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%

Westminster$1,280/mo

Typical home $225K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.53% · or rent about $715/mo · Housing →

Pickens$1,570/mo

Typical home $280K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.44% · or rent about $828/mo · Housing →

The difference: $290 a month, about $3,500 a year, between Pickens and Westminster.

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

Pickens places higher on 15 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

–WestminsterNot graded DPickensSafer than 10% of U.S. towns

Schools

B+WestminsterBetter than 70% of districts in the state A−PickensBetter than 77% of districts in the state

Health

DWestminsterHealthier than 12% of U.S. towns C+PickensHealthier than 40% of U.S. towns

4Westminster

15Pickens

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

Most conserved landOutdoors · 148 towns #148#45 Shortest commuteGetting around · 173 towns #57#152 Fewest uninsuredHealth · 173 towns #120#57 Fewest smokersHealth · 173 towns #141#80 Most activeHealth · 173 towns #126#69 HealthiestHealth · 173 towns #137#81 Fastest growingGrowth · 157 towns #116#68 Lowest depressionHealth · 173 towns #162#116

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

WestminsterPickens

Snow a year2″1″

January low29°F 30°F

July high89°F 90°F

Growing season (days)203d 216d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)27th 32nd

Outdoors & history

WestminsterPickens

Trails—1 mi

Conserved land—3.5%

National Register places2 3

Archive photos—15

Famous people born here—10

Community

WestminsterPickens

Library hours a week38 hrs 49 hrs

Posts this month0 0

Neighbors joined0 1

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

26 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

WestminsterPickens

Westminster ↔ Pickens26 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

WestminsterPickens

People

Population 2,521Lowest 3,155Highest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -2.7%Lowest SC: +10.7% +8.4%Highest SC: +10.7%

Median age 40±17.4Lowest about the SC average 40.6±10.2Highest about the SC average

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

Kids under 18 22%±4.4Highest SC: 21.4% 20.6%±5.7Lowest SC: 21.4%

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

Age 65+ 26.4%±8.5Highest SC: 18.9% 17.8%±4.6Lowest SC: 18.9%

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

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 18.7%Lowest SC: 32.1% 19.8%Highest SC: 32.1%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 2.3%±1.4Lowest SC: 5.7% 3.4%±2.4Highest SC: 5.7%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $40,946±$20kLowest 41% below SC $55,000±$18kHighest 21% below SC

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $178,100±$24kLowest 31% below SC $204,100±$23kHighest 21% below SC

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

Rentmedian gross, monthly $715±$267Lowest 39% below SC $828±$117Highest 30% below SC

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

Property taxmedian, yearly $942Highest 25% below SC $894Lowest 29% below SC

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 54.2%±18.8Lowest SC: 52.1% 61.7%±9.8Highest SC: 52.1%

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

Below poverty line 21.3%Highest SC: 14.1% 16.7%Lowest SC: 14.1%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 67.9%Lowest SC: 71.9% 68%Highest SC: 71.9%

Typical home builtmedian year 1969Highest 23 yrs older than SC 1964Lowest 28 yrs older than SC

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 22 minLowest 14% below SC 30 minHighest 16% above SC

Work from home 0.8%±1.2Lowest SC: 11.5% 1.9%±2.2Highest SC: 11.5%

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

Work in townworking residents 2.8%Lowest 6%Highest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 15.3 miLowest 17.8 miHighest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.41Lowest 1.30Highest

Top workplaceoutside town Walhalla (5%)Greenville (14%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in PickensFew work in Westminster

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 0.1%Lowest 3.5%Highest

Trailsmapped miles 0.0 miLowest 0.9 miHighest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.0 miLowest 0.3 miHighest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 0Lowest 3Highest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 60.1Lowest 63.0Highest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #98 of 141 in SC #65 of 141 in SC

School district Oconee 01Pickens 01

High school in town None in townPickens High

Students per teacherat that high school — 14.6

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.

Westminster neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Westminster’s Town Square.

Pickens neighborsTown Square →

1 neighbor in Pickens can answer.

Add a town

Set another town beside Westminster and Pickens

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

Towns like Westminster

+ Compare

Ninety Six2,521 people · $121K homes

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Varnville2,571 people · $116K homes

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Honea Path3,739 people · $155K homes

+ Compare

Pacolet2,419 people · $90K 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.

Westminster vs Pickens

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they differ most

A typical home costs $290 more a month in Pickens

Pickens places higher on 15 of 19 SC lists

What daily life feels like in each

26 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Westminster and Pickens

Towns like Westminster

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