Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 3,059, settled in 1892.
Denmark earns a D, 142nd among South Carolina's 167 graded towns, mostly because of incomes and safety. The median household income is $27K, and 35% of residents live below the poverty line. It reports more crime per resident than 92% of U.S. towns, including 13 violent crimes reported to the FBI in 2025. One bright spot: it is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 71% of U.S. towns. 35% of residents live below the poverty line in Denmark, against 17% in South Carolina’s towns and 9.6% across U.S. towns. Denmark is home to Denmark Technical College. Only 1 of the 111 South Carolina towns we compare have a lower typical home value than Denmark.
Where Denmark beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
| College | Students |
|---|---|
| Denmark Technical College | 504 |
| Voorhees University | 369 |
2 colleges in town.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within South Carolina), ordered by how far Denmark is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 366 in 1890, a peak of 4,434 in 1980, 3,186 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1908 and 3 maps from 1920 on.
3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Denmark, 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 Denmark.
Denmark has homes that are cheap against local pay, but it is a long drive from an emergency room and has poverty well above the South Carolina rate.
At 2 years of the county’s $44K median household income, the typical home (about $91K) costs less against local pay than in 93% of South Carolina towns; that ratio is one input to its B− for cost of living. The typical value, about $91K, is 21% below its July 2024 peak.
The typical Denmark home is worth about $91,000, down 12.9% in a year, 70% below the South Carolina typical home. 45% of Denmark households own their home.
| Denmark | South Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 45% | 65% | 73% |
| Median rent | $806 a month | $1,062 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Its public schools are run by the Bamberg 03 school district. Its two schools are below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Denmark-Olar MiddleLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 144 | – |
| Denmark-Olar HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 181 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within SC on state tests
Reported crimes fell from 126 to 79 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
Denmark’s violent crime rate is 4.3 per 1,000 residents. Denmark reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 92% report less. Denmark’s property crime rate is 21.7 per 1,000 residents.
| Denmark | South Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 4.3 per 1,000 residents | 3.9 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 21.7 per 1,000 residents | 21.1 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
The nearest emergency room, Allendale County Hospital, is 24.9 miles away in a straight line. Against the 351 U.S. towns with household incomes like Denmark’s, it is healthier than 77%, so its D isn’t only a matter of income.
41% of adults feel lonely in Denmark. Denmark beats the South Carolina average on 2 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 18. 28% of adults say their health is fair or poor in Denmark.
| Denmark | South Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 33% | 33% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 36% | 21% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 15% | 12% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 44% | 38% | 36% |
| What stands out | Denmark | SC |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 5.2% | 8.6% |
| Fewer binge drinkers | 11.7% | 15.7% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 29.1% | 13.9% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Jobs based here fell from 1,156 in 2013 to 747. The average commute for its 1,183 working residents takes 17.7 minutes, against 25.6 across South Carolina.
Only 4 of the 168 South Carolina towns we compare have a lower median household income than Denmark. The average trip to work in Denmark is 18 minutes. Jobs based in Denmark fell to 747 in 2023, 409 fewer than in 2013.
| Denmark | South Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 18 minutes | 24 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $27,000 | $57,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 70% of U.S. communities. Since 2000, 2 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Denmark.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Denmark has mild winters and hot summers, with plenty of rain. July afternoons reach 92°, January nights drop to 35° and snow is almost unheard of.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
| Denmark | South Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.2 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 1% | 1.8% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Catherine W. Moore Play Court | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
2 within 15 miles of the center of Denmark
College town 19 of every 100 Denmark residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across South Carolina.
Where Denmark’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
3 places in Denmark on the National Register of Historic Places.
3 notable people were born in Denmark.
City in South Carolina, United States
Denmark is a city in Bamberg County, South Carolina, United States. As of the 2020 census, Denmark had a population of 3,186.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Denmark grades D overall, better than 7% of U.S. towns and #142 of 167 in South Carolina. It grades D for health, D for safety and B for schools. Jobs & income is its weak spot, with a D−.
Within South Carolina, it does better than 43% of towns.
That is 2 years of the area's median household income ($44,370 across the county). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B−.
3 notable people were born here, including Cleveland Sellers and Julius Daniels.
