Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Dillon earns a D−, 158th among South Carolina's 167 graded towns, mostly because of safety and health. It reports more crime per resident than 100% of U.S. towns, including 104 violent crimes reported to the FBI in 2025. CDC estimates put its residents' health behind 98% of the country. In its favor, homes are within reach, about $139K for a typical one, or 3 years of the county’s $47K median household income. 33% of residents live below the poverty line in Dillon, against 17% in South Carolina’s towns and 9.6% across U.S. towns. Dillon has 4 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Dillon County Courthouse and James W. Dillon House. Dillon's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 89% of U.S. towns.
Where Dillon beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
James W. Dillon HouseEach subject compared with towns across the country (schools within South Carolina), ordered by how far Dillon is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 82 in 1890, 6,384 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1908 and 2 maps from 1960 on.
4 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Dillon, 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 Dillon.
Dillon trades lower home prices for longer drives to work, but it reports violent crime at 4 times the South Carolina rate and carries more natural-hazard risk than most of South Carolina (mostly hurricanes).
Violent crime runs at 16.8 per 1,000 residents, 4 times the South Carolina rate; the Safety Grade counts each violent crime four times, so this weighs most on its D−. Property crime runs at 57 per 1,000 residents, 3 times the South Carolina rate, most of it theft.
The violent crime rate in Dillon is 16.8 per 1,000 residents. Dillon reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 100% report less. The property crime rate in Dillon is 57 per 1,000 residents.
| Dillon | South Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 16.8 per 1,000 residents | 3.9 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 57 per 1,000 residents | 21.1 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Its public schools are run by the Dillon 04 school district.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dillon MiddleLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 624 | D |
| Dillon HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 804 | B− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within SC on state tests and graduation
21% of adults have diabetes in Dillon. Dillon beats the South Carolina average on 2 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 24. 49% of adults have high blood pressure in Dillon.
| Dillon | South Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 15% | 12% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 49% | 40% | 35% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 36% | 21% | 14% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 15% | 14% |
| What stands out | Dillon | SC |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 12.1% | 15.7% |
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 7.7% | 8.6% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 19.6% | 8.9% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Homes are within reach (about $139K for the typical one, A− for cost of living), but half of working residents commute more than 24 miles. The typical value, about $139K, is 25% below its January 2022 peak.
Dillon’s median rent is $630 a month. The typical Dillon home is worth about $139,000, up 2.1% in a year, 54% below the South Carolina typical home.
| Dillon | South Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 54% | 65% | 73% |
| Median rent | $630 a month | $1,062 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 73% of South Carolina towns, with expected losses of about $641 per resident a year; that rating is what its D for hazard risk is built on.
Since 2016, 18 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Dillon.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Dillon has mild winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. July afternoons reach 92°, January nights drop to 34° and snow is almost unheard of.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
| Dillon | South Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 4.2% | 1.7% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.3 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Michael S. Lecholop | — | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
About one in 5 of Dillon’s working residents works in town. Jobs based in Dillon fell to 3,400 in 2023, 781 fewer than in 2013. The top destinations are Florence (8%), Little Rock (5%) and Columbia (2%).
| Dillon | South Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 20% | 6.1% | 8% |
| Median household income | $36,000 | $57,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 28 minutes | 24 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
None within 15 miles of Dillon; the nearest are
About 1 of every 100 Dillon residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across South Carolina.
4 places in Dillon on the National Register of Historic Places.
17 notable people were born in Dillon.
City in South Carolina, United States
Dillon is the county seat of and the largest city in Dillon County in eastern South Carolina, United States. It was established on December 22, 1888. Both the name of the city and county comes from James W. Dillon, an early settler and key figure in bringing a railroad through the area. As of the 2020 census, Dillon had a population of 6,384.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
One town shares a border with Dillon.
Newtown isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Dillon with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Dillon grades D− overall, in the bottom 2% of U.S. towns and #158 of 167 in South Carolina. It grades D− for health, D− for safety and C− for schools. Safety is its weak spot, with a D−.
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−.
17 notable people were born here, including Quanera Hayes and Jimmy Hamilton.
