SaxonSC
A town of 4,085.
Is Saxon a good place to live?
Saxon gives you more for your money than most places: homes are within reach, about $90K for a typical one, or 1.4 years of the Spartanburg metro’s $64K median household income. It grades C overall, 102nd of 167 graded towns in South Carolina. The low prices come with trade-offs. On CDC estimates, its residents' health ranks in the bottom 2% nationally, and the median household income is $32K, and 46% of residents live below the poverty line. On the plus side, natural-hazard risk is low. 46% of residents live below the poverty line in Saxon, above both South Carolina’s towns (17%) and U.S. towns (9.6%). Saxon is home to Spartanburg Methodist College. Only 4 of the 169 South Carolina towns we compare have a lower average trip to work than Saxon.
What makes Saxon stand out
Where Saxon beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
| College | Students |
|---|---|
| Spartanburg Methodist College | 863 |
| Widest gap | Saxon | SC |
|---|---|---|
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 24.3% | 8.9% |
Saxon has grown 14% from 2010 to 2020
3,424 counted in 2010 and 3,896 in 2020.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts
How Saxon grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within South Carolina), ordered by how far Saxon is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Moving to Saxon: who provides what
Saxon is unincorporated, so Spartanburg 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.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Saxon.
Saxon has homes that are cheap against local pay and has a longer frost-free season than most of the country, though not than most of South Carolina; it also has poverty well above the South Carolina rate.
A larger share of adults in Saxon say their health is fair or poor than in the typical South Carolina or U.S. town
37% of adults say their health is fair or poor in Saxon. Among 169 South Carolina towns, just 2 have a higher share of adults who report frequent mental distress than Saxon. 20% of adults report frequent physical distress in Saxon.
| Saxon | South Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 37% | 22% | 19% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 15% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 15% | 12% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 18% | 17% |
| What stands out | Saxon | SC |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 5% | 8.6% |
| Fewer binge drinkers | 13% | 15.7% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 24.3% | 8.9% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Most of Saxon’s workers commute out: the town has 0.5 jobs for each of them
The average commute for its 1,343 working residents takes 16.4 minutes, against 25.6 across South Carolina. Jobs based here grew from 508 in 2013 to 703.
Since 2013, Saxon has added 195 jobs, to 703 in 2023. Only 8 of the 168 South Carolina towns we compare have a lower median household income than Saxon. The top destinations are Spartanburg (13%), Greenville (7%) and Southern Shops (3%).
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Saxon faces a low natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 76% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
In Saxon, expect mild winters and hot summers
The Spartanburg 3 Sse weather station, 5 miles away, records that the frost-free season runs about 206 days: longer than most of the country, but shorter than 92% of South Carolina places with climate records. July afternoons average 89.4°: hotter than most of the country, but cooler than 88% of South Carolina places with climate records; January nights average 31.5°.
Saxon has mild winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. The January low in Saxon is 32°F. Snow is almost unheard of.
| Saxon | South Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| January low | 32°F | 34°F | 22°F |
| July high | 89°F | 91°F | 85°F |
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
| Saxon | South Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 0.9% | 1.8% | 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. The Salvation Army Century of Service Park | 0.4 mi | 8 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
The median home in Saxon sells for about $201K
At 1.4 years of the Spartanburg metro’s $64K median household income, the typical home costs less against local pay than in 99% of South Carolina towns; that ratio is one input to its B+ for cost of living. The median property tax bill is $511, against $1,251 across South Carolina, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
38% of Saxon households own their home.
| Saxon | South Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 38% | 65% | 73% |
| Median rent | $934 a month | $1,062 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Peachoid and 17 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Saxon. Close and well known come first.
19 mi LandmarkPeachoid
25 mi Stadium & arenaBon Secours Wellness Arena
14 mi National BattlefieldCowpens National Battlefield175K visitors a year
36 mi State parkChimney Rock State Park
34 mi National Historic SiteCarl Sandburg Home National Historic Site95K visitors a year
39 mi Park & preserveDuPont State ForestPhoto credits
Peachoid: Carol M. Highsmith, Public domain · Bon Secours Wellness Arena: Nicolas Henderson from Coppell, Texas, CC BY 2.0 · Cowpens National Battlefield: Ken Lund from Reno, Nevada, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Chimney Rock State Park: Jmturner, Public domain · Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site: Victoria Stauffenberg, Public domain · DuPont State Forest: Ccalvin, CC BY-SA 3.0
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Everything we know about Saxon
Colleges nearby
6 within 15 miles of the center of Saxon
About 14 of every 100 Saxon residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across South Carolina.
14% of Saxon is in college
About Saxon
CDP in South Carolina, United States
Saxon is a census-designated place (CDP) in Spartanburg County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 3,424 at the 2010 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 2.4 sq mi
- Elevation
- 860 ft
Saxon’s neighbors
4 towns share a border with Saxon.
| Town | SC rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saxon | #102 | C | B+ | — | B− | D− |
| Arcadia | #112 | C− | B− | — | B− | C− |
| Spartanburg | #117 | C− | C+ | — | B | C− |
| Hilltop | #101 | C | B− | — | B | D |
| Southern Shops | #111 | C− | B | — | A− | D− |
Saxon, Arcadia, Spartanburg, Hilltop and Southern Shops report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Saxon with a neighbor →
Questions about Saxon
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Saxon, SC a good place to live?
Saxon grades C overall, better than 29% of U.S. towns and #102 of 167 in South Carolina. It grades D− for health and B− for schools. Health is its weak spot, with a D−.
Is Saxon, SC expensive?
Not for the area. The typical home is worth about $90,000, 70% below the South Carolina typical home. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B+.