Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US cities and towns.

Safety0#15,564/15,637
Economy8#14,356/15,631
Housing21#11,762/14,977
Health9#14,249/15,609
Healthcare22#12,201/15,650
Environment30#10,788/15,453
Education21#12,318/15,649
Infrastructure1#15,454/15,650
Community9#14,275/15,651
Leisure & amenities3#15,126/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Allendale, South Carolina ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Allendale County value” are the county’s: the source publishes no figure for this city or town, and the county holding most of its residents stands in.

Strengths

Suicide rate · low0.0 /100k
100/100South Carolina 16.3 /100kUnited States 14.1 /100k2024Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAllendale County value
Students per teacher · low9.3×
99/100South Carolina 13.8×United States 15.2×2024National Center for Education StatisticsAllendale County value
Public libraries · high2.7 /10k
95/100South Carolina 0.4 /10kUnited States 0.5 /10k2024Institute of Museum and Library ServicesAllendale County value
Preventable hospital stays · low1,724 /100k
93/100South Carolina 2,612 /100kUnited States 2,769 /100k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAllendale County value
Comfortable days · high32.7%
89/100South Carolina 31.6%United States 26.8%2016-2025NOAA National Centers for Environmental InformationAllendale County value
Distance to an emergency room · low3.4 mi
87/100South Carolina 7.5 miUnited States 5.5 miJul 2026Centers for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesAllendale County value

Weaknesses

Reading scores · low1.94
0/100South Carolina 2.93United States 3.052019University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAllendale County value
Median household income · low$23,529
1/100South Carolina $72,507United States $81,6042020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B19013
Violent crime rate · high969 /100k
1/100South Carolina 388 /100kUnited States 328 /100k2025Federal Bureau of InvestigationCovers part of the area: some reporting agencies or member counties have no figureAllendale County value
Arts, entertainment and recreation · low0.0 /10k
1/100South Carolina 5.1 /10kUnited States 5.5 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAllendale County value
Primary care shortage · high21.0
1/100South Carolina 9.3United States 6.2Oct 2026Health Resources and Services AdministrationAllendale County value
Adult obesity · high50.1%
1/100South Carolina 38.3%United States 38.2%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteModel-based estimate

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

PopulationFalling
3,009 (2015-2019) → 2,653 (2020-2024)
−12%5 yearsCensus table B01003US 328,329,953 → 340,003,797
Unemployment rateImproving
27.9% (2015-2019) → 2.3% (2020-2024)
−26 pts5 yearsCensus table B23025US 3.7% → 4.0%
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
50.4% (2015-2019) → 74.6% (2020-2024)
+24 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Home price to income ratioWorsening
2.0× (2015-2019) → 3.7× (2020-2024)
+85%5 yearsCensus table B25077US 3.5× → 4.1×
Rent-burdened householdsImproving
73.7% (2015-2019) → 58.2% (2020-2024)
−16 pts5 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.6% → 51.1%
High school diploma or higherImproving
72.4% (2015-2019) → 86.1% (2020-2024)
+14 pts5 yearsCensus table B15003US 88.0% → 89.6%

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Allendale, South Carolina improved on 2 of 12 measures with a comparison and declined on 0. 10 moved within the margin of error and 0 barely changed.

Earlier (2015-2019)
Latest (2020-2024)
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among cities and towns: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts.

Improved2

Broadband+24 points50.4% → 74.6%
Bachelor's++12 points8.5% → 20.1%

Declined0

No measure declined by more than its margin of error.

All 12 measures

Change of every measure of Allendale, South Carolina between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	24.2 min2015-2019	29.5 min2020-2024	+5.3 min	Within the margin of error	9%
Bachelor's degree or higher	8.5%2015-2019	20.1%2020-2024	+12 points	Improved	93%
Broadband subscriptions	50.4%2015-2019	74.6%2020-2024	+24 points	Improved	95%
Child poverty rate	57.7%2015-2019	44.5%2020-2024	−13 points	Within the margin of error	87%
Effective property tax rate	0.61%2015-2019	0.54%2020-2024	−0.1 points	Within the margin of error	29%
High school diploma or higher	72.4%2015-2019	86.1%2020-2024	+14 points	Within the margin of error	98%
Home price to income ratio	2.0×2015-2019	3.7×2020-2024	+1.7×	Within the margin of error	6%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.5222015-2019	0.5002020-2024	−0.022	Within the margin of error	69%
Median household income	$19,4632015-2019	$23,5292020-2024	+21%	Within the margin of error	35%
Poverty rate	35.4%2015-2019	45.1%2020-2024	+9.7 points	Within the margin of error	4%
Rent as share of income	46.3%2015-2019	33.7%2020-2024	−13 points	Within the margin of error	96%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	15.2%2015-2019	17.5%2020-2024	+2.3 points	Within the margin of error	24%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 14640 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 15651 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Cities and towns like Allendale, South Carolina five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Allendale, South Carolina in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Allendale, South Carolina itself moved +0 points in standing on average over the same 9 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

2,653 residents (±393)

Men
Women

80 and over†
70–79†
60–69†
50–59†
40–49†
30–39†
20–29†
10–19†
Under 10†

Share of all residents, each sex

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: 20–29 men (−6.5 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B01001View table on data.census.gov

