Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Public schools that outperform most of South Carolina.
Williamston gives you more for your money than most places: homes are within reach, about $276K for a typical one, or 3.9 years of the Greenville metro’s $71K median household income. It grades B− overall, 65th among South Carolina's 167 graded towns. The low prices come with trade-offs. It reports more crime per resident than 87% of U.S. towns, including 21 violent crimes reported to the FBI in 2025, and residents are less healthy than 75% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. On the plus side, its schools rank ahead of 97% of South Carolina towns. Williamston's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 96% of U.S. towns. Williamston’s violent crime rate is 4.8 per 1,000 residents, against 3.9 in South Carolina’s towns and 1.6 across U.S. towns.
Where Williamston beats most towns.
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Palmetto Elementary | PK–5 | 572 |
| Calvary Christian Academy | PK–3 | 120 |
| Palmetto Middle | 6–8 | 749 |
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within South Carolina), ordered by how far Williamston is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 935 in 1890, 4,043 in 2020. The archive holds 4 old photos and papers going back to 1912 and 2 maps from 1957 on.
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Williamston. Close and well known come first.
21 mi Stadium & arenaMemorial Stadium, Clemson
23 mi LakeLake Hartwell
26 mi LakeLake Keowee
34 mi LakeLake Jocassee
17 mi Stadium & arenaBon Secours Wellness Arena
32 mi State parkTable Rock State ParkMemorial Stadium, Clemson: Caseyh at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Lake Hartwell: blahedo, CC BY-SA 2.5 · Lake Keowee: Inundated_38Oc1.jpg: Matthew T. Bradley from Berkshire County, Mass., USA deriva, CC BY 2.0 · Lake Jocassee: Clemson3564, Public domain · Bon Secours Wellness Arena: Nicolas Henderson from Coppell, Texas, CC BY 2.0 · Table Rock State Park: Clemson3564, CC BY 3.0
Who provides power, water and the rest in Williamston, 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 Williamston.
Williamston pairs an A+ for schools with modest home prices and has a longer frost-free season than most of the country, though not than most of South Carolina.
Its A+ for schools comes with an A for cost of living: the typical home is worth about $276K. Its A+ ranks #6 of the 169 South Carolina towns we grade for schools.
Its public schools are run by the Anderson 01 school district. Two of its 5 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Palmetto High, with 1,086 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palmetto MiddleLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 749 | B− |
| Palmetto HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,086 | A+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within SC on state tests and graduation
| Williamston | South Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.8 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 0.8% | 1.8% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. C Dale Martin Recreation Complex | — | 15 |
| 2. Mineral Spring Park | 0.2 mi | 12 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Williamston reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 87% report less. Within South Carolina, it does better than 53% of towns.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
27% of Williamston adults have been diagnosed with depression. Williamston beats the South Carolina average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 8. 13% of Williamston adults have diabetes.
| Williamston | South Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 23% | 23% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 35% | 33% | 33% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 18% | 17% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 15% | 14% |
| What stands out | Williamston | SC |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 11.3% | 13.9% |
| More adults with depression | 27.3% | 22.3% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
The W Pelzer weather station records that the frost-free season runs about 219 days: longer than most of the country, but shorter than 79% of South Carolina places with climate records. The W Pelzer weather station records that about 51 days a year reach 90°: more than most of the country, but fewer than 80% of South Carolina places with climate records.
Williamston has mild winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. The July high in Williamston is 90°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Most working residents leave Williamston for work: only 8% work in town. Jobs based in Williamston grew to 2,599 in 2023, 401 more than in 2013. 14% of residents live below the poverty line in Williamston.
| Williamston | South Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 14% | 17% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 27 minutes | 24 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $64,000 | $57,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
The typical Williamston home is worth about $276,000, up 1.7% in a year, 9% below the South Carolina typical home. Williamston’s median rent is $899 a month.
| Williamston | South Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $899 a month | $1,062 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 65% | 65% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 52% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
1 within 15 miles of the center of Williamston
About 5 of every 100 Williamston residents are enrolled in college, about the same as South Carolina.
4 notable people were born in Williamston.
Town in South Carolina, United States
Williamston is a town in Anderson County, South Carolina. The population was 4,043 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Williamston grades B− overall, better than 45% of U.S. towns and #65 of 167 in South Carolina. It grades C− for health, D for safety and A+ for schools. Safety is its weak spot, with a D.
Within South Carolina, it does better than 53% of towns.
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.
4 notable people were born here, including Gabriel H. Mahon, Jr. and Austin Webb.
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