CitytisticsShortlist

Cost of living, pay and housing

34.05° N · 81.11° W · GEOID 4562395

St. Andrews

Richland County, South Carolina · part of the Columbia, SC metro

South CarolinaSt. Andrews, SCSt. AndrewsSt. Andrews

The short answer

St. Andrews is home to 19,868 people. Median household income is $46,511 a year and median rent is $1,088 a month, 28.1% of income (a ratio of two medians, not any one household's burden). Rent pressure is moderate. The median home is valued at $161,300, about 3.5x annual median household income.

What sets St. Andrews apart is how tight household budgets are. After the median rent, with other prices set to the US average, the median household keeps about $34,600 a year, less than in 96% of places its size. Also notable: Owning with a mortgage costs only about $26 a month more than the median rent, a smaller gap than in 94% of places its size.

14OF 100

CTXCitytistics Index

Weak

St. Andrews scores better than 14% of the 6,612 places we rate, and ranks 77th of 101 in South Carolina.

How the CTX is built

Category ratings · 0 to 100, typical place 50

Affordability 20%34
Economy 20%12
Safety 20%n/a
Amenities 15%44
Education 10%36
Commute 10%70
Growth 5%n/a

Not rated: safety, growth, for want of data (the city police department does not report a full year to the FBI). The other weights are spread over the categories rated.

Median gross rent
$1,088
20% below the median place
Median household income
$46,511
42% below the median place
Median home value
$161,300
49% below the median place
Unemployment
7.2%
48% above the median place

Compared with the median of the 6,645 places we track. The bundle was checked 2026-11-14; each measure may refer to an older release.

What stands out about St. Andrews

  • AffordabilityThe median rent takes 28.1% of the median household's income, a bigger share than in 92% of the 2,301 places of 10,000 to 25,000 people we track.
01

Moving to St. Andrews

Richland County gains about 3.1 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in24,754
Moved out23,811
Net+943

Where people come from and where they go, top counties

Within South Carolina, other states or abroad

Arrivals
Leavers
Within South CarolinaOther statesAbroad

Income per tax return

Arrivals$58K
Leavers$59K

People on tax returns who moved between counties, from IRS migration data, 2022 to 2023. Figures are for all of Richland County; flows under 20 returns are not published.

Who moves here
13.2% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 5.2% from another state.
Who arrives and who leaves
Households moving into Richland County report $57,600 a year in income on average; those leaving, $58,600.
Income you would need
$43,500 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $1,088 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $1,114 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $161,300.
Getting to work
22 minutes each way on average; 12.2% work from home.
If it is close but not quite
Tifton, GA matches it on character for less of your income. Compare the two
Moved here in the past year1
13.2%
129% above the median place
Moved from another state1
5.2%
161% above the median place
Income of households moving in7
$57,579
18% below the median place
All 5 moving measures
MeasureSt. AndrewsAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year113.2%129% above
Moved from another state15.2%161% above
Net movers per 1,000 people7County figure3.1above (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in7County figure$57,57918% below
Income of households moving out7County figure$58,56917% below
02

What it costs to live here

29% of homes are owner-occupied, fewer than in 99% of the 2,298 places of 10,000 to 25,000 people we track. It is the 3rd-lowest of 101 South Carolina places we track.

St. Andrews28.1%
Typical place20.4%

Share of the median household income that goes to the median rent. Above 30% is the usual stress line.

Income needed to rent
$43,520
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
28.1%
38% above the median place
Home price to income
3.5x
9% below the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
28%
just under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$35,100
a year
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in St. Andrews, $1,088 a month, and local prices for everything else (96.6 against a US average of 100). It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

Like St. Andrews, but easier on the budget

Places that match St. Andrews on character (size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, remote work and climate) but where rent takes a clearly smaller share of income. Cost was left out of the match on purpose.

PlaceMatchRent to incomeMore left a year
Tifton, GA8721.1% vs 28.1%n/aCompare
Albany, GA8723.6% vs 28.1%$3,500Compare
Fort Valley, GA8621.1% vs 28.1%$6,300Compare
Frankfort, KY8321.3% vs 28.1%n/aCompare

Moving from somewhere else? Work out the salary you would need in St. Andrews.

Sponsored · exampleMoving to St. Andrews? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Homeownership1
28.9%
57% below the median place
Owner costs with a mortgage1
$1,114
40% below the median place
Property tax paid (median)1
$1,080
67% below the median place
All 16 cost and housing measures
MeasureSt. AndrewsAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1$1,08820% below
Rent to income128.1%38% above
Property tax rate10.7%26% below
Home price to income13.5x9% below
Prices vs US average2Metro figure93.77% below
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms3County figure$1,22624% below
HUD area median income4County figure$92,40014% below
Property tax paid (median)1$1,08067% below
Median home value1$161,30049% below
Home prices, 1-year change5County figure3.1%4% below
Home prices, 5-year change5County figure54.1%5% above
Homeownership128.9%57% below
Renters paying 30%+161.0%21% above
Owner costs with a mortgage1$1,11440% below
Vacant homes111.7%66% above
Median year built119780% above
03

Work and pay

Median household income is $46,511, 42% below the median place.

