Housing data for Gaffney, SC
Gaffney, SC has an estimated 12,596 residents and 5,384 homes (US Census Bureau, 2020–2024 American Community Survey).
It is a city in Cherokee County.
49.5% of households rent.
The median gross rent is $887 a month.
Figures last updated on .
- Residents
- 12,596 (±66)
- Housing units
- 5,384 (±325)
- Households that rent
- 49.5%
- Median gross rent
- $887
- Residents since 2015–2019
- +0.1%
What stands out in Gaffney
Homes in buildings of 5 or more units: 17.9% (±4.9 points) in Gaffney, higher than in Cherokee County (6.3%).
Households that rent: 49.5% (±5.2 points) in Gaffney, higher than in Cherokee County (26.2%).
Households that moved in since 2020: 34.6% (±6.3 points) in Gaffney, higher than in Cherokee County (19.6%).
Households without a vehicle: 9.2% (±3.2 points) in Gaffney, higher than in Cherokee County (5.4%).
- Types of homes in Gaffney
- Renters and owners in Gaffney
- How long people stay in Gaffney
- Commute and cars in Gaffney
Housing in Gaffney at a glance
- Median rent: $887 median gross rent a month
- Rent by bedrooms: $871 median gross rent, 2 bedrooms
- Rent burden: 46.6% of renters pay 30% or more of income
- Renters and owners: 49.5% of households rent
- Income and affordability: $41,089 median household income
- Home values: $137,700 median home value
- Homeowner costs: $1,016 median monthly cost with a mortgage
- Property taxes: $756 median real estate taxes a year
- Types of homes: 17.9% of homes are in buildings of 5 or more units
- Bedrooms: 50.4% of homes have 3 or more bedrooms
- Age of homes: 60.2% of homes were built before 1980
- Vacancy rate: 3.2% rental vacancy rate
- Heating fuel: 62.4% heat with electricity
- Commute and cars: 18.8 minutes average trip to work
- Crime reported to police: 344 violent crimes per 100,000 residents
- Growth: +0.1% residents since 2015–2019
- How long people stay: 34.6% moved in since 2020
- Crowding and facilities: 2.9% of homes have more than 1 person per room
Gaffney against Cherokee County, its state and the nation
| Gaffney | Cherokee County | South Carolina | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 12,596 (±66) | 56,647 (exact) | 5,296,225 (exact) | 334,922,499 |
| Housing units | 5,384 (±325) | 25,150 (±46) | 2,443,039 (±311) | 143,775,355 |
| Households that rent | 49.5% (±5.2 points) | 26.2% (±2.3 points) | 28.1% (±0.3 points) | 34.8% |
| Median gross rent | $887 (±$46) | $869 (±$39) | $1,180 (±$9) | $1,413 |
| Median household income | $41,089 (±$3,009) | $50,288 (±$2,291) | $69,324 (±$570) | $80,734 |
| Median home value | $137,700 (±$26,802) | $142,000 (±$15,173) | $259,000 (±$1,421) | $332,700 |
| Median real estate taxes (a year) | $756 (±$98) | $614 (±$47) | $1,251 (±$7) | $3,119 |
| Built before 1980 | 60.2% (±7.7 points) | 44.5% (±3.2 points) | 32.8% (±0.3 points) | 49.7% |
| Average commute | 18.8 minutes (±2.2) | 25.1 minutes (±1.7) | 25.6 minutes (±0.1) | 26.4 minutes |
| Households with broadband | 85.6% (±4.1 points) | 80.7% (±2.2 points) | 88.8% (±0.2 points) | 91.0% |
| Median age of residents | 31.9 years (±2.1) | 40.4 years (±0.5) | 40.2 years (±0.2) | 38.9 years |
Gaffney covers 9.1 square miles of land, about 1,389 residents per square mile (Census Bureau Gazetteer).
How Gaffney has changed since 2015–2019
| 2015–2019 | 2020–2024 | Amount of change | Verdict | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 12,582 (±32) | 12,596 (±66) | +0.1% | Not a measurable change |
| Housing units | 5,372 (±362) | 5,384 (±325) | +0.2% | Not a measurable change |
| Median gross rent | $689 (±$78) | $887 (±$46) | +28.7% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median home value | $111,100 (±$11,760) | $137,700 (±$26,802) | +23.9% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median household income | $31,047 (±$1,706) | $41,089 (±$3,009) | +32.3% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median owner cost with a mortgage | $945 (±$63) | $1,016 (±$94) | +7.5% | Down after inflation |
| Median real estate taxes | $696 (±$67) | $756 (±$98) | +8.6% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Households that rent | 48.0% (±4.6 points) | 49.5% (±5.2 points) | +1.5 percentage points | Not a measurable change |
| Rental vacancy rate | 10.8% (±6.1 points) | 3.2% (±3.0 points) | −7.6 percentage points | Measurable decrease |
The Census Bureau publishes 2015–2019 dollars in 2019 dollars and 2020–2024 dollars in 2024 dollars.
Prices (the CPI-U, US Bureau of Labor Statistics) rose 22.7% between 2019 and 2024, so a dollar figure’s verdict compares the two after raising the earlier one by that much, using the Census Bureau’s test for a difference.
The two periods do not overlap, as the Census Bureau recommends for 5-year estimates.
Crime reported to police in Gaffney
In 2025, the Gaffney Police Department reported 344 violent and 2,880 property crimes per 100,000 residents to the FBI.
