Rock Hill, SC — Momentum Score, Home Values & Best-For

All states·South Carolina·Rock Hill

York County · Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia · population 75,798

Image: Wikipedia · Rock Hill, South Carolina

Overview Cost of living Moving guide

View watchlist →

Rising

Momentum score · 0–100

Where Rock Hill stands

Steady, no major recent move.

Median home $328,787

1-year -1.8%

5-yr CAGR +5.8%

vs 5-yr peak -2.3%

Population +0.5%/yr

Home value trajectory · last 10 years

Zillow ZHVI · monthly

Lifestyle scores

🚶

Walkability

35/100

Car-dependent

Estimated from population density. Higher = denser, more amenities within walking distance.

🚉

Public transit

22/100

Transit limited

Curated list of major US transit systems + population-based estimate. Higher = real subway/rail/bus options.

💻

Remote work fit

82/100

Excellent for remote work

Composite of city size, housing cost, state tax structure, and region's remote-work track record.

Scores are heuristic estimates from population density, state, and known transit/walkable cities. Not based on a paid Walk Score / Transit Score API — see methodology for the formula.

Rent trajectory · last 5 years

Zillow ZORI · monthly

Home value vs rent · indexed to 100

Both rebased at first month of ZORI data (~2015)

Rent vs buy

Price-to-rent ratio: 17.7

Lean buy

At a 17.7 price-to-rent ratio, Rock Hill is in the 'depends on horizon' zone. Buy if you'll be there 5+ years and value flexibility on the home; rent if you might move, want zero maintenance friction, or expect rates to drop.

How the momentum score breaks down

methodology →

Home YoY

41 · w22%

Home 5-yr CAGR

69 · w22%

Distance from peak

76 · w18%

Population growth

55 · w16%

Rent YoY

72 · w12%

Home 10-yr CAGR

77 · w10%

Long thesis

Rock Hill has held up across the cycle: home values at $328,787 with +5.8% 5-year CAGR. The bull case is structural — population, location, employer base — and holds even if next year's print is soft.

Short thesis

Rock Hill's bear case is the boring one: the cycle is real and any market that's run hard can stall. Watch for slowing population growth, rising days-on-market, or builder discounts as the early warning signals.

About Rock Hill

Rock Hill is a city in York County, South Carolina, with an estimated population of 75,798. It anchors the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia metro area. The median home value in Rock Hill is $328,787 as of 2026-04, down 1.8% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +5.8% annual growth (-2.3% from the 5-year peak). Rents in Rock Hill average $1,545 per month, up 4.1% year-over-year. The composite momentum score is 63 of 100 (Rising). The market is healthy with prices supported by underlying demand.

▲ Bull case

●Healthy 5-year run: +5.8% annualized over 5 years, outpacing US inflation.

●Held the highs: currently -2.3% from the 5-year peak — this market refused to give back gains.

▼ Bear case

○Local nuance: city-level data smooths over neighborhood differences. School zones, HOA rules, and street-level character matter — visit before deciding.

About Rock Hill (Wikipedia)

Rock Hill is the most populous city in York County, South Carolina, United States, and the 5th-most populous city in the state. It is also the 4th-most populous city of the Charlotte metropolitan area, behind Charlotte, Concord, and Gastonia. As of the 2020 census, the city's population was 74,372.

Source: Wikipedia · this summary is contributed and licensed under CC-BY-SA.

City facts

Area43.85 sq mi

Elevation620 ft

Founded1852

Motto"Always On Top."

Densityauto/sq mi

Named forA rocky hill encountered by railway builders

Extracted from the Wikipedia infobox. Values may be slightly out of date relative to the latest sources.

Playbook

Buyer

You're not in a frenzy but you're not getting bargains either. Make a competitive offer with normal inspection terms. Don't lowball — the listing will move with or without you.

Seller

Price at fair market value; expect movement in 30-45 days. Don't get clever with terms (rent-back, contingencies) — buyers in a Rising market have options.

Investor

Appreciation tailwind exists but cash flow requires discipline on price. Run the numbers conservatively and confirm rent comps before committing.

Local safety & alerts

No active National Weather Service alerts for York County right now.

NWS active alerts (SC)South Carolina Emergency Management How to prepare (NWS)

Public-safety links are official .gov sources, not curated by us. York County routes NWS alerts; check the state EM portal for non-weather emergencies.

Cities like Rock Hill

Summerville, SC63 · Rising Greenwood, SC60 · Stable Goose Creek, SC68 · Rising North Charleston, SC67 · Rising

Run the numbers for Rock Hill

ToolCan I afford Rock Hill?Income → city shortlist ToolROI on a Rock Hill rentalCap rate, cash-on-cash, DSCR ToolCompare Rock Hill to anywhereSide-by-side up to 3 cities ToolRock Hill cost-of-livingEquivalent income elsewhere

Sources: Zillow ZHVI (home values), Zillow ZORI (rents), US Census ACS + place population. Updated when source agencies publish revisions.

Climate & natural-disaster risk

Winter (Jan)

57° / 36°

avg high / low

Summer (Jul)

91° / 71°

avg high / low

Sunny days/yr

220

~60% of year

Annual precip

50″ rain

2″ snow

Disaster risk (1=very low, 5=very high)

Hurricane

High

Tornado

Moderate

Wildfire

Low

Earthquake

Low

Flood

High

State-level averages from NOAA Climate Normals (1991-2020) and FEMA National Risk Index. City-level conditions can vary significantly within a state.

Local sports teams

Major professional teams the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia area cheers for. Detailed stats, schedules, and player pages on intherafters.com.

NFLCarolina Panthers →

NBACharlotte Hornets →

Current weather

Loading current conditions…

7-day forecast on weather.gov →

Find rentals & listings

Open current Rock Hill listings on the major real-estate sites.

For rent

Zillow rentals → Apartments.com → Trulia rentals →

For sale

Zillow for sale → Realtor.com →

Links open the live search on the destination site — results are always current.

Local news & community

Latest news

Man fired shotgun on Rock Hill house, on video, then killed teen hours later
Rock Hill Herald · 1d ago
Possible human remains found in crawl space during SC building renovation, police say
WYFF · 15h ago
Police: Rock Hill woman killed in yard was not intended target
WSOC TV · 2d ago
Patricia Oates Obituary (1947 – 2026) – Rock Hill, SC – The Herald
Legacy · 4d ago
Bones found at Rock Hill building are ‘possible human remains,’ police say
Rock Hill Herald · 17h ago
Loyd Ardrey, owner of Rock Hill’s Ebenezer Grill and its ‘giant weenie’ sign, dies
Rock Hill Herald · 2d ago

Local economy & environment

Humidity

73%

Humid climate

Median household income

$63,600

South Carolina state median

Top industries (state-level)

Manufacturing (auto)TourismHealthcare

Humidity is annual average relative humidity (NOAA). Income is Census ACS 5-year estimate. Industries are largest employment sectors statewide (BLS); the local mix in a given city may vary.