City safety & data profile

GaffneySC

Gaffney, SC is a 13K-resident city in Cherokee County with a median household income of $41,089.

Cherokee County, South Carolina. Federal health, economic, and safety indicators for Gaffney, drawn from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, CDC PLACES, and CMS Hospital Compare. Gaffney has a population larger than 16% of the 4,640 U.S. cities Areazine tracks, a median home value of $137,700, and 1 hospital serving the surrounding area.

Data updated 2026-07-20

13K
Population
Top 84%
By size
$41,089
Median income
$137,700
Median home
29.1%
Poverty rate

The read on Gaffney

Gaffney posts a median household income higher than 2% of U.S. cities Areazine tracks, where 1 hospital serves the Gaffney area.

Top 98%
by median income, US cities
1
hospital in & near Gaffney

Where Gaffney income ranks nationally

Median household income vs. every place Areazine profiles (place-level ACS)

$41,089 Bottom 2% higher than 2% of 3,889 places Areazine profiles

$0–$20,000: 0 places Areazine profiles (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 71 places Areazine profiles (2%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 788 places Areazine profiles (20%). This entry sits in this band. $60,000–$80,000: 1,055 places Areazine profiles (27%). Above this entry. $80,000–$100,000: 768 places Areazine profiles (20%). Above this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 515 places Areazine profiles (13%). Above this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 308 places Areazine profiles (8%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 171 places Areazine profiles (4%). Above this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 92 places Areazine profiles (2%). Above this entry. $180,000–$200,000: 47 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. $200,000–$220,000: 28 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. $220,000–$240,000: 18 places Areazine profiles (0%). Above this entry. $240,000–$260,000: 28 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. SC $0 $260,000 every profiled place, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more places Areazine profiles. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (place-level) · 2024 ACS 5-year

The quick read

Reading Gaffney, SC beyond the headline numbers

Gaffney sits inside Cherokee County, South Carolina, at roughly 35.07°N, -81.65°W. Population 12,566, $41,089 median household income. Median home value $137,700, median rent $887. Poverty rate 29.1%, read against that income figure since two cities on the same median can differ underneath it.

CDC PLACES: Gaffney's highest-prevalence health measure is high blood pressure at 42.4%, then short sleep duration at 42.1%. 1 hospital in/around Gaffney, 2/5 avg rating, 1 with an ER.

Sources: U.S. Census ACS, CDC PLACES, CMS Hospital Compare, plus live alerts for Gaffney from FEMA, NOAA, FDA, and CPSC. Comparison bars benchmark each metric against the national reference.

Population
12,566
Gaffney
Median Income
$41,089
-40% vs avg
Median Home Value
$137,700
-40% vs avg
Median Age
31.9
years

10-Year Trends 2013–2024

County-level trend (Cherokee County) - Gaffney's own historical series isn't separately published by the Census Bureau, so these year-over-year figures track the surrounding county, not the city alone.

20132024
Population
57K+2%
Median Income
$50,288+47%
Median Home Value
$142,000+70%
Poverty Rate
18.4%-20%
Unemployment
6.2%-59%

Economics

Economics indicators for Gaffney, SC
IndicatorValue
Median Rent
$887/mo
Poverty Rate
29.1% +105% vs avg
Unemployment 10.5%
Bachelor's Degree+ 23.1%
Work From Home 4.9%
Public Transit 0.2%

Population

White 41.3%
African American 40.7%
Asian 0.5%
Two or More Ethnicities 9.3%

Health Profile 15 measures

Health Indicators

High Blood Pressure
42.4%
Short Sleep Duration
42.1%
Obesity
40.8%
Physical Inactivity
34%
Frequent Mental Distress
19.2%
Current Smoking
17.4%
Diabetes
17%
Frequent Physical Distress
16.5%
Lack of Health Insurance
15.2%
Binge Drinking
14.2%

Preventive Care

Dental Visit 54.9%
Annual Checkup 80.5%

Other Measures

Current Asthma
10.9%
Coronary Heart Disease
7.8%
Stroke
5.1%

Hospitals 1 total

Rating Distribution
★★★★★
0
★★★★
0
★★★
0
★★
1
★
0
Average Rating
2/5
Total Hospitals
1
With ER
1
CHEROKEE MEDICAL CENTER
GAFFNEY · Acute Care Hospitals · ER
★★☆☆☆

Frequently Asked Questions 6

What is the population of Gaffney, SC? ▼
Gaffney, SC has a population of 12,566 people, located in Cherokee County, South Carolina.
What is the median household income in Gaffney? ▼
The median household income in Gaffney, SC is $41,089 per year, per the U.S. Census ACS. The poverty rate is 29.1%.
What is the median home value in Gaffney? ▼
The median home value in Gaffney, SC is $137,700. Median rent is $887/month.
What are the top health concerns in Gaffney? ▼
The top health indicators in Gaffney include High Blood Pressure (42.4%), Short Sleep Duration (42.1%), Obesity (40.8%). Data from CDC PLACES.
How many hospitals are in Gaffney? ▼
Gaffney has 1 hospital with an average rating of 2/5 stars. 1 have emergency departments.
What is the median age in Gaffney? ▼
The median age in Gaffney, SC is 31.9 years. 23.1% of residents have a bachelor's degree or higher.

Safety Context

Gaffney, SC is located in Cherokee County, South Carolina. With a population of 13K and a $41,089 median household income, the community faces health challenges including high blood pressure and short sleep duration. Residents have access to 1 hospital with an average rating of 2/5 stars. Safety alerts for the Gaffney area are monitored from federal and state agencies including FEMA, NOAA, FDA, and CPSC.

Safety Guides

How Product Recalls Work

CPSC, FDA & NHTSA recall process explained

Understanding Weather Alerts

Watch vs warning vs advisory explained

Earthquake Magnitude Explained

What the numbers mean & when to act
All safety guides →

Primary source data

EPA Outdoor Air Quality Data

Federal monitoring network, every measurement we report

AirNow - South Carolina

Real-time AQI for every monitored South Carolina location

National Weather Service

NOAA active watches, warnings, advisories

CDC Air Quality & Health

Health-impact reference for every AQI category

EPA NAAQS standards

National Ambient Air Quality Standards, the regulatory thresholds

Nearby Cities 8

Shelby, NC 20K Spartanburg, SC 38K Kings Mountain, NC 11K Gastonia, NC 75K Lincolnton, NC 11K Greer, SC 28K Belmont, NC 11K Five Forks, SC 14K
All cities in South Carolina → Compare Gaffney vs Shelby → All comparisons → Browse all cities

Using Gaffney's profile

Use this as a starting research checklist, not a verdict on whether to live here.

  • Check live recalls, weather and hazard alerts scoped to the Gaffney area before relying on national headlines. Check your area
  • Read the poverty rate alongside the income figure, two places with the same median can have very different realities.
  • Compare Gaffney against South Carolina peers on any ranking lens. Explore South Carolina

Population and economics (income, home value, poverty, education) are place-level U.S. Census ACS; health is CDC PLACES; hospital counts reflect facilities in and around the city.

Data Sources

All data on this page comes from official U.S. government sources. Population and economic data from the Census Bureau American Community Survey (2024 5-year estimates, place geography). Health data from the CDC PLACES program (2023). Hospital ratings from CMS Hospital Compare (2024). Climate data from NOAA. Education data from NCES. Cost of living from Bureau of Economic Analysis. Crime statistics, where referenced on Areazine, originate from the FBI Crime Data Explorer. Housing market figures referenced on Areazine come from HUD Fair Market Rents. Census economics and population are at place geography; some health and hospital indicators are reported at the county level (Cherokee County) where that is the smallest published unit.

Every figure on Areazine is published directly from official U.S. government sources, no number is typed in by an editor. City demographic and health figures are compiled directly from U.S. Census, CDC, and CMS releases, updated quarterly within 30 days of upstream release. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026.