Population 752 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
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Population and households in Lester
Household size in Lester
| Period | Lester | South Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.77 | 2.54 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.56 | 2.59 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.86 | 2.57 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.69 | 2.50 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.08 | −0.04 | −0.03 |
At 2.69 people per household, Lester sits close to the national average of 2.65. The typical household here is bigger than in South Carolina overall, where it has 2.50 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 Lester
| Period | Lester | South Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 40.0 | 38.3 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 39.1 | 39.3 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 40.2 | 40.6 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 42.4 | 41.2 | 40.1 |
| Change | +2.4 | +2.9 | +2.3 |
Lester skews a little older than the country: its median age is 42.4, against 40.1 nationally. That is in line with the rest of South Carolina. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 40.0, but in a place this small, survey estimates can swing a lot from one release to the next.
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 Lester
| Period | Lester | South Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 18.7% | 13.0% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 14.8% | 13.0% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 17.0% | 11.8% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 11.8% | 11.7% | 11.6% |
| Change | −6.9 pts | −1.3 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head nearly one in eight households in Lester (11.8%), close to 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 Lester
Renters in Lester
| Period | Lester | South Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 23.0% | 30.1% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 23.8% | 31.4% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 31.6% | 30.6% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 22.4% | 28.1% | 34.8% |
| Change | −0.6 pts | −2.0 pts | +1.5 pts |
Only 22.4% of households in Lester rent their homes, far below the national share of 34.8%, so most residents are owners who tend to stay put. About eight in ten owners (78.3%) 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 Lester
| Period | Lester | South Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 18.2% | 14.2% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 19.0% | 14.2% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 15.9% | 13.3% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 20.1% | 11.8% | 9.6% |
| Change | +2.0 pts | −2.5 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacant homes make up 20.1% of the housing in Lester, 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 Lester
| Period | Lester | South Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1979 | 1984 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1986 | 1985 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1982 | 1987 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1986 | 1991 | 1980 |
| Change | +7 | +7 | +6 |
The housing in Lester is younger than the country's: half of it was built after 1986, against 1980 nationally. Still, homes here are older than in South Carolina as a whole, where the median home dates to 1991.
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 Lester
| Period | Lester | South Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $524 | $780 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $673 | $859 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $618 | $984 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $667 | $1,294 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$144 | +$514 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Lester costs $667 a month with utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. The typical renter here spends 31.8% of household income on rent, just over 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 Lester
Bachelor's degrees in Lester
| Period | Lester | South Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 3.3% | 25.2% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 5.5% | 26.5% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 8.6% | 28.9% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 9.4% | 32.6% | 35.6% |
| Change | +6.1 pts | +7.4 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are relatively uncommon in Lester: 9.4% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's or higher, well below 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 Lester
| Period | Lester | South Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 68.0% | 84.0% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 69.2% | 85.7% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 78.8% | 87.8% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 76.7% | 90.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | +8.7 pts | +6.2 pts | +4.3 pts |
Nearly a quarter of adults in Lester never finished high school, well above the national share: only 76.7% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% nationally.
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 Lester
| Period | Lester | South Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.3% | 9.1% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 16.0% | 10.6% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 8.0% | 5.8% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 13.0% | 4.9% | 5.4% |
| Change | +1.8 pts | −4.2 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Lester runs well above the national rate: 13.0% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4%. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's 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).
Lester 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lester | 2.69 | 42.4 | 11.8% | 22.4% | 20.1% | 1986 | $667 | 9.4% | 76.7% | 13.0% |
| Bennettsville | 2.50 | 42.0 | 12.3% | 41.8% | 21.4% | 1976 | $742 | 10.9% | 79.7% | 13.9% |
| Tatum | 2.75 | 41.1 | 14.2% | 28.5% | 15.8% | 1980 | $627 | 11.2% | 76.1% | 4.2% |
| Gibson | 2.47 | 34.9 | 19.8% | 42.0% | 14.7% | 1988 | $791 | 11.5% | 78.3% | 13.6% |
| Masons Crossroads | 2.47 | 38.8 | 5.6% | 15.8% | 13.5% | 1980 | $787 | 12.6% | 80.7% | 18.5% |
| Wallace | 2.34 | 48.4 | 17.8% | 17.7% | 28.2% | 1982 | $773 | 3.6% | 74.5% | 4.2% |
| McColl | 2.63 | 34.6 | 19.4% | 45.7% | 11.6% | 1982 | $723 | 5.3% | 74.6% | 5.9% |
| New Town | 2.73 | 38.0 | 26.9% | 20.8% | 6.5% | 1989 | $905 | 10.2% | 68.6% | 3.0% |
| Old Hundred | 2.52 | 35.6 | 19.5% | 36.6% | 11.9% | 1989 | $823 | 10.4% | 80.0% | 10.2% |
| Steen Town | 2.82 | 31.4 | 32.8% | 29.8% | 4.6% | 1981 | $821 | 8.1% | 74.5% | 4.2% |
| Laurel Hill | 2.62 | 35.3 | 17.5% | 28.7% | 14.0% | 1990 | $875 | 12.5% | 86.8% | 10.4% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Wampsville, NY · Fruitland, KS · Gardner, WV · Gary, TX · Gause, TX · German Valley, IL · Yankeetown, FL · Graceville, MN · Warwick, MA · Wapello, ID
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 Lester. 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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