CitytisticsShortlist

Cost of living, pay and housing

35.01° N · 81.97° W · GEOID 4573465

Valley Falls

Spartanburg County, South Carolina · part of the Spartanburg, SC metro

South CarolinaValley Falls, SCValley FallsValley Falls

The short answer

Valley Falls is home to 8,239 people. Median household income is $55,661 a year and median rent is $1,021 a month, 22.0% of income (a ratio of two medians, not any one household's burden). Rent pressure is lighter than in most places. The median home is valued at $256,600, about 4.6x annual median household income.

Valley Falls is defined by its growth. Household income growth is 9.3% a year, against 4.8% a year in its closest peers. Also notable: Home values run 22% above what its fundamentals predict in the same metro area.

12OF 100

CTXCitytistics Index

Weak

Valley Falls scores better than 12% of the 6,612 places we rate, and ranks 83rd of 101 in South Carolina.

How the CTX is built

Category ratings · 0 to 100, typical place 50

Affordability 20%34
Economy 20%28
Safety 20%n/a
Amenities 15%24
Education 10%22
Commute 10%67
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
$1,021
25% below the median place
Median household income
$55,661
31% below the median place
Median home value
$256,600
20% below the median place
Unemployment
5.5%
12% 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 Valley Falls

  • AffordabilityAfter the median rent, with other prices set to the US average, the median household keeps about $45,300 a year, less than in 84% of the 1,875 places under 10,000 people we track.
  • HousingHomeowners pay a median of about 0.5% of home value a year in property tax, less than in 90% of the 2,266 places under 10,000 people we track.
01

Moving to Valley Falls

Spartanburg County gains about 25.2 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in19,967
Moved out12,952
Net+7,015

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$62K
Leavers$58K

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

Who moves here
9.8% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 5.3% from another state.
Who arrives and who leaves
Households moving into Spartanburg County report $61,900 a year in income on average; those leaving, $58,200, so newcomers earn more than leavers.
Income you would need
$40,800 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $1,021 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $1,377 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $256,600.
Getting to work
22 minutes each way on average; 4.6% work from home.
If it is close but not quite
Siloam Springs, AR matches it on character for less of your income. Compare the two
Moved from another state1
5.3%
167% above the median place
Moved here in the past year1
9.8%
71% above the median place
Net movers per 1,000 people7
25.2
above the median place (median -0.6)
All 5 moving measures
MeasureValley FallsAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year19.8%71% above
Moved from another state15.3%167% above
Net movers per 1,000 people7County figure25.2above (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in7County figure$61,92812% below
Income of households moving out7County figure$58,21317% below
02

What it costs to live here

Half the homes were built after 2004, newer housing than in 95% of the 2,479 places under 10,000 people we track.

Valley Falls22.0%
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
$40,840
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
22.0%
8% above the median place
Home price to income
4.6x
21% above the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
22%
comfortably under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$45,700
a year
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in Valley Falls, $1,021 a month, and local prices for everything else (95.8 against a US average of 100). It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

Like Valley Falls, but easier on the budget

Places that match Valley Falls 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
Siloam Springs, AR8716.7% vs 22.0%$18,300Compare
Amelia, OH8416.2% vs 22.0%$16,000Compare
Winnemucca, NV8214.2% vs 22.0%n/aCompare
Walker, LA8215.3% vs 22.0%$27,300Compare

Moving from somewhere else? Work out the salary you would need in Valley Falls.

Sponsored · exampleMoving to Valley Falls? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Median year built1
2004
1% above the median place
Property tax rate1
0.5%
47% below the median place
Property tax paid (median)1
$1,226
62% below the median place
All 16 cost and housing measures
MeasureValley FallsAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1$1,02125% below
Rent to income122.0%8% above
Property tax rate10.5%47% below
Home price to income14.6x21% above
Prices vs US average2Metro figure91.010% below
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms3County figure$1,19626% below
HUD area median income4County figure$91,20015% below
Property tax paid (median)1$1,22662% below
Median home value1$256,60020% below
Home prices, 1-year change5County figure3.5%9% above
Home prices, 5-year change5County figure62.3%21% above
Homeownership150.5%24% below
Renters paying 30%+149.1%3% below
Owner costs with a mortgage1$1,37726% below
Vacant homes112.3%75% above
Median year built120041% above
03

Work and pay

Commutes by transit is 0.0%, below the median place (median 0.8%).

Commutes by transit1
0.0%
below the median place (median 0.8%)
Works from home1
4.6%
63% below the median place
Income per person1
$25,327
37% below the median place

More on work and pay, against the typical place

Poverty rate22.2% 2.1×
Median household income$55,661 −31%
Mean commute22 min −10%
Unemployment5.5% +12%
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasureValley FallsAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$55,66131% below
Income per person1$25,32737% below
Unemployment15.5%12% above
Average annual pay6County figure$62,1616% below
Pay growth, 1 year6County figure4.4%19% above
Jobs6County figure157,4845% above
Poverty rate122.2%106% above
Mean commute122 min10% below
Works from home14.6%63% below
Commutes by transit10.0%below (median 0.8%)
04

Who lives here

The median resident is 27 years old, younger than in 97% of the 2,479 places under 10,000 people we track.