Race and Hispanic origin

2,653 residents (±393)

Allendale, South Carolina
South Carolina share

White17%445
Black63%†1,669
Hispanic or Latino20%†520

Education

1,804 residents (±256)

Allendale, South Carolina
South Carolina share

No high school diploma14%†251
High school or GED39%†701
Some college19%†

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

1,256 households (±174)

Allendale, South Carolina
South Carolina share

Under $25k51%638
$25k–50k23%†292
$50k–75k8.5%†107
$75k–100k3.0%†38
$100k–150k13%†162
$150k–200k1.5%†19
$200k or more0.0%0

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: $100k–150k (+10.6 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B19001View table on data.census.gov

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

1,256 households (±174)

Allendale, South Carolina
South Carolina share

Own57%715
Rent43%†541

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B25003View table on data.census.gov

Rent paid

435 households (±165)

Allendale, South Carolina
South Carolina share

Under $75069%†298
$750–1,00021%†93
$1,000–1,50010%†

Home values

715 homes (±159)

Allendale, South Carolina
South Carolina share

Under $150k74%†528
$150k–250k2.7%†19
$250k–400k20%†

Age of homes

1,543 homes (±178)

Allendale, South Carolina
South Carolina share

2010 or later6.7%†104
2000–20093.2%†50
1980–199927%†

Size of homes

1,543 homes (±178)

Allendale, South Carolina
South Carolina share

Studio0.0%0
1 bedroom5.1%†78
2 bedrooms16%†247

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

791 workers (±156)

Allendale, South Carolina
South Carolina share

Drive alone75%597
Carpool8.0%†63
Public transit0.0%0
Walk1.6%†13
Bike0.0%0
Work from home5.2%†41
Other9.7%†77

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B08301View table on data.census.gov

Time to get to work

750 workers (±153)

Allendale, South Carolina
South Carolina share

Under 15 min37%†279
15–29 min26%†197
30–44 min14%†

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

The Census Bureau publishes business counts by county, not by city, so these are the figures of Allendale County, the county holding most of Allendale's residents.

Allendale County has 125 employer establishments, 165 for every 10,000 residents (0.66× the US rate of 248; 0.72× South Carolina's), with 1,480 paid employees at an average annual pay of $55,193. The Census Bureau also counts 564 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 125; 564 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 165; US 248 · South Carolina 228
Paid employees: 1,480
Average annual pay: $55,193; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Allendale County by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Gasoline stations	9	11.9	3.66×Too few to compare	35	$19,829	—
Restaurants and other eating places	9	11.9	0.65×Too few to compare	58	$12,897	4
Ambulatory health care services	6	7.9	0.38×Too few to compare	105	$41,352	39
General merchandise stores	5	6.6	3.73×Too few to compare	30	$20,300	—
Limited-service restaurants	5	6.6	0.82×Too few to compare	41	$13,439	—
Truck transportation	5	6.6	1.30×Too few to compare	29	$60,517	29
Banks and credit unions	4	5.3	1.63×Too few to compare	20	$49,050	—
Full-service restaurants	4	5.3	0.69×Too few to compare	17	$11,588	—
Building material and supplies dealers (hardware, home centers)	3	4	2.40×Too few to compare	8	$37,500	—
Child day care services	3	4	1.62×Too few to compare	21	$24,333	17
Individual and family services	3	4	1.41×Too few to compare	9	$33,556	4
Legal services	3	4	0.74×Too few to compare	22	$83,955	—

Rank places for an industry Open Allendale County

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 7,588 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contracts performed here

In FY2026, an estimated $0 of federal contract obligations were for work performed in Allendale, South Carolina: $0 per resident (US $1,995).

Obligations: $0; −100% vs FY2025
Per resident: $0; US $1,995
Sole-source: —; US 30%
Single offer: —; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

1.1KFY2017
0FY2018
589.3FY2019
195.8FY2025

What was bought

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 6, 2026, loaded Oct 6, 2026.

How this is estimated

Agencies report each contract action's place of performance as a county and a ZIP code. A ZIP code's money is split among the cities it covers by the share of its land inside each (Census 2020 ZIP code tabulation areas); the part outside city limits stays with the county.

The place of performance is what the contracting agency reports, often the contractor's office rather than where the work happens.
Shares are of land, not of people or businesses: a ZIP code that is mostly rural land but has its offices in town gives the town less than it should.
ZIP codes that are not mapped areas (post office boxes, the unique ZIP codes of large federal sites and companies) stay with their county, unless one city covers nearly all of it.
Counts of actions and awards include those only partly in Allendale, South Carolina, so they do not add up across cities.

Grants and other federal assistance are counted by county here, not split among cities: Allendale is mostly in Allendale County.

See federal money in Allendale County

Representation in Congress

Members serving today, with their record in the current Congress (party-unity votes cast with their caucus, roll calls missed). Not a grade.

Allendale, South Carolina is represented in the 119th Congress by these members.

House

James E. ClyburnD-SC-6 · 100% of residentsWith party 98%Missed 1.3%

Senate

Explore Congress The 2026 races

County

A city can lie in several counties. Some indicators are published for counties only: the page marks them.

Allendale County4100% of residents

Other cities and towns in Allendale County

Largest first.

Similar cities and towns

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/4500955