Fort Mill receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Fort Mill
Rock Hill
Opportunity
90 · Top 1%
vs61 · Top 40%
Growth
78 · Top 7%
vs85 · Top 2%
Climate
75 · Top 27%
vs75 · Top 27%
Physical resilience
74 · Top 32%
vs74 · Top 32%
Housing affordability
89 · Top 34%
vs73 · Bottom 38%
Schools
92 · Top 2%
vs49 · Bottom 47%
Access
96 · Top 31%
vs92 · Top 49%
Economic stability
79 · Top 9%
vs60 · Bottom 49%
Measured values
| Metric | Fort Mill | Rock Hill | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 30,775 | 75,259 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $121,823 | $68,771 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $54,005 | $37,612 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,570/sq mi | 1,692/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $487,500 | $295,100 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,503 | $1,341 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 83.4% | 54.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.6% | 5.2% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 3.4% | 3.4% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 57.6% | 35.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 4.8% | 12.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 861 | 1,334 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 28.0 | 17.7 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -15.8% | 431.5% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 90°F | 90°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 31°F | 31°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 42.4" | 42.4" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 14 mi | 19 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 28.5 min | 26.8 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 38.4 | 35.7 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 13 | 28 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 13.38 | 14.53 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 61.2% | 38.1% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 62.8% | 42.9% | 2019-20 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
Fort Mill
Elevated or high exposure: ice storm, cold wave.
Rock Hill
Elevated or high exposure: ice storm, cold wave.
Full profiles: Fort Mill, SC · Rock Hill, SC · How this is calculated: methodology