Scores by category

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

Safety27#11,358/15,637
Economy38#9,688/15,631
Housing49#7,601/14,977
Health15#13,342/15,609
Healthcare29#11,125/15,650
Environment55#6,977/15,453
Education17#12,946/15,649
Infrastructure19#12,705/15,650
Community21#12,300/15,651
Leisure & amenities13#13,690/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

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

Hospital quality rating · high5.0
98/100South Carolina 3.4United States 3.2Jul 2026Centers for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesBerkeley County value
Home price to income ratio · low1.5×
95/100South Carolina 3.7×United States 4.1×2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25077High uncertainty
Comfortable days · high32.8%
90/100South Carolina 31.6%United States 26.8%2016-2025NOAA National Centers for Environmental InformationBerkeley County value
Job growth · high1.9%
87/100South Carolina 0.7%United States 0.1%2026 Q1U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsProvisional dataBerkeley County value
New business applications · high19.1 /1k
87/100South Carolina 16.9 /1kUnited States 16.6 /1k2025U.S. Census BureauBerkeley County value
Median Air Quality Index · low35
86/1002025U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyBerkeley County value

Weaknesses

Adult obesity · high48.5%
1/100South Carolina 38.3%United States 38.2%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteModel-based estimate
Food insecurity · high37.9%
3/100South Carolina 18.3%United States 15.6%2023Centers for Disease Control and PreventionModel-based estimate
Physical inactivity · high39.0%
4/100South Carolina 28.8%United States 26.5%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteModel-based estimate
Lack of reliable transportation · high17.8%
5/100South Carolina 9.1%United States 8.3%2023Centers for Disease Control and PreventionModel-based estimate
Poor or fair health · high31.3%
5/100South Carolina 22.0%United States 19.9%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteModel-based estimate
Adult smoking · high22.6%
5/100South Carolina 16.0%United States 16.1%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
1,752 (2015-2019) → 1,462 (2020-2024)
−17%5 yearsCensus table B01003US 328,329,953 → 340,003,797
Child poverty rateImproving
58.9% (2015-2019) → 6.9% (2020-2024)
−52 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 16.8% → 15.5%
Median household incomeImproving
$27,000 (2015-2019) → $65,370 (2020-2024)
+142%5 yearsCensus table B19013US $65,712 → $81,604
Poverty rateImproving
43.0% (2015-2019) → 16.5% (2020-2024)
−26 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 12.3% → 12.1%
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
57.3% (2015-2019) → 79.3% (2020-2024)
+22 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Home price to income ratioImproving
4.9× (2015-2019) → 1.5× (2020-2024)
−69%5 yearsCensus table B25077US 3.5× → 4.1×

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, St. Stephen, 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

Household income+142%$27,000 → $65,370
Poverty−26 points43.0% → 16.5%

Declined0

No measure declined by more than its margin of error.

All 12 measures

Change of every measure of St. Stephen, South Carolina between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	31.3 min2015-2019	36.3 min2020-2024	+5.0 min	Within the margin of error	10%
Bachelor's degree or higher	12.5%2015-2019	15.5%2020-2024	+3 points	Within the margin of error	52%
Broadband subscriptions	57.3%2015-2019	79.3%2020-2024	+22 points	Within the margin of error	93%
Effective property tax rate	0.56%2015-2019	0.60%2020-2024	+0 points	Within the margin of error	10%
High school diploma or higher	84.1%2015-2019	89.9%2020-2024	+5.8 points	Within the margin of error	85%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4872015-2019	0.4382020-2024	−0.049	Within the margin of error	83%
Median household income	$27,0002015-2019	$65,3702020-2024	+142%	Improved	100%
Poverty rate	43.0%2015-2019	16.5%2020-2024	−26 points	Improved	100%
Public transit commuters	0.0%2015-2019	0.0%2020-2024	0 points	Within the margin of error	60%
Rent as share of income	29.0%2015-2019	24.7%2020-2024	−4.3 points	Within the margin of error	80%
Rent-burdened households	46.5%2015-2019	40.4%2020-2024	−6.1 points	Within the margin of error	75%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	8.4%2015-2019	11.0%2020-2024	+2.6 points	Within the margin of error	21%

“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 St. Stephen, South Carolina five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of St. Stephen, 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, St. Stephen, South Carolina itself moved +12.3 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

1,462 residents (±316)

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

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 B01001View table on data.census.gov

Race and Hispanic origin

1,462 residents (±316)

St. Stephen, South Carolina
South Carolina share

White65%943
Black31%†449
Hispanic or Latino0.0%0
Asian0.0%0
American Indian and Alaska Native0.0%0
Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander0.0%0
Other or two or more races4.8%†70

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Black (−28.1 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 B03002View table on data.census.gov

Education

858 residents (±188)

St. Stephen, South Carolina
South Carolina share

No high school diploma10%†87
High school or GED36%†307
Some college29%†245
Associate degree10%†86
Bachelor's degree11%†98
Graduate degree4.1%†35

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 B15003View 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.

