Gaffney, SC

Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA)

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2023 Population

56,299

0.176% 1-year growth

US Senator

Lindsey Graham

Republican Party

US Senator

Tim Scott

Republican Party

2023 Median Age

40.3

0.75% 1-year increase

2023 Poverty Rate

18.5%

2.63% 1-year increase

2023 Median Household Income

$49,047

4.33% 1-year growth

2023 Median Property Value

$135,200

8.59% 1-year growth

2023 Employed Population

23,858

1.46% 1-year decline

About

In 2023, Gaffney, SC had a population of 56.3k people with a median age of 40.3 and a median household income of $49,047. Between 2022 and 2023 the population of Gaffney, SC grew from 56,200 to 56,299, a 0.176% increase and its median household income grew from $47,011 to $49,047, a 4.33% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Gaffney, SC are White (Non-Hispanic) (70%), Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) (18.8%), Two+ (Non-Hispanic) (3.99%), Two+ (Hispanic) (2.34%), and Other (Hispanic) (1.38%).

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.

97.9% of the residents in Gaffney, SC are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Gaffney, SC are Limestone University (529 degrees awarded in 2022).

In 2023, the median property value in Gaffney, SC was $135,200, and the homeownership rate was 73.3%.

Most people in Gaffney, SC drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 24.7 minutes. The average car ownership in Gaffney, SC was 2 cars per household.

Gaffney, SC borders Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC, Forest City, NC, Shelby, NC, and Spartanburg, SC.

United States South Carolina

Population & Diversity

Gaffney, SC is home to a population of 56.3k people, from which 97.9% are citizens. As of 2023, 3.31% of Gaffney, SC residents were born outside of the country (1.86k people).

In 2023, there were 3.73 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (39.4k people) in Gaffney, SC than any other race or ethnicity. There were 10.6k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 2.24k Two+ (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

97.9%

2023 Citizenship

98.1%

2022 Citizenship

As of 2023, 97.9% 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 98.1%, 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)
39.4k ± 436
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
10.6k ± 305
Two+ (Non-Hispanic)
2.24k ± 420

5.23%

Hispanic Population

2.94k people

5.23% of the people in Gaffney, SC are hispanic (2.94k 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 MSA 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

3.31%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

1.86k people

2.56%

2022 Foreign-Born Population

1.44k people

As of 2023, 3.31% of Gaffney, SC residents (1.86k 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 2.56%, 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
1,051 ± 219
Gulf War (1990s)
711 ± 219
Gulf War (2001-)
687 ± 217

Gaffney, SC has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.48 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of Gaffney, SC employs 23.9k people. The largest industries in Gaffney, SC are Manufacturing (5,632 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (2,827 people), and Educational Services (2,426 people), and the highest paying industries are Information ($70,380), Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($50,950), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($47,609).

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

23.9k

2023 Value

± 1,287

−1.46%

1 Year decline

± 7.95%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Gaffney, SC declined at a rate of −1.46%, from 24.2k employees to 23.9k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Gaffney, SC, are Production Occupations (3,004 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (2,504 people), and Management Occupations (1,980 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

23.9k

2023 Value

± 1,287

−1.46%

1 Year decline

± 7.95%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Gaffney, SC declined at a rate of −1.46%, from 24.2k employees to 23.9k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Gaffney, SC, are Manufacturing (5,632 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (2,827 people), and Educational Services (2,426 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

$42,887

Median earning men ± $2,698

$30,472

Median earning women ± $2,002

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2023 are Information ($72,446), Manufacturing ($48,965), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($48,088).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2023 are Construction ($46,250), Wholesale Trade ($43,125), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($42,409).

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.

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

103
Other Services (except Public Administration)
78
Retail Trade
55
Retail Trade

The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.

Depending on the option selected, the visualization shows the number of employees or number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll

$396k
Manufacturing
$65k
Retail Trade
$62.6k
Transportation and Warehousing

The chart shows the total annual payroll and the average annual payroll by industry.

