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%

Walhalla$1,310/mo

Typical home $231K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.52% · or rent about $669/mo · Housing →

Chester$840/mo

Typical home $140K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.87% · or rent about $902/mo · Housing →

The difference: $480 a month, about $5,700 a year, between Walhalla and Chester.

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

Walhalla 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

BWalhallaSafer than 57% of U.S. towns –ChesterNot graded

Schools

B+WalhallaBetter than 70% of districts in the state CChesterBetter than 31% of districts in the state

Health

DWalhallaHealthier than 9% of U.S. towns D−ChesterHealthier than 1% of U.S. towns

12Walhalla

7Chester

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

Lowest depressionHealth · 173 towns #153#46 Closest to a top hospitalHealth · 173 towns #65#132 Highest graduation rateSchools · 160 towns #66#118 Cheapest rentCost of living · 170 towns #10#61 Most conserved landOutdoors · 148 towns #76#38 Lowest obesityHealth · 173 towns #124#155 Most affordableCost of living · 171 towns #56#26 Lowest property taxCost of living · 172 towns #54#83

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

WalhallaChester

Snow a year2″3″

January low29°F 31°F

July high89°F 92°F

Growing season (days)203d 210d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)43rd 40th

Outdoors & history

WalhallaChester

Trails1 mi 0 mi

Conserved land1.8%4.2%

Settled1849 —

National Register places6 4

Archive photos12 18

Famous people born here6 31

Community

WalhallaChester

Library hours a week46 hrs 48 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

105 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

WalhallaSC ChesterSC

Walhalla ↔ Chester105 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

WalhallaChester

People

Population 4,157Lowest 5,218Highest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -4.5%Highest SC: +10.7% -6%Lowest SC: +10.7%

Median age 40.9±10.4Highest about the SC average 38.8±7.7Lowest 3% below SC

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

Kids under 18 18.9%±5.7Lowest SC: 21.4% 24.7%±5.7Highest SC: 21.4%

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

Age 65+ 22.9%±6.6Highest SC: 18.9% 15.4%±3.5Lowest SC: 18.9%

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

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 11.4%Lowest SC: 32.1% 14%Highest SC: 32.1%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 1%±0.9Lowest SC: 5.7% 1.2%±1.4Highest SC: 5.7%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $36,327±$14kLowest 48% below SC $46,138±$7kHighest 33% below SC

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $171,900±$39kHighest 34% below SC $123,000±$34kLowest 53% below SC

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

Rentmedian gross, monthly $669±$103Lowest 43% below SC $902±$102Highest 24% below SC

Property taxmedian, yearly $902Lowest 28% below SC $1,075Highest 14% below SC

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 21.2%±13Lowest SC: 52.1% 45%±13.6Highest SC: 52.1%

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

Below poverty line 45.9%Highest SC: 14.1% 19.4%Lowest SC: 14.1%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 57%Lowest SC: 71.9% 59.1%Highest SC: 71.9%

Typical home builtmedian year 1975Highest 17 yrs older than SC 1962Lowest 30 yrs older than SC

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 32 minHighest 26% above SC 28 minLowest 11% above SC

Work from home 3.2%±3Highest SC: 11.5% 1.6%±1.8Lowest SC: 11.5%

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

Work in townworking residents 10.8%Highest 6.6%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 11.8 miLowest 26.8 miHighest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.95Highest 0.88Lowest

Top workplaceoutside town Greenville (6%)Rock Hill (14%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in ChesterFew work in Walhalla

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 1.8%Lowest 4.2%Highest

Trailsmapped miles 1.3 miHighest 0.3 miLowest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.3 miHighest 0.1 miLowest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 6Highest 2Lowest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 81.2Highest 72.0Lowest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #92 of 141 in SC #109 of 141 in SC

School district Oconee 01Chester 01

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.

Walhalla neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Walhalla’s Town Square.

Chester neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Chester’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Walhalla and Chester

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

Bordering Walhalla

+ Compare

West Union370 people · $148K homes

Towns like Walhalla

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Edgefield4,010 people · $123K homes

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Honea Path3,739 people · $155K homes

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Dillon6,354 people · $116K homes

+ Compare

Pageland2,489 people · $187K 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.

Walhalla vs Chester

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they differ most

A typical home costs $480 more a month in Walhalla

Walhalla places higher on 12 of 19 SC lists

What daily life feels like in each

105 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Walhalla and Chester

Bordering Walhalla

Towns like Walhalla

Post to Walhalla

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