Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
The best of Great Falls’ subject grades is an A for cost of living; the weakest is a D− for health. 31% of residents live below the poverty line in Great Falls, above both the South Carolina town median (17%) and the median of U.S. towns (9.6%). Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 92% of U.S. towns. On cost of living, just 20 of South Carolina’s 261 towns do better. Great Falls has 3 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Catholic Presbyterian Church and Liberty Hill Historic District. Great Falls's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 86% of U.S. towns. Great Falls has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Great Falls beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within South Carolina), ordered by how far Great Falls is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 3,533 in 1950, 1,951 in 2020. The archive holds 4 old photos and papers and 2 maps from 1969 on.
3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Great Falls, 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 Great Falls.
Great Falls beats the South Carolina average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 20. 22% of Great Falls adults smoke cigarettes, against 15% in South Carolina’s towns and 14% across U.S. towns. 30% of adults worry about having enough food in Great Falls.
| Great Falls | South Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 15% | 14% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 21% | 14% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 15% | 14% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 36% | 28% | 25% |
| What stands out | Great Falls | SC |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 30.7% | 13.9% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 15.7% | 8.9% |
| More adults facing food insecurity | 30.2% | 17.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Its public schools are run by the Chester 01 school district. Its two schools are below. The largest public high school is Great Falls High, with 375 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Great Falls ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 335 | C |
| Great Falls HighLargest public high schoolGrades 6–12 | Grades 6–12 | 375 | C |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within SC on state tests and graduation
The typical Great Falls home is worth about $142,000, down 2.3% in a year, 53% below the South Carolina typical home. 82% of Great Falls households own their home.
| Great Falls | South Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 82% | 65% | 73% |
| Median rent | $867 a month | $1,060 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Great Falls has mild winters and warm summers. The July high in Great Falls is 92°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Most working residents leave Great Falls for work: only 4% work in town. Great Falls’ average trip to work is 34 minutes. Only 6 of the 169 South Carolina towns we compare have a lower median household income than Great Falls.
| Great Falls | South Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 34 minutes | 24 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $30,000 | $57,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 4.2% | 6.1% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 63% of U.S. communities. One flood insurance claim has been paid in Great Falls since 1989.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Great Falls's reported crime rate is close to South Carolina's. 19 violent crimes were reported in 2023.
| Great Falls | South Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2023) | 10 per 1,000 residents | 4.7 | 1.8 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2023) | 18.4 per 1,000 residents | 31.2 | 13.1 |
FBI crime data, 2023 · crimes reported to police
1 within 15 miles of the center of Great Falls
About 4 of every 100 Great Falls residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across South Carolina.
3 places in Great Falls on the National Register of Historic Places.
Town in South Carolina, United States
Great Falls is a town in southeastern Chester County, South Carolina, United States and is located fourteen miles southwest of Lancaster, South Carolina. The population was 1,951 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
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.
2 notable people were born here, including Edmund Barry Gaither and Cal Cooper.
