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%

Irmo$1,620/mo

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

Clover$2,370/mo

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

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

Schools

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

Health

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

12Irmo

7Clover

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

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

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

IrmoClover

Snow a year1″1″

January low35°F 31°F

July high93°F 91°F

Growing season (days)229d 228d

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

Outdoors & history

IrmoClover

Trails1 mi 2 mi

Conserved land1.1%3.1%

Settled1890 1887

National Register places—2

Archive photos7 12

Famous people born here9 3

Community

IrmoClover

Library hours a week—39 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.

IrmoSC CloverSC

Irmo ↔ Clover70 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

IrmoClover

People

Population 11,813Highest 7,234Lowest

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

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

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

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

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

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

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 4.3%±1.8Highest SC: 5.7% 3.9%±1.3Lowest 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 $80,489±$18kLowest 16% above SC $85,450±$13kHighest 23% 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 $203,400±$18kLowest 21% below SC $295,700±$50kHighest 14% above SC

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

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

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 40.3%±15.5Lowest SC: 52.1% 57.6%±27.6Highest 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 9.2%Highest SC: 14.1% 8.3%Lowest SC: 14.1%

Housing

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

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

Getting to work

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

Work from home 14.6%±5.3Highest SC: 11.5% 13.6%±5Lowest 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 4.6%Lowest 9.5%Highest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 11.3 miLowest 20.8 miHighest

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

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

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in CloverFew work in Irmo

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 1.1%Lowest 3.1%Highest

Trailsmapped miles 0.8 miLowest 2.4 miHighest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.1 miLowest 0.5 miHighest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 2Lowest 4Highest

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

Schools

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

School district Lexington 05York 02

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.

Irmo neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Irmo’s Town Square.

Clover neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Clover’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Irmo and Clover

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

Bordering Irmo

+ Compare

Lake Murray of Richland7,023 people · $422K homes

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Columbia139,643 people · $264K homes

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Seven Oaks15,921 people · $208K homes

Towns like Irmo

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Fountain Inn12,020 people · $275K homes

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Camden8,267 people · $265K homes

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North Augusta25,653 people · $234K homes

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Moncks Corner15,485 people · $333K 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.

Irmo vs Clover

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 Irmo and Clover

Bordering Irmo

Towns like Irmo

Post to Irmo

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