Saluda 65 Good
Saluda Livability #134 ranked city in South Carolina#13,062 ranked city in the USARanks better than 55% of areas
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Pros and Cons of Living in Saluda

PROS
  • Cost Of Living Cost Of Living

    Everyday cost of living expenses like goods and services, housing, groceries, transportation, health care and utilities are far below the national average.

  • Ratings Ratings

    According to recent surveys and polls, locals had excellent ratings for walkability to nearby amenities, safety, access to public transit and the overall sense of community in the area.

CONS
  • Amenities Amenities

    The majority of amenities will be difficult to reach within a short walk, often requiring residents to use a vehicle or public transportation for access.

  • Commute Commute

    Low commute scores could be due to limited access to public transit in this area, as well as longer-than-average work commute times for residents.

  • Employment Employment

    This area earns a low score in the employment category due to low household income levels and high unemployment rates, which may pose challenges in seeking job opportunities.

  • Health & Safety Health & Safety

    Subpar air quality and the limited availability of certain health-related facilities such as hospitals, police stations, doctors and pharmacies may have contributed to the low score in this category.

  • Schools Schools

    The low schools score might be a result of factors like lower than average education levels, lackluster reading and math scores and the inaccessibility of local elementary and high schools.

What's it like Living in Saluda?

Saluda is a small city located in the state of South Carolina. The city has a population of 3,688 inhabitants. Saluda is mostly populated by White (42%) and Black or African American (29%) ethnic groups. Additionally, more than a quarter of the population of Saluda are of Hispanic or Latino origin, and 46% of the population also speak Spanish. In Saluda, only 49% of people over the age of fifteen are married. This city could be a good option for singles ready to mingle. If you're not a fan of traffic congestion and long commute times to work, Saluda is the place to be. Commutes to work here are shorter, with an average one-way commute time taking only 18 minutes, significantly lower than the national average of 26 minutes.

Whether you’re moving to a new city to be closer to family, friends or for a new job, living in Saluda could be a positive experience compared to other cities in South Carolina if you know where to look. Don't forget to determine what matters most to you in a neighborhood. Consider factors such as safety, proximity to work or school, access to amenities (like parks, fitness facilities, grocery stores, restaurants), public transportation options, community atmosphere and the overall vibe you're looking for. To help you find the best places to live in and around Saluda, AreaVibes has created a livability score using key metrics like amenities, health & safety, education, employment and more.

Saluda, SC receives 65/100 for its livability score; this results in a ranking of #119 in South Carolina and #12,129 in the USA. For each of the livability categories, we know that Saluda ranks very well for housing (B-). There is at least one category that does not have great scores in Saluda. The following was graded with a discouraging score: amenities (F), education (D-) and employment (F).

A robust real estate market serves as a crucial economic indicator, reflecting the local area's strength, stability and the confidence of its residents. Saluda excels in the housing sector, scoring high marks based on factors such as median home and rental prices, appreciation rates and home affordability. These calculations suggest that the apartment rental and real estate market in the region is exceptionally healthy, highlighting the area's economic vitality and attractiveness to potential homebuyers and renters.

Assuming that Saluda meets all of your requirements like low crime rates, good schools and great local amenities, the next most important item to examine is the affordability of real estate in Saluda. Everything else becomes a lot less important if it turns out that home prices in Saluda are simply unattainable. The median home price for Saluda homes is $120,315, which is 53.7% lower than the South Carolina average. If we take a closer look at the affordability of homes in Saluda, we’ll see that the home price to income ratio is 2.3, which is 39.5% lower than the South Carolina average.

Best Places to Live in and Around Saluda

See all the best places to live around Saluda

How Do You Rate The Livability In Saluda?

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Compare Saluda, SC Livability

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      Saluda transportation information

      Statistic Saluda South Carolina National
      Average one way commute18min24min26min
      Workers who drive to work58.1%82.8%76.4%
      Workers who carpool22.4%9.3%9.3%
      Workers who take public transit0.0%0.6%5.1%
      Workers who bicycle0.0%0.3%0.6%
      Workers who walk3.8%2.2%2.8%
      Working from home0.1%3.6%4.6%
      Source: The Saluda, SC data and statistics displayed above are derived from the United States Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) and include 2026 modeled data developed using proprietary methodologies.