Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
The best of Folly Beach’s subject grades are an A for health, incomes, and schools; the weakest is a D− for hazard risk. 39% of residents are 65 or older in Folly Beach, against 17% in South Carolina’s towns and 18% across U.S. towns. Only 10 of South Carolina’s 261 towns score higher on incomes. Folly Beach is more walkable than 72% of U.S. towns. Only 21 of South Carolina’s 263 towns score higher on the outdoors. Secessionville Historic District and Moving Star Hall is on the National Register of Historic Places. Folly Beach has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Folly Beach beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
| Widest gap | Folly Beach | SC |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 6.3% | 17.4% |
2,617 counted in 2010 and 2,078 in 2020; an estimated 2,081 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within South Carolina), ordered by how far Folly Beach is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 1,137 in 1960, 2,078 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1925 and 3 maps from 1943 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Folly Beach. Close and well known come first.
Big draw9 mi MuseumUSS Yorktown
Big draw13 mi MuseumH. L. Hunley
9 mi MuseumUSS Laffey
8 mi Park & preserveAngel Oak
6 mi LandmarkFort Wagner
7 mi DamThe BatteryUSS Yorktown: David Ratledge, CC BY 4.0 · H. L. Hunley: Sepia wash drawing by R.G. Skerrett, 1902, after a painting then held by the Con, Public domain · USS Laffey: U.S. Navy, Public domain · Angel Oak: Galen Parks Smith, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Fort Wagner: Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain · The Battery: Eagledj, CC BY-SA 4.0
Who provides power, water and the rest in Folly Beach, 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 Folly Beach.
At $1,844 a month, Folly Beach’s median rent is where South Carolina’s towns sit at $1,060 a month and U.S. towns at $1,185 a month. 95% of Folly Beach households own their home. The typical Folly Beach home is worth about $1,074,000, up 4.2% in a year, 4 times the South Carolina typical home.
| Folly Beach | South Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 95% | 65% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,844 a month | $1,060 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Most working residents leave Folly Beach for work: only 13% work in town. 4% of residents live below the poverty line in Folly Beach. Since 2013, Folly Beach has added 728 jobs, to 1,014 in 2023.
| Folly Beach | South Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 4% | 17% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 13% | 6.1% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 27 minutes | 24 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Among 170 South Carolina towns, just 3 have a lower share of adults who report frequent mental distress than Folly Beach. Folly Beach beats the South Carolina average on 22 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 4. Among 170 South Carolina towns, just 7 have a lower share of adults who say their health is fair or poor than Folly Beach.
| Folly Beach | South Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 18% | 17% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 25% | 38% | 36% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 25% | 33% | 33% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 37% | 35% |
| What stands out | Folly Beach | SC |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 6.3% | 17.4% |
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 5.1% | 13.3% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 13.5% | 8.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 95% of U.S. communities. Since 1978, 919 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Folly Beach.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The property crime rate in Folly Beach is 13.4 per 1,000 residents.
| Folly Beach | South Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 13.4 per 1,000 residents | 21.4 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 1.9 per 1,000 residents | 4.1 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Folly Beach has warm winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. Folly Beach’s July high is 90°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
1.1 miles of trail in 3 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Folly Beach County Park, at 51 acres.
| Folly Beach | South Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 7.3% | 1.8% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.1 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Folly Beach County Park | 0.2 mi | 51 |
| 2. Folly River Park | 0.1 mi | 2 |
| 3. Folly Beach Pier | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
5 within 15 miles of the center of Folly Beach
About 2 of every 100 Folly Beach residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across South Carolina.
Coastal flooding makes up 18% of the storm damage FEMA expects here.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA · OpenStreetMap
City in South Carolina, United States
Folly Beach is a public city on Folly Island in Charleston County, South Carolina, United States. As of the 2020 census, Folly Beach had a population of 2,078. Folly Beach is within the Charleston-North Charleston-Summerville metropolitan area and the Charleston-North Charleston Urbanized Areas.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
One town shares a border with Folly Beach.
| Town | SC rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Folly Beach | — | — | C− | C | A | A |
| Charleston | #57 | B− | C− | C− | B+ | A |
Folly Beach has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Compare Folly Beach with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Yes. The typical home is worth about $1,074,000, 253% above the South Carolina typical home and up 4.2% in a year. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C−.
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