Is Lake Wylie, SC a Good Place to Live?
Lake Wylie is a small city of 14,382 in South Carolina, with a median household income of $111,424 and a 5.5% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 97 (US average = 100), which is 3% below the national average.
Strengths: Lake Wylie stands out for solid school ratings (A-), a well-educated population.
Trade-offs: Potential downsides include high home prices, longer commutes, an elevated unemployment rate. Whether Lake Wylie is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Lake Wylie 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: 97.0Lake Wylie's overall cost of living index is 97.0, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Lake Wylie costs roughly 3% less than the average American city.
| Metric | Lake Wylie, SC | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $425,000 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $1,431 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 77.6% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $111,424 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Safer than AverageLake Wylie's violent crime rate is 277.6 per 100,000 residents — 27% lower than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
Lake Wylie is served primarily by York 02. The student-to-teacher ratio is 13.5:1 (better than the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | Lake Wylie, SC | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | York 02 | — |
| Elementary Schools | 7 | — |
| Middle Schools | 2 | — |
| High Schools | 1 | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 13.5:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 45.4% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 98.2% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Lake Wylie sees average highs of 52.4°F in January and 90.4°F in July, with 45.7 inches of annual precipitation and 0.2 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | Lake Wylie, SC |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 52.4°F |
| Average High — July | 90.4°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 45.7" |
| Annual Snowfall | 0.2" |
Demographics
| Metric | Lake Wylie, SC | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 14,382 | — |
| Median Age | 37.7 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 5.5% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 30.8 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 80.6% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 13.5% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 2.3% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 1.6% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 27.6% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 14.3% | 16.8% |
Nearby Cities
ZIP Codes in Lake Wylie
Lake Wylie, SC is covered by 1 ZIP code: