Gaffney, SC

Census Place

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2023 Population

12,612

0.308% 1-year decline

US Senator

Lindsey Graham

Republican Party

US Senator

Tim Scott

Republican Party

2023 Median Age

32.8

2.38% 1-year decrease

2023 Poverty Rate

24.8%

7.64% 1-year increase

2023 Median Household Income

$41,214

8.29% 1-year growth

2023 Median Property Value

$141,100

16.8% 1-year growth

2023 Employed Population

4,930

0.484% 1-year decline

About

In 2023, Gaffney, SC had a population of 12.6k people with a median age of 32.8 and a median household income of $41,214. Between 2022 and 2023 the population of Gaffney, SC declined from 12,651 to 12,612, a −0.308% decrease and its median household income grew from $38,059 to $41,214, a 8.29% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Gaffney, SC are White (Non-Hispanic) (42.3%), Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) (40.9%), Two+ (Hispanic) (4.89%), Two+ (Non-Hispanic) (4.76%), and Other (Non-Hispanic) (3.61%).

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.

96.1% 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 2023, the median property value in Gaffney, SC was $141,100, and the homeownership rate was 54.2%.

Most people in Gaffney, SC drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 17.9 minutes. The average car ownership in Gaffney, SC was 2 cars 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 96.1% are citizens. As of 2023, 6.22% of Gaffney, SC residents were born outside of the country (784 people).

In 2023, there were 1.03 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (5.33k people) in Gaffney, SC than any other race or ethnicity. There were 5.16k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 617 Two+ (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

96.1%

2023 Citizenship

97.9%

2022 Citizenship

As of 2023, 96.1% of Gaffney, SC residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.4%. In 2022, the percentage of US citizens in Gaffney, SC was 97.9%, 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)
5.33k ± 622
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
5.16k ± 622
Two+ (Hispanic)
617 ± 346

6.87%

Hispanic Population

866 people

6.87% of the people in Gaffney, SC are hispanic (866 people).

The following chart shows the 7 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
58,419 ± 5,900 people
India
18,341 ± 3,319 people
Honduras
13,844 ± 2,885 people

In 2022, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of South Carolina was Mexico, the natal country of 58,419 South Carolina residents, followed by India with 18,341 and Honduras with 13,844.

Foreign-Born Population

6.22%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

784 people

3.26%

2022 Foreign-Born Population

413 people

As of 2023, 6.22% of Gaffney, SC residents (784 people) were born outside of the United States, which is lower than the national average of 13.8%. In 2022, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Gaffney, SC was 3.26%, 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
205 ± 100
Gulf War (2001-)
159 ± 132
Gulf War (1990s)
141 ± 99

Gaffney, SC has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.29 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of Gaffney, SC employs 4.93k people. The largest industries in Gaffney, SC are Manufacturing (1,057 people), Educational Services (685 people), and Health Care & Social Assistance (622 people), and the highest paying industries are Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($145,625), Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($58,750), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($48,566).

Males in South Carolina have an average income that is 1.37 times higher than the average income of females, which is $52,636. The income inequality in South Carolina (measured using the Gini index) is 0.464, which is lower than than the national average.

Employment

Occupations

4.93k

2023 Value

± 597

−0.484%

1 Year decline

± 17.4%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Gaffney, SC declined at a rate of −0.484%, from 4.95k employees to 4.93k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Gaffney, SC, are Production Occupations (760 people), Education Instruction, & Library Occupations (488 people), and Office & Administrative Support Occupations (466 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 false.

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.

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Industries

Employment by Industries

4.93k

2023 Value

± 597

−0.484%

1 Year decline

± 17.4%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Gaffney, SC declined at a rate of −0.484%, from 4.95k employees to 4.93k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Gaffney, SC, are Manufacturing (1,057 people), Educational Services (685 people), and Health Care & Social Assistance (622 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

$41,031

Median earning men ± $5,582

$25,927

Median earning women ± $4,487

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2023 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($57,900), Retail Trade ($48,269), and Construction ($47,193).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2023 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($41,432), Manufacturing ($35,485), and Public Administration ($34,663).

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for N/A.

