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Clemson, SC

A town of about 18,072 people in Pickens County, part of the Greenville area. Resident comments and photos are about Clemson; job numbers cover the wider area.

Everyday life
Shops, cafes, and daily routines
Hobbies & activities
Trails, parks, and pastimes
Nearby scenery
Lakes, overlooks, and drives

Photos and reviews come from Google Maps and show single places, not the whole area. Reviews are the most relevant ones Google returns for each place. We show the longest highly rated review under 400 characters and, when there is one, the longest low-rated review. Google doesn't verify reviews but removes fake ones when it finds them.

Around Clemson

CU Sikes Hall & Bowman Field
CU Sikes Hall & Bowman Field · Photo: Chris Pruitt, CC BY-SA 3.0
Clemson College Sheep Barn, S. Palmetto Blvd., Clemson
Clemson College Sheep Barn, S. Palmetto Blvd., Clemson · Photo: KudzuVine, Public domain
Clemson University Aerial
Clemson University Aerial · Photo: formulanone, CC BY-SA 2.0
Clemson amphitheatre
Clemson amphitheatre · Photo: blahedo, CC BY-SA 2.5
Fort Hill
Fort Hill · Photo: blahedo, CC BY-SA 2.5
Hanover House
Hanover House · Photo: KudzuVine, CC BY-SA 3.0
J. C. Striblin Barn, Pickens County, Issaqueena Trail, Clemson
J. C. Striblin Barn, Pickens County, Issaqueena Trail, Clemson · Photo: KudzuVine, Public domain
Lake Hartwell in Clemson, South Carolina
Lake Hartwell in Clemson, South Carolina · Photo: Harrison Keely, CC BY 4.0
South Carolina Botanical Garden view
South Carolina Botanical Garden view · Photo: Daderot, Public domain
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Where it is
Clemson
Clemson in South Carolina
South Carolina in the U.S.
State outlines: U.S. Census Bureau.

What's nearby

Within 5 miles of Clemson's center.

8
grocery stores
61
restaurants
15
coffee shops
42
parks
11
playgrounds
6
libraries
8
live theaters
3
museums
7
bookstores
12
gyms
15
bars
4
pharmacies

None found within 5 miles: movie theaters, hospitals.

Counts from OpenStreetMap, a volunteer map, so small or new places can be missing. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Biking and trails

Within 5 miles of the center of Clemson.

Bike lanes and bike paths
8.9 miles
more than most U.S. towns
Walking and hiking trails
95 miles
more than almost all U.S. towns

Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Counts depend on how well local volunteers have mapped the area, so treat them as a rough guide.

What rent costs

Of about 4,772 rented homes in Clemson, 85% rent for under $2,000 a month and 97% for under $3,000.

Under $1,000: 53%
$1,000 to $1,499: 22%
$1,500 to $1,999: 11%
$2,000 to $2,499: 9%
$2,500 to $2,999: 3%
$3,000 or more: 3%

Census American Community Survey 2019 to 2023 (table B25063). Gross rent includes utilities the renter pays. Today's asking rents for open apartments usually run higher.

What moving costs

Hiring movers

Average cost: $1,946

From a 2025 survey of 1,000 people who hired movers. This Old House. Your quote depends on your stuff, stairs and the time of year.

Moving in as a renter

The middle rented home in Clemson rents for under $1,000 a month. First month plus a one-month deposit comes to about under $2,000 before you get the keys.

Estimate from Census rent data (2019 to 2023, rent plus tenant-paid utilities). Deposits and fees vary by landlord and state law.

Your first weeks in South Carolina

  • Forward your mail: USPS change of address. It costs about $1 online to confirm who you are.
  • Switch your driver's license and car registration. Each state sets its own deadline, often somewhere between 10 days and a few months after you move. Find the South Carolina DMV.
  • Register to vote at your new address: South Carolina voter registration.
  • Set up power, gas, water and trash. Some cities bill water and trash together, and some ask new customers for a deposit.
  • Update your address with your bank, employer, insurance and the IRS (Form 8822 if you're not filing soon).
  • Find a doctor and dentist early. New-patient waits can be weeks, even in big cities.

Public schools

Clemson College Sheep Barn, S. Palmetto Blvd., Clemson
Clemson College Sheep Barn, S. Palmetto Blvd., Clemson · Photo: KudzuVine, Public domain

One public school district serves this county, with about 16,310 students. Which one serves a home depends on its address.

Pickens 01 · Easley
16,310 students · 14.9 students per teacher · 24 schools · grades Pre-K to 12

NCES Common Core of Data 2022-23, National Center for Education Statistics. Varro doesn't rate or rank schools. For test results and programs, see each district's site and your state's school report card.

