Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US metro and micro areas.

Safety39#567/924
Economy43#526/925
Housing58#389/925
Health32#627/925
Healthcare31#633/923
Environment58#382/917
Education50#466/925
Infrastructure28#663/925
Community64#337/925
Leisure & amenities65#329/925

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Seneca, SC micropolitan area ranks highest and lowest among US metro and micro areas (score = percentile, 100 = best).

Strengths

Mammography screening · high59.0%
96/100South Carolina 51.0%United States 46.0%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Child care cost burden · low19.7%
96/100South Carolina 28.4%United States 27.9%2023 & 2024University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Effective property tax rate · low0.38%
95/100South Carolina 0.49%United States 0.94%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25090
New homes permitted · high8.8 /1k
93/100South Carolina 8.5 /1kUnited States 4.2 /1kSep 2025–Aug 2026U.S. Census BureauProvisional data
Grocery stores · high2.3 /10k
87/100South Carolina 1.6 /10kUnited States 1.7 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAggregated from counties
Social associations · high14.4 /10k
84/100South Carolina 11.2 /10kUnited States 9.1 /10k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties

Weaknesses

Income inequality (Gini index) · high0.495
7/100South Carolina 0.475United States 0.4832020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B19083
Access to exercise opportunities · low50.9%
8/100South Carolina 69.4%United States 84.5%2022 & 2024University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Drug overdose deaths · high28.3 /100k
12/100South Carolina 22.1 /100kUnited States 18.4 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties
Child poverty rate · high26.2%
13/100South Carolina 18.1%United States 15.5%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B17001
Broadband subscriptions · low84.6%
16/100South Carolina 88.8%United States 91.0%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B28002
Mental health providers · low136 /100k
18/100South Carolina 239 /100kUnited States 348 /100k2025University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties

Trends

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

PopulationRising
78,794 (2020) → 83,775 (2025)
+6.3%5 yearsUS 331,578,104 → 341,784,857
Drought exposureWorsening
0% (2021) → 59% (Oct 2025–Sep 2026)
+59 pts5 yearsUS 40% → 43%
New business applicationsImproving
7.7 /1k (2020) → 12.1 /1k (2025)
+58%5 yearsUS 13.1 /1k → 16.6 /1k
Flu vaccinationsWorsening
55.0% (2019) → 45.0% (2023)
−10 pts4 yearsUS 48.0% → 44.0%
Property crime rateImproving
2,658 /100k (2020) → 1,331 /100k (2025)
−50%5 yearsUS 1,929 /100k → 1,535 /100k
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
74.8% (2015-2019) → 84.6% (2020-2024)
+9.8 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%

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, Seneca, SC micropolitan area improved on 14 of 31 measures with a comparison and declined on 4. 9 moved within the margin of error and 4 barely changed.

Earlier period
Latest period
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among metro and micro areas: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts. Periods differ by measure (most compare 2015-2019 with 2020-2024); each row names its own in its tooltip and in the table.

Improved14

Firearm deaths−31%21.6 /100k → 14.8 /100k
Property crime−50%2,658 /100k → 1,331 /100k
Traffic deaths−14%19.4 /100k → 16.6 /100k
Homicides−51%8.3 /100k → 4.1 /100k
Gyms+21%0.9 /10k → 1.1 /10k

Declined4

Overdose deaths+59%17.8 /100k → 28.3 /100k
Pharmacies−31%2.4 /10k → 1.7 /10k
Restaurants−8.8%8.5 /10k → 7.8 /10k
Price / income+0.5×3.3× → 3.8×

All 31 measures

Change of every measure of Seneca, SC micropolitan area between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	3.4 /10k2020	4.1 /10k2025	+18%	Improved	72%
Average commute time	26.2 min2015-2019	23.9 min2020-2024	−2.3 min	Within the margin of error	97%
Average weekly wage	$9282020	$1,1572025	+25%	Improved	63%
Bachelor's degree or higher	25.8%2015-2019	28.7%2020-2024	+2.9 points	Improved	52%
Broadband subscriptions	74.8%2015-2019	84.6%2020-2024	+9.8 points	Improved	60%
Child poverty rate	26.0%2015-2019	26.2%2020-2024	+0.2 points	Within the margin of error	22%
Distance to an airport	47 mi2020	47 mi2025	0 mi	Little change	50%
Drug overdose deaths	17.8 /100k2020	28.3 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026	+59%	Declined	7%
Effective property tax rate	0.44%2015-2019	0.38%2020-2024	−0.1 points	Within the margin of error	24%
Firearm deaths	21.6 /100k2020	14.8 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−31%	Improved	93%
Grocery stores	2.3 /10k2020	2.3 /10k2025	−0.7%	Little change	47%
Gyms and fitness centers	0.9 /10k2020	1.1 /10k2025	+21%	Improved	71%
High school diploma or higher	84.9%2015-2019	87.4%2020-2024	+2.5 points	Within the margin of error	70%
Home price to income ratio	3.3×2015-2019	3.8×2020-2024	+0.5×	Declined	38%
Homicide rate	8.3 /100k2020	4.1 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−51%	Improved	78%
Income adjusted for local prices	$55,0722019	$71,1362024	+29%	Improved	30%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4872015-2019	0.4952020-2024	+0.008	Within the margin of error	32%
Median household income	$49,1342015-2019	$62,3882020-2024	+27%	Improved	50%
New business applications	7.7 /1k2020	12.1 /1k2025	+58%	Improved	67%
Pharmacies	2.4 /10k2020	1.7 /10k2025	−31%	Declined	8%
Poverty rate	17.5%2015-2019	17.6%2020-2024	+0 points	Within the margin of error	25%
Property crime rate	2,658 /100k2020	1,331 /100k2025	−50%	Improved	85%
Public libraries	0.6 /10k2019	0.6 /10k2024	−3.8%	Little change	31%
Rent as share of income	31.0%2015-2019	29.5%2020-2024	−1.5 points	Within the margin of error	82%
Rent-burdened households	51.8%2015-2019	48.2%2020-2024	−3.6 points	Within the margin of error	83%
Restaurants and bars	8.5 /10k2020	7.8 /10k2025	−8.8%	Declined	15%
Suicide rate	19.0 /100k2020	19.7 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+3.7%	Little change	53%
Traffic deaths	19.4 /100k2015-2019	16.6 /100k2020-2024	−14%	Improved	81%
Unemployment rate	5.3%2020	4.2%2025	−1.1 points	Improved	6%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	14.3%2015-2019	14.4%2020-2024	+0.1 points	Within the margin of error	40%
Violent crime rate	377 /100k2020	263 /100k2025	−30%	Improved	75%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 708 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: Regional Economic Accounts; Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; Mapping Injury, Overdose, and Violence; American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates; Business Formation Statistics; Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master files; Public Libraries Survey; Fatality Analysis Reporting System; Distance to airports and intercity rail. 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 925 metro and micro areas 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.

Metro and micro areas like Seneca, SC micropolitan area five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Seneca, SC micropolitan area 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, Seneca, SC micropolitan area itself moved +1.4 points in standing on average over the same 30 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

80,469 residents

Men
Women

80 and over
70–79
60–69

Income

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

Household income

34,515 households (±680)

Seneca, SC micropolitan area
United States share

Under $25k20%6,780
$25k–50k21%7,418
$50k–75k16%5,593

Homes

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

Owners and renters

34,515 households (±680)

Seneca, SC micropolitan area
United States share

Own76%26,303
Rent24%8,212

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Own (+3.5 points).

Table view

Getting to work

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

How people get to work

33,075 workers (±966)

Seneca, SC micropolitan area
United States share

Drive alone76%24,998
Carpool11%3,796
Public transit0.3%†97

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 no occupation wages for Seneca, SC micropolitan area.

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.

