Gaffney, SC, United States

Capital City

With a population of just 12,764, Gaffney feels like a sleepy Southern backwater, far removed from the cosmopolitan hubs of Charlotte and Greenville. While the quaint downtown district offers a charming, historic appeal, the reality is a persistent bureaucratic headache and a troubling history of serial killers stalking the streets. Gaffney's economy was once anchored in textiles, but that industry has long since declined, leaving the city to grapple with high poverty rates and an aging population. For those seeking a quiet, affordable refuge from the rat race, Gaffney may fit the bill - but it's hardly the idyllic small-town paradise it's sometimes portrayed to be.