Population 8,897 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Cowpens
Household size in Cowpens
| Period | Cowpens | South Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.66 | 2.54 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.64 | 2.59 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.79 | 2.57 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.49 | 2.50 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.17 | −0.04 | −0.03 |
Households in Cowpens run a little small, averaging 2.49 people against 2.65 nationally, which usually means more singles and couples and fewer children. Since 2006–10, household size has dropped from 2.66, a much bigger shift than nationally. The biggest households, usually families with children, are concentrated in the west.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Cowpens
| Period | Cowpens | South Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 38.4 | 38.3 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 41.2 | 39.3 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 41.1 | 40.6 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 44.2 | 41.2 | 40.1 |
| Change | +5.8 | +2.9 | +2.3 |
Cowpens skews older: half of its residents are older than 44.2, well above the national median of 40.1. That usually means more empty nesters and retirees, and fewer young families. The median age has climbed from 38.4 in 2006–10, as it has nationally.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Cowpens
| Period | Cowpens | South Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.7% | 13.0% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 12.5% | 13.0% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 13.6% | 11.8% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 10.5% | 11.7% | 11.6% |
| Change | −0.2 pts | −1.3 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head about one in ten households in Cowpens (10.5%), a little below the national share of 11.6%. The single-parent share has barely moved since 2006–10, while the national share fell.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Cowpens
Renters in Cowpens
| Period | Cowpens | South Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 31.1% | 30.1% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 27.5% | 31.4% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 27.4% | 30.6% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 24.6% | 28.1% | 34.8% |
| Change | −6.5 pts | −2.0 pts | +1.5 pts |
Only 24.6% of households in Cowpens rent their homes, far below the national share of 34.8%, so most residents are owners who tend to stay put. Among homeowners, 54.1% have no mortgage at all, well above the national share of 39.8%. Renting is most common in the west and least common in the northeast. The renter share is down 6.5 points from 2006–10, even as the national share rose.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Cowpens
| Period | Cowpens | South Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.6% | 14.2% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 11.2% | 14.2% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 15.8% | 13.3% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 9.3% | 11.8% | 9.6% |
| Change | −3.3 pts | −2.5 pts | −1.8 pts |
About as many homes sit empty in Cowpens as nationally: 9.3%, against 9.6%. The rate is lower than in South Carolina overall (11.8%). Since 2006–10, vacancy has fallen 3.3 points, as it has nationally.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Cowpens
| Period | Cowpens | South Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1981 | 1984 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1983 | 1985 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1986 | 1987 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1983 | 1991 | 1980 |
| Change | +2 | +7 | +6 |
The typical home in Cowpens was built around 1983, about the same vintage as the country's housing overall (1980). Homes here are older than in South Carolina as a whole, where the median home dates to 1991. Newer construction is concentrated in the northeast, while the south has the oldest housing.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Cowpens
| Period | Cowpens | South Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $515 | $780 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $602 | $859 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $702 | $984 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $908 | $1,294 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$393 | +$514 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Cowpens costs $908 a month with utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $393 a month since 2006–10, up 76%, faster than rents rose nationally. The typical renter here spends 35.9% of household income on rent, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched. Renters on a budget will find the lowest rents in the northwest; the highest are in the northeast.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Cowpens
Bachelor's degrees in Cowpens
| Period | Cowpens | South Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.1% | 25.2% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 14.4% | 26.5% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 15.6% | 28.9% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 17.3% | 32.6% | 35.6% |
| Change | +7.2 pts | +7.4 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Cowpens have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 17.3%, against 35.6% nationally. The share with a degree is up 7.2 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country. College graduates are most concentrated in the northeast and least in the southeast.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Cowpens
| Period | Cowpens | South Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 70.3% | 84.0% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 76.2% | 85.7% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 82.0% | 87.8% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 83.5% | 90.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | +13.2 pts | +6.2 pts | +4.3 pts |
About one in six adults in Cowpens never finished high school, well above the national share: only 83.5% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% nationally. The share with a diploma is up 13.2 points from 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally. Cowpens has a lower share of high school graduates than at least four in five South Carolina cities.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Cowpens
| Period | Cowpens | South Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.1% | 9.1% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 14.3% | 10.6% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.0% | 5.8% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.7% | 4.9% | 5.4% |
| Change | −8.5 pts | −4.2 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Cowpens runs below the national rate: 3.7% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. Unemployment has fallen 8.5 points since 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Cowpens compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cowpens | 2.49 | 44.2 | 10.5% | 24.6% | 9.3% | 1983 | $908 | 17.3% | 83.5% | 3.7% |
| Converse | 2.40 | 53.5 | 9.3% | 27.0% | 18.8% | 1974 | $879 | 25.4% | 91.7% | 8.2% |
| Clifton | 2.50 | 40.1 | 16.2% | 27.4% | 14.5% | 1975 | $1,068 | 12.6% | 78.9% | 3.3% |
| Mayo | 2.67 | 35.4 | 16.1% | 30.0% | 6.6% | 1985 | $803 | 14.5% | 81.6% | 1.8% |
| Glendale | 2.46 | 48.4 | 5.1% | 24.9% | 11.3% | 1975 | $780 | 25.0% | 77.3% | 3.2% |
| Pacolet Mills | 2.52 | 40.1 | 8.3% | 18.4% | 9.7% | 1991 | $1,075 | 18.8% | 90.0% | 0.7% |
| Chesnee | 2.71 | 39.2 | 8.4% | 18.6% | 10.5% | 1989 | $941 | 15.5% | 89.9% | 2.7% |
| Gaffney | 2.58 | 39.0 | 13.7% | 27.5% | 13.6% | 1983 | $880 | 22.3% | 85.8% | 7.5% |
| Spartanburg | 2.56 | 38.0 | 15.2% | 35.1% | 9.9% | 1983 | $1,159 | 25.8% | 88.3% | 5.8% |
| Valley Falls | 2.65 | 34.2 | 13.8% | 44.7% | 10.9% | 1996 | $1,187 | 20.1% | 86.9% | 6.4% |
| Central Pacolet | 2.04 | 50.8 | 6.8% | 29.4% | 20.9% | 1962 | $770 | 17.4% | 83.8% | 4.5% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Caldwell, OH · Brookville, IN · Bryans Road, MD · Bryson City, NC · Whiteland, IN · Whitehouse Station, NJ · Bumpass, VA · Bunnell, FL · Whitehall, MI · Wheatfield, IN
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Cowpens. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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