Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 9,786, settled in 1900.
Lugoff gives you more for your money than most places: homes are within reach, about $268K for a typical one, or 3.9 years of the Columbia metro’s $68K median household income. It grades B+ overall, ranked 25th of 167 in South Carolina. Only 25 of South Carolina’s 263 towns score lower on history. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 84% of U.S. towns. Only 10 of the 169 South Carolina towns we compare have a higher owner-occupancy rate than Lugoff.
Where Lugoff beats most towns.
7,434 counted in 2010 and 9,990 in 2020.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within South Carolina), ordered by how far Lugoff is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2022 and 2 maps from 1938 on.
Lugoff is unincorporated, so Kershaw 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.
Ordered by what stands out in Lugoff.
Lugoff trades lower home prices for longer drives to work and is healthier than towns with similar incomes.
Lugoff’s trail density is 0.6 miles per square mile. In 1 park or preserve, walkers have 14 miles of trail. One park or preserve covers 9 acres here.
| Lugoff | South Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.6 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 0.8% | 1.8% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. West Wateree Park | 0.1 mi | 9 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
The largest public high school is Lugoff-Elgin High, with 1,759 students. Public schools: the Kershaw 01 school district. Of its 4 schools, two are listed below, each with the reason.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wateree ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 688 | B+ |
| Lugoff-Elgin HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,759 | A+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within SC on state tests and graduation
Most people who work leave Lugoff to do it: just 8% work in town. Among residents here, 8.1% live below the poverty line, where South Carolina’s towns sit at 17% and U.S. towns at 9.6%. Jobs in Lugoff grew by 591 from 2013 to 2023, reaching 3,112. In Lugoff, the typical journey to work is 28 minutes.
| Lugoff | South Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 8.1% | 17% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 28 minutes | 24 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Work from home | 13% | 8.6% | 11% |
| Median household income | $69,000 | $57,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expected losses in Lugoff break down as 37% from inland flooding and 16% from hurricanes. On expected storm and flood damage, Lugoff sits below 71% of U.S. communities. Also worth knowing: since 2013, Lugoff has seen 4 flood insurance claims paid out.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Homes are within reach (about $268K for the typical one, A− for cost of living), but half of working residents commute more than 23 miles.
In the year to September 2026, typical home values climbed 3.4%. Lugoff’s median rent stands at $915 a month.
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Against the 10,483 U.S. towns with household incomes like Lugoff’s, it is healthier than 68%, so its B− isn’t only a matter of income.
Among adults in Lugoff, 19% say their health is fair or poor, below South Carolina’s towns (23%) and close to U.S. towns (19%). The town tracks South Carolina closely on all 32 CDC measures. 13% of adults have diabetes here.
| Lugoff | South Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 15% | 12% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 21% | 14% |
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 13% | 8.1% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 23% | 19% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
30% of adults 25 and older hold at least a bachelor’s degree, against 32% across South Carolina. The age mix tracks South Carolina closely: no broad group is more than 4 points off. Among residents in Lugoff, 23% are under 18.
| Lugoff | South Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 30% | 23% | 29% |
| Under 18 | 23% | 22% | 22% |
| Median age | 38.8 years | 38.9 years | 40.5 years |
| Aged 65 or older | 18% | 17% | 18% |
50% women, 50% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±2.4 points. Across South Carolina, 51.3% of residents are women.
| Lugoff | SC | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 12.6% | 11.4% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 10.4% | 10.1% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 8.5% | 9.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 13.9% | 12.8% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 11.1% | 12.5% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 11.6% | 12% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 13.5% | 13.2% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 11.2% | 11.4% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 7.2% | 7.4% | 7% |
| No diploma | 6.4% | 9.9% | 10.4% |
| High school | 32.8% | 28.2% | 26% |
| Some college | 21.1% | 19.8% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 10% | 10% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 20% | 19.8% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 9.8% | 12.3% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
None within 15 miles of Lugoff; the nearest are
About 6 of every 100 Lugoff residents are enrolled in college, about the same as South Carolina.
Where Lugoff’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Census-designated place in South Carolina, United States
Lugoff ( LEW-gof) is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Kershaw County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 9,990 at the 2020 census, up from 7,434 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Columbia, South Carolina Metropolitan Statistical Area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
By most measures, yes. Lugoff grades B+ overall, better than 72% of U.S. towns and #25 of 167 in South Carolina. It grades B− for health and B for schools. Walkability is its weak spot, with a C−.
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 Brook Benton and Donald Leroy Truesdell.