Hamer Hall · National Register of Historic Places
Hamer’s story
134 years in pictures
The archive holds 2 maps from 1960 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1892Hamer is settled
HamerSC
A town of 1,042, settled in 1892.
Photo: Adam Moss from Tonawanda, New York, United States · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
1,042
Census survey, 2020–24
Typical home
$151K
+6.5% in a year
Household income
$64K
median
Median age
37.8
years
Jobs based here
175
A commuter town
Is Hamer a good place to live?
Hamer’s weakest subject grade is a D− for walkability. Only 14 of South Carolina’s 263 towns score lower on the outdoors. Hamer Hall is on the National Register of Historic Places. Hamer has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Small town
1,042 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
How Hamer grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within South Carolina), ordered by how far Hamer is from typical.
WalkabilityEPA walkability 3.7 of 20; 4.7% of households have no car; 0% of workers walk, bike or ride transitD−Open →HealthMcleod Medical Center - Dillon 4.3 miles awayD−Open →Hazard riskhurricanes tops the listDOpen →Jobs & income$64K median household income; 175 jobs based hereC−Open →SchoolsBehind 78% of South Carolina districts on tests and graduationC−Open →Cost of livingC+Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
OutdoorsConserved land, trails and parksD−Open →History1 place on the National Register; 1 notable person born hereCOpen →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
Moving to Hamer: who provides what
Hamer is unincorporated, so Dillon County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerDuke Energy14.1¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterTrico Water Company (Sc1720001)No health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet4 providers92% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesDillon CountyDillon County provides services here
Register to voteOnlineIn South Carolina you can register online until 30 days before Election Day, in person until 30 days before Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 30 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereDillon Board of Voter RegistrationDillon County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jan 2024
ZIP codes29547, 2953629547 75% · 29536 25%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 12, 2025.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Hamer.
HealthD−
Residents of Hamer are less healthy than 97% of U.S. towns
In Hamer, 18% of adults have diabetes. The town beats the South Carolina average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 23. Among 170 South Carolina towns, just 9 have a higher share of adults who report frequent mental distress than Hamer.
3%healthier than U.S. townsD−Health Grade
| Hamer | South Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 21% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 15% | 12% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 23% | 19% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 15% | 14% |
32 measures vs. South Carolina
1 better8 too close to call23 worse
| What stands out | Hamer | SC |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 6.9% | 8.6% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 26.9% | 13.9% |
Mcleod Medical Center - Dillon
4.3 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
HousingCost of living grade C+
A home in Hamer is worth about $151K, on Zillow’s estimate
The median rent for Hamer comes to $904 a month. Over the 12 months to September 2026, the typical home gained 6.5% in value. For households in the town, the share who own their home is 67%.
$151KZillow home value
| Hamer | South Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $904 a month | $1,060 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 67% | 65% | 73% |
Typical home value
Hamer$151K
South Carolina$304K
+6.5%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade D
The biggest natural risk in Hamer is hurricanes, at a very high overall level
Hamer’s risk rating from FEMA stands at 82 of 100, against 45 of 100 in South Carolina’s towns and 44 of 100 across U.S. towns. Expected losses in Hamer break down as 54% from hurricanes and 21% from inland flooding. Households in the town have drawn federal disaster aid in 3 declared disasters, most recently in 2018.
82risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
HurricanesInland floodingTornadoes
3
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C−
Most of Hamer’s workers head elsewhere: there are 0.5 jobs for each of them
Among residents in Hamer, 16% live below the poverty line, near the South Carolina town median (17%) and above the median of U.S. towns (9.6%). Just 2% of the town’s working residents have a job in town. For Hamer, the average commute is 19 minutes. The top destinations are Dillon (17%), Florence (8%) and Little Rock (5%).
2%work in town
| Hamer | South Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 19 minutes | 24 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 2.1% | 6.1% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 16% | 17% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Hamer2%
Dillon17%
Florence8%
Little Rock5%
Marion2%
26 mi
median commute distance
175
jobs based in Hamer
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
D−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 2% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
Hamer has mild winters and hot summers
July afternoons reach 92°, January nights drop to 33° and snow is almost unheard of.
92°summer high
Typical low → high °F
Winter35–58°
Spring50–75°
Summer69–90°
Fall52–75°
Nov 8
typical first frost
Mar 28
typical last frost
+1.2°
vs. the 20th-century average
92°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Who lives here
More middle-aged adults than South Carolina overall
29% never finished high school. Among residents in Hamer, 13% are 65 or older. Adults 35 to 64 are 46% of residents (38% statewide); adults 18 to 34 are 15% of residents (22% statewide). Four-year graduates: 22% of adults 25 and older here, 32% across South Carolina.
37.8median age · SC 40.2
| Hamer | South Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aged 65 or older | 13% | 17% | 18% |
| Median age | 37.8 years | 38.9 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 22% | 23% | 29% |
HamerSouth CarolinaUnited States
Ages · share of residents
25%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma29%
High school46%
Some college0%
Associate’s3%
Bachelor’s20%
Graduate3%
Women and men · all residents
Somewhere between 41% and 64% women
The Census survey reached too few of Hamer’s residents to say more: its margin here is ±11.6 points. Across South Carolina, 51.3% of residents are women.
| Hamer | SC | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 15.8% | 11.4% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 10.3% | 10.1% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 3.5% | 9.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 11.7% | 12.8% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 24.8% | 12.5% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 8.5% | 12% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 12.2% | 13.2% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 9.7% | 11.4% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 3.6% | 7.4% | 7% |
| No diploma | 29.2% | 9.9% | 10.4% |
| High school | 45.5% | 28.2% | 26% |
| Some college | 0% | 19.8% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 3% | 10% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 19.8% | 19.8% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 2.6% | 12.3% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 1,000, single groups can be off by several points
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Hamer
16pages on Hamer
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Hamer; the nearest are
University of North Carolina at PembrokeUniversity or college · Public · Pembroke, NC16.4 mi$3,648 in-state tuitionRobeson Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Lumberton, NC22.8 mi$2,581 in-state tuition
About 0 of every 100 Hamer residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across South Carolina.
A commuter town
98% of working residents leave Hamer for work
Where Hamer’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
175jobs based in Hamer
2%of working residents work in town
26 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Hamer
Census-designated place in South Carolina, United States
Hamer is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Dillon County, South Carolina, United States. It was first listed as a CDP in the 2020 census with a population of 820. Hamer is home to Hamer Hall, a residence from 1890 listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is also the location of South of the Border, a famed tourist trap just before the state line with North Carolina; and it is the home of Blenheim Ginger Ale.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Elevation
- 148 ft
- ZIP code
- 29547
Questions about Hamer
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Hamer, SC expensive?
That is 3.2 years of the area's median household income ($46,605 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 C+.