Population 5,376 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Ridgeway
Household size in Ridgeway
| Period | Ridgeway | Columbia area | South Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.44 | 2.51 | 2.54 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.28 | 2.55 | 2.59 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.35 | 2.55 | 2.57 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.12 | 2.46 | 2.50 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.32 | −0.05 | −0.04 | −0.03 |
Ridgeway is a place of small households, averaging 2.12 people against 2.65 for the U.S., which points to many singles, couples and roommates and relatively few children. Household size has dropped from 2.44 in 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally. Of the 172 South Carolina cities with 5,000+ people, only six have smaller households.
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 Ridgeway
| Period | Ridgeway | Columbia area | South Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 44.5 | 37.1 | 38.3 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 45.1 | 37.8 | 39.3 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 48.8 | 38.6 | 40.6 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 53.6 | 39.4 | 41.2 | 40.1 |
| Change | +9.2 | +2.3 | +2.9 | +2.3 |
With a median age of 53.6, Ridgeway is noticeably older than the country as a whole (40.1), an age mix that tilts toward empty nesters and retirees. The median age has climbed from 44.5 in 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally. Only nine of the 172 South Carolina cities with 5,000+ people are 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 Ridgeway
| Period | Ridgeway | Columbia area | South Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.3% | 13.2% | 13.0% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 8.2% | 13.4% | 13.0% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 8.0% | 12.9% | 11.8% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 8.3% | 12.9% | 11.7% | 11.6% |
| Change | −5.0 pts | −0.3 pts | −1.3 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 8.3% of households in Ridgeway, well below the national share of 11.6%. Since 2006–10, the single-parent share has fallen 5.0 points, a much bigger shift than nationally. Ridgeway has a lower share of single-parent households than at least four in five South Carolina cities.
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 Ridgeway
Renters in Ridgeway
| Period | Ridgeway | Columbia area | South Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 18.2% | 31.2% | 30.1% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 27.5% | 32.8% | 31.4% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 14.9% | 32.1% | 30.6% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 16.5% | 30.6% | 28.1% | 34.8% |
| Change | −1.7 pts | −0.6 pts | −2.0 pts | +1.5 pts |
Only 16.5% of households in Ridgeway rent their homes, far below the national share of 34.8%, so most residents are owners who tend to stay put. About half of owners (51.4%) have paid off their mortgages, well above the national share of 39.8%. The renter share is down 1.7 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 Ridgeway
| Period | Ridgeway | Columbia area | South Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 29.3% | 10.7% | 14.2% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 16.8% | 12.0% | 14.2% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 22.4% | 11.8% | 13.3% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 15.6% | 10.3% | 11.8% | 9.6% |
| Change | −13.8 pts | −0.4 pts | −2.5 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacant homes make up 15.6% of the housing in Ridgeway, 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 has fallen 13.8 points since 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 Ridgeway
| Period | Ridgeway | Columbia area | South Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1986 | 1984 | 1984 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1986 | 1985 | 1985 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1989 | 1986 | 1987 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1990 | 1990 | 1991 | 1980 |
| Change | +4 | +6 | +7 | +6 |
Ridgeway has newer housing than the country as a whole: the median home was built in 1990, versus 1980 nationally. The median year built has moved up from 1986 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. The newest homes are mostly in the southeast, the oldest in the center.
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 Ridgeway
| Period | Ridgeway | Columbia area | South Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $662 | $831 | $780 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $755 | $908 | $859 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $855 | $1,021 | $984 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $981 | $1,285 | $1,294 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$319 | +$453 | +$514 | +$606 |
The median renter in Ridgeway pays $981 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $319 a month since 2006–10, up 48%, a slower climb than the nation's. The typical renter here spends 27.0% of household income on rent, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally. The priciest rents are in the center; the most affordable are in the west.
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 Ridgeway
Bachelor's degrees in Ridgeway
| Period | Ridgeway | Columbia area | South Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 20.1% | 31.5% | 25.2% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 18.5% | 31.8% | 26.5% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 19.3% | 34.1% | 28.9% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 21.4% | 35.9% | 32.6% | 35.6% |
| Change | +1.3 pts | +4.4 pts | +7.4 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Ridgeway have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 21.4%, against 35.6% nationally. Since 2006–10, the share with a degree has edged up 1.3 points, a smaller shift than nationally. College graduates are most concentrated in the east and least in the center.
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 Ridgeway
| Period | Ridgeway | Columbia area | South Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 80.4% | 88.1% | 84.0% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 82.9% | 88.7% | 85.7% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 86.5% | 90.2% | 87.8% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 84.2% | 91.4% | 90.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | +3.8 pts | +3.3 pts | +6.2 pts | +4.3 pts |
Nearly one in six adults in Ridgeway never finished high school, well above the national share: only 84.2% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% nationally. The share with a diploma is up 3.8 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country.
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 Ridgeway
| Period | Ridgeway | Columbia area | South Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.3% | 7.6% | 9.1% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 10.4% | 9.7% | 10.6% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.9% | 6.0% | 5.8% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 5.5% | 5.4% | 4.9% | 5.4% |
| Change | +0.2 pts | −2.2 pts | −4.2 pts | −2.7 pts |
At 5.5%, unemployment in Ridgeway 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).
Ridgeway 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ridgeway | 2.12 | 53.6 | 8.3% | 16.5% | 15.6% | 1990 | $981 | 21.4% | 84.2% | 5.5% |
| Smallwood | 2.38 | 48.7 | 4.8% | 10.4% | 12.6% | 1986 | $953 | 20.4% | 86.2% | 4.0% |
| Simpson | 2.53 | 43.4 | 7.0% | 20.8% | 12.9% | 1986 | $957 | 18.0% | 82.6% | 9.2% |
| Liberty Hill | 1.84 | 65.3 | 4.7% | 4.1% | 44.7% | 1993 | $869 | 33.4% | 92.0% | 2.8% |
| Lugoff | 2.61 | 42.6 | 8.1% | 13.4% | 9.8% | 1994 | $1,054 | 23.0% | 90.8% | 2.5% |
| Winnsboro | 2.21 | 45.6 | 18.0% | 38.5% | 17.1% | 1982 | $1,067 | 13.8% | 85.2% | 7.2% |
| Rion | 2.34 | 51.4 | 6.0% | 14.1% | 9.5% | 1988 | $1,271 | 12.9% | 88.7% | 5.4% |
| Monticello | 2.08 | 61.0 | 3.4% | 1.7% | 16.9% | 1983 | $974 | 7.7% | 88.8% | 12.1% |
| Shamokin | 2.57 | 46.6 | 8.7% | 19.6% | 20.1% | 1992 | $682 | 19.4% | 86.6% | 1.6% |
| Camden | 2.42 | 44.7 | 9.6% | 25.7% | 13.7% | 1982 | $944 | 27.7% | 88.4% | 7.8% |
| Richtex | 2.20 | 47.2 | 13.2% | 22.0% | 12.7% | 1990 | $1,245 | 30.8% | 92.2% | 15.9% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: North Street, MI · Novelty, OH · Nottingham, PA · Nottingham, NH · Norwood, PA · Norwood, NJ · Norwood, NC · Norway, ME · Norton, VA · Northwest Harbor, NY
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 Ridgeway. 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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