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Bethune vs Ridge Spring

85 miles apart. The biggest differences: trails (5× in Bethune) and property tax bill (+41% in Ridge Spring).

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Bethune, SCHomes around $180KSouth Carolina · 438 people

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Ridge Spring, SCHomes around $169KSouth Carolina · 842 people

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.

BethuneHomes around $180K

Housing$180K typical home41% below the SC typical home All about Bethune →

Ridge SpringHomes around $169K

Housing$169K typical home45% below the SC typical home All about Ridge Spring →

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.

Bethune has more miles of trail

Bethune 1.0 miRidge Spring 0.2 mi

Property tax bill+41%

Tax bills are bigger in Ridge Spring

Ridge Spring $753Bethune $535

Street grid+56%

Bethune has the more walkable street grid

Bethune 53.5Ridge Spring 34.4

★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs about the same each month

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.

Down paymentRate%

Bethune$1,020/mo

Typical home $180K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.50% · or rent about $1,591/mo · Housing →

Ridge Spring$1,040/mo

Typical home $169K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.08% · or rent about $640/mo · Housing →

Within $50 a month of each other.

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.

Report cards

Grades and rankings, side by side

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.

Schools

–BethuneNot graded BRidge SpringBetter than 60% of districts in the state

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

BethuneRidge Spring

Snow a year1″1″

January low32°F 35°F

July high92°F 91°F

Growing season (days)224d 244d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)27th 43rd

Outdoors & history

BethuneRidge Spring

Trails1 mi —

Conserved land2.4%—

National Register places—1

Archive photos6 1

Famous people born here1 1

Community

BethuneRidge Spring

Library hours a week21 hrs —

Posts this month0 0

Neighbors joined0 0

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

85 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

BethuneSC Ridge SpringSC

Bethune ↔ Ridge Spring85 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.

Only big differences vs South Carolina average

BethuneRidge Spring

People

Population 438Lowest 842Highest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census — -21.4% SC: +10.7%

Median age 41.7±13Lowest 4% above SC 43.1±7Highest 7% above SC

Ridge Spring and Bethune are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Kids under 18 22.4%±13.1Highest SC: 21.4% 17.2%±8.2Lowest SC: 21.4%

Bethune and Ridge Spring are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Age 65+ 24.7%±1.1Lowest SC: 18.9% 28%±5.8Highest SC: 18.9%

Ridge Spring and Bethune are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 21.8%Lowest SC: 32.1% 25.9%Highest SC: 32.1%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 5.9%±9.8Highest SC: 5.7% 2.9%±3.8Lowest SC: 5.7%

Bethune and Ridge Spring are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $44,000±$24kHighest 37% below SC $39,167±$21kLowest 44% below SC

Bethune and Ridge Spring are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $106,800±$13kHighest 59% below SC $69,600±$34kLowest 73% below SC

Bethune and Ridge Spring are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,591±$997Highest 35% above SC $640±$90Lowest 46% below SC

Bethune and Ridge Spring are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Property taxmedian, yearly $535Lowest 57% below SC $753Highest 40% below SC

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 82.4%±34.2Highest SC: 52.1% 42.6%±26.4Lowest SC: 52.1%

Bethune and Ridge Spring are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Below poverty line 34%Highest SC: 14.1% 24.8%Lowest SC: 14.1%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 66.7%Lowest SC: 71.9% 67.8%Highest SC: 71.9%

Typical home builtmedian year 1960Lowest 32 yrs older than SC 1970Highest 22 yrs older than SC

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 29 min 12% above SC 29 min 12% above SC

Work from home 2.1%±4.1Lowest SC: 11.5% 9.4%±7.2Highest SC: 11.5%

Ridge Spring and Bethune are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Work in townworking residents 0.8%Lowest 3.3%Highest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 36.3 miHighest 24.3 miLowest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.48Lowest 0.53Highest

Top workplaceoutside town Camden (8%)Batesburg-Leesville (5%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in Ridge SpringFew work in Bethune

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 2.4%Highest 1.8%Lowest

Trailsmapped miles 1.0 miHighest 0.2 miLowest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.9 miHighest 0.1 miLowest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 0 0

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 53.5Highest 34.4Lowest

Schools

School district —Aiken 01

High school in town —None in town

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.

Bethune neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Bethune’s Town Square.

Ridge Spring neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Ridge Spring’s Town Square.

Add a town

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Towns like Bethune

Greeleyville362 people · $151K homes

Donalds355 people · $107K homes

Society Hill388 people · $93K homes

Swansea744 people · $129K homes

Not sure which town to add? Find your place ranks South Carolina towns on what matters to you.Find your place →

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.