Lake City, SC
Census place 4539310 · pop 5,988
Sales & income are statewide.
The breakdown — worst first
U.S. median $67,857 · worse than most cities
$33,600 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.
U.S. median 90.0% · worse than most cities
77.9% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
U.S. median 36.5% · worse than most cities
46.2% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).
U.S. median +2.4% · worse than most cities
-9.5% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?
U.S. median 67.2% · worse than most cities
43.5% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.
U.S. median 26.5% · worse than most cities
36.2% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.
U.S. median 12.1% · worse than most cities
25.7% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.
U.S. median 0.43 · worse than most cities
Gini 0.51 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).
U.S. median 14.6% · worse than most cities
16.8% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.
U.S. median 9.3% · worse than most cities
14.2% of adults · Adults 18–64 without health insurance.
U.S. median 24.3% · worse than most cities
19.6% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
U.S. median 3.6% · worse than most cities
4.2% unemployment · Share of the labor force out of work. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 17.4% · worse than most cities
18.4% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).
U.S. median 77/100 · worse than most cities
93/100 FEMA risk (higher = riskier) · FEMA National Risk Index — wildfire, flood, earthquake, heat and more. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 24 min · worse than most cities
25 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.
U.S. median 42 AQI · worse than most cities
44 median AQI · Median air quality index — lower is cleaner air. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 1 days · better than most cities
0 unhealthy-air days per year · Days per year with unhealthy air (AQI above 100). Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median $214,900 · better than most cities
$144,300 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.
U.S. median 0.99% · better than most cities
0.40% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.
Not measured for Lake City: Crime, Property crime, Rent. Not every public source covers every city — EPA air monitors and Zillow rent only reach some places, and national crime data is still being added.
Frequently asked
- Is Lake City, SC a good place to live?
- By the numbers, Lake City scores 33/100 — a F (Bad) on Shcity, which ranks U.S. cities on public data across 19 metrics like crime, cost, jobs and health. Its strongest area is property-tax burden and its weakest is median household income. South Carolina overall ranks #21 of 50 states. Whether it's "good" depends on what you value — re-weight the factors to score it your way.
- Is Lake City, SC expensive to live in?
- Lake City has a median home value of $144,300 — more affordable than most U.S. cities.
- What's the biggest downside of living in Lake City, SC?
- Its weakest measured area is median household income ($33,600) — 1/100, worse than most U.S. cities.
- What is Lake City, SC best at?
- Its strongest measured area is property-tax burden (0.40%) — 96/100, better than most U.S. cities.
Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.