Income

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

Household income

426 households (±103)

St. Stephen, South Carolina
South Carolina share

Under $25k24%†104
$25k–50k14%†61
$50k–75k17%†73
$75k–100k16%†70
$100k–150k12%†51
$150k–200k15%†63
$200k or more0.9%†4

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Under $25k (−23.7 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

426 households (±103)

St. Stephen, South Carolina
South Carolina share

Own59%†252
Rent41%†174

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

120 households (±58)

St. Stephen, South Carolina
South Carolina share

Under $75033%†40
$750–1,0005.8%†7
$1,000–1,50038%†46

Home values

252 homes (±89)

St. Stephen, South Carolina
South Carolina share

Under $150k59%†148
$150k–250k19%†47
$250k–400k23%†

Age of homes

565 homes (±114)

St. Stephen, South Carolina
South Carolina share

2010 or later9.0%†51
2000–200911%†64
1980–199942%†240

Size of homes

565 homes (±114)

St. Stephen, South Carolina
South Carolina share

Studio1.1%†6
1 bedroom8.7%†49
2 bedrooms25%†140

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

522 workers (±170)

St. Stephen, South Carolina
South Carolina share

Drive alone83%†432
Carpool9.2%†48
Public transit0.0%0
Walk0.0%0
Bike2.9%†15
Work from home3.3%†17
Other1.9%†10

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

505 workers (±167)

St. Stephen, South Carolina
South Carolina share

Under 15 min11%†56
15–29 min29%†148
30–44 min12%†63

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

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes pay by metro area, not by county or city. The metro area page lists its largest occupations and lets you look up any job.

Pay in the Charleston-North Charleston, SC

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 Berkeley County, the county holding most of St. Stephen's residents.

Berkeley County has 4,230 employer establishments, 165 for every 10,000 residents (0.66× the US rate of 248; 0.72× South Carolina's), with 61,856 paid employees at an average annual pay of $62,301. The Census Bureau also counts 23,174 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 4,230; 23,174 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 165; US 248 · South Carolina 228
Paid employees: 61,856
Average annual pay: $62,301; US $68,342

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

Specialty trade contractors	387	15.1	0.97×About typical	2,965	$62,488	1,839
Restaurants and other eating places	300	11.7	0.64×Fewer than typical	5,938	$21,256	121
Ambulatory health care services	275	10.7	0.51×Fewer than typical	2,545	$71,769	830
Lessors of real estate	263	10.2	0.83×About typical	713	$67,604	1,838
Services to buildings and dwellings	144	5.6	0.83×About typical	1,280	$42,676	1,791
Construction of buildings	143	5.6	0.74×Fewer than typical	866	$101,770	664
Limited-service restaurants	142	5.5	0.69×Fewer than typical	2,986	$19,276	42
Real estate agents and brokers	136	5.3	1.09×About typical	233	$63,665	750
Truck transportation	136	5.3	1.05×About typical	1,205	$48,584	714
Full-service restaurants	129	5	0.65×Fewer than typical	2,543	$23,986	59
Building equipment contractors	127	4.9	0.82×About typical	1,176	$60,761	360
Religious organizations	119	4.6	0.84×About typical	779	$27,315	—

Rank places for an industry Open Berkeley County

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 256,711 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 $54.2K of federal contract obligations were for work performed in St. Stephen, South Carolina: $37.10 per resident (US $1,995).

Obligations: $54.2K; −36% vs FY2025
Per resident: $37.10; US $1,995
Sole-source: 24%; US 30%
Single offer: 50%; 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

Department of the Army$45K83%
Federal Acquisition Service$9,20017%

Top recipients

CAPE FEAR ENGINEERING, INC.$10.1K19%
DAVID INDUSTRIAL SERVICES, LLC$9,59318%
FEDERAL CONTRACTS LLC$9,20017%
CAPE ROMAIN CONTRACTORS, INC$8,53216%
BROWN POINT FACILITY MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS, LLC$6,52712%

Spending by fiscal year

9.9KFY2017
43KFY2018
17.4KFY2019
13.7KFY2020
52.4KFY2021
29.6KFY2022
39.6KFY2023
57.5K

Top industries (NAICS)

Architectural, engineering, and related services · 5413$10.9K20%
Services to buildings and dwellings · 5617$9,59318%
Other heavy and civil engineering construction · 2379$9,51718%
Motor vehicle manufacturing · 3361$9,20017%
Facilities support services · 5612$7,55614%
Other general purpose machinery manufacturing · 3339

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 St. Stephen, South Carolina, so they do not add up across cities.

St. Stephen, South Carolina's figures are part of those of Berkeley County, SC ($926.3M in FY2026), never added to them: 0.0% of that total.

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

See federal money in Berkeley 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.

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

House

Nancy MaceR-SC-1 · 100% of residentsWith party 97%Missed 17.8%

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.

Berkeley County49100% of residents

Metro area

The metro or micro area the city belongs to.

Charleston-North Charleston, SC75

Other cities and towns in Berkeley 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/4562755

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends