Name: Watts Mills, SC statistics
Creator: Citytistics

Moving to Watts Mills

Laurens County gains about 21.3 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in3,828

Moved out2,745

Net+1,083

Where people come from and where they go, top counties

Greenville County, SC1,423948+475

Spartanburg County, SC376308+68

Greenwood County, SC236254−18

Anderson County, SC177147+30

Newberry County, SC11481+33

Pickens County, SC7273−1

Abbeville County, SC5546+9

Lexington County, SC55

Within South Carolina, other states or abroad

Arrivals

75%25%

Leavers

77%23%

Within South CarolinaOther states

Income per tax return

Arrivals$54K

Leavers$48K

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

Who moves here: 6.4% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 0.0% from another state. County figure.
Who arrives and who leaves: Households moving into Laurens County report $54,200 a year in income on average; those leaving, $47,700, so newcomers earn more than leavers.
Income you would need: $32,700 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy: Median rent is $817 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $1,163 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $108,300.
Getting to work: 27 minutes each way on average; 5.4% work from home.
If it is close but not quite: Rio Grande City, TX matches it on character. Compare the two

Moved from another state1
0.0%
below the median place (median 2.0%)
Net movers per 1,000 people7
21.3
above the median place (median -0.6)
Income of households moving out7
$47,701
32% below the median place

All 5 moving measures

Measure	Watts Mills	Vs median
Moved here in the past year1County figure	6.4%	11% above
Moved from another state1	0.0%	below (median 2.0%)
Net movers per 1,000 people7County figure	21.3	above (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in7County figure	$54,164	23% below
Income of households moving out7County figure	$47,701	32% below

What it costs to live here

Median home value is $108,300, 66% below the median place.

Watts Mills19.3%

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

$32,680

a year, at the 30% line

Rent to income

19.3%

5% below the median place

Home price to income

2.1x

44% below the median place

Could you afford it?

Your household income, before tax

The median rent would take

19%

comfortably under the 30% line

Left after rent, in US prices

$42,600

a year

Vs the typical household here

Same

as the median household

Uses the median rent in Watts Mills, $817 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 Watts Mills, but easier on the budget

Close matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, where rent takes a clearly smaller share of income.

Place	Rent to income	More left a year
Beardstown, IL	15.1% vs 19.3%	n/a	Compare
Olivarez, TX	16.0% vs 19.3%	$16,400	Compare

Moving from somewhere else? Work out the salary you would need in Watts Mills.

Sponsored · exampleMoving to Watts Mills? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.

Median home value1
$108,300
66% below the median place
Homeownership1
42.1%
37% below the median place
Owner costs with a mortgage1
$1,163
38% below the median place

All 16 cost and housing measures

Measure	Watts Mills	Vs median
Median gross rent1	$817	40% below
Rent to income1	19.3%	5% below
Property tax rate1	0.6%	30% below
Home price to income1	2.1x	44% below
Prices vs US average2Metro figure	93.3	8% below
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms3County figure	$1,119	31% below
HUD area median income4County figure	$79,900	26% below
Property tax paid (median)1County figure	$698	79% below
Median home value1	$108,300	66% below
Home prices, 1-year change5County figure	4.7%	47% above
Home prices, 5-year change5County figure	60.9%	18% above
Homeownership1	42.1%	37% below
Renters paying 30%+1County figure	46.6%	8% below
Owner costs with a mortgage1	$1,163	38% below
Vacant homes1County figure	15.8%	124% above
Median year built1	1972	0% below

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%)
Income per person1
$16,780
58% below the median place
Median household income1
$50,901
37% below the median place

All 10 work and pay measures

Measure	Watts Mills	Vs median
Median household income1	$50,901	37% below
Income per person1	$16,780	58% below
Unemployment1County figure	4.5%	8% below
Average annual pay6County figure	$54,688	17% below
Pay growth, 1 year6County figure	6.1%	65% above
Jobs6County figure	20,405	86% below
Poverty rate1	8.7%	19% below
Mean commute1	27 min	7% above
Works from home1County figure	5.4%	57% below
Commutes by transit1	0.0%	below (median 0.8%)

Who lives here

No health insurance is 50.5%, above the median place (median 6.4%).

No health insurance1
50.5%
above the median place (median 6.4%)
High school or higher1
49.1%
47% below the median place
Household size1
3.4
36% above the median place

More about who lives here, against the typical place

Homes with broadband82.5% −11%

Median age30.5 −22%

Born abroad30.5% 3.5×

All 8 people measures

Measure	Watts Mills	Vs median
Population1	1,942	6646th largest
Median age1	30.5	22% below
Bachelor's or higher1County figure	17.6%	45% below
High school or higher1	49.1%	47% below
Household size1	3.4	36% above
Born abroad1	30.5%	246% above
No health insurance1	50.5%	above (median 6.4%)
Homes with broadband1	82.5%	11% below

Life in Watts Mills

29 sites are on the National Register of Historic Places.