Median household income1
$46,511
42% below the median place
Poverty rate1
25.4%
135% above the median place
Income per person1
$28,565
29% below the median place

More on work and pay, against the typical place

Unemployment7.2% +48%
Mean commute22 min −12%
Works from home12.2% −2%
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasureSt. AndrewsAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$46,51142% below
Income per person1$28,56529% below
Unemployment17.2%48% above
Average annual pay6County figure$65,1251% below
Pay growth, 1 year6County figure3.7%0% above
Jobs6County figure229,38352% above
Poverty rate125.4%135% above
Mean commute122 min12% below
Works from home112.2%2% below
Commutes by transit1County figure0.7%19% below
04

Who lives here

Households average 1.95 people, smaller than than in 97% of the 2,300 places of 10,000 to 25,000 people we track. It is the 2nd-lowest of 101 South Carolina places we track.

Household size1
1.9
22% below the median place
No health insurance1
14.2%
122% above the median place
Median age1
33.2
15% below the median place

More about who lives here, against the typical place

Homes with broadband88.1% −5%
Bachelor's or higher25.7% −20%
Born abroad7.1% −20%
High school or higher91.5% −1%
All 8 people measures
MeasureSt. AndrewsAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population119,8682323rd largest
Median age133.215% below
Bachelor's or higher125.7%20% below
High school or higher191.5%1% below
Household size11.922% below
Born abroad17.1%20% below
No health insurance114.2%122% above
Homes with broadband188.1%5% below
05

Life in St. Andrews

OpenStreetMap shows 2 parks per 10,000 residents, fewer than in 91% of the 2,301 places of 10,000 to 25,000 people we track.

196 sites are on the National Register of Historic Places, 6 of them National Historic Landmarks. Its history on Wikipedia

Out the door, against the typical place

Parks per 10k residents2.0 −80%
Playgrounds per 10k12.1 +28%
Grocery stores per 10k3.0 +42%
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k8.6 −23%
Libraries per 10k2.0 2.3×
Named paths and bike trails6 km 3.0×
Bus and rail stops per sq mi0.0 −100%

Mapped by volunteers in OpenStreetMap inside the city limits (Census boundaries), so coverage is fuller in some places than others. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.

National Park Service sites nearby

  • Congaree National Park 26 miles
  • Ninety Six National Historic Site 53 miles
  • Kings Mountain National Military Park 77 miles

Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)

Restaurants and bars20.1 −3%
Shops29.1 −4%
Arts, recreation and fitness3.4 −17%
Doctors' offices and clinics17.8 −12%
Child care centers2.0 −13%

Counts businesses with paid staff, so small owner-run shops are not included.

Nearest National Park Service site10
26.1
15% below the median place
Public schools12
102
above the median place (median 9)
Public school students12
60,410
above the median place (median 4,897)
All 18 schools and local life measures
MeasureSt. AndrewsAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools12County figure102above (median 9)
Public school students12County figure60,410above (median 4,897)
Students per teacher12County figure13.314% below
Restaurants and bars per 10k8County figure20.13% below
Shops per 10k8County figure29.14% below
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k8County figure3.417% below
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k8County figure17.812% below
Child care centers per 10k8County figure2.013% below
Parks per 10k92.080% below
Playgrounds per 10k912.128% above
Grocery stores per 10k93.042% above
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k98.623% below
Libraries per 10k92.0131% above
Named paths and bike trails95.9195% above
Transit stops per sq mi90.0below (median 0.2)
Nearest National Park Service site1026.115% below
National Park Service sites within 60 miles1020% above
National Register listings11County figure196above (median 13)
06

Safety, weather and risk

July average high is 92°F, 6% above the median place.

No crime figure yet. Either the city police department did not report to the FBI for the latest year, or our monthly fetch has not reached St. Andrews. Larger places are fetched first.

July average high13
92°F
6% above the median place
Hurricane risk14
94.4
34% above the median place
Average temperature13
64°F
16% above the median place
All 11 weather and risk measures
MeasureSt. AndrewsAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high13County figure92°F6% above
January average low13County figure34°F37% above
Average temperature13County figure64°F16% above
Annual precipitation13County figure45.5 in4% above
Natural hazard risk14County figure93.11% above
Hurricane risk14County figure94.434% above
Tornado risk14County figure95.017% above
Wildfire risk14County figure69.714% above
Heat wave risk14County figure94.75% above
Median air quality index15County figure479% above
Good air days15County figure58.1%15% below
08

St. Andrews in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 28% of the median income in 2030, about the same as 28% now.

