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Anderson vs Sumter

135 miles apart. The biggest differences: trails (2.3× in Sumter) and property tax bill (+22% in Anderson).

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Anderson, SCAn outdoors townSouth Carolina · 30,051 people
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Sumter, SCHometown of 69 notable peopleSouth Carolina · 43,053 people
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Where each one shines

Two towns, two different strengths

What each town does better than most of its state (not better than each other). Tap one to see the page behind it.

AndersonAn outdoors town
Outdoors#18 most walkable in SC8.9 miles of trails across 10 parks and preserves Health73% of U.S. towns are healthieron CDC estimates HistorySettled in 182611 places on the National Register All about Anderson →
SumterHometown of 69 notable people
Famous people69 notable peopleborn in Sumter Outdoors#17 most conserved land in SC20 miles of trails across 16 parks and preserves HistorySettled in 184510 places on the National Register All about Sumter →
The biggest differences

Where they differ most

The rows below where the towns are furthest apart, beyond the Census margin of error. The full table is further down.

Trails2.3×
Sumter has more miles of trail
Sumter 20.3 miAnderson 8.9 mi
Property tax bill+22%
Tax bills are bigger in Anderson
Anderson $1,366Sumter $1,123
Kids under 18+4.5 pts
Sumter has more kids
Sumter 26%Anderson 21.5%
Work in town+8.8 pts
More of Sumter’s workers stay in town
Sumter 31%Anderson 22.2%
★ What stands out · Report cards

Sumter places higher on 12 of 22 SC lists

Our letter grades for safety, schools and health, then every South Carolina ranking list both towns are on. A grade is one measure; read the page behind it.

Safety
D−AndersonSafer than 3% of U.S. towns D−SumterSafer than 4% of U.S. towns
Schools
B+AndersonBetter than 73% of districts in the state C−SumterBetter than 22% of districts in the state
Health
CAndersonHealthier than 27% of U.S. towns CSumterHealthier than 26% of U.S. towns
9Anderson
12Sumter

Lists won, of 22 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Closest to a top hospitalHealth · 173 towns #4#138 Lowest depressionHealth · 173 towns #153#22 Best schoolsSchools · 141 towns #50#107 Lowest obesityHealth · 173 towns #74#134 Rent easiest to affordCost of living · 42 towns #18#31 Lowest property taxCost of living · 172 towns #123#86 Most walkableOutdoors · 173 towns #18#53 Highest incomeIncome · 172 towns #125#93

Left end = #1 in South Carolina. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of Anderson’s rankings →

Monthly cost

A typical home costs $390 more a month in Anderson

A typical home in each town, bought with 20% down at 6.3% for 30 years, plus property tax at the town’s own rate and insurance. Change the numbers to fit you.

Anderson$1,580/mo
Typical home $274K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.63% · or rent about $975/mo · Housing →
Sumter$1,190/mo
Typical home $208K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.56% · or rent about $1,076/mo · Housing →

The difference: $390 a month, about $4,700 a year, between Anderson and Sumter.

Estimates, not a quote: your price, rate, tax bill and insurance will differ. Tax rate = the Census median tax bill over the median home value.

Life in each

What daily life feels like in each

The weather, the land, the history and the people, row by row. None of it is a grade: more snow is a plus to a skier.

Seasons
AndersonSumter
Snow a year1″0″
January low33°F33°F
July high91°F90°F
Growing season (days)234d230d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)42nd45th
Outdoors & history
AndersonSumter
Trails9 mi20 mi
Conserved land4.1%7.4%
Settled18261845
National Register places1110
Archive photos1224
Famous people born here—69
Community
AndersonSumter
Library hours a week38 hrs40 hrs
Colleges in town13
Posts this month00
Neighbors joined10

A dot marks the most on each row. Climate: NOAA 1991–2020 normals at the nearest station. Hazard risk: FEMA National Risk Index, expected yearly damage vs U.S. towns.

Where they are

135 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

AndersonSCSumterSC
Anderson ↔ Sumter135 miles apart
Everything, side by side

What matters to you?

Pick a few. Those rows jump to the top and the best fit on each is marked. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.

AndersonSumter
People
Population 30,051Lowest 43,053Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +5.3%Lowest SC: +10.7% +7.3%Highest SC: +10.7%
Median age 32.7±2Lowest 19% below SC 33.6±1.6Highest 16% below SC
Sumter and Anderson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 21.5%±2.2Lowest SC: 21.4% 26%±2.1Highest SC: 21.4%
Age 65+ 17.1%±1.7Lowest SC: 18.9% 17.6%±1.5Highest SC: 18.9%
Sumter and Anderson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 28.3%Lowest SC: 32.1% 28.7%Highest SC: 32.1%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 10.1%±1.4Highest SC: 5.7% 6.3%±1Lowest SC: 5.7%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $46,933±$4kLowest 32% below SC $55,592±$4kHighest 20% below SC
Sumter and Anderson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $218,200±$13kHighest 16% below SC $199,100±$11kLowest 23% below SC
Anderson and Sumter are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly $975±$58Lowest 17% below SC $1,076±$60Highest 9% below SC
Sumter and Anderson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $1,366Highest 9% above SC $1,123Lowest 10% below SC
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 50.2%±6.2Lowest SC: 52.1% 56.2%±5.9Highest SC: 52.1%
Sumter and Anderson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 21%Highest SC: 14.1% 16.7%Lowest SC: 14.1%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 51.1%Lowest SC: 71.9% 57.2%Highest SC: 71.9%
Typical home builtmedian year 1975Lowest 17 yrs older than SC 1986Highest 6 yrs older than SC
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 22 minHighest 14% below SC 20 minLowest 23% below SC
Work from home 5.8%±1.2Lowest SC: 11.5% 6.1%±1.5Highest SC: 11.5%
Sumter and Anderson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 22.2%Lowest 31%Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 11.8 miLowest 13.3 miHighest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.71Highest 1.37Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town Greenville (9%)Columbia (7%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in SumterFew work in Anderson
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 4.1%Lowest 7.4%Highest
Trailsmapped miles 8.9 miLowest 20.3 miHighest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.5 miLowest 0.6 miHighest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 10Lowest 16Highest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 89.2Highest 70.5Lowest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #50 of 141 in SC#107 of 141 in SC
School district Anderson 05Sumter 01
High school in town Anderson Five Charter SchoolSumter High School
Students per teacherat that high school 3.2Lowest 17.0Highest
South Carolina average“±” Census margin of errorACS 2020–2024
Deciding?

Ask the people who live there

The numbers stop at the town line. Neighbors can tell you about the commute at 7am, the schools, the winters and the feel of the place.

Anderson neighborsTown Square →
T Weaver · 1w

What Makes Anderson Feel Like Home

1 neighbor in Anderson can answer.

Sumter neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Sumter’s Town Square.

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Set another town beside Anderson and Sumter

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Bordering Anderson

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Northlake4,390 people · $278K homes

Towns like Anderson

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Spartanburg38,910 people · $204K homes
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Florence40,408 people · $211K homes
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Gaffney12,596 people · $138K homes
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Greenwood22,536 people · $136K homes

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2010 & 2020 censuses, LEHD commute flows; Zillow Home Value Index; NCES Common Core of Data; FBI crime reporting; CDC PLACES; FEMA National Risk Index; NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020; USGS PAD-US and OpenStreetMap. “±” is the Census margin of error; differences inside it are never called. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. There is no overall score: which town is better depends on what matters to you.

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