Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Rock Hill is a solid, middle-of-the-road choice. It grades C overall, 110th among South Carolina's 167 graded towns, with no subject far below average. Its best mark is schools: its public schools beat 51% of South Carolina towns on state tests and graduation. Its lowest everyday mark is in safety: its crime rate is higher than 85% of U.S. towns, with 298 violent crimes reported to the FBI in 2025. A typical home there costs about $320K, 3.8 years of the Charlotte metro’s $83K median household income. 29% of working residents work locally in Rock Hill, above both South Carolina’s towns (6.1%) and U.S. towns (8%). Its National Register listings include Tillman Hall and Anderson House. Only 25 of South Carolina’s 263 towns score higher on hazard risk.
Where Rock Hill beats most towns.
White House| College | Students |
|---|---|
| Winthrop University | 4,039 |
| York Technical College | 3,255 |
| Clinton College | 12 |
Its 27 National Register listings are more than in 96% of South Carolina towns with a listing.
Census counts: 809 in 1880, 74,372 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1880 and 2 maps from 1949 on.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within South Carolina), ordered by how far Rock Hill is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Rock Hill, 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 Rock Hill.
Rock Hill sends many workers across the state line to Charlotte and has milder winter nights than most of the country, though not than most of South Carolina; it also scores below Lesslie and its other neighbors on health.
Reported crimes fell from 2,410 to 1,952 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
The property crime rate in Rock Hill is 21.7 per 1,000 residents. Rock Hill reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 85% report less. The violent crime rate in Rock Hill is 3.9 per 1,000 residents.
| Rock Hill | South Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 21.7 per 1,000 residents | 21.1 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 3.9 per 1,000 residents | 4.3 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Its public schools are run by the York 03 school district. Three of its 27 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dutchman Creek MiddleLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 856 | C+ |
| Northwestern HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,822 | A− |
| Cherry Park Elementary School of Language ImmersionTop results in townGrades K–5 | Grades K–5 | 806 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within SC on state tests and graduation
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 78% of U.S. communities. Since 1979, 10 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Rock Hill.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
13 miles of trail in 20 parks and preserves. The biggest place to walk is Manchester Meadows, 79 acres with 2.5 miles of trail.
| Rock Hill | South Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 2.2% | 1.7% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.3 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Manchester Meadows | 2.5 mi | 79 |
| 2. Cherry Park | 2.4 mi | 64 |
| 3. Glencairn Garden | 1.8 mi | 13 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
January nights average 31.3°: milder than most of the country, but colder than 88% of South Carolina places with climate records; July afternoons average 90.3°.
Rock Hill has mild winters and warm summers. Rock Hill’s January low is 31°F. Snow is almost unheard of.
| Rock Hill | South Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| January low | 31°F | 34°F | 22°F |
| July high | 90°F | 91°F | 85°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
25% of working residents cross a state line to work, Charlotte among the top destinations.
About one in 3 of Rock Hill’s working residents works in town. Since 2013, Rock Hill has added 7,601 jobs, to 41,912 in 2023. 13% of Rock Hill residents live below the poverty line.
| Rock Hill | South Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 13% | 17% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $69,000 | $57,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 12% | 8.6% | 11% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Adults 18 to 34 are 27% of residents (22% statewide); people 65 and older are 15% of residents (19% statewide). 35% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Rock Hill. Rock Hill has grown 2.1% since 2020, to 75,911 residents in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate.
| Rock Hill | South Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 35.7 years | 38.9 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 35% | 23% | 29% |
| Aged 65 or older | 15% | 17% | 18% |
53% women, 47% men
About 88 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±1.1 points). Across South Carolina, 51.3% of residents are women. Median age: women 36.8, men 34.9.
| Rock Hill | SC | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 12.6% | 11.4% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 9.2% | 10.1% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 12.2% | 9.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 15% | 12.8% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 12.1% | 12.5% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 12.6% | 12% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 11.8% | 13.2% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 8.7% | 11.4% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 5.8% | 7.4% | 7% |
| No diploma | 8.6% | 9.9% | 10.4% |
| High school | 23.4% | 28.2% | 26% |
| Some college | 22.1% | 19.8% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 10.8% | 10% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 21.3% | 19.8% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 13.9% | 12.3% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
All 3 graded neighbors score healthier than its C+, from Lesslie (B) to India Hook (A).
Rock Hill beats the South Carolina average on 5 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 6.
| Rock Hill | South Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 37% | 35% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 15% | 14% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 21% | 14% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 15% | 14% |
| What stands out | Rock Hill | SC |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults with heart disease | 5.4% | 6.8% |
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 7% | 8.6% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 11.1% | 8.9% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
The typical Rock Hill home is worth about $320,000, down 1.9% in a year, 5% above the South Carolina typical home.
| Rock Hill | South Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 54% | 65% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,341 a month | $1,058 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Renters paying 30%+ of income on rent | 54% | 52% | 48% |
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Rock Hill. Close and well known come first.
12 mi Theme parkCarowinds
Big draw22 mi Stadium & arenaBank of America Stadium20 mi MuseumSullenberger Aviation Museum70K visitors a year
38 mi LakeLake Norman
23 mi Stadium & arenaBojangles Coliseum
39 mi LandmarkPeachoidCarowinds: Pi.1415926535, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Bank of America Stadium: HangingCurve, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Lake Norman: Prince Grobhelm, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Bojangles Coliseum: James Willamor, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Peachoid: Carol M. Highsmith, Public domain
4 within 15 miles of the center of Rock Hill
About 7 of every 100 Rock Hill residents are enrolled in college, about the same as South Carolina.
3 colleges in town.
27 places in Rock Hill on the National Register of Historic Places.
46 notable people were born in Rock Hill.
City in South Carolina, United States
Rock Hill is the most populous city in York County, South Carolina, United States, and the 5th-most populous city in the state. It is also the 4th-most populous city of the Charlotte metropolitan area, behind Charlotte, Concord, and Gastonia (all located in North Carolina). As of the 2020 census, the city's population was 74,372. The city is located approximately 25 miles (40 km) south of Charlotte and approximately 70 miles (110 km) north of Columbia. Rock Hill offers scenic riverfront views along the Catawba River and is home to numerous nature trails, restaurants, and thirty-one parks which are used for both national and local events. Its historic downtown consist of twelve contiguous bu…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
3 towns share a border with Rock Hill.
All 3 graded towns on its borders grade higher than its C; Newport (A) is closest.
| Town | SC rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rock Hill | #110 | C | C+ | C− | B− | C+ |
| Newport | #10 | A | A− | — | B− | B+ |
| India Hook | #7 | A | B+ | — | B− | A |
| Lesslie | #8 | A | A+ | — | B− | B |
Newport, India Hook and Lesslie report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Rock Hill with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Rock Hill grades C overall, better than 26% of U.S. towns and #110 of 167 in South Carolina. It grades C+ for health, C− for safety and B− for schools. Safety is its weak spot, with a C−.
Within South Carolina, it does better than 56% of towns.
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C+.
46 notable people were born here, including Leon Rippy and Ralph Norman.
