Sumter, South Carolina, is the closest major city to Shaw AFB. Sumter has about 41,000 people, and is in Sumter County, which has a population of about 106,000 people. Other nearby small communities include Oakland, Dalzell, Cherryvale, Wedgefield, Wedgewood, and Cape Savannah, all with a few thousand people or fewer.

It is about 10 miles from downtown Sumter to Shaw; this takes about 20 minutes to commute. The average commute in Sumter County is about 21 minutes.

Local Housing Rental Prices: The average apartment rent in the Sumter area ranges from $300 to $600 per month, with a median of about $450 per month.

Local Housing Purchase Prices: The average price for a house in Sumter is about $162,000, compared to $218,000 for South Carolina.

Short Description of the Area: Sumter is a small city in central South Carolina, in a green, wooded, fairly flat plain area. In many ways Sumter can be called a typical small American city of the Deep South.

Climate and Weather: The area has a humid, warm climate, winter temperatures of the mid 50s to mid 30s and summer temperatures in the range of the low 90s to low 70s. Summers are "Famously Hot" according to a local advertising campaign, with up to a week of 100 degree temperatures and over two months of 90 degree weather, with full Southern humidity; the area has some thunderstorms, and is sometimes hit by hurricanes, although the city is far enough inland to blunt the impact. Winters are mild; rain is only 2-3 inches a month; snow is rare.