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South Carolina: county data, all 46 of them.

5,296,225 residents across 46 county-equivalents, 122,086 business establishments, and 5,148 SBA approvals worth $3.48 bn. Every figure on this page is those counties summed, and every county has its own page.

32 state-level values · 46 county pages · underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency

How many people live in South Carolina?

  • Population5,296,225
  • Households2,117,989
  • Average household size2.50
  • County-equivalents46
  • People per square mile176

South Carolina has 5,296,225 residents in 2,117,989 households across 46 county-equivalents, every one of which has its own data page below.

US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.

What is the South Carolina economy?

  • Combined county product, 2024$357.07 bn
  • County product per resident$67,421
  • Covered employment2,164,996
  • Average annual pay$58,884

The average annual pay of $58,884 is weighted by each county's covered employment, not averaged across counties, so a large labour market counts for more than a small one.

US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024. US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.

How many businesses are in South Carolina?

  • Business establishments122,086
  • Establishments per 1,000 residents23.1
  • Employment at those establishments1,867,221
  • Annual payroll$98.49 bn

US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.

Building permits in South Carolina

  • Housing units permitted47,072
  • Permitted construction value$13.42 bn
  • Units permitted per 1,000 households22.2

US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.

SBA loans in South Carolina (7(a) and 504)

  • 7(a) approvals recorded4,415
  • 7(a) approval dollars$2.77 bn
  • Average 7(a) approval$628,537
  • 504 approvals recorded733
  • 504 approval dollars$705.5 m
  • Average 504 approval$962,482
  • Counties with a 7(a) record46 of 46

US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.

SBA loan default and charge-off rates in South Carolina

  • 7(a) charge-off rate over resolved loans8.70 percent
  • Resolved 7(a) loans behind that rate797
  • 7(a) loans charged off69
  • 504 charge-off rate over resolved loans2.70 percent
  • Resolved 504 loans behind that rate224
  • 504 loans charged off6

Of the 797 South Carolina 7(a) loans that have reached a final outcome, 8.70 percent were charged off. The rate is taken over resolved loans only, because a loan still running has not yet succeeded or failed.

Compare against the national and state SBA charge-off rates, computed the same way over resolved loans only.

US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.

How large is South Carolina?

  • Land area30,058 sq mi
  • County-equivalents46
  • People per square mile176

US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.

The largest counties in South Carolina.

South Carolina county-equivalents by population, with the figures a site search compares them on
GeographyPopulationMedian incomeEstablishmentsCounty GDPSBA approvals
Greenville County548,166$76,93215,493$48.74 bn851
Richland County422,117$63,7849,426$37.44 bn381
Charleston County420,264$88,49415,801$50.46 bn675
Horry County383,016$66,88010,550$22.77 bn349
Spartanburg County347,852$66,2347,399$22.98 bn318
Lexington County304,887$77,4087,391$19.75 bn318
York County293,673$89,0956,231$19.23 bn359
Berkeley County246,802$84,3584,230$14.30 bn225
Anderson County210,478$66,6514,160$10.56 bn183
Beaufort County195,289$86,5736,087$12.87 bn295

Counties

All 46 South Carolina county-equivalents.

South Carolina counties: population, income, establishments and SBA activity
GeographyPopulationMedian incomeEstablishmentsCounty GDPSBA approvalsLand area, sq mi
Abbeville County24,420$52,935343$846.1 m11490
Aiken County174,160$70,6093,067$10.36 bn1201,071
Allendale County7,661$32,328125$398.3 m2408
Anderson County210,478$66,6514,160$10.56 bn183715
Bamberg County13,042$44,370248$510.4 m5393
Barnwell County20,521$46,626353$700.8 m6548
Beaufort County195,289$86,5736,087$12.87 bn295576
Berkeley County246,802$84,3584,230$14.30 bn2251,099
Calhoun County14,182$58,682242$910.9 m11381
Charleston County420,264$88,49415,801$50.46 bn675916
Cherokee County56,647$50,288935$2.34 bn22393
Chester County32,182$52,458560$1.82 bn11581
Chesterfield County43,784$49,235690$1.90 bn16799
Clarendon County30,986$52,401497$962.5 m9607
Colleton County38,783$51,114793$1.50 bn281,056
Darlington County62,558$48,5811,121$3.42 bn16561
Dillon County27,862$46,605495$1.04 bn6405
Dorchester County167,201$78,1982,861$6.71 bn132573
Edgefield County27,476$73,029355$893.9 m12500
Fairfield County20,550$47,885331$1.42 bn12686
Florence County137,117$58,3053,282$9.98 bn85800
Georgetown County64,811$68,7132,038$4.02 bn48814
Greenville County548,166$76,93215,493$48.74 bn851785
Greenwood County69,489$52,8301,354$4.90 bn30455
Hampton County18,254$44,711318$692.4 m5560
Horry County383,016$66,88010,550$22.77 bn3491,134
Jasper County32,166$65,613838$2.15 bn55655
Kershaw County68,314$68,2311,208$3.42 bn41727
Lancaster County104,475$78,8691,769$5.25 bn107549
Laurens County68,666$57,623985$2.91 bn54714
Lee County16,166$44,760212$507.3 m6410
Lexington County304,887$77,4087,391$19.75 bn318699
Marion County28,664$36,301489$900.7 m7489
Marlboro County25,975$34,301305$965.2 m10480
McCormick County9,760$55,798105$330.7 m2359
Newberry County38,435$61,780781$2.03 bn31630
Oconee County80,469$62,3881,761$5.24 bn62626
Orangeburg County83,253$45,6751,630$4.01 bn391,106
Pickens County134,629$61,0642,254$6.02 bn122496
Richland County422,117$63,7849,426$37.44 bn381757
Saluda County19,131$51,009257$643.2 m10453
Spartanburg County347,852$66,2347,399$22.98 bn318808
Sumter County104,725$56,6931,833$6.29 bn46665
Union County26,885$41,621418$904.8 m7514
Williamsburg County30,282$46,213465$1.07 bn8934
York County293,673$89,0956,231$19.23 bn359681

The register

Every source behind these 46 pages.

SourcePeriod coveredLicence
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates2020-2024 5-yearUS Census Bureau, public domain
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024US Census Bureau, public domain
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2CAGDP2, through 2024US Bureau of Economic Analysis, public domain
US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001US EPA, public domain
FEMA OpenFEMA, NFIP Community Status BookCommunity Status Book, as retrievedFEMA OpenFEMA, public domain
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA releaseFY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30FOIA release, public domain
US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA releaseFY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30FOIA release, public domain
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary verticesTIGER county boundariesUS Census Bureau, public domain
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns2023US Census Bureau, public domain
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages2024 annual averagesUS BLS, public domain
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey2024 annualUS Census Bureau, public domain
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows2021 to 2022 filing yearsIRS SOI, public domain

A South Carolina statutory guide is in preparation.

How a county page is built →