Out the door, against the typical place

Parks per 10k residents0.0 −100%

Playgrounds per 10k0.0 −100%

Grocery stores per 10k0.0 −100%

Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k10.3 −8%

Libraries per 10k0.0 −100%

Named paths and bike trails0 km −100%

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.

Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)

Restaurants and bars11.9 −43%

Shops27.7 −9%

Arts, recreation and fitness1.7 −59%

Doctors' offices and clinics6.3 −69%

Child care centers1.6 −30%

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

Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k8
6.3
69% below the median place
Restaurants and bars per 10k8
11.9
43% below the median place
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k8
1.7
59% below the median place

All 16 schools and local life measures

Measure	Watts Mills	Vs median
Public schools11County figure	17	89% above
Public school students11County figure	8,601	76% above
Students per teacher11County figure	11.7	24% below
Restaurants and bars per 10k8County figure	11.9	43% below
Shops per 10k8County figure	27.7	9% below
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k8County figure	1.7	59% below
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k8County figure	6.3	69% below
Child care centers per 10k8County figure	1.6	30% below
Parks per 10k9	0.0	below (median 10.2)
Playgrounds per 10k9	0.0	below (median 9.4)
Grocery stores per 10k9	0.0	below (median 2.1)
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k9	10.3	8% below
Libraries per 10k9	0.0	below (median 0.9)
Named paths and bike trails9	0.0	below (median 2.0)
Transit stops per sq mi9	0.0	below (median 0.2)
National Register listings10County figure	29	123% above

Safety, weather and risk

July average high is 91°F, 5% 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 Watts Mills. Larger places are fetched first.

July average high12
91°F
5% above the median place
Natural hazard risk13
76.2
18% below the median place
Average temperature12
62°F
13% above the median place

All 11 weather and risk measures

Measure	Watts Mills	Vs median
July average high12County figure	91°F	5% above
January average low12County figure	33°F	29% above
Average temperature12County figure	62°F	13% above
Annual precipitation12County figure	46.3 in	6% above
Natural hazard risk13County figure	76.2	18% below
Hurricane risk13County figure	76.8	9% above
Tornado risk13County figure	65.2	20% below
Wildfire risk13County figure	49.1	20% below
Heat wave risk13County figure	73.6	18% below
Median air quality index14Metro figure	48	12% above
Good air days14Metro figure	55.3%	19% below

How it is changing

Five-year survey estimates, one point per release.

Median gross rent

Down 0.7% from 2019 to 2024.

Median household income

Up 111.3% from 2019 to 2024.

Median home value

Up 52.8% from 2020 to 2024.

Citytistics measures

Paycheck stretch

$42,500

left a year after rent, in US prices. Better than 10% of places

Pay vs rent

+16.3 pts

a year, pay outrunning rent. Better than 99% of places

Family fit

of 100 on cost, space and class size

Growth

n/a

Population figure is the county's

Measures only Citytistics publishes, built from the figures on this page. Scores of 100 beat every place we track. Formulas

Watts Mills in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 18% of the median income in 2030, down from 19% 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.

Measure	Latest	2030 projection	Likely range	Avg. per year
Median rent	$817/mo (2024)	$1,030/mo	$850 to $1,260/mo	+4.0%
Median household income	$50,901 (2024)	$69,000	$58,000 to $81,500	+5.2%
Median home value	$108,300 (2024)	$159,000	$115,000 to $218,000	+6.6%

The median home would be worth 2.3 years of the median income in 2030, against 2.1 now.

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

Places like Watts Mills

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

Place	Rent	Income
Rio Grande City, TX	$767	$44,577	Compare
Newberry, SC	$831	$51,260	Compare
Canutillo, TX	$838	$40,682	Compare
Alamo, TX	$811	$57,096	Compare

Nearby

Compare Watts Mills with

Common questions

Is Watts Mills a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. Between the 2019 and 2024 surveys, household income rose 16.1% a year while rent rose -0.1%, so pay gained on rent more than in 99% of the 2,476 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the lowest of 101 South Carolina places. Households average 3.39 people, larger than in 96% of places its size. It is the highest of 101 South Carolina places. On cost, space and class size it scores 79 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is Watts Mills expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 19.3% of the median household income, against 20.4% in the typical place we track. Housing is a lighter load here than usual. The median home is valued at $108,300.

What salary do you need to live in Watts Mills?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $32,680 a year. Work it out from your current city.

What places are similar to Watts Mills?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Rio Grande City, TX, Newberry, SC, Canutillo, TX and Alamo, TX.

Sources and methods

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

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
Regional Price Parities · US Bureau of Economic Analysis · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
Fair Market Rents · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2027
Income Limits · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2026
House Price Index · Federal Housing Finance Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · US Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2025 annual averages
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.
County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
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
National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps
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 Watts Mills with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for Watts Mills itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/watts-mills-south-carolina

Citytistics. “Watts Mills, South Carolina.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/watts-mills-south-carolina/

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

Watts Mills

What stands out about Watts Mills