Clemson is a city in Pickens and Anderson counties in the U.S. state of South Carolina. Clemson is adjacent to Clemson University, and is identified with it. In 2015, the Princeton Review cited the town of Clemson as ranking #1 in the United States for "town-and-gown" relations with its resident university. The population of the city was 17,681 at the 2020 census.