Seneca, SC has 1,761 employer establishments, 216 for every 10,000 residents (0.87× the US rate of 248), with 22,175 paid employees at an average annual pay of $53,297. The Census Bureau also counts 6,457 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 1,761; 6,457 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 216; US 248
Paid employees: 22,175
Average annual pay: $53,297; US $68,342

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

Specialty trade contractors	166	20.4	1.31×More than typical	763	$50,117	680
Restaurants and other eating places	116	14.2	0.77×Fewer than typical	1,899	$19,027	29
Lessors of real estate	111	13.6	1.10×About typical	338	$43,340	682
Ambulatory health care services	103	12.6	0.61×Fewer than typical	697	$54,881	190
Religious organizations	102	12.5	2.25×More than typical	516	$19,841	—
Services to buildings and dwellings	71	8.7	1.29×More than typical	678	$47,882	671
Construction of buildings	66	8.1	1.07×About typical	390	$63,585	292
Full-service restaurants	62	7.6	0.99×About typical	881	$20,850	13
Real estate agents and brokers	60	7.4	1.51×More than typical	166	$43,741	197
Landscaping services	54	6.6	1.89×More than typical	607	$48,285	233
Other specialty trade contractors	53	6.5	2.59×More than typical	148	$44,743	212
Building equipment contractors	50	6.1	1.02×About typical	300	$49,543	90

Rank places for an industry

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 81,552 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.
A metro area's figures are the exact sums of its counties.
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 contract spending

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $3.2M on contracts performed in Seneca, SC micropolitan area: $38.00 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $3.2M; +57% vs FY2025
Per resident: $38.00; US $1,994
Sole-source: 5.1%; US 30%
Single offer: 11%; 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

Defense Logistics Agency$1.8M58%
Forest Service$1.2M37%
Department of the Navy$72.4K2.3%
Department of Veterans Affairs$58.5K1.8%
National Aeronautics and Space Administration$30.9K1.0%
Agricultural Research Service$19.7K0.6%

Top recipients

RBC AEROSTRUCTURES LLC$1.7M53%
MCCALLS GRADING & CONSTRUCTION INC$721.1K23%
CATERPILLAR INC$172.2K5.4%
MHD-ROCKLAND INC.$149.5K4.7%
INTEGRATED SUPPORT SYSTEMS INC$103.3K3.2%

Spending by fiscal year

1.6MFY2017
1.7MFY2018
1.9MFY2019
2.2MFY2020
1.9MFY2021
1.6MFY2022
2.1MFY2023
1.4M

Top industries (NAICS)

Engine, turbine, and power transmission equipment manufacturing · 3336$1.8M55%
Highway, street, and bridge construction · 2373$721.1K23%
Support activities for forestry · 1153$184.4K5.8%
Agriculture, construction, and mining machinery manufacturing · 3331$172.2K5.4%
Software publishers · 5132$103.3K3.2%
Medical equipment and supplies manufacturing · 3391

Largest awards

8512075321!CONNECTING LINK,RIG$1.6M
RBC AEROSTRUCTURES LLC· Oconee County, SC· Other equipment & supplies· Jun 9, 2026 – Jun 9, 2026· SPE7L126C0070
PROPOSED WORK INCLUDES THE RESTORATION OF ROADWAY ACCESS FOLLOWING DAMAGE DUE TO WIND AND RAIN FROM HURRICANE HELENE. ROADWAY CLEARING, GRADING AND SURFACE REPLACEMENT ARE THE PRIMARY WORK ITEMS PROPOSED.$721.1K
MCCALLS GRADING & CONSTRUCTION INC· Oconee County, SC· Construction & real property· Jan 15, 2026 – Mar 12, 2026· 12363N26F4036
SLICWAVE MAINTENANCE$239.4K
INTEGRATED SUPPORT SYSTEMS INC· Oconee County, SC· IT & telecom· Jun 12, 2023 – Oct 29, 2025· N6833523C0434

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026.

Federal grants & assistance

Grants, loans (counted at their subsidy cost), direct payments and insurance, by fiscal year of the action (USAspending.gov, FABS). Reported apart from contracts and never added to them.

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $689.7M in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for Seneca, SC micropolitan area: $8,233 per resident (US $12,955).

Assistance · FY2026: $689.7M; −3.9% vs FY2025
Per resident: $8,233; US $12,955
Loan face value: $38.9M; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 0.2%; counted, never named

Top programs

96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$490.5M71%
64.109 · Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability$61.1M8.9%
96.001 · Social Security Disability Insurance$59.9M8.7%
96.004 · Social Security Survivors Insurance$31.8M4.6%
96.006 · Supplemental Security Income$10.2M1.5%
20.287 · Surface Transportation Block Grant Program$10.1M1.5%
64.110 · Veterans Dependency and Indemnity Compensation for Service-Connected Death$5.5M0.8%
20.272 · Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP)$4.3M0.6%

Top recipients (organizations)

SOUTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION$16.1M2.3%
COLUMBIA, SC
ROSA CLARK MEDICAL CLINIC INC$1M0.1%
SENECA, SC
STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF PARKS RECREATION & TOURISM$1M0.1%
COLUMBIA, SC
OCONEE COUNTY$704.9K0.1%
WALHALLA, SC
HILLSBOROUGH APARTMENTS LLC

Organizations only: awards to individuals and county aggregate records count in the totals but are never listed. Grants to state governments recorded at the agency's own address are counted statewide, not in the capital's county.

Top agencies

Social Security Administration$592.4M86%
Under Secretary for Benefits/Veterans Benefits Administration$71.9M10%
Department of Veterans Affairs
Federal Highway Administration$16.1M2.3%
Department of Transportation
Railroad Retirement Board$1.9M0.3%
Assistant Secretary for Housing--Federal Housing Commissioner$1.6M

Assistance by fiscal year

539.7MFY2021
540.5MFY2022
594.9MFY2023
638.7MFY2024
717.8MFY2025
689.7MFY2026

County aggregates

97%

Share of obligations reported only as county totals of many small awards (for example Social Security or Medicare payments), with no recipient named.

Source: Federal financial assistance transactions (Financial Assistance Broker Submission) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026 · FY2021–FY2026.

Counties in Seneca, SC

Whole counties, as the U.S. Office of Management and Budget delineates the area. Federal spending below is the exact sum of these counties.

Oconee CountyCentral county4483,775

Principal cities

The cities the area is named for.

SenecaPrincipal city8,993

Largest cities and towns

By population, for places with most of their residents in the area.

Other metro and micro areas in South Carolina

Areas based in South Carolina, best score first.

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Places that share a border, best score first.

Similar metro and micro areas

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.

Mapping Injury, Overdose, and ViolenceCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2026-10-01
PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Daily county PM2.5 and ozone (EPA downscaler model)Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2022
Care Compare: Hospital General Information and Timely and Effective CareCenters for Medicare & Medicaid Services · release 2026-07-22
Distance to airports and intercity railFederal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census Bureau · release 2025+amtrak-2026-04-23
Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master filesFederal Bureau of Investigation · release 2025
Public Libraries SurveyInstitute of Museum and Library Services · release FY2024
U.S. Drought Monitor county statisticsNational Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAA · release 2026-09-29
Fatality Analysis Reporting SystemNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration · release 2024
nClimGrid-Daily county averagesNOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · release 2025
Regional Economic AccountsU.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis · release 2024
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2026 Q1
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Business Formation StatisticsU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-10-01
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
Alternative Fuels Data Center station locatorU.S. Department of Energy · release 2026-10
Election Administration and Voting SurveyU.S. Election Assistance Commission · release 2024
Air Quality Index Annual Summary by CountyU.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2025
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/M42860

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved14

Declined4

Metro and micro areas like Seneca, SC micropolitan area five years ago that improved

Who lives here

Age and sex

Income

Household income

Homes

Owners and renters

Getting to work

How people get to work

Jobs and pay

Local businesses

Federal contract spending

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

Federal grants & assistance

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

Counties in Seneca, SC

Principal cities

Largest cities and towns

Other metro and micro areas in South Carolina

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Similar metro and micro areas

Data and sources

Improved14

Declined4

Age and sex

Household income

Owners and renters

How people get to work

Race and Hispanic origin

Education

Rent paid

Home values

Age of homes

Size of homes

Time to get to work

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

By type

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

What was bought