What is the median household income in Folly Beach?

The median household income in Folly Beach, SC is $88,424 according to the most recent US Census American Community Survey 5-year estimates. The unemployment rate is 0.0%.

What is the weather like in Folly Beach, SC?

Folly Beach has an average high temperature of 58.0°F in January and 87.5°F in July. Annual precipitation averages 53.5 inches and annual snowfall averages 0.3 inches.

Folly Beach, SC Cost of Living, Crime & Is It a Good Place to Live? (2026)

Q: Is Folly Beach, SC affordable or expensive?

Folly Beach's cost of living index is 106, where 100 represents the national average. This means Folly Beach is 6% more expensive than the average US city. The median home value is $652,800 and the median rent is $1,750 per month.

Q: What is the crime rate in Folly Beach, SC?

Folly Beach has a violent crime rate of 335.9 incidents per 100,000 residents and a property crime rate of 2255.3 per 100,000. The national average violent crime rate is approximately 380 per 100,000.

Q: What are the schools like in Folly Beach, SC?

School district data for Folly Beach is sourced from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES).

Is Folly Beach, SC a Good Place to Live?

Folly Beach is a small town of 1,020 in South Carolina, with a median household income of $88,424 . Its cost of living index is 106 (US average = 100), which is 6% above the national average.

Strengths: Folly Beach stands out for lower-than-average crime, a well-educated population.

Trade-offs: Potential downsides include high home prices. Whether Folly Beach is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.

All Folly Beach city data on this page comes from official government sources — the US Census Bureau, FBI, NCES, BEA, and NOAA — updated annually.

Cost of Living

Index: 105.6

Folly Beach's overall cost of living index is 105.6, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Folly Beach costs roughly 6% more than the average American city.

Metric	Folly Beach, SC	National Avg
Median Home Value	$652,800	$244,900
Median Monthly Rent	$1,750	$1,163
Homeownership Rate	75.0%	65.9%
Median Household Income	$88,424	$74,755

Crime & Safety

Safer than Average

Folly Beach's violent crime rate is 335.9 per 100,000 residents — 12% lower than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.

Violent Crime

335.9 /100k

Property Crime

2255.3 /100k

Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.

Schools & Education

Metric	Folly Beach, SC	National Avg
School District	N/A	—
Elementary Schools	N/A	—
Middle Schools	N/A	—
High Schools	N/A	—
Student/Teacher Ratio	N/A	16:1
Bachelor's Degree or Higher	43.6%	35.4%
High School Diploma or Higher	96.6%	91.1%

Weather & Climate

Folly Beach sees average highs of 58.0°F in January and 87.5°F in July, with 53.5 inches of annual precipitation and 0.3 inches of snow per year.

Metric	Folly Beach, SC
Average High — January	58.0°F
Average High — July	87.5°F
Annual Precipitation	53.5"
Annual Snowfall	0.3"

Demographics

Metric	Folly Beach, SC	National Avg
Population	1,020	—
Median Age	63.6	38.9
Unemployment Rate	0.0%	3.7%
Avg Commute Time	26.9 min	26 min
White (non-Hispanic)	100.0%	59.3%
Black or African American	0.0%	13.6%
Hispanic or Latino	0.0%	18.9%
Asian	0.0%	6.3%
Under 18	3.2%	22.2%
65 and over	40.6%	16.8%

Nearby Cities

James Island, SC 5 mi Kiawah Island, SC 7 mi Sullivan's Island, SC 10 mi Charleston, SC 11 mi Mount Pleasant, SC 11 mi

ZIP Codes in Folly Beach

Folly Beach, SC is covered by 1 ZIP code:

29439

Folly Beach vs Other Cities

Folly Beach, SC vs James Island, SC Folly Beach, SC vs Kiawah Island, SC Folly Beach, SC vs Sullivan's Island, SC Folly Beach, SC vs Charleston, SC Folly Beach, SC vs Mount Pleasant, SC

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Folly Beach, SC affordable or expensive?

Folly Beach's cost of living index is 106, where 100 is the national average. That puts Folly Beach roughly 6% above the national average in cost. The median home price is $652,800 and median rent is $1,750/month.

What is the crime rate in Folly Beach, SC?

Folly Beach's violent crime rate is 335.9 per 100,000 residents — the national average is ~380 per 100,000. Property crime is 2255.3 per 100,000 (national avg ~2,100). Data from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program.

What are the schools like in Folly Beach?

School district information is sourced from NCES Common Core of Data.

Is Folly Beach, SC a good place to live?

Folly Beach, SC has a population of 1,020, a median household income of $88,424, and an unemployment rate of 0.0%. Whether it's right for you depends on your priorities — use the compare tool above to stack it against another city you're considering.

What is the weather like in Folly Beach?

Folly Beach averages 58.0°F in January and 87.5°F in July. Annual rainfall is 53.5 inches with about 0.3 inches of snow per year. Based on NOAA 30-year climate normals (1991–2020).

What ZIP codes are in Folly Beach?

Folly Beach, SC is covered by 1 ZIP code: 29439.

What is the population of Folly Beach?

The population of Folly Beach, South Carolina is 1,020 with a median age of 63.6. Source: US Census ACS 5-Year Estimates.

What are the pros and cons of living in Folly Beach?

Key numbers for living in Folly Beach: cost of living index 106 (100 = US average), median home $652,800, median household income $88,424, crime index 96 (100 = US average, lower is safer). Whether these are benefits or drawbacks depends on where you're coming from — compare Folly Beach side by side with your current city to see the trade-offs.