LamarSC
A town of 862, settled in 1886.
Is Lamar a good place to live?
Lamar has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
862 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Moving to Lamar: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Lamar, 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.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Lamar.
A home in Lamar is worth about $145K, on Zillow’s estimate
In Lamar, the midpoint rent is $953 a month, below both the South Carolina town median ($1,060 a month) and the median of U.S. towns ($1,185 a month). Over the 12 months to September 2026, the typical home gained 8.7% in value. 78% of Lamar households live in a home they own.
| Lamar | South Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 78% | 65% | 73% |
| Median rent | $953 a month | $1,060 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
The schools Lamar’s kids attend
Its two schools are below. Public schools: the Darlington 01 school district. 2 public schools serve Lamar, with 496 students in all.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spaulding MiddleLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 228 | C |
| Lamar HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 268 | A |
NCES · EDFacts
More children than South Carolina overall
Children under 18 are 36% of residents (22% statewide); adults 18 to 34 are 16% of residents (22% statewide). In Lamar, the age of the median resident is 32.7 years, against 38.9 years in South Carolina’s towns and 40.5 years across U.S. towns, and on top of that for residents here, the share who are 65 or older is 14%. Here, a third of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree, against 32% in South Carolina as a whole.
| Lamar | South Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 32.7 years | 38.9 years | 40.5 years |
| Aged 65 or older | 14% | 17% | 18% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 33% | 23% | 29% |
Ages · share of residents
Education · adults 25 and older
Women and men · all residents
60% women, 40% men
About 68 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±7.1 points). Across South Carolina, 51.3% of residents are women. Among residents 25 to 34, 61% are men (SC 49%).
| Lamar | SC | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 14.1% | 11.4% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 21.7% | 10.1% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 7.4% | 9.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 8.3% | 12.8% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 8.6% | 12.5% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 15.6% | 12% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 10% | 13.2% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 9.8% | 11.4% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 4.3% | 7.4% | 7% |
| No diploma | 11.8% | 9.9% | 10.4% |
| High school | 32.2% | 28.2% | 26% |
| Some college | 18.9% | 19.8% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 4.4% | 10% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 19.2% | 19.8% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 13.6% | 12.3% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 900, single groups can be off by several points
With 0.7 jobs for every working resident, most of Lamar’s workers commute out
Lamar’s average trip to work comes in at 29 minutes. Most working residents leave Lamar for work: only 3% work in town. Jobs based here fell to 227 in 2023, 92 fewer than in 2013. In Lamar, 41% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Lamar | South Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 41% | 17% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 29 minutes | 24 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 3.3% | 6.1% | 8% |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
The climate in Lamar brings mild winters and hot summers
July afternoons reach 92°, January nights drop to 34° and snow is almost unheard of.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Crime reported in Lamar
In a town this small, a few incidents move the numbers a lot, so rates aren't shown.
Lamar is small, so we show counts rather than rates.
FBI crime data, 2024 · crimes reported to police
Lamar stands out in South Carolina and nationally, with more of its adults who have obesity
Among adults in Lamar, 29% say their health is fair or poor. This South Carolina town does better than the South Carolina average on 3 of 32 CDC measures and worse on 18. Only 9 of the 170 South Carolina towns we compare have a higher share of adults who had a checkup this year than Lamar.
| Lamar | South Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 15% | 12% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 50% | 40% | 35% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 48% | 37% | 35% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 21% | 14% |
| What stands out | Lamar | SC |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 12.4% | 15.7% |
| More adults getting a yearly checkup | 84.9% | 80.6% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 14.7% | 8.9% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Lamar faces a moderate natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
Federal aid has come to Lamar households in 4 declared disasters; the latest was in 2018. Expected damage from storms and floods is higher here than in 54% of U.S. communities.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Everything we know about Lamar
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Lamar
About 2 of every 100 Lamar residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across South Carolina.
97% of working residents leave Lamar for work
Where Lamar’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Famous people from Lamar
6 notable people were born in Lamar.
About Lamar
Town in South Carolina, United States
Lamar is a town in Darlington County, South Carolina, United States. As of the 2020 census, Lamar had a population of 862. It is part of the Florence, SC Metropolitan Statistical Area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 1.2 sq mi
- Elevation
- 171 ft
- ZIP code
- 29069
- Area code
- 843
Questions about Lamar
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Lamar, SC a good place to live?
Lamar has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
What is Lamar, SC known for?
6 notable people were born here, including Michael Hamlin and B. J. Goodson.