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
Rock Hill
Fort Mill
Opportunity
61 · Top 40%
vs90 · Top 1%
Growth
85 · Top 2%
vs78 · Top 7%
Climate
75 · Top 27%
vs75 · Top 27%
Physical resilience
74 · Top 32%
vs74 · Top 32%
Housing affordability
73 · Bottom 38%
vs89 · Top 34%
Schools
49 · Bottom 47%
vs92 · Top 2%
Access
92 · Top 49%
vs96 · Top 31%
Economic stability
60 · Bottom 49%
vs79 · Top 9%
Measured values
| Metric | Rock Hill | Fort Mill | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 75,259 | 30,775 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $68,771 | $121,823 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $37,612 | $54,005 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,692/sq mi | 1,570/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $295,100 | $487,500 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,341 | $1,503 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 54.2% | 83.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.2% | 3.6% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 3.4% | 3.4% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 35.1% | 57.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 12.6% | 4.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 1,334 | 861 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 17.7 | 28.0 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 431.5% | -15.8% | 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 | 19 mi | 14 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 26.8 min | 28.5 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 35.7 | 38.4 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 28 | 13 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 14.53 | 13.38 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 38.1% | 61.2% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 42.9% | 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
Rock Hill
Elevated or high exposure: ice storm, cold wave.
Fort Mill
Elevated or high exposure: ice storm, cold wave.
Full profiles: Rock Hill, SC · Fort Mill, SC · How this is calculated: methodology