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%

Clover$2,370/mo

Typical home $415K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.57% · or rent about $841/mo · Housing →

Irmo$1,620/mo

Typical home $281K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.62% · or rent about $1,477/mo · Housing →

The difference: $750 a month, about $9,000 a year, between Clover and Irmo.

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

Irmo places higher on 12 of 19 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

BCloverSafer than 62% of U.S. towns –IrmoNot graded

Schools

A+CloverBetter than 98% of districts in the state AIrmoBetter than 91% of districts in the state

Health

B−CloverHealthier than 50% of U.S. towns A−IrmoHealthier than 80% of U.S. towns

7Clover

12Irmo

Lists won, of 19 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Cheapest rentCost of living · 170 towns #47#149 Shortest commuteGetting around · 173 towns #168#81 Lowest obesityHealth · 173 towns #111#35 Fastest growingGrowth · 157 towns #22#85 Most affordableCost of living · 171 towns #132#76 Closest to a top hospitalHealth · 173 towns #69#13 Most conserved landOutdoors · 148 towns #49#93 Fewest smokersHealth · 173 towns #60#14

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

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

CloverIrmo

Snow a year1″1″

January low31°F 35°F

July high91°F 93°F

Growing season (days)228d 229d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)16th 42nd

Outdoors & history

CloverIrmo

Trails2 mi 1 mi

Conserved land3.1%1.1%

Settled1887 1890

National Register places2 —

Archive photos12 7

Famous people born here3 9

Community

CloverIrmo

Library hours a week39 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

70 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

CloverSC IrmoSC

Clover ↔ Irmo70 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

CloverIrmo

People

Population 7,234Lowest 11,813Highest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +31%Highest SC: +10.7% +4.3%Lowest SC: +10.7%

Median age 37.6±2.2Lowest 6% below SC 40.3±2Highest about the SC average

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

Kids under 18 31.5%±4.7Highest SC: 21.4% 22.9%±3.7Lowest SC: 21.4%

Age 65+ 9.2%±2.3Lowest SC: 18.9% 15.5%±2.5Highest SC: 18.9%

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 29.2%Lowest SC: 32.1% 39.2%Highest SC: 32.1%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 3.9%±1.3Lowest SC: 5.7% 4.3%±1.8Highest SC: 5.7%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $85,450±$13kHighest 23% above SC $80,489±$18kLowest 16% above SC

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $295,700±$50kHighest 14% above SC $203,400±$18kLowest 21% below SC

Rentmedian gross, monthly $841±$361Lowest 29% below SC $1,477±$129Highest 25% above SC

Property taxmedian, yearly $1,686Highest 35% above SC $1,253Lowest about the SC average

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 57.6%±27.6Highest SC: 52.1% 40.3%±15.5Lowest SC: 52.1%

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

Below poverty line 8.3%Lowest SC: 14.1% 9.2%Highest SC: 14.1%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 80.1%Lowest SC: 71.9% 81.6%Highest SC: 71.9%

Typical home builtmedian year 2001Highest 9 yrs newer than SC 1985Lowest 7 yrs older than SC

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 35 minHighest 36% above SC 24 minLowest 7% below SC

Work from home 13.6%±5Lowest SC: 11.5% 14.6%±5.3Highest SC: 11.5%

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

Work in townworking residents 9.5%Highest 4.6%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 20.8 miHighest 11.3 miLowest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.69Lowest 1.27Highest

Top workplaceoutside town Charlotte (23%)Columbia (29%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in IrmoFew work in Clover

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 3.1%Highest 1.1%Lowest

Trailsmapped miles 2.4 miHighest 0.8 miLowest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.5 miHighest 0.1 miLowest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 4Highest 2Lowest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 66.0Highest 63.7Lowest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #54 of 141 in SC #63 of 141 in SC

School district York 02Lexington 05

High school in town None in townNone 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.

Clover neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Clover’s Town Square.

Irmo neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Irmo’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Clover and Irmo

One tap adds it. Up to 4 towns at once.

Towns like Clover

+ Compare

Fountain Inn12,020 people · $275K homes

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Moncks Corner15,485 people · $333K homes

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Lyman6,547 people · $278K homes

+ Compare

Camden8,267 people · $265K 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.

Clover vs Irmo

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

A typical home costs $750 more a month in Clover

Irmo places higher on 12 of 19 SC lists

What daily life feels like in each

70 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Clover and Irmo

Towns like Clover

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