Is Pendleton, SC a Good Place to Live?
Pendleton is a small town of 3,498 in South Carolina, with a median household income of $63,750 and a 2.9% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 93 (US average = 100), which is 7% below the national average.
Strengths: Pendleton stands out for an affordable cost of living, below-average home prices, lower-than-average crime, solid school ratings (A-), a well-educated population, short average commutes.
Trade-offs: No major red flags stand out in the available data. Whether Pendleton is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Pendleton 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: 92.8Pendleton's overall cost of living index is 92.8, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Pendleton costs roughly 7% less than the average American city.
| Metric | Pendleton, SC | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $202,000 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $946 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 54.3% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $63,750 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Safer than AveragePendleton's violent crime rate is 296.4 per 100,000 residents — 22% lower than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
Pendleton is served primarily by Anderson 04. The student-to-teacher ratio is 14.1:1 (better than the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | Pendleton, SC | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | Anderson 04 | — |
| Elementary Schools | 4 | — |
| Middle Schools | 1 | — |
| High Schools | 1 | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 14.1:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 55.9% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 91.9% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Pendleton sees average highs of 53.4°F in January and 91.0°F in July, with 52.4 inches of annual precipitation and 2.2 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | Pendleton, SC |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 53.4°F |
| Average High — July | 91.0°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 52.4" |
| Annual Snowfall | 2.2" |
Demographics
| Metric | Pendleton, SC | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 3,498 | — |
| Median Age | 40.7 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 2.9% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 20.9 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 77.9% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 13.7% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 3.1% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 1.3% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 15.6% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 19.4% | 16.8% |
Nearby Cities
ZIP Codes in Pendleton
Pendleton, SC is covered by 1 ZIP code: