Population 9,276 · Census ACS 2020–24
Choose a measure to map it.Tap a measure to map it. Swipe the row for more. Arrows show the change since 2006–10.
Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
Younger residents
Older residents
Colorblind friendly
off
More maps of Garden City: Best Neighborhoods · Walk Grade · Household income · Home prices · Race · Politics · Traffic noise · Internet
Population and households in Garden City
Household size in Garden City
| Period | Garden City | South Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1.88 | 2.54 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 1.89 | 2.59 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.12 | 2.57 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 1.92 | 2.50 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.04 | −0.04 | −0.03 |
Households in Garden City are small: just 1.92 people on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. That is typical of places where many people live alone or as couples, and fewer have children at home. Household size has crept up from 1.88 in 2006–10, even as the national average fell. Garden City has the smallest households of any South Carolina city with 5,000+ people.
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 Garden City
| Period | Garden City | South Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 57.8 | 38.3 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 58.9 | 39.3 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 61.5 | 40.6 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 61.1 | 41.2 | 40.1 |
| Change | +3.3 | +2.9 | +2.3 |
With a median age of 61.1, Garden City is noticeably older than the country as a whole (40.1), an age mix that tilts toward empty nesters and retirees. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 57.8, mirroring the country. Only one other South Carolina city with 5,000+ people is older.
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 Garden City
| Period | Garden City | South Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.4% | 13.0% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 5.1% | 13.0% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 3.6% | 11.8% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.7% | 11.7% | 11.6% |
| Change | −1.7 pts | −1.3 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 3.7% of households in Garden City, well below the national share of 11.6%. Since 2006–10, the single-parent share has fallen 1.7 points, as it has nationally. Of the 172 South Carolina cities with 5,000+ people, only four have a lower share of single-parent households.
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 Garden City
Renters in Garden City
| Period | Garden City | South Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 17.4% | 30.1% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 21.2% | 31.4% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 19.1% | 30.6% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 13.5% | 28.1% | 34.8% |
| Change | −3.9 pts | −2.0 pts | +1.5 pts |
Garden City is overwhelmingly a place of homeowners: only 13.5% of households rent, far below the national share of 34.8%. Owner-heavy areas like this tend to see less turnover. Nearly six in ten owners (56.3%) have paid off their mortgages, well above the national share of 39.8%. Since 2006–10, the renter share has fallen 3.9 points, 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 Garden City
| Period | Garden City | South Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 41.3% | 14.2% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 44.8% | 14.2% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 42.3% | 13.3% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 34.9% | 11.8% | 9.6% |
| Change | −6.3 pts | −2.5 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacant homes make up 34.9% of the housing in Garden City, far above the national rate of 9.6%. In resort and lake areas that usually means seasonal and vacation homes; elsewhere it can point to weak demand. Vacancy is down 6.3 points from 2006–10, a much bigger shift than 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 Garden City
| Period | Garden City | South Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1989 | 1984 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1989 | 1985 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1989 | 1987 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1990 | 1991 | 1980 |
| Change | +2 | +7 | +6 |
Garden City has newer housing than the country as a whole: the median home was built in 1990, versus 1980 nationally. The picture is much the same across South Carolina.
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 Garden City
| Period | Garden City | South Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $797 | $780 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $913 | $859 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,027 | $984 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,489 | $1,294 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$692 | +$514 | +$606 |
Rent in Garden City runs $1,489 a month at the median, utilities included, below the U.S. median of $1,571. Still, rents here are higher than in South Carolina overall ($1,294). Rent has climbed $692 a month since 2006–10, up 87%, faster than rents rose nationally. Rent takes 27.6% of the typical renter's income, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent.
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 Garden City
Bachelor's degrees in Garden City
| Period | Garden City | South Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 23.1% | 25.2% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 24.6% | 26.5% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 24.2% | 28.9% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 26.1% | 32.6% | 35.6% |
| Change | +3.0 pts | +7.4 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are less common in Garden City than nationally: 26.1% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's or higher, against 35.6%. Since 2006–10, the share with a degree has risen 3.0 points, as it has nationally.
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 Garden City
| Period | Garden City | South Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 88.8% | 84.0% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 90.0% | 85.7% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 92.7% | 87.8% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 93.0% | 90.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | +4.2 pts | +6.2 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion in Garden City is above the national rate: 93.0% of adults have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3%. The share with a diploma is up 4.2 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
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 Garden City
| Period | Garden City | South Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.1% | 9.1% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 7.6% | 10.6% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 3.4% | 5.8% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.8% | 4.9% | 5.4% |
| Change | −0.4 pts | −4.2 pts | −2.7 pts |
At 4.8%, unemployment in Garden City is close to the national rate of 5.4%. 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).
Garden City 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Garden City | 1.92 | 61.1 | 3.7% | 13.5% | 34.9% | 1990 | $1,489 | 26.1% | 93.0% | 4.8% |
| Murrells Inlet | 2.16 | 59.9 | 4.3% | 10.9% | 14.6% | 2005 | $1,569 | 36.3% | 96.9% | 3.3% |
| Surfside Beach | 2.21 | 51.2 | 11.2% | 32.1% | 42.8% | 1985 | $1,324 | 35.3% | 94.1% | 6.8% |
| Socastee | 2.60 | 43.5 | 9.9% | 33.6% | 9.9% | 1995 | $1,247 | 22.7% | 91.4% | 3.7% |
| North Litchfield Beach | 2.11 | 66.6 | 1.4% | 4.7% | 32.3% | 2006 | $2,363 | 75.1% | 100.0% | 4.3% |
| Plantersville | 2.14 | 52.7 | 10.3% | 12.9% | 20.1% | 1989 | $568 | 10.5% | 86.0% | 11.4% |
| Pawleys Island | 2.19 | 60.0 | 4.7% | 12.5% | 29.8% | 1999 | $1,654 | 52.1% | 96.6% | 1.3% |
| Waverly Mills | 2.49 | 53.5 | 5.5% | 7.6% | 7.8% | 1997 | $1,244 | 57.0% | 97.4% | 2.3% |
| Yauhannah | 2.53 | 44.3 | 12.1% | 10.6% | 18.0% | 1990 | $615 | 13.8% | 83.2% | 15.1% |
| Oatland | 3.37 | 47.3 | 4.6% | 3.3% | 26.2% | 1989 | $1,645 | 11.0% | 82.2% | 0.1% |
| Kensington | 2.66 | 41.6 | 20.5% | 22.4% | 15.0% | 1987 | $1,298 | 24.7% | 96.7% | 1.1% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Watford City, ND · Weldon Spring, MO · Welcome, SC · Hanson, MA · Harlem, GA · Harold, FL · Harrington, DE · Wedgefield, FL · Waverly, NY · Waveland, MS
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 Garden City. 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.
No other site shows detail at this level for free. We are able to keep this site free by receiving a small commission from the referring links on this page. Please share or cite this page if you aren’t able to otherwise support our work.