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

DWilliamstonSafer than 13% of U.S. towns DPickensSafer than 10% of U.S. towns

Schools

A+WilliamstonBetter than 97% of districts in the state A−PickensBetter than 77% of districts in the state

Health

CWilliamstonHealthier than 25% of U.S. towns C+PickensHealthier than 40% of U.S. towns

8Williamston

11Pickens

Lists won, of 20 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Most conserved landOutdoors · 148 towns #109#45 Best schoolsSchools · 141 towns #22#65 Lowest depressionHealth · 173 towns #162#116 Most walkableOutdoors · 173 towns #39#77 Fewest uninsuredHealth · 173 towns #92#57 Most educatedPeople · 173 towns #145#112 Highest graduation rateSchools · 160 towns #6#35 Highest incomeIncome · 172 towns #66#97

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

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%

Williamston$1,620/mo

Typical home $281K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.64% · or rent about $899/mo · Housing →

Pickens$1,570/mo

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

The difference: $50 a month, about $600 a year, between Williamston and Pickens.

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.

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

WilliamstonPickens

Snow a year1″1″

January low31°F 30°F

July high90°F 90°F

Growing season (days)219d 216d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)48th 32nd

Outdoors & history

WilliamstonPickens

Trails3 mi 1 mi

Conserved land0.8%3.5%

Settled1842 —

National Register places—3

Archive photos—10

Famous people born here5 10

Community

WilliamstonPickens

Library hours a week—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

23 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

WilliamstonPickens

Williamston ↔ Pickens23 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

WilliamstonPickens

People

Population 4,170Highest 3,155Lowest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +2.8%Lowest SC: +10.7% +8.4%Highest SC: +10.7%

Median age 38.9±2.9Lowest 3% below SC 40.6±10.2Highest about the SC average

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

Kids under 18 19.3%±5.1Lowest SC: 21.4% 20.6%±5.7Highest SC: 21.4%

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

Age 65+ 19%±5.4Highest SC: 18.9% 17.8%±4.6Lowest SC: 18.9%

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

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 15.4%Lowest SC: 32.1% 19.8%Highest SC: 32.1%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 4.8%±3.2Highest SC: 5.7% 3.4%±2.4Lowest SC: 5.7%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $64,389±$12kHighest 7% below SC $55,000±$18kLowest 21% below SC

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $162,800±$12kLowest 37% below SC $204,100±$23kHighest 21% below SC

Rentmedian gross, monthly $899±$119Highest 24% below SC $828±$117Lowest 30% below SC

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

Property taxmedian, yearly $1,045Highest 16% below SC $894Lowest 29% below SC

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 42.5%±18.4Lowest SC: 52.1% 61.7%±9.8Highest SC: 52.1%

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

Below poverty line 13.5%Lowest SC: 14.1% 16.7%Highest SC: 14.1%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 65%Lowest SC: 71.9% 68%Highest SC: 71.9%

Typical home builtmedian year 1970Highest 22 yrs older than SC 1964Lowest 28 yrs older than SC

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 27 minLowest 4% above SC 30 minHighest 16% above SC

Work from home 4.1%±4Highest SC: 11.5% 1.9%±2.2Lowest SC: 11.5%

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

Work in townworking residents 8.5%Highest 6%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 15.3 miLowest 17.8 miHighest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.44Highest 1.30Lowest

Top workplaceoutside town Greenville (13%)Greenville (14%)

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

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 0.8%Lowest 3.5%Highest

Trailsmapped miles 3.1 miHighest 0.9 miLowest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.8 miHighest 0.3 miLowest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 2Lowest 3Highest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 75.0Highest 63.0Lowest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #22 of 141 in SC #65 of 141 in SC

School district Anderson 80 · Anderson 01Pickens 01

High school in town Palmetto HighPickens High

Students per teacherat that high school 18.3Highest 14.6Lowest

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.

Williamston neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Williamston’s Town Square.

Pickens neighborsTown Square →

T Weaver · 1w

Pickens History and Change

1 neighbor in Pickens can answer.

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Towns like Williamston

+ Compare

Barnwell4,613 people · $145K homes

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Batesburg-Leesville4,941 people · $135K homes

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Chester5,218 people · $123K homes

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Inman3,166 people · $193K 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.

Williamston vs Pickens

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they differ most

Pickens places higher on 11 of 20 SC lists

A typical home costs about the same each month

What daily life feels like in each

23 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Pickens History and Change

Set another town beside Williamston and Pickens

Towns like Williamston

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