Population 1,030 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Lake Murray Shores
Household size in Lake Murray Shores
| Period | Lake Murray Shores | Columbia area | South Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.55 | 2.51 | 2.54 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.36 | 2.55 | 2.59 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.22 | 2.55 | 2.57 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.33 | 2.46 | 2.50 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.22 | −0.05 | −0.04 | −0.03 |
Households in Lake Murray Shores are small: just 2.33 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 dropped from 2.55 in 2006–10, but in a place this small, much of that may be survey noise rather than real change.
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 Lake Murray Shores
| Period | Lake Murray Shores | Columbia area | South Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 46.7 | 37.1 | 38.3 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 49.2 | 37.8 | 39.3 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 56.2 | 38.6 | 40.6 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 55.6 | 39.4 | 41.2 | 40.1 |
| Change | +8.9 | +2.3 | +2.9 | +2.3 |
With a median age of 55.6, Lake Murray Shores is noticeably older than the country as a whole (40.1), an age mix that tilts toward empty nesters and retirees.
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 Lake Murray Shores
| Period | Lake Murray Shores | Columbia area | South Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.9% | 13.2% | 13.0% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 5.6% | 13.4% | 13.0% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 6.3% | 12.9% | 11.8% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 6.9% | 12.9% | 11.7% | 11.6% |
| Change | +1.0 pts | −0.3 pts | −1.3 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 6.9% of households in Lake Murray Shores, well below the national share of 11.6%.
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 Lake Murray Shores
Renters in Lake Murray Shores
| Period | Lake Murray Shores | Columbia area | South Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.6% | 31.2% | 30.1% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 13.7% | 32.8% | 31.4% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 14.6% | 32.1% | 30.6% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 11.7% | 30.6% | 28.1% | 34.8% |
| Change | +6.1 pts | −0.6 pts | −2.0 pts | +1.5 pts |
Lake Murray Shores is overwhelmingly a place of homeowners: only 11.7% of households rent, far below the national share of 34.8%. Owner-heavy areas like this tend to see less turnover. About half of owners (51.5%) have paid off their mortgages, well above the national share of 39.8%.
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 Lake Murray Shores
| Period | Lake Murray Shores | Columbia area | South Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 38.4% | 10.7% | 14.2% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 40.5% | 12.0% | 14.2% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 36.9% | 11.8% | 13.3% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 25.9% | 10.3% | 11.8% | 9.6% |
| Change | −12.5 pts | −0.4 pts | −2.5 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacant homes make up 25.9% of the housing in Lake Murray Shores, 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.
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 Lake Murray Shores
| Period | Lake Murray Shores | Columbia area | South Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1989 | 1984 | 1984 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1988 | 1985 | 1985 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1990 | 1986 | 1987 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1996 | 1990 | 1991 | 1980 |
| Change | +7 | +6 | +7 | +6 |
Much of the housing in Lake Murray Shores is relatively new: half of its homes were built after 1996, compared with 1980 for the U.S. as a whole.
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 Lake Murray Shores
| Period | Lake Murray Shores | Columbia area | South Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $744 | $831 | $780 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $811 | $908 | $859 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $887 | $1,021 | $984 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,296 | $1,285 | $1,294 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$552 | +$453 | +$514 | +$606 |
The median renter in Lake Murray Shores pays $1,296 a month for rent and utilities, below the national median of $1,571. The Columbia area as a whole looks much the same. The typical renter here spends 27.8% of household income on rent, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally.
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 Lake Murray Shores
Bachelor's degrees in Lake Murray Shores
| Period | Lake Murray Shores | Columbia area | South Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 23.4% | 31.5% | 25.2% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 23.3% | 31.8% | 26.5% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 36.5% | 34.1% | 28.9% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 35.9% | 35.9% | 32.6% | 35.6% |
| Change | +12.5 pts | +4.4 pts | +7.4 pts | +7.2 pts |
More than a third of adults 25 and older in Lake Murray Shores (35.9%) hold at least a bachelor's degree, close to the national share of 35.6%.
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 Lake Murray Shores
| Period | Lake Murray Shores | Columbia area | South Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 85.6% | 88.1% | 84.0% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 87.9% | 88.7% | 85.7% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 89.8% | 90.2% | 87.8% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 92.6% | 91.4% | 90.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | +7.1 pts | +3.3 pts | +6.2 pts | +4.3 pts |
About nine in ten adults in Lake Murray Shores have finished high school (92.6%), above the national rate of 89.3%. The Columbia area as a whole looks much the same.
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 Lake Murray Shores
| Period | Lake Murray Shores | Columbia area | South Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.5% | 7.6% | 9.1% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 7.4% | 9.7% | 10.6% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.3% | 6.0% | 5.8% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.6% | 5.4% | 4.9% | 5.4% |
| Change | −3.9 pts | −2.2 pts | −4.2 pts | −2.7 pts |
Jobs have been easier to find in Lake Murray Shores than nationally: unemployment was 3.6%, against 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).
Lake Murray Shores 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Murray Shores | 2.33 | 55.6 | 6.9% | 11.7% | 25.9% | 1996 | $1,296 | 35.9% | 92.6% | 3.6% |
| Prosperity | 2.37 | 48.6 | 11.3% | 22.1% | 18.3% | 1990 | $1,129 | 26.1% | 86.8% | 2.3% |
| Stoney Hill | 2.09 | 51.9 | 9.1% | 20.6% | 19.5% | 1989 | $1,114 | 31.8% | 91.6% | 0.9% |
| Little Mountain | 2.48 | 45.5 | 8.3% | 11.1% | 11.4% | 1991 | $1,118 | 34.4% | 94.1% | 8.1% |
| Chapin | 2.57 | 45.6 | 5.6% | 9.4% | 8.0% | 2003 | $1,807 | 49.3% | 95.9% | 3.0% |
| Gilbert | 2.60 | 44.7 | 9.6% | 13.5% | 15.2% | 1998 | $906 | 26.8% | 94.5% | 4.4% |
| Leesville | 2.43 | 46.3 | 10.1% | 12.1% | 16.5% | 1993 | $991 | 19.0% | 90.5% | 6.1% |
| Mount Willing | 2.73 | 44.3 | 13.6% | 11.6% | 11.7% | 1980 | $908 | 18.5% | 86.7% | 0.8% |
| Summit | 2.56 | 42.0 | 13.6% | 13.3% | 10.7% | 1995 | $963 | 10.7% | 91.8% | 9.2% |
| Batesburg-Leesville | 2.52 | 41.8 | 17.2% | 28.5% | 16.3% | 1971 | $950 | 13.4% | 85.5% | 4.6% |
| Lake Murray of Richland | 2.34 | 49.4 | 8.5% | 31.5% | 4.3% | 2003 | $1,645 | 48.8% | 97.1% | 0.0% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Fort Myer, VA · Suches, GA · Stockertown, PA · Hartford, AR · Hallock, MN · Grandfield, OK · Grand Cane, LA · Graham Hill, KY · Golden, IL · Glenwillow, OH
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 Lake Murray Shores. 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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