Education

In 2022, universities in Gaffney, SC awarded 529 degrees. The student population of Gaffney, SC in 2022 is skewed towards women, with 856 male students and 930 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Gaffney, SC are White (259 and 50.7%), followed by Black or African American (195 and 38.2%), Hispanic or Latino (20 and 3.91%), and Two or More Races (15 and 2.94%).

The largest universities in Gaffney, SC by number of degrees awarded are Limestone University (529 and 100%).

The most popular majors in Gaffney, SC are Other Business Administration, Management, & Operations (142 and 26.8%), Social Work (98 and 18.5%), and Liberal Arts & Sciences (33 and 6.24%).

The median tuition cost in Gaffney, SC for private four year colleges is $25,200.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2022 in Gaffney, SC, the percentage of applicants admitted was 89.5%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 16.5%. The number of students enrolled in 2022 was 1,786 (47.9% men and 52.1% 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 2022 there were 1,786 students enrolled in Gaffney, SC, 47.9% men and 52.1% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 822 records, of which 50.4% were women and 49.6% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Other Business Administration, Management, & Operations
94 degrees awarded
Social Work
65 degrees awarded
Health Care Administration & Management
27 degrees awarded

In 2022, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Gaffney, SC was Other Business Administration, Management, & Operations with 94 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

529 degrees awarded

In 2022, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Limestone University with 529 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2022, 211 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Gaffney, SC, which is 0.664 times less than the 318 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2022 the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 259 degrees mean that there were 1.33 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Black or African American, with 195 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 ($25,200) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2022.

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($1,100) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2022.

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($2,304) 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 $135,200 in 2023, which is 0.446 times smaller than the national average of $303,400. Between 2022 and 2023 the median property value increased from $124,500 to $135,200, a 8.59% increase. The homeownership rate in Gaffney, SC is 73.3%, which is approximately the same as the national average of 65%.

People in Gaffney, SC have an average commute time of 24.7 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 $49,047. In 2023, the county with the highest Median Household Income in Gaffney, SC was Beaufort County, SC with a value of $84,819, followed by Charleston County, SC and York County, SC, with respective values of $84,320 and $83,060.

Housing

Property

$135,200

Median Property Value 2023

±$11,915

$16,025

Median Property Taxes

±$951

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

73.3%

Homeownership

2023

68.4%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2023

In 2023, 73.3% of the housing units in Gaffney, SC were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 70.8%.

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)

In 2023, the county with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Gaffney, SC was Beaufort County, SC with a value of $84,819, followed by Charleston County, SC and York County, SC, with respective values of $84,320 and $83,060.

The following map shows all of the counties 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.

$49,047

Median Household Income

± $2,478

21.9k

Number of Households

± 1,106

In 2023, the median household income of the 21.9k households in Gaffney, SC grew to $49,047 from the previous year's value of $47,011.

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 $75k - $100k 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 (83.9%)
Carpooled (8.28%)
Worked At Home (5.27%)

In 2023, 83.9% of workers in Gaffney, SC drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (8.28%) and those who worked at home (5.27%).

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

24.7 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Gaffney, SC have a shorter commute time (24.7 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.6 minutes). Additionally, 2.6% 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

18.5% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Gaffney, SC (10.2k out of 55.2k 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 Females 65 - 74 and then Females < 5.

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

89.8% of the population of Gaffney, SC has health coverage, with 38.7% on employee plans, 21.4% on Medicaid, 13% on Medicare, 15% on non-group plans, and 1.9% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in South Carolina see 1481 patients per year on average, which represents a 0.269% decrease from the previous year (1485 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1696 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 488 patients per year.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

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

1,481 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in South Carolina

Primary care physicians in South Carolina see an average of 1,481 patients per year. This represents a 0.269% decrease from the previous year (1,485 patients).

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

Health Care Diversity

In 2023, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 24.4% under 18 years, 20.3% between 18 and 34 years, 38.4% between 35 and 64 years, and 16.9% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.3% were men and 51.7% were women.

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

Uninsured People

10.2%

Uninsured

38.7%

Employer Coverage

21.4%

Medicaid

13%

Medicare

15%

Non-Group

1.9%

Military or VA

Between 2022 and 2023, the percent of uninsured citizens in Gaffney, SC declined by 7.09% from 11% to 10.2%.

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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