Town · Newberry County, South Carolina

Whitmire, South Carolina

Whitmire is a town in Newberry County, South Carolina, part of the Newberry, SC metro area. It has 1,319 residents. Whitmire, South Carolina has a quality-of-life score of 11 out of 100 (very low), ranking #13,887 of 15,651 US cities and towns. Within South Carolina it ranks #200 of 268 cities and towns. It ranks best on home price to income ratio (low), time spent in the emergency room (low) and child care cost burden (low). It ranks worst on suicide rate (high), median household income (low) and firearm deaths (high).

11Very low

Quality-of-life score: #13,887 of 15,651 cities and towns
South Carolina: #200 of 268 in SC
Population: 1,319 (2020-2024)
Land area: 1 mi²
Density: 1,054.7 /mi²
FIPS code: 4577380

Percentile-based score (100 is the best in the country) from 73 of 80 indicators, with the default “Explorer” weights.

Open in the map

Scores by category

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

Safety7#14,495/15,637
Economy6#14,704/15,631
Housing50#7,459/14,977
Health8#14,291/15,609
Healthcare28#11,285/15,650
Environment63#5,778/15,453
Education16#13,123/15,649
Infrastructure18#12,819/15,650
Community39#9,580/15,651
Leisure & amenities18#12,852/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

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

Home price to income ratio · low1.4×
98/100South Carolina 3.7×United States 4.1×2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25077
Time spent in the emergency room · low110 min
92/100South Carolina 163 minUnited States 170 minOct 2024–Sep 2025Centers for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesNewberry County value
Child care cost burden · low23.1%
84/100South Carolina 28.4%United States 27.9%2023 & 2024University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteNewberry County value
Mammography screening · high52.0%
81/100South Carolina 51.0%United States 46.0%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteNewberry County value
Effective property tax rate · low0.59%
80/100South Carolina 0.49%United States 0.94%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25090
Students per teacher · low12.4×
78/100South Carolina 13.8×United States 15.2×2024National Center for Education StatisticsNewberry County value

Weaknesses

Suicide rate · high28.3 /100k
5/100South Carolina 16.3 /100kUnited States 14.1 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionProvisional dataNewberry County value
Median household income · low$37,837
5/100South Carolina $72,507United States $81,6042020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B19013
Firearm deaths · high25.8 /100k
5/100South Carolina 18.7 /100kUnited States 12.1 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionProvisional dataNewberry County value
Primary care shortage · high18.0
5/100South Carolina 9.3United States 6.2Oct 2026Health Resources and Services AdministrationNewberry County value
Reading scores · low2.65
7/100South Carolina 2.93United States 3.052019University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteNewberry County value
Job growth · low-2.8%
7/100South Carolina 0.7%United States 0.1%2026 Q1U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsProvisional dataNewberry County value

Trends

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

PopulationFalling
1,509 (2015-2019) → 1,319 (2020-2024)
−13%5 yearsCensus table B01003US 328,329,953 → 340,003,797
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
67.9% (2015-2019) → 89.6% (2020-2024)
+22 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Rent-burdened householdsWorsening
39.5% (2015-2019) → 52.9% (2020-2024)
+13 pts5 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.6% → 51.1%
High school diploma or higherImproving
73.3% (2015-2019) → 84.6% (2020-2024)
+11 pts5 yearsCensus table B15003US 88.0% → 89.6%
Rent as share of incomeWorsening
28.2% (2015-2019) → 34.2% (2020-2024)
+6 pts5 yearsCensus table B25071US 29.8% → 30.6%
Poverty rateWorsening
19.3% (2015-2019) → 24.3% (2020-2024)
+5.1 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 12.3% → 12.1%

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, Whitmire, South Carolina improved on 1 of 12 measures with a comparison and declined on 0. 11 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.

Improved1

Broadband+22 points67.9% → 89.6%

Declined0

No measure declined by more than its margin of error.

All 12 measures

Change of every measure of Whitmire, South Carolina between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	32.4 min2015-2019	38.1 min2020-2024	+5.6 min	Within the margin of error	8%
Bachelor's degree or higher	14.4%2015-2019	14.8%2020-2024	+0.4 points	Within the margin of error	30%
Broadband subscriptions	67.9%2015-2019	89.6%2020-2024	+22 points	Improved	92%
Effective property tax rate	0.92%2015-2019	0.59%2020-2024	−0.3 points	Within the margin of error	78%
High school diploma or higher	73.3%2015-2019	84.6%2020-2024	+11 points	Within the margin of error	97%
Home price to income ratio	1.2×2015-2019	1.4×2020-2024	+0.2×	Within the margin of error	65%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4342015-2019	0.4402020-2024	+0.006	Within the margin of error	45%
Median household income	$32,5522015-2019	$37,8372020-2024	+16%	Within the margin of error	26%
Poverty rate	19.3%2015-2019	24.3%2020-2024	+5.1 points	Within the margin of error	12%
Public transit commuters	0.0%2015-2019	0.0%2020-2024	0 points	Within the margin of error	60%
Rent as share of income	28.2%2015-2019	34.2%2020-2024	+6 points	Within the margin of error	18%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	13.3%2015-2019	13.9%2020-2024	+0.5 points	Within the margin of error	40%