Childcare and colleges

Daycare and preschool

South Carolina keeps an official list of licensed childcare, with inspection reports and openings in many states. In a lot of towns, infant spots fill up months ahead, so it helps to get on waitlists before you move.

Typical full-time prices in this county (2022)
AgeDaycare centerHome daycare
Infant (under 2)$199/week
about $10,300 a year
$138/week
about $7,200 a year
Toddler (2)$185/week
about $9,600 a year
Preschool (3 to 4)$181/week
about $9,400 a year
$133/week
about $6,900 a year
School-age$138/week
about $7,200 a year

For an infant at a center: $199/week here, $185 across SC, $259 across the U.S.. Full-time infant care at a center here costs about 13% of a typical family's income. These are 2022 prices, the newest the government has published by county, and prices have gone up since.

U.S. Department of Labor, National Database of Childcare Prices, 2022. Middle (median) price for full-time care. State and U.S. figures average the county prices, weighted by population (Census 2024).
Search licensed childcare in South Carolina →
Link via childcare.gov (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services).

9 colleges in the county and the wider metro around Clemson. Prices are yearly tuition and fees for full-time undergrads, before financial aid.

Clemson University · Clemson
Public, 4-year · 28,747 students · $15,554 in-state, $39,498 out-of-state
Southern Wesleyan University · Central
Private nonprofit, 4-year · 1,188 students · $27,870 a year
Greenville Technical College · Greenville (metro)
Public, 4-year · 10,661 students · $5,639 in-district, $10,657 out-of-state
Tri-County Technical College · Pendleton (metro)
Public, 2-year (community college) · 5,780 students · $4,448 in-district, $11,096 out-of-state
Anderson University · Anderson (metro)
Private nonprofit, 4-year · 4,325 students · $33,580 a year

Moving for school? Public colleges charge state residents much less, and community colleges often charge even less to people who live in their district. Most states want you to have lived there about 12 months, for reasons other than school, before you count as a resident for tuition. The rules differ by state, so check with the college's registrar.

IPEDS 2023-24, National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS). Degree-granting public and nonprofit schools with 100+ students. Varro doesn't rank colleges.

The facts behind it
Typical home value
$314,151
What a typical home sells for across the Greenville area.
Source: Zillow Home Value Index, August 2026
Cost of living
About 7% below the U.S. average
Everyday prices (rent, groceries, services) run about $93 here for what costs $100 nationally.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis price index 93.3 (U.S. = 100), 2024
Drive to the nearest big job hub
About 45 min at rush hour
To downtown Greenville, SC, 30 miles. About 44 min with no traffic.
Source: Google traffic estimate for a weekday morning around 8am
Average commute
25 minutes one way
How long residents' trips to work take on average, counting every job and way of getting there. U.S. average: about 27 minutes.
Source: U.S. Census (American Community Survey), 2023
Data centers nearby
None within 15 miles
No mapped data center buildings near the town center.
Source: PNNL IM3 Data Center Atlas, from OpenStreetMap (ODbL)
Homeowners insurance
About $2,974 a year
The statewide average for a typical policy in SC. Your own quote will depend on the home.
Source: Statewide estimate, 2026
Natural disaster risk
Relatively Low
FEMA's overall rating for the county, covering floods, storms, wildfire, earthquakes and more.
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025
Hail risk
Relatively Low
FEMA's rating for hail damage in the county, compared with other U.S. counties.
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025
Hospitals nearby
None within 5 miles
No hospital is mapped within 5 miles of the center. Check the drive to the nearest one before you move.
Source: OpenStreetMap (ODbL)
Drug overdose deaths (county)
22.4 per 100,000 people a year
31 deaths in the 12 months ending March 2026. SC average: 22.9 per 100,000. U.S.: 19.9. Counts are by where people lived, and recent months may still be updated.
Source: CDC National Center for Health Statistics, provisional counts through March 2026; Census population estimates 2024
People without housing (local count)
About 10.5 per 10,000 residents
HUD's one-night count in January 2025 found 1,764 people without housing in the Greenville, Anderson, Spartanburg/Upstate area (13 counties): 1,264 in shelters and 500 outside, up from 1,669 in 2024. SC: 8 per 10,000. U.S.: 21.9. One-night counts miss people, and how areas count differs.
Source: HUD Point-in-Time Count, January 2025 (HUD, 2025 report to Congress); Census population estimates 2024
Median household income
$59,411
Half of households in the county earn more than this, half earn less.
Source: U.S. Census (American Community Survey), 2023
Property tax
0.38% of home value a year
About $380 a year for every $100,000 of home value.
Source: U.S. Census (American Community Survey), 2023
State income tax
Graduated, up to 5.21%
SC's state income tax. Some cities and counties add their own.
Source: 2026

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