Across Cherokee County, the departments that report recorded 264 violent and 1,702 property crimes per 100,000 residents that year.
Places near Gaffney
| Place | Distance | Median gross rent | Median home value | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Gaffney | 2.3 mi | $690 | $77,600 | 21.8% |
| Blacksburg | 8.8 mi | $834 | $157,400 | 58.5% |
| Cowpens | 8.9 mi | $815 | $160,300 | 31.1% |
| Mayo | 11 mi | $628 | $224,700 | 26.2% |
| Earl | 11 mi | $944 | $163,400 | 19.9% |
| Boiling Springs | 12 mi | $1,192 | $265,400 | 23.7% |
| Chesnee | 12 mi | $839 | $103,700 | 45.7% |
| Central Pacolet | 12 mi | $755 | $112,500 | 52.3% |
Places in South Carolina most like Gaffney
| Place | Median gross rent | Median home value | Median household income | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greenwood | $839 | $136,300 | $41,150 | 56.6% |
| Clinton | $899 | $173,400 | $44,522 | 48.5% |
| Laurens | $833 | $180,700 | $49,246 | 53.6% |
| Graniteville | $945 | $112,200 | $38,938 | 35.7% |
| Anderson | $975 | $218,200 | $46,933 | 48.9% |
| Darlington | $840 | $172,300 | $33,952 | 48.0% |
Matched on rent, home value, income, the share who rent, the age of the homes, the share in apartment buildings and the commute, each measured against the spread across South Carolina.
HUD Fair Market Rent for Gaffney, fiscal year 2027
| Studio | 1 bedroom | 2 bedrooms | 3 bedrooms | 4 bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $780 | $813 | $885 | $1,106 | $1,371 |
HUD income limits for Gaffney, fiscal year 2026
| Household size | Extremely low (30%) | Very low (50%) | Low (80%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $15,960 | $26,150 | $41,800 |
| 2 people | $21,640 | $29,850 | $47,800 |
| 3 people | $27,320 | $33,600 | $53,750 |
| 4 people | $33,000 | $37,300 | $59,700 |
| 5 people | $38,680 | $40,300 | $64,500 |
| 6 people | $43,300 | $43,300 | $69,300 |
| 7 people | $46,300 | $46,300 | $74,050 |
| 8 people | $49,250 | $49,250 | $78,850 |
These are the limits HUD sets for its housing programs in the Cherokee County, SC, where HUD’s median family income for fiscal year 2026 is $73,100.
A program can use its own limits; tax-credit and local programs often do.
Survey years: 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates), compared with 2015–2019.
Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.
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Questions about Gaffney
What is the average rent in Gaffney, SC?
The Census Bureau publishes the median rather than the average: the median gross rent in Gaffney is $887 (±$46) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey), so half of renting households pay less and half pay more.
How much is a one-bedroom apartment in Gaffney?
The median gross rent for a one-bedroom home in Gaffney, SC is $858 (±$63) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Are renters in Gaffney rent-burdened?
46.6% of renting households in Gaffney pay 30% or more of their income in gross rent, the share housing researchers usually call rent-burdened (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
How many renters are there in Gaffney?
Gaffney has an estimated 2,294 (±265) renting households, 49.5% of its occupied homes (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the median household income in Gaffney?
The median household income in Gaffney is $41,089 (±$3,009) a year (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the average home value in Gaffney, SC?
The Census Bureau publishes the median: $137,700 (±$26,802) for owner-occupied homes in Gaffney (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Is Gaffney growing?
In Gaffney, the number of residents went from 12,582 in 2015–2019 to 12,596 in 2020–2024 (+0.1%), not a measurable change.
Sources
- Demographic and Housing Estimates (DP05), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Gaffney city, South Carolina
- Selected Housing Characteristics (DP04), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Gaffney city, South Carolina
- Selected Economic Characteristics (DP03), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Gaffney city, South Carolina
- Median Real Estate Taxes Paid by Mortgage Status (B25103), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Gaffney city, South Carolina
- Selected Social Characteristics (DP02), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Gaffney city, South Carolina
- Total Population (B01003), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Gaffney city, South Carolina
- Median Gross Rent (B25064), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Gaffney city, South Carolina
- HUD Fair Market Rents, fiscal year 2027: Cherokee County, SC
- HUD Income Limits, fiscal year 2026: Cherokee County, SC
- FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Crime Data Explorer: Gaffney Police Department (ORI SC0110200)
- FBI: Uniform Crime Reporting statistics and their proper use
- Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), US city average, all items, US Bureau of Labor Statistics: annual averages 2019 and 2024
- US Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer Files
To check these figures in the Census Bureau’s own API, request the variables below from the 2024 ACS 5-year data profile (acs/acs5/profile) for Gaffney city, South Carolina (place:28060, in state:45).
Each estimate (E or PE) has a margin of error beside it (M or PM).
The 2015–2019 figures are B01003_001E, B01003_001M, B25064_001E, B25064_001M from the 2019 release.
The API needs a free key.
DP05_0001E, DP05_0001M, DP04_0001E, DP04_0001M, DP04_0047PE, DP04_0047PM, DP04_0134E, DP04_0134M, DP03_0062E, DP03_0062M, DP04_0089E, DP04_0089M
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Figures are published by the US Census Bureau, HUD, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the FBI; Seayora reproduces them and does not adjust them, except where a sentence says it compares dollar figures after inflation. They describe the whole place, not any one building or street, and are not an appraisal, a rent determination, a tax bill, a safety rating or legal advice.
Figures last updated on .