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Big small town

Living in Gaffney, SC

Gaffney is a big small town of 12,596 people in Cherokee County, South Carolina. It's about 17 miles from Spartanburg, SC and 48 miles from Charlotte, NC, the nearest major city. Summer highs average 89°F and winter highs 51°F, with about 2 inches of snow a year. The typical home is valued around $138k and rent runs about $887 a month.

12,596people
$138kTypical home
$887/moRent
89° / 51°Summer / winter
2"Snow
244Sunny days
105Rain/snow days

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Size & setting

  • Big small town of 12,596
  • Its own small hub, not a suburb
  • About 1,389 people per sq mi
  • 48 mi to Charlotte, NC
  • 17 mi to Spartanburg, SC
  • Has its own stores and services

Money

  • Typical home $138k (≈$868/mo)
  • Median rent $887/mo
  • Median household income $41k
  • Property tax about 0.5% of value
  • 10.0% unemployment

Weather

  • Summer highs around 89°F
  • Winter highs around 51°F
  • Muggy summers (dew point 66°F)
  • 244 sunny days a year (101 totally clear)
  • 121 cloudy days a year
  • 36 of 90 winter days are gray
  • 105 days a year with rain or snow
  • 2" of snow a year
  • Snow days are rare
  • Rarely hits 100°F
  • 2 nights a year below 10°F
  • Usually calm

Safety

  • Low violent crime (277 per 100k)
  • Above-average property crime (2,651 per 100k)

People

  • Median age 32
  • 25% of households have kids
  • 16% are 65 or older
  • 23% have a college degree
  • Very diverse community
  • 12% of residents are college students

Getting around & homes

  • Average commute 21 min
  • 3% walk or take transit to work
  • 34 mi to GSP airport
  • 42 mi to CLT (major hub)
  • 18 mi to the nearest Amtrak station
  • 67% single-family homes
  • Typical home built around 1975
  • 85% of homes have broadband

Outdoors

  • Gently rolling terrain
  • Elevation 742 ft
  • 180 mi to the ocean
  • 68 mi to a big lake
  • 12 mi to the nearest trailhead
  • 55 mi to the nearest ski area
  • 5 mi to the nearest campground
  • 19 golf courses within 25 mi

Things to do

  • 335 sit-down restaurants within 25 mi
  • 3 bars within 25 mi
  • 51 coffee shops within 25 mi
  • 2 music venues & clubs within 25 mi
  • 16 museums within 25 mi
  • 2 breweries & distilleries within 25 mi
  • 15 mi to the nearest farmers market

Everyday

  • Schools in the bottom 45% of South Carolina districts (reading)
  • Grocery store in town
  • 8 mi to the nearest ER hospital
  • 19 mi to a 4–5★ hospital
  • 16 mi to the nearest vet
  • Dog park in town
  • 16 congregations per 10k people
  • 12 mi to the nearest college

Politics

  • Cherokee County: R+51 in 2024
  • South Carolina: R+18 in 2024

Natural hazards

  • Low hurricane risk
  • Moderate tornado risk
  • Very low wildfire risk
  • Low earthquake risk
  • Low flood risk
  • Moderate drought risk
  • Low winter storm risk
  • Low heat wave risk
  • Very low volcano risk

Places near Gaffney

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