Signals
Lake Wylie
Fort Mill
Opportunity
81 · Top 7%
vs90 · Top 1%
Climate
75 · Top 27%
vs75 · Top 27%
Physical resilience
74 · Top 32%
vs74 · Top 32%
Housing affordability
84 · Top 44%
vs89 · Top 34%
Schools
86 · Top 6%
vs92 · Top 2%
Access
99 · Top 14%
vs96 · Top 31%
Economic stability
66 · Top 38%
vs79 · Top 9%
Measured values
| Metric | Lake Wylie | Fort Mill | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 16,006 | 30,775 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $112,097 | $121,823 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $52,762 | $54,005 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 2,032/sq mi | 1,570/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $485,600 | $487,500 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,710 | $1,503 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 80.9% | 83.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.2% | 3.6% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 3.4% | 3.4% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 47.5% | 57.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 9.1% | 4.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| 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 | 10 mi | 14 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 35.3 min | 28.5 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 38.2 | 38.4 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 10 | 13 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 13.63 | 13.38 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 58.2% | 61.2% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 56.9% | 62.8% | 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
Lake Wylie
Elevated or high exposure: ice storm, cold wave.
Fort Mill
Elevated or high exposure: ice storm, cold wave.
Your best match
Weight what matters to you. Your preferences stay in this browser and never change either Area Score.
Lake Wylie
81
Your Score
—
Area Score
Fort Mill
84
Your Score
84
Area Score
Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.
Full profiles: Lake Wylie, SC · Fort Mill, SC · How this is calculated: methodology