Gaffney, SC

Census Place

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2024 Population

12,596

US Senator

Lindsey Graham

Republican Party

US Senator

Tim Scott

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

31.9

2.74% 1-year decrease

2024 Poverty Rate

29.1%

17.1% 1-year increase

2024 Median Household Income

$41,089

0.303% 1-year decline

2024 Median Property Value

$137,700

2.41% 1-year decline

2024 Employed Population

4,756

3.53% 1-year decline

About

None of the households in Gaffney, SC reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

96% of the residents in Gaffney, SC are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Gaffney, SC are Limestone University (521 degrees awarded in 2023).

In 2024, the median property value in Gaffney, SC was $137,700, and the homeownership rate was 50.5%.

Most people in Gaffney, SC drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 18.8 minutes. The average car ownership in Gaffney, SC was 1 car per household.

United States South Carolina Cherokee County, SC Gaffney, SC Union and York (West) Counties--York City PUMA, SC

Population & Diversity

Gaffney, SC is home to a population of 12.6k people, from which 96% are citizens. As of 2024, 6.38% of Gaffney, SC residents were born outside of the country (803 people).

In 2024, there were 1.02 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (5.19k people) in Gaffney, SC than any other race or ethnicity. There were 5.11k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 717 Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

96%

2024 Citizenship

96.1%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 96% of Gaffney, SC residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Gaffney, SC was 96.1%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Gaffney, SC compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Gaffney, SC

White (Non-Hispanic)
5.19k ± 599
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
5.11k ± 571
Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
717 ± 244

8.24%

Hispanic Population

1.04k people

8.24% of the people in Gaffney, SC are hispanic (1.04k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Gaffney, SC as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the Place level, so we are showing data for South Carolina.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
63,986 ± 6,172 people
India
20,779 ± 3,532 people
Honduras
17,281 ± 3,222 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of South Carolina was Mexico, the natal country of 63,986 South Carolina residents, followed by India with 20,779 and Honduras with 17,281.

Foreign-Born Population

6.38%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

803 people

6.22%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

784 people

As of 2024, 6.38% of Gaffney, SC residents (803 people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Gaffney, SC was 6.22%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Gaffney, SC compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
216 ± 108
Gulf War (2001-)
157 ± 125
Gulf War (1990s)
82 ± 85

Gaffney, SC has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.38 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Gaffney, SC.

Economy

The economy of Gaffney, SC employs 4.76k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Gaffney, SC were Manufacturing (909 people), Educational Services (718 people), and Health Care & Social Assistance (566 people), and the highest paying industries were Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($61,090), Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($60,969), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($49,167).

Employment

Occupations

4.76k

2024 Value

± 560

−3.53%

1 Year decline

± 17.5%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Gaffney, SC declined at a rate of −3.53%, from 4.93k employees to 4.76k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Gaffney, SC, are Production Occupations (665 people), Management Occupations (536 people), and Education Instruction, & Library Occupations (513 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Gaffney, SC.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for South Carolina.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in South Carolina (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

Industries

Employment by Industries

4.76k

2024 Value

± 560

−3.53%

1 Year decline

± 17.5%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Gaffney, SC declined at a rate of −3.53%, from 4.93k employees to 4.76k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Gaffney, SC, are Manufacturing (909 people), Educational Services (718 people), and Health Care & Social Assistance (566 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Gaffney, SC, though some of these residents may live in Gaffney, SC and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$40,544

Median earning men ± $6,573

$28,547

Median earning women ± $3,420

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($60,452), Manufacturing ($45,313), and Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($43,632).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($41,835), Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($40,923), and Manufacturing ($38,148).

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for South Carolina.

Y-Axis

2.54%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 2.26M people employed in South Carolina. This represents a 2.54% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 13.4%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in South Carolina.

Education

In 2023, universities in Gaffney, SC awarded 521 degrees. The student population of Gaffney, SC in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 871 male students and 911 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Gaffney, SC are White (241 and 49.4%), Black or African American (178 and 36.5%), Unknown (34 and 6.97%), and Hispanic or Latino (28 and 5.74%).

The largest universities in Gaffney, SC by number of degrees awarded are Limestone University (521 and 100%).

The most popular majors in Gaffney, SC are Other Business Administration, Management, & Operations (150 and 28.8%), Social Work (94 and 18%), and Health Care Administration & Management (33 and 6.33%).

The median tuition cost for private four year colleges is $26,400.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2023 in Gaffney, SC, the percentage of applicants admitted was 98.3%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 10.6%. The number of students enrolled in 2023 was 1,782 (48.9% men and 51.1% women).

The line chart shows the evolution of the percentage of applicants admitted, admitted who enrolled or the number of students enrolled according to the option selected in the upper button.

Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2023 there were 1,782 students enrolled in Gaffney, SC, 48.9% men and 51.1% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 664 records, of which 51.4% were women and 48.6% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Other Business Administration, Management, & Operations
101 degrees awarded
Social Work
53 degrees awarded
Health Care Administration & Management
33 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Gaffney, SC was Other Business Administration, Management, & Operations with 101 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Bachelors Degree from schools in Gaffney, SC according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Limestone University

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

521 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Limestone University with 521 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2023, 226 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Gaffney, SC, which is 0.766 times less than the 295 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2023, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 241 degrees mean that there were 1.35 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Black or African American, with 178 degrees awarded.

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Universities

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($26,400) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($1,100) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($1,240) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Gaffney, SC was $137,700 in 2024, which is 0.414 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $141,100 to $137,700, a 2.41% decrease. The homeownership rate in Gaffney, SC is 50.5%, which is lower than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Gaffney, SC have an average commute time of 18.8 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Gaffney, SC is lower than the national average, with an average of 1 car per household.

Housing

Property

$137,700

Median Property Value 2024

±$26,802

$2,341

Median Property Taxes

±$379

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Gaffney, SC the largest share of households pay taxes in the < $800 range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Gaffney, SC compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

50.5%

Homeownership

2024

64.7%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 50.5% of the housing units in Gaffney, SC were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 54.2%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Gaffney, SC compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$41,089

Median Household Income

± $3,009

4.64k

Number of Households

± 519

In 2024, the median household income of the 4.64k households in Gaffney, SC declined from $41,089 from the previous year's value of $41,214.

The following chart displays the households in Gaffney, SC distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the < $10k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Gaffney, SC is from South Carolina.

0.464

2023 Wage GINI in South Carolina

0.464

2022 Wage GINI in South Carolina

In 2023, the income inequality in South Carolina was 0.464 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.102% decline from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for South Carolina was lower than than the national average of 0.476. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in South Carolina in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in South Carolina across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (79.4%)
Carpooled (9.23%)
Worked At Home (4.88%)

In 2024, 79.4% of workers in Gaffney, SC drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (9.23%) and those who worked at home (4.88%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

18.8 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Gaffney, SC have a shorter commute time (18.8 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 0.523% of the workforce in Gaffney, SC have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Gaffney, SC compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

1 car

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Gaffney, SC distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Gaffney, SC have 1 car.

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

29.1% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Gaffney, SC (3.35k out of 11.5k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Males 18 - 24, followed by Females 25 - 34 and then Females 65 - 74.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Gaffney, SC is Black, followed by White and Two Or More.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Health

86.6% of the population of Gaffney, SC has health coverage, with 31.6% on employee plans, 30% on Medicaid, 10.1% on Medicare, 13.1% on non-group plans, and 1.77% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in South Carolina see 1,485 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,485 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1682 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 437 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.2% were men and 51.8% were women.

Coverage

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 25.4% under 18 years, 29.6% between 18 and 34 years, 30.4% between 35 and 64 years, and 14.6% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.2% were men and 51.8% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

13.4%

Uninsured

31.6%

Employer Coverage

30%

Medicaid

10.1%

Medicare

13.1%

Non-Group

1.77%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Gaffney, SC grew by 14.9% from 11.6% to 13.4%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Gaffney, SC changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

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