Y-Axis

N/A%

Year-over-year N/A

Employment change between N/A N/A and N/A N/A

As of N/A N/A, there are N/A people employed in N/A. This represents a N/A% N/A in employment when compared to N/A N/A.

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

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in N/A.

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%), followed by 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 in Gaffney, SC 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.

Working Population

Educational Pyramid

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

Measure

In 2022, 0.83% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 0.688% of women were in the same situation.

This visualization shows the gender distribution of the population according to the academic level reached.

Educational Attainment

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

Race

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population in 2022 were High School or Equivalent (1.18M), Some college (892k), and Bachelors Degree (705k).

This visualization illustrates the percentage distribution of the population according to the highest educational level reached. You can filter the data by race by using the selector above.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Gaffney, SC was $141,100 in 2023, which is 0.465 times smaller than the national average of $303,400. Between 2022 and 2023 the median property value increased from $120,800 to $141,100, a 16.8% increase. The homeownership rate in Gaffney, SC is 54.2%, which is approximately the same as the national average of 65%.

People in Gaffney, SC have an average commute time of 17.9 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Gaffney, SC is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Median household income in Gaffney, SC is $41,214. In 2023, the place with the highest median household income in Gaffney, SC was Census Tract 9702.01 with a value of $52,390, followed by Census Tract 9706.01 and Census Tract 9705.01, with respective values of $49,242 and $48,083.

Housing

Property

$141,100

Median Property Value 2023

±$21,952

$2,523

Median Property Taxes

±$391

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

54.2%

Homeownership

2023

72.4%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2023

In 2023, 54.2% of the housing units in Gaffney, SC were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 53%.

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

Equity

Income by Location

Use the dropdown to filter by race/ethnicity.

Race/Ethnicity

Highest Median Household Income (Total)

Census Tract 9702.01
Census Tract 9706.01
Census Tract 9705.01

In 2023, the place with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Gaffney, SC was Census Tract 9702.01 with a value of $52,390, followed by Census Tract 9706.01 and Census Tract 9705.01, with respective values of $49,242 and $48,083.

The following map shows all of the places in Gaffney, SC colored by their Median Household Income (Total).

Household Income

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

$41,214

Median Household Income

± $5,182

4.65k

Number of Households

± 555

In 2023, the median household income of the 4.65k households in Gaffney, SC grew to $41,214 from the previous year's value of $38,059.

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

2022 Wage GINI in South Carolina

0.463

2021 Wage GINI in South Carolina

In 2022, the income inequality in South Carolina was 0.464 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.334% growth from 2021 to 2022, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat less even. The GINI for South Carolina was lower than than the national average of 0.478. 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 2023

Drove Alone (77.8%)
Carpooled (9.62%)
Worked At Home (4.87%)

In 2023, 77.8% of workers in Gaffney, SC drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (9.62%) and those who worked at home (4.87%).

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

17.9 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Gaffney, SC have a shorter commute time (17.9 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.6 minutes). Additionally, 1.08% 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

2 cars

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 2 cars.

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

24.8% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Gaffney, SC (2.88k out of 11.6k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.4%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 25 - 34, followed by Males 18 - 24 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

88.4% of the population of Gaffney, SC has health coverage, with 31.5% on employee plans, 29.4% on Medicaid, 11.3% on Medicare, 13.9% on non-group plans, and 2.16% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Cherokee County, SC see 2866 patients per year on average, which represents a 5.02% increase from the previous year (2729 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 4004 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 1601 patients per year.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

Data is only available at the country level. Showing data for Cherokee County, SC.

2,866 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Cherokee County, SC

Primary care physicians in Cherokee County, SC see an average of 2,866 patients per year. This represents a 5.02% increase from the previous year (2,729 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Cherokee County, SC in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Health Care Diversity

In 2023, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 24.7% under 18 years, 29.2% between 18 and 34 years, 31.2% between 35 and 64 years, and 14.9% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 44.9% were men and 55.1% were women.

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

Uninsured People

11.6%

Uninsured

31.5%

Employer Coverage

29.4%

Medicaid

11.3%

Medicare

13.9%

Non-Group

2.16%

Military or VA

Between 2022 and 2023, the percent of uninsured citizens in Gaffney, SC declined by 7.52% from 12.6% to 11.6%.

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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