Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 2,233, settled in 1880.
The best of Johnston’s subject grades is an A for cost of living; the weakest is a D− for health. 33% of residents live below the poverty line in Johnston, where South Carolina’s towns sit at 17% and U.S. towns at 9.6%. Only 11 of South Carolina’s 263 towns score higher on hazard risk. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 92% of U.S. towns. Johnston's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 94% of U.S. towns. Marsh-Johnson House and Johnston Historic District is on the National Register of Historic Places. Johnston has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Johnston beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
| Widest gap | Johnston | SC |
|---|---|---|
| More adults facing food insecurity | 36.9% | 17.4% |
2,362 counted in 2010 and 1,997 in 2020; an estimated 2,233 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 Johnston is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 463 in 1880, a peak of 2,688 in 1990, 1,997 in 2020. The archive holds 4 old photos and papers going back to 2011 and 2 maps from 1964 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Johnston, 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 Johnston.
34% of Johnston adults say their health is fair or poor, above both South Carolina’s towns (23%) and U.S. towns (19%). 20% of Johnston adults report frequent physical distress. Of the 170 South Carolina towns we compare, none has a higher share of adults who have diabetes than Johnston.
| Johnston | South Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 34% | 23% | 19% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 25% | 15% | 12% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 15% | 14% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 28% | 25% |
| What stands out | Johnston | SC |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 10.9% | 15.7% |
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 84.9% | 80.2% |
| More adults facing food insecurity | 36.9% | 17.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Its public schools are run by the Edgefield 01 school district. Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Johnston ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 276 | D |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within SC on state tests and graduation
The typical Johnston home is worth about $144,000, up 4.1% in a year, 53% below the South Carolina typical home.
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 82% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Most working residents leave Johnston for work: only 3% work in town. Johnston’s median household income is $34,000. Jobs based in Johnston fell to 227 in 2023, 135 fewer than in 2013.
| Johnston | South Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $34,000 | $57,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 29 minutes | 24 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 2.9% | 6.1% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Johnston has mild winters and hot summers. The July high in Johnston is 92°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Johnston's reported crime rate is below South Carolina's. Most reported incidents are property crimes, mainly thefts. 5 violent crimes were reported in 2022.
| Johnston | South Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2022) | 21.6 per 1,000 residents | 29 | 14.1 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2022) | 2.4 per 1,000 residents | 5 | 1.9 |
FBI crime data, 2022 · crimes reported to police
None within 15 miles of Johnston; the nearest are
About 5 of every 100 Johnston residents are enrolled in college, about the same as South Carolina.
Where Johnston’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
4 notable people were born in Johnston.
Town in South Carolina, United States
Johnston is a town in Edgefield County, South Carolina, United States. As of the 2020 census, Johnston had a population of 1,997. It is part of the Augusta, Georgia, metropolitan area. The town's official welcome sign states that it is "Peach Capital of the World".
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.
4 notable people were born here, including Charles Earl Simons, Jr. and Jakar Hamilton.