“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 Whitmire, South Carolina five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Whitmire, 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, Whitmire, South Carolina itself moved +0.8 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

1,319 residents (±363)

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: 60–69 men (+12.4 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

1,319 residents (±363)

Whitmire, South Carolina
South Carolina share

White68%†900
Black19%†249
Hispanic or Latino2.3%†

Education

945 residents (±240)

Whitmire, South Carolina
South Carolina share

No high school diploma15%†146
High school or GED51%485
Some college11%†103

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

655 households (±171)

Whitmire, South Carolina
South Carolina share

Under $25k40%†264
$25k–50k18%†117
$50k–75k20%†130
$75k–100k6.9%†45
$100k–150k10%†67
$150k–200k2.1%†14
$200k or more2.7%†18

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: $25k–50k (−20.4 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

655 households (±171)

Whitmire, South Carolina
South Carolina share

Own82%537
Rent18%†118

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Own (+18.7 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 B25003View table on data.census.gov

Rent paid

87 households (±49)

Whitmire, South Carolina
South Carolina share

Under $75049%†43
$750–1,00034%†30
$1,000–1,50016%†

Home values

537 homes (±151)

Whitmire, South Carolina
South Carolina share

Under $150k92%†493
$150k–250k6.0%†32
$250k–400k0.9%†

Age of homes

849 homes (±186)

Whitmire, South Carolina
South Carolina share

2010 or later0.1%†1
2000–20093.3%†28
1980–199912%†104

Size of homes

849 homes (±186)

Whitmire, South Carolina
South Carolina share

Studio0.0%0
1 bedroom7.2%†61
2 bedrooms47%†395

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

444 workers (±123)

Whitmire, South Carolina
South Carolina share

Drive alone78%†347
Carpool19%†83
Public transit0.0%0
Walk0.7%†3
Bike0.0%0
Work from home2.5%†11
Other0.0%0

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

433 workers (±123)

Whitmire, South Carolina
South Carolina share

Under 15 min17%†75
15–29 min31%†136
30–44 min12%†

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 Newberry, 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 Newberry County, the county holding most of Whitmire's residents.

Newberry County has 781 employer establishments, 201 for every 10,000 residents (0.81× the US rate of 248; 0.88× South Carolina's), with 12,402 paid employees at an average annual pay of $45,435. The Census Bureau also counts 2,763 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 781; 2,763 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 201; US 248 · South Carolina 228
Paid employees: 12,402
Average annual pay: $45,435; US $68,342

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

Restaurants and other eating places	59	15.2	0.83×About typical	1,038	$14,976	12
Specialty trade contractors	58	14.9	0.96×About typical	438	$52,068	249
Ambulatory health care services	45	11.6	0.55×Fewer than typical	466	$46,783	99
Religious organizations	42	10.8	1.94×More than typical	132	$15,205	—
Gasoline stations	33	8.5	2.61×More than typical	306	$27,033	—
Full-service restaurants	32	8.2	1.07×About typical	385	$15,706	7
Limited-service restaurants	24	6.2	0.77×Fewer than typical	610	$14,384	3
Services to buildings and dwellings	24	6.2	0.91×About typical	139	$35,978	299
Building equipment contractors	23	5.9	0.98×About typical	189	$50,497	43
Automotive repair and maintenance	22	5.7	1.12×About typical	84	$41,107	52
Other specialty trade contractors	20	5.1	2.05×More than typical	161	$60,634	90
Lessors of real estate	19	4.9	0.40×Fewer than typical	32	$28,469	189

Rank places for an industry Open Newberry County

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 38,931 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 $16.5K of federal contract obligations were for work performed in Whitmire, South Carolina: $12.48 per resident (US $1,995).

Obligations: $16.5K; +18% vs FY2025
Per resident: $12.48; US $1,995
Sole-source: 1.1%; US 30%
Single offer: 0.0%; 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

Forest Service$16.5K100%

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

8.3KFY2017
6.7KFY2018
7.3KFY2019
1.6KFY2020
3.9KFY2021
13.4KFY2022
6KFY2023
15.6KFY2024

Top industries (NAICS)

Highway, street, and bridge construction · 2373$12.5K76%
Forest nurseries and gathering of forest products · 1132$2,00312%
Other transportation equipment manufacturing · 3369$9555.8%
Commercial and industrial machinery and equipment rental and leasing · 5324$8195.0%
Automotive repair and maintenance · 8111$1731.1%

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 7, 2026, loaded Oct 7, 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 Whitmire, South Carolina, so they do not add up across cities.

Whitmire, South Carolina's figures are part of those of Newberry County, SC ($997.2K in FY2026), never added to them: 1.7% of that total.

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

See federal money in Newberry 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.

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

House

Sheri BiggsR-SC-3 · 100% of residentsWith party 100%Missed 0.0%

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.

Newberry County27100% of residents

Metro area

The metro or micro area the city belongs to.

Newberry, SC24

Other cities and towns in Newberry 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
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/4577380

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends