Saluda is a town in Saluda County, South Carolina, United States, along the Little Saluda River. As of the 2020 census, Saluda had a population of 3,122. It is the county seat of Saluda County.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which is land and (1.22%) is water.

Climate

According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Saluda has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps. The hottest temperature recorded in Saluda was on September 1, 1912, July 14, 1980, June 30, 2012, and July 1, 2012, while the coldest temperature recorded was on January 21–22, 1985.

|source 2 = National Weather Service

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, Saluda had a population of 3,122, with 1,169 households and 756 families residing in the town. The median age was 34.9 years. 29.0% of residents were under the age of 18 and 16.2% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 92.2 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 91.3 males age 18 and over.

Of the town's households, 38.1% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 34.9% were married-couple households, 21.0% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 39.5% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 30.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

!Race

!Num.

!Perc.

|-

|White (non-Hispanic)

|782

|25.05%

|-

|Black or African American (non-Hispanic)

|963

|30.85%

|-

|Native American

|6

|0.19%

|-

|Asian

|7

|0.22%

|-

|Other/Mixed

|89

|2.85%

|-

|Hispanic or Latino

|1,275

|40.84%

|}

2000 census

As of the census

Education

It is in the Saluda County School District. Saluda County School District includes five public schools: Hollywood Elementary, Saluda Primary, Saluda Elementary, Saluda Middle, and Saluda High School. It also has a private school known as W. Wyman Kings Academy; and two other public schools, Saluda Opportunity School, and Saluda County Adult Education. It has a college center which is Piedmont Technical College Saluda County Center. Based on the information given about fifty-nine percent of the students enrolled in the district during the years 2018-2022 were white, twenty-two percent of the students were Black or African American, twenty-one percent of the students were Hispanic or Latino, one percent were American Indian/ Alaska Native and the rest were some other race or more than one race. About sixty-six percent of the students aged five and above spoke English only at home, and 2.7 percent of the students have a disability.

Saluda has a public library, a branch of the Saluda County Library.

Notable people

  • Lyndon Amick, former NASCAR driver turned soldier
  • James Bonham, who fought and died at the Battle of the Alamo
  • Milledge Luke Bonham, former Governor of South Carolina
  • Jonathon Brooks, professional football player with Detroit, Atlanta and St Louis.
  • James Butler Hare, (1918–1966) U.S. House of Representatives for South Carolina's 3rd congressional district
  • Rudolph Mitchell (1926-2019), politician
  • William B. Travis, Texian commander of the Alamo

References

  • Town of Saluda
  • Saluda County Chamber of Commerce
  • Saluda Standard-Sentinel Newspaper