Fair Play, South Carolina Demographics & Population 2026

A note before these figures: with a population of 757, Fair Play's ACS estimates come from a small number of survey responses and carry wide margins of error. Individual percentages below — particularly rates that round to 0% or 100% — are approximations, not precise measurements. See data.census.gov for the published margins of error.

Population Overview

Fair Play is a small community located in South Carolina, within Anderson County. The total population is 757. It ranks as the 300th most populous out of 474 Census-designated places in South Carolina.

Age Demographics

The median age in Fair Play is 52.1 years. This is 30% higher than the state median of 40.2 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Fair Play is $82,083. This is 18% higher than the state median of $69,324. It is also 2% higher than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 31.3%. This is 123% higher than the state poverty rate of 14.1%. With more than one in five residents living below the poverty line, economic hardship is a significant challenge for the community. The unemployment rate is 4.2%. This is 15% lower than the state rate of 4.9%. The median home value is $222,500. Housing costs are 14% lower than the state median of $259,000. With a home-value-to-income ratio of just 2.7x, Fair Play is one of the most affordable housing markets in the area. 84.3% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 17% higher than the state average of 71.9%.

Race & Ethnicity

Fair Play has a predominantly White (non-Hispanic) population, comprising 94.8% of all residents. Asian residents account for 3.4%. The White (non-Hispanic) population is significantly higher than the state average (94.8% vs 61.9%). The Hispanic or Latino population (1.7%) is well below the state average of 7.4%. The Asian population is significantly higher than the state average (3.4% vs 1.8%).

Education

25.7% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 20% lower than the state rate of 32.1%. Nationally, 35.7% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 93.5%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All demographic data for Fair Play, South Carolina is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates. The ACS collects data from approximately 3.5 million households annually and pools five years of responses so that even small communities can be measured, though the margin of error widens as the population falls. Comparisons are made against South Carolina state averages and national averages calculated from the same dataset. Rankings reflect the city's position among all 474 Census-designated places in South Carolina. Read more about how these figures are produced on our methodology page, or visit data.census.gov for official data.