Scores by category

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

Safety1#15,547/15,637
Economy48#8,143/15,631
Housing68#4,802/14,977
Health21#12,400/15,609
Healthcare23#12,113/15,650
Environment27#11,336/15,453
Education11#13,979/15,649
Infrastructure45#8,557/15,650
Community30#10,956/15,651
Leisure & amenities28#11,329/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Cottageville, South Carolina ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Colleton 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

Comfortable days · high33.4%
91/100South Carolina 31.6%United States 26.8%2016-2025NOAA National Centers for Environmental InformationColleton County value
Public EV charging ports · high11.9 /10k
87/100South Carolina 4.0 /10kUnited States 7.7 /10kOct 2026U.S. Department of EnergyColleton County value
Home price to income ratio · low2.0×
86/100South Carolina 3.7×United States 4.1×2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25077
Time spent in the emergency room · low124 min
85/100South Carolina 163 minUnited States 170 minOct 2024–Sep 2025Centers for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesColleton County value
Effective property tax rate · low0.58%
81/100South Carolina 0.49%United States 0.94%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25090
New business applications · high17.3 /1k
79/100South Carolina 16.9 /1kUnited States 16.6 /1k2025U.S. Census BureauColleton County value

Weaknesses

Traffic deaths · high58.7 /100k
1/100South Carolina 20.5 /100kUnited States 12.3 /100k2020-2024National Highway Traffic Safety AdministrationProvisional dataColleton County value
Firearm deaths · high41.2 /100k
1/100South Carolina 18.7 /100kUnited States 12.1 /100k2024Centers for Disease Control and PreventionColleton County value
Reading scores · low2.32
1/100South Carolina 2.93United States 3.052019University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteColleton County value
Math scores · low2.25
1/100South Carolina 2.92United States 3.032019University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteColleton County value
Homicide rate · high19.3 /100k
1/100South Carolina 8.4 /100kUnited States 4.8 /100k2024Centers for Disease Control and PreventionModel-based estimateColleton County value
Premature death · high17,174 /100k
2/100South Carolina 10,517 /100kUnited States 8,123 /100k2021-2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteColleton County value

Trends

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

PopulationRising
885 (2015-2019) → 1,196 (2020-2024)
+35%5 yearsCensus table B01003US 328,329,953 → 340,003,797
Rent-burdened householdsImproving
54.5% (2015-2019) → 17.3% (2020-2024)
−37 pts5 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.6% → 51.1%
Child poverty rateImproving
19.0% (2015-2019) → 5.8% (2020-2024)
−13 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 16.8% → 15.5%
Median household incomeImproving
$49,904 (2015-2019) → $80,938 (2020-2024)
+62%5 yearsCensus table B19013US $65,712 → $81,604
Rent as share of incomeImproving
30.7% (2015-2019) → 19.2% (2020-2024)
−12 pts5 yearsCensus table B25071US 29.8% → 30.6%
High school diploma or higherWorsening
91.1% (2015-2019) → 82.1% (2020-2024)
−9 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, Cottageville, South Carolina improved on 0 of 10 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.

Improved0

No measure improved by more than its margin of error.

Declined0

No measure declined by more than its margin of error.

All 10 measures

Change of every measure of Cottageville, South Carolina between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	35.2 min2015-2019	45.6 min2020-2024	+10.5 min	Within the margin of error	2%
Bachelor's degree or higher	16.2%2015-2019	14.9%2020-2024	−1.3 points	Within the margin of error	20%
Broadband subscriptions	90.0%2015-2019	90.4%2020-2024	+0.4 points	Within the margin of error	10%
Effective property tax rate	0.52%2015-2019	0.58%2020-2024	+0.1 points	Within the margin of error	10%
High school diploma or higher	91.1%2015-2019	82.1%2020-2024	−9 points	Within the margin of error	2%
Home price to income ratio	2.2×2015-2019	2.0×2020-2024	−0.2×	Within the margin of error	85%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.3832015-2019	0.3852020-2024	+0.003	Within the margin of error	48%
Median household income	$49,9042015-2019	$80,9382020-2024	+62%	Within the margin of error	92%
Rent as share of income	30.7%2015-2019	19.2%2020-2024	−12 points	Within the margin of error	95%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	11.6%2015-2019	7.5%2020-2024	−4.1 points	Within the margin of error	83%

“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 Cottageville, South Carolina five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Cottageville, 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, Cottageville, South Carolina itself moved −1.2 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

1,196 residents (±314)

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: Under 10 men (+14.1 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

1,196 residents (±314)

Cottageville, South Carolina
South Carolina share

White82%985
Black6.2%†74
Hispanic or Latino1.8%†21

Education

765 residents (±188)

Cottageville, South Carolina
South Carolina share

No high school diploma18%†137
High school or GED33%†254
Some college24%

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

407 households (±92)

Cottageville, South Carolina
South Carolina share

Under $25k14%†56
$25k–50k17%†69
$50k–75k18%†75
$75k–100k7.6%†31
$100k–150k25%†100
$150k–200k8.1%†33
$200k or more11%†43

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: $25k–50k (−18.3 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

407 households (±92)

Cottageville, South Carolina
South Carolina share

Own81%330
Rent19%†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 B25003View table on data.census.gov

Rent paid

75 households (±44)

Cottageville, South Carolina
South Carolina share

Under $75024%†18
$750–1,00045%†34
$1,000–1,50031%†

Home values

330 homes (±79)

Cottageville, South Carolina
South Carolina share

Under $150k45%†148
$150k–250k35%†114
$250k–400k16%†

Age of homes

418 homes (±93)

Cottageville, South Carolina
South Carolina share

2010 or later6.9%†29
2000–200922%†91
1980–199950%†

Size of homes

418 homes (±93)

Cottageville, South Carolina
South Carolina share

Studio0.5%†2
1 bedroom4.1%†17
2 bedrooms24%†102

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

525 workers (±157)

Cottageville, South Carolina
South Carolina share

Drive alone77%†402
Carpool13%†68
Public transit0.8%†4
Walk0.0%0
Bike0.0%0
Work from home9.0%†47
Other0.8%†4

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Drive alone (−13.1 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 B08301View table on data.census.gov

Time to get to work

478 workers (±142)

Cottageville, South Carolina
South Carolina share

Under 15 min9.8%†47
15–29 min13%†61
30–44 min24%†

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 Colleton County, the county holding most of Cottageville's residents.

Colleton County has 793 employer establishments, 203 for every 10,000 residents (0.82× the US rate of 248; 0.89× South Carolina's), with 7,333 paid employees at an average annual pay of $46,580. The Census Bureau also counts 3,630 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 793; 3,630 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 203; US 248 · South Carolina 228
Paid employees: 7,333
Average annual pay: $46,580; US $68,342

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

Specialty trade contractors	62	15.8	1.02×About typical	388	$57,216	392
Ambulatory health care services	61	15.6	0.75×Fewer than typical	355	$75,293	146
Restaurants and other eating places	61	15.6	0.85×About typical	1,126	$20,806	22
Religious organizations	35	8.9	1.61×More than typical	133	$16,241	—
Gasoline stations	33	8.4	2.60×More than typical	270	$27,011	—
Limited-service restaurants	32	8.2	1.02×About typical	563	$18,249	6
Lessors of real estate	31	7.9	0.64×Fewer than typical	84	$48,286	269
Offices of physicians	31	7.9	1.22×About typical	189	$92,635	8
Full-service restaurants	23	5.9	0.77×Fewer than typical	492	$23,441	10
Other specialty trade contractors	23	5.9	2.34×More than typical	239	$64,527	112
Services to buildings and dwellings	22	5.6	0.83×About typical	113	$42,372	441
Legal services	19	4.9	0.90×About typical	48	$49,667	15

Rank places for an industry Open Colleton County

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 39,129 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 $209 of federal contract obligations were for work performed in Cottageville, South Carolina: $0.18 per resident (US $2,008).

Obligations: $209
Per resident: $0.18; US $2,008
Sole-source: 0.0%; US 30%
Single offer: 0.0%; US 8.7%

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

Top buying agencies

Department of the Navy$209100%

Top recipients

ONESIMUS DEFENSE LLC$209100%

Spending by fiscal year

730.9FY2019
155.5FY2024
209.4FY2026

What was bought

Education & social services$209100%

Top industries (NAICS)

Business schools and computer and management training · 6114$209100%

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 10, 2026, loaded Oct 10, 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 Cottageville, South Carolina, so they do not add up across cities.

Cottageville, South Carolina's figures are part of those of Colleton County, SC ($393.3K in FY2026), never added to them: 0.1% of that total.

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

See federal money in Colleton 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.

Cottageville, South Carolina is split between congressional districts: each representative is shown with the share of its residents in their district (current boundaries).