Summerville vs Sumter
Summerville, South Carolina versus Sumter, South Carolina: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Summerville and Sumter score about the same overall (42 vs 45 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Summerville | Sumter |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $74k | $49k |
| Cost of Living | $60k | $45k |
| Home Value | $277k | $171k |
| Monthly Rent | $1k | $1k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $2k | $1k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.63% | 0.63% |
| Income Tax | 6.40% | 6.40% |
| Sales Tax | 7.50% | 7.50% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 11.25% | 11.09% |
| Unemployment | 5.8% | 7.8% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 50°F | 47°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 83°F | 83°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 49.2 in | 50.9 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 0.3 in | 0.3 in |
| Sunny Days | 241 days | 234 days |
| Summer Humidity | 73°F | 70°F |
| Comfortable Days | 110 days | 82 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 96.2 | 69.1 |
| Air Quality | 38 AQI | 40 AQI |
| School Quality | 40.1 | 40.4 |
| Violent Crime | 2207/100k | 2908/100k |
| Property Crime | 2728/100k | 3163/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 50,839 | 43,046 |
| Median Age | 38.8 | 33.1 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.45 | 0.60 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.92 | 0.96 |
| Political Leaning | R+11 | D+13 |
| White (%) | 69.4% | 39.5% |
| Black (%) | 19.7% | 47.1% |
| Hispanic (%) | 5.9% | 7.3% |
| Asian (%) | 1.6% | 2.1% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 3.3% | 4.1% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 30 min | 19 min |
| Walkability | 7.2/20 | 7.0/20 |
| Airport Distance | 11 mi | 74 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 90.1% | 82.8% |
| Amenities Nearby | 24.39 | 16.03 |
| Park & Nature Access | Good | Excellent |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US places: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Summerville or Sumter more affordable?
- Sumter has the lower cost of living: its index is $45k, compared with Summerville's $60k and Sumter's $45k. Median rent is $1k in Summerville versus $1k in Sumter.
- Is Summerville or Sumter safer?
- Summerville has the lower violent crime rate. Summerville reports 2207/100k and Sumter reports 2908/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Summerville or Sumter?
- The median home value is $277k in Summerville and $171k in Sumter, so homes are more affordable in Sumter.