Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 594, settled in 1884.
25% of residents live below the poverty line in Ridge Spring, where South Carolina’s towns sit at 17% and U.S. towns at 9.6%. Only 7 of the 167 South Carolina towns we compare have a lower median rent than Ridge Spring. Ridge Hill High School is on the National Register of Historic Places. Ridge Spring has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Census counts: 328 in 1880, a peak of 969 in 1980, 579 in 2020. The archive holds 1 old photo or paper and 2 maps from 1964 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Ridge Spring, 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 Ridge Spring.
The typical Ridge Spring home is worth about $158,000, about the same as a year ago, 48% below the South Carolina typical home.
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Its public schools are run by the Aiken 01 school district. Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ridge Spring-Monetta ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 410 | C− |
NCES · EDFacts
Most working residents leave Ridge Spring for work: only 3% work in town. Ridge Spring’s average trip to work is 29 minutes, above both South Carolina’s towns (24 minutes) and U.S. towns (25 minutes). Jobs based in Ridge Spring fell to 130 in 2023, 99 fewer than in 2013.
| Ridge Spring | South Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 29 minutes | 24 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 3.3% | 6.1% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
People 65 and older are 28% of residents (19% statewide); adults 35 to 64 are 33% of residents (38% statewide). The median age in Ridge Spring is 43.1 years. Ridge Spring has grown 3.5% since 2020, to 594 residents in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate.
| Ridge Spring | South Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aged 65 or older | 28% | 17% | 18% |
| Median age | 43.1 years | 38.9 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 26% | 23% | 29% |
60% women, 40% men
About 66 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±5.7 points). Across South Carolina, 51.3% of residents are women.
| Ridge Spring | SC | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 9.4% | 11.4% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 7.8% | 10.1% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 8.6% | 9.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 13.1% | 12.8% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 14.5% | 12.5% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 8.2% | 12% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 10.5% | 13.2% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 17% | 11.4% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 11% | 7.4% | 7% |
| No diploma | 15.2% | 9.9% | 10.4% |
| High school | 38.1% | 28.2% | 26% |
| Some college | 15.8% | 19.8% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 5% | 10% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 15.7% | 19.8% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 10.2% | 12.3% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 600, single groups can be off by several points
Ridge Spring has mild winters and warm summers. Ridge Spring’s July high is 92°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
10 crimes were reported in Ridge Spring in 2024: 10 property and 0 violent. In a town this small, a few incidents move the numbers a lot, so rates aren't shown.
Ridge Spring is small, so we show counts rather than rates.
FBI crime data, 2024 · crimes reported to police
23% of adults have diabetes in Ridge Spring. Among 170 South Carolina towns, just 3 have a higher share of adults who have high blood pressure than Ridge Spring. 48% of adults have obesity in Ridge Spring.
| Ridge Spring | South Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 15% | 12% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 52% | 40% | 35% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 48% | 37% | 35% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 15% | 16% |
| What stands out | Ridge Spring | SC |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 11.1% | 15.7% |
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 86.4% | 80.2% |
| More adults who have had a stroke | 6.9% | 3.9% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 57% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
None within 15 miles of Ridge Spring; the nearest are
About 3 of every 100 Ridge Spring residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across South Carolina.
Where Ridge Spring’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Town in South Carolina, United States
Ridge Spring is a town in Saluda County, South Carolina, United States. As of the 2020 census, Ridge Spring had a population of 579. It is part of the Columbia, SC Metropolitan Statistical Area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Ridge Spring has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.