census counts: 600 in 1920, a peak of 1,280 in 1990, 829 in 2020. The archive holds 18 old photos and papers going back to 1937 and 4 maps from 1959 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Chesnee, 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 Chesnee.
The top destinations are Spartanburg (14%), Southern Shops (3%) and Greenville (3%). Just 5% of Chesnee’s working residents have a job in town. Its typical household income stands at $38,000. Employers in Chesnee added 35 jobs between 2013 and 2023, to 585.
| Chesnee | South Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $38,000 | $57,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 4.9% | 6.1% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Public schools: the Spartanburg 02 school district. The largest public high school is Chesnee High, with 673 students. Its two schools are below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chesnee MiddleLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 569 | B− |
| Chesnee HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 673 | A |
NCES · EDFacts
Federal disaster aid has reached households in Chesnee after 4 declared disasters, most recently in 2024. Expected losses in Chesnee break down as 43% from inland flooding and 18% from cold waves.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
July afternoons reach 90°, January nights drop to 30° and about 1 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
45 crimes were reported in Chesnee in 2025: 42 property and 3 violent. In a town this small, a few incidents move the numbers a lot, so rates aren't shown.
Chesnee is small, so we show counts rather than rates.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Among adults in Chesnee, 29% worry about having enough food. Only 10 of the 170 South Carolina towns we compare have a higher share of adults who report frequent mental distress than Chesnee. 19% of adults in Chesnee report frequent physical distress; 30% say their health is fair or poor.
| Chesnee | South Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 15% | 12% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 15% | 14% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 23% | 19% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 37% | 28% | 25% |
| What stands out | Chesnee | SC |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 25.9% | 13.9% |
| More adults facing food insecurity | 29.4% | 17.4% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 14.9% | 8.9% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
54% of Chesnee households are owner-occupiers. In Chesnee, the typical rent is $839 a month, below both South Carolina’s towns ($1,060 a month) and U.S. towns ($1,185 a month). Over the 12 months to September 2026, the typical home gained 2.8% in value.
| Chesnee | South Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 54% | 65% | 73% |
| Median rent | $839 a month | $1,060 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Chesnee’s concentration of trails is 0.7 miles per square mile. Walkers can cover 0.8 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve. One park or preserve covers 2 acres locally.
| Chesnee | South Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.7 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 0.2% | 1.8% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Cada Park | 0.1 mi | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Chesnee. Close and well known come first.
11 mi LandmarkPeachoid
2 mi National BattlefieldCowpens National Battlefield175K visitors a year
36 mi Stadium & arenaBon Secours Wellness Arena
30 mi State parkChimney Rock State Park
25 mi National Military ParkKings Mountain National Military Park176K visitors a year
34 mi National Historic SiteCarl Sandburg Home National Historic Site95K visitors a yearPeachoid: Carol M. Highsmith, Public domain · Cowpens National Battlefield: Ken Lund from Reno, Nevada, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Bon Secours Wellness Arena: Nicolas Henderson from Coppell, Texas, CC BY 2.0 · Chimney Rock State Park: Jmturner, Public domain · Kings Mountain National Military Park: Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain · Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site: Victoria Stauffenberg, Public domain
9 within 15 miles of the center of Chesnee
About 3 of every 100 Chesnee residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across South Carolina.
Where Chesnee’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
City in South Carolina, United States
Chesnee is a city in Spartanburg and Cherokee counties, in the U.S. state of South Carolina. As of the 2020 census, Chesnee had a population of 829.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Chesnee has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
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