IrwinSC
A town of 1,919.
Is Irwin a good place to live?
Irwin’s best subject grade is an A+ for cost of living; its weakest is a D− for health. 26% of residents live below the poverty line in Irwin, above both South Carolina’s towns (17%) and U.S. towns (9.6%). Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 99% of U.S. towns. On health, just 7 of South Carolina’s 263 towns do worse. On the outdoors, just 4 of South Carolina’s 263 towns do worse. Irwin has 1 place on the National Register. Irwin has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
100% of working residents leave Irwin for work
Where Irwin’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
How Irwin grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within South Carolina), ordered by how far Irwin is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Moving to Irwin: who provides what
Irwin is unincorporated, so Lancaster County and regional agencies provide most services.
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 Irwin.
A larger share of adults in Irwin report frequent physical distress than in the typical South Carolina or U.S. town
20% of adults report frequent physical distress in Irwin, against 15% in South Carolina’s towns and 14% across U.S. towns. 33% of Irwin adults say their health is fair or poor. Among 170 South Carolina towns, just 9 have a higher share of adults who report frequent mental distress than Irwin.
| Irwin | South Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 33% | 23% | 19% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 15% | 12% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 15% | 14% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 28% | 25% |
| What stands out | Irwin | SC |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 29.1% | 13.9% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 17.4% | 8.9% |
| More adults facing food insecurity | 34% | 17.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Irwin stands out in South Carolina and nationally, with fewer of its working residents who work locally
No town among the 170 in South Carolina we compare has a lower share of working residents who work in town than Irwin. Irwin’s average trip to work is 20 minutes. The top destinations are Lancaster (16%), Charlotte (8%) and Rock Hill (8%).
| Irwin | South Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 20 minutes | 24 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 0.4% | 6.1% | 8% |
| Median household income | $56,000 | $57,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Irwin has mild winters and hot summers
Irwin has mild winters and warm summers. The July high in Irwin is 91°F.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Inland flooding leads a moderate hazard risk in Irwin
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 56% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The median home in Irwin sells for about $208K
96% of households own their home in Irwin.
| Irwin | South Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 96% | 65% | 73% |
| Median rent | $818 a month | $1,060 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Everything we know about Irwin
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Irwin
About 4 of every 100 Irwin residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across South Carolina.
About Irwin
Census-designated place in South Carolina, United States
Irwin is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Lancaster County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 1,405 at the 2010 census. Irwin is known for its small mill homes. This was a thriving community in Lancaster County when the Springs Industries was a thriving business from 1950 to 2002.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 3.0 sq mi
- Elevation
- 522 ft
Irwin’s neighbors
One town shares a border with Irwin.
| Town | SC rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Irwin | — | — | A+ | — | B+ | D− |
| Springdale | — | — | A | — | B+ | D− |
Irwin and Springdale have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Irwin and Springdale report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Irwin with a neighbor →
Questions about Irwin
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Irwin, SC expensive?
Not for the area. The typical home is worth about $177,000, 42% below the South Carolina typical home. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A+.