Clemson is a small town with a large college student population. Because of this, there is a real youthful, hip vibe to the place, and much of the life in the town is centered on the college. This has helped Clemson to buck the trend of other small towns that have suffered declining populations over the past 20 to 30 years. Spending by students, and faculty and staff jobs, are a big part of the local economy.
Clemson, while not large, also appears to be attractive to some younger, educated professionals, who help shape the character of the city.
Despite the fact that it is a small city, Clemson has quite a few people who take public transportation – mostly the bus - for their daily commute to work. This helps to fill a real need in the city for affordable transportation.
If knowledge is power, Clemson is a pretty powerful place. 58.96% of the adults in Clemson have earned a 4-year college degree, masters degree, MD, law degree, or even PhD. Compare that to the national average of 21.84% for all cities and towns.
The per capita income in Clemson in 2022 was $35,135, which is upper middle income relative to South Carolina, and middle income relative to the rest of the US. This equates to an annual income of $140,540 for a family of four. However, Clemson contains both very wealthy and poor people as well. Clemson also has one of the higher rates of people living in poverty in the nation, with 36.14% of its population below the federal poverty line.
Clemson is a very ethnically-diverse city. The people who call Clemson home describe themselves as belonging to a variety of racial and ethnic groups. The greatest number of Clemson residents report their race to be White, followed by Black or African-American. Important ancestries of people in Clemson include English, Irish, German, Italian, and Scottish.
The most common language spoken in Clemson is English. Other important languages spoken here include Spanish and Langs. of India.
