Moving to
Summerville.

All Summerville data Compare Summerville

51,654people live here $81,046median household incomeNear US average $1,526median rent per monthNear US average $328,100median home valueNear US average

What it's like to live in Summerville

Summerville is a smaller city in South Carolina with unemployment below the national average and schools with class sizes near the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.

The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Summerville deals with commute times longer than most cities, above-average rainfall, fewer dining and entertainment options than a bigger city, and a car-dependent commute, with few people using transit.

The good

Low unemployment
Average class sizes

The not so good

Above-average commute times
Above-average rainfall
Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
Car-dependent — few commuters use transit

How Summerville compares

Median household income

Summerville$81,046

South Carolina avg$69,324

US$80,734

Median rent (per month)

Summerville$1,526

South Carolina avg$1,180

US$1,413

Median home value

Summerville$328,100

South Carolina avg$259,000

US$332,700

What it takes to move to Summerville

Based on Summerville's median rent, home value and household income

To rent

$3,052

up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit

Income to keep rent under 30%: $61,040 a year
48% of Summerville renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent

To buy

$65,620

a 20% down payment on the median home

With 10% down: $32,810
Homes cost 4.0× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)

Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.

The details

Cost of livingNear US average

$1,526/mo median rent

Rent is pretty middle of the road, at $1,526 a month median. Not a bargain, not a budget-buster. About typical for a city this size. Home prices are reasonable, with a median around $328,100. Not a steal, but not intimidating either.

Median home value $328,100 · 48% of renters cost-burdened

Job market▼ 16% below US

3.6% unemployment

Unemployment here is 3.6%, a little below the national average of 4.3%.

City-level (BLS)

SafetyNear US average

307 violent crimes per 100k

Crime runs about typical for a city this size. Some neighborhoods are safer than others, and one overall rate doesn't tell the whole story, so a neighborhood-level look matters more than the headline stat.

Property crime 1919/100k · Summerville Police Department · 2025 data

Getting around▲ 20% above US

31 min average commute

Traffic is a real factor here. The 31.2 minute average means plenty of commuters are pushing 45 to 60 minutes on a bad day. Proximity to work matters more here than it might elsewhere. 9 in 10 workers drive to work; 11% work from home.

How workers get to work

Drive alone

80%

Work from home

11%

Carpool

7.2%

Other

1.5%

Walk

1.0%

Public transit

0.1%

Climate

Summers are hot and humid, with highs regularly hitting 89°F, and winters are chilly but manageable, with lows around 36°F. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.

Average month

High °FLow °FPrecip (in)

30-year averages, 1991–2020

Education & workforceNear US average

34% bachelor's degree or higher

Education levels run about average, with 34% college-educated. It's a mix of white-collar and blue-collar work, which can be an asset or a limitation depending on the field.

Schools

12 public schools inside the boundary

There are 12 public schools inside the boundary and 4 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 17:1, slightly above the national average of 16:1.

Parks & recreation

The nearest national park or historic site is Charles Pinckney National Historic Site (23 miles away). There are 5 national parks and sites within a day's drive.

Bottom line

Summerville's strongest point is unemployment below the national average; the main tradeoffs are commute times longer than most cities and above-average rainfall. A year of median rent ($1,526/mo) equals 23% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It may be a harder fit for anyone who doesn't drive.

See all the data for Summerville →·All South Carolina cities →