Citytistics projections to 2030: each figure's own trend, blended with the typical trend across the places we rate, eased toward long-run US growth and carried forward from the latest release. The range is where 80% of places landed when we tested the same method on past releases. On projected 2030 affordability, St. Andrews does better than 33% of places. Its projected home value growth beats 77%.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median rent$1,088/mo (2024)$1,390/mo$1,140 to $1,700/mo+4.2%
Median household income$46,511 (2024)$59,000$50,000 to $70,000+4.0%
Median home value$161,300 (2024)$236,000$171,000 to $325,000+6.6%

The median home would be worth 4.0 years of the median income in 2030, against 3.5 now.

A projection of recent trends, not a prediction of the economy or advice to buy or sell. How we project.

09

Places like St. Andrews

The closest matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, and the places nearby.

PlaceRentIncome
Harrisburg, PA$1,062$48,099Compare
Lafayette, IN$1,079$53,716Compare
Milwaukee, WI$1,059$54,234Compare
Rochester, NY$1,081$47,213Compare
Rochester, NYMilwaukee, WILafayette, INHarrisburg, PASt. Andrews, SCSt. AndrewsHarrisburgLafayetteMilwaukeeRochesterSt. AndrewsHarrisburgLafayetteMilwaukeeRochester

Places built like St. Andrews

Its statistical peers: the closest matches on size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, origin and remote work, in the same part of the country. Cost and outcomes are left out of the match, so the table shows how St. Andrews performs against places like it.

PlaceRent to incomeIncome growthPop. change
St. Andrews, SC28.1%4.7%/yrn/a
Milledgeville, GA26.3%7.8%/yr-1.2%Compare
Dentsville, SC33.0%3.3%/yrn/aCompare
Petersburg, VA27.8%5.6%/yr0.8%Compare
College Park, GA28.1%7.8%/yr0.0%Compare
Goldsboro, NC24.0%7.3%/yr2.3%Compare
Tifton, GA21.1%3.4%/yr3.3%Compare

Common questions

Is St. Andrews a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. Its Citytistics Index is 14 out of 100, better than 14% of the places we rate and 77th of 101 in South Carolina. The median rent takes 28.1% of the median household's income, a bigger share than in 92% of the 2,301 places of 10,000 to 25,000 people we track. On cost, space and class size it scores 1 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is St. Andrews expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 28.1% of the median household income, against 20.4% in the typical place we track. Housing is a heavier load here than usual. The median home is valued at $161,300.

What salary do you need to live in St. Andrews?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $43,520 a year. Work it out from your current city.

What places are similar to St. Andrews?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Harrisburg, PA, Lafayette, IN, Milwaukee, WI and Rochester, NY.

Sources and methods

The small numbers beside each measure point here. Every dataset is public; links go to the publisher.

  1. American Community Survey 5-year estimates · US Census Bureau · 2020 to 2024 estimatesTables B01002, B01003, B05002, B07003, B08013, B08301, B15003, B17001, B19013, B19301, B23025, B25002, B25003, B25010, B25035, B25064, B25070, B25077, B25088, B25103, B28002, S2701
  2. Regional Price Parities · US Bureau of Economic Analysis · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  3. Fair Market Rents · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2027
  4. Income Limits · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2026
  5. House Price Index · Federal Housing Finance Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  6. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · US Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2025 annual averages
  7. SOI Tax Stats, county-to-county migration · Internal Revenue Service · Tax years 2022 to 2023Counts tax returns and the people on them; flows under 20 returns are suppressed.
  8. County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
  9. OpenStreetMap · © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL) · Map data as of 2026-11
  10. National Park Service sites · Wikidata (CC0), units operated by the National Park Service · Retrieved 2026-11
  11. National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
  12. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  13. 1991-2020 climate normals · NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · Series updated 2026-11-05Averages for 1991 to 2020 computed from NOAA's county climate series (nClimDiv).nClimDiv county series
  14. National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps
  15. Air Quality System, annual AQI by county · US Environmental Protection Agency · 2025 dataAirData download files

Derived by Citytistics from the tables above: rent to income (B25064, B19013); property tax rate (B25103, B25077); home price to income (B25077, B19013).

What stands out compares St. Andrews with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for St. Andrews itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/saint-andrews-south-carolina

Citytistics. “St. Andrews, South Carolina.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/saint-andrews-south-carolina/

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.