Median age1
27.0
31% below the median place
No health insurance1
16.7%
161% above the median place
Homes with broadband1
87.9%
5% below the median place

More about who lives here, against the typical place

Bachelor's or higher20.5% −36%
Born abroad16.7% +89%
High school or higher90.0% −3%
Household size2.5 −1%
All 8 people measures
MeasureValley FallsAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population18,2394843rd largest
Median age127.031% below
Bachelor's or higher120.5%36% below
High school or higher190.0%3% below
Household size12.51% below
Born abroad116.7%89% above
No health insurance116.7%161% above
Homes with broadband187.9%5% below
05

Life in Valley Falls

The nearest National Park Service site is Cowpens National Battlefield, about 12 miles away.

77 sites are on the National Register of Historic Places. Its history on Wikipedia

Out the door, against the typical place

Parks per 10k residents4.8 −52%
Playgrounds per 10k4.8 −48%
Grocery stores per 10k0.0 −100%
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k15.8 +42%
Libraries per 10k0.0 −100%
Named paths and bike trails0 km −100%
Bus and rail stops per sq mi0.4 +86%

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

  • Cowpens National Battlefield 12 miles
  • Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site 33 miles
  • Kings Mountain National Military Park 34 miles

Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)

Restaurants and bars17.6 −15%
Shops32.0 +6%
Arts, recreation and fitness2.8 −32%
Doctors' offices and clinics12.2 −40%
Child care centers2.1 −9%

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

Nearest National Park Service site10
12.4
60% below the median place
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k8
12.2
40% below the median place
Public school students12
57,212
above the median place (median 4,897)
All 18 schools and local life measures
MeasureValley FallsAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools12County figure86above (median 9)
Public school students12County figure57,212above (median 4,897)
Students per teacher12County figure14.18% below
Restaurants and bars per 10k8County figure17.615% below
Shops per 10k8County figure32.06% above
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k8County figure2.832% below
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k8County figure12.240% below
Child care centers per 10k8County figure2.19% below
Parks per 10k94.852% below
Playgrounds per 10k94.848% below
Grocery stores per 10k90.0below (median 2.1)
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k915.842% above
Libraries per 10k90.0below (median 0.9)
Named paths and bike trails90.0below (median 2.0)
Transit stops per sq mi90.486% above
Nearest National Park Service site1012.460% below
National Park Service sites within 60 miles105150% above
National Register listings11County figure77above (median 13)
06

Safety, weather and risk

Annual precipitation is 49.2 in, 12% 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 Valley Falls. Larger places are fetched first.

Annual precipitation13
49.2 in
12% above the median place
Good air days15
55.1%
20% below the median place
Median air quality index15
48
12% above the median place
All 11 weather and risk measures
MeasureValley FallsAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high13County figure90°F4% above
January average low13County figure32°F25% above
Average temperature13County figure61°F11% above
Annual precipitation13County figure49.2 in12% above
Natural hazard risk14County figure90.72% below
Hurricane risk14County figure81.215% above
Tornado risk14County figure88.18% above
Wildfire risk14County figure59.53% below
Heat wave risk14County figure80.311% below
Median air quality index15County figure4812% above
Good air days15County figure55.1%20% below
08

Valley Falls in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 22% of the median income in 2030, about the same as 22% 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, Valley Falls does better than 35% of places. Its projected home value growth beats 80%.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median rent$1,021/mo (2024)$1,320/mo$1,090 to $1,610/mo+4.4%
Median household income$55,661 (2024)$72,000$61,000 to $85,500+4.4%
Median home value$256,600 (2024)$377,000$274,000 to $519,000+6.6%

The median home would be worth 5.2 years of the median income in 2030, against 4.6 now.

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

09

Places like Valley Falls

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

PlaceRentIncome
Huron, CA$1,054$52,500Compare
Alma, AR$1,012$68,562Compare
Greencastle, IN$908$55,565Compare
Kingsville, TX$1,037$58,148Compare
Kingsville, TXGreencastle, INAlma, ARHuron, CAValley Falls, SCValley FallsHuronAlmaGreencastleKingsvilleValley FallsHuronAlmaGreencastleKingsville

Places built like Valley Falls

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 Valley Falls performs against places like it.

PlaceRent to incomeIncome growthPop. change
Valley Falls, SC22.0%9.3%/yrn/a
Oakwood, GA27.6%7.5%/yr50.5%Compare
Bellwood, VA26.6%2.6%/yrn/aCompare
Rincon, GA20.1%2.9%/yr7.2%Compare
Gardere, LA25.1%7.0%/yrn/aCompare
Northchase, NC27.6%2.4%/yrn/aCompare
Lovejoy, GA24.8%9.5%/yr30.1%Compare

Common questions

Is Valley Falls a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. Its Citytistics Index is 12 out of 100, better than 12% of the places we rate and 83rd of 101 in South Carolina. After the median rent, with other prices set to the US average, the median household keeps about $45,300 a year, less than in 84% of the 1,875 places under 10,000 people we track. Homeowners pay a median of about 0.5% of home value a year in property tax, less than in 90% of the 2,266 places under 10,000 people we track. On cost, space and class size it scores 9 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is Valley Falls expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 22.0% 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 $256,600.

What salary do you need to live in Valley Falls?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $40,840 a year. Work it out from your current city.

What places are similar to Valley Falls?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Huron, CA, Alma, AR, Greencastle, IN and Kingsville, TX.

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 Valley Falls with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for Valley Falls itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/valley-falls-south-carolina

Citytistics. “Valley Falls, South Carolina.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/valley-falls-south-carolina/

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