MetricBerea, SCEasley, SC
Population16,86224,841
Median Household Income$49,829$66,299
Median Rent$1,076/mo$947/mo
Median Home Value$204,700$263,500
Cost of Living (US = 100)9393
Renters Paying 30%+ of Income60.6%59.8%
Poverty Rate22.9%13.9%
Unemployment Rate3.9% (county)3.8%
Violent Crime Rate /100k323*185
Property Crime Rate /100k1,223*1,352
Median AQI47—
Good AQI Days /yr203—
Summer Highs89°F88°F
Winter Lows37°F32°F
Snowfall2 in/yr1 in/yr
Avg Commute24.6 min27 min
Hospitals—1
Avg Hospital Rating—4.0 / 5
Students per Teacher1516.3
College Degree Rate21.3%31.9%
Foreign-Born %18.4%5.1%
Population Growth (2020–2025)+13.6%+19.0%

Green = clearly better (more than 5% apart). Population, growth, weather, hospital count and foreign-born share aren’t scored.
* Rate of the agency that polices Berea (the city has no police department of its own), so it isn’t scored.