HomeSouth CarolinaFairfield County
Fairfield County, South Carolina: commercial real estate data.
Fairfield County, South Carolina had an estimated 20,369 residents on July 1, 2024, down 2.7 percent since the 2020 census base of 20,940, across 686 square miles. County output reached $1.42 bn in 2024, 331 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 12 7(a) approvals worth $7.0 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Fairfield County
How many people live in Fairfield County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202420,550
- Households8,930
- Average household size2.30
- Median household income$47,885
- Median age47.4
- Median gross rent$938 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$151,200
- Home value to household income3.2 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income23.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher15.2 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree5.4 percent
- Adults 25 and over15,198
- Population under 183,691
- Share under 1818.0 percent
- Population 65 and over4,941
- Share 65 and over24.0 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6411,918
- Civilian labor force9,657
- Unemployment rate5.5 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over57.3 percent
- Rank by population among South Carolina counties38th of 46
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included1848th of 3,222
Fairfield County is the 38th largest of 46 South Carolina counties by population. A median home costs 3.2 times median household income, which is moderately unaffordable by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 24.0 percent against 18.0 percent, which points demand at health care, services and single story product rather than schools.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Fairfield County
Is Fairfield County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 202420,369
- Census 2020 base population20,940
- Population change since the 2020 census base-2.73 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 2024-23
- Births, 2024172
- Deaths, 2024336
- Natural change, 2024-164
- Net domestic migration, 2024149
- Net international migration, 2024-4
- Total net migration, 2024145
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024272
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2685th of 3,144
The county has lost 2.73 percent of its population since the 2020 census base. Deaths exceeded births in 2024 by more than net migration added, so the population fell even though more people moved in than left.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Fairfield County
Where are people moving to Fairfield County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving561
- People arriving, from those returns1,021
- Tax returns filed by households leaving533
- Net household movement28
- Adjusted gross income arriving$36.2 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$8.9 m
- Average income of an arriving household$64,588
- Average income of a leaving household$51,325
- Largest single originRichland County (148 households)
- Largest single destinationRichland County (197 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Richland County | 148 | 294 | $11.4 m |
| Lexington County | 57 | 122 | $3.7 m |
| Kershaw County | 44 | 75 | $2.4 m |
| Chester County | 40 | 66 | $1.4 m |
| York County | 38 | 69 | $2.8 m |
| Mecklenburg County | 23 | 39 | $1.5 m |
Households arriving report $13,263 more average income than households leaving, so the migration is raising local spending power rather than just moving it around. The largest single source of arrivals is Richland County, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Fairfield County
What is the Fairfield County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$1.42 bn
- County GDP, 2023$1.34 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20246.4 percent
- GDP change over five years34.2 percent
- Rank by GDP among the South Carolina areas BEA publishes30th of 46
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes1560th of 3,127
- GDP per resident$69,222
Output grew 6.4 percent in the latest year and 34.2 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Fairfield County
Employment by industry in Fairfield County
- Covered employment, annual average6,051
- Establishments reporting432
- Average annual pay$62,001
- Average weekly wage$1,192
- Manufacturing, employment1,118
- Manufacturing, average annual pay$51,175
- Health care and social assistance, employment566
- Health care and social assistance, average annual pay$40,177
- Retail trade, employment518
- Retail trade, average annual pay$31,360
- Wholesale trade, employment498
- Wholesale trade, average annual pay$83,202
- Professional, scientific and technical services, employment431
- Construction, employment137
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 1,118 | 27 | $51,175 |
| Health care and social assistance | 566 | 46 | $40,177 |
| Retail trade | 518 | 65 | $31,360 |
| Wholesale trade | 498 | 20 | $83,202 |
| Professional, scientific and technical services | 431 | 43 | $65,277 |
| Construction | 137 | 28 | $55,791 |
| Educational services | 120 | 7 | $31,737 |
| Finance and insurance | 108 | 18 | $100,704 |
Manufacturing is the largest private sector at 1,118 jobs, 18.5 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Fairfield County
How many businesses are in Fairfield County?
- Establishments, all industries331
- Employment at those establishments4,558
- Annual payroll$284.5 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents16.1
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against. County Business Patterns counts private establishments with paid employees in March 2023, while the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages above counts every unemployment-insured employer, public ones included, as a 2024 annual average, so the two establishment and employment counts differ.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Fairfield County
Building permits in Fairfield County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 202491
- Declared construction value permitted$28.1 m
- Single family units authorized91
- Multifamily units authorized0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$308,287
- Units authorized per 1,000 households10.2
Single-family homes are 100.0 percent of units authorized, so the pipeline is predominantly single-family.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Fairfield County
SBA loans in Fairfield County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded12
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$7.0 m
- Average 7(a) approval$586,167
- Median 7(a) approval$547,750
- Largest single approval$2,021,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)78
- Jobs per approval6.5
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active8
- Distinct industries receiving approvals11
- Median 7(a) term165 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer41.7 percent
- Loans on real estate terms5
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter6
- Franchise loans1
- Franchise share of approvals8.3 percent
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Fairfield County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Fairfield County
Do SBA loans in Fairfield County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded1
- Paid in full1
- Charged off0
- Status: Paid in full1
- Status: Exempt from disclosure6
- Status: Cancelled4
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed1
Only 1 loan has reached a final outcome, fewer than the 30 a charge-off rate needs, so no rate is published.
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.
Fairfield County
SBA lending by place in Fairfield County
- Borrower cities with recorded lending3
- Winnsboro, approvals10
- Ridgeway, approvals1
- Jenkinsville, approvals1
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Winnsboro | 10 | $5,745,600 |
| Ridgeway | 1 | $692,900 |
| Jenkinsville | 1 | $595,500 |
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Fairfield County
How large is Fairfield County?
- Land area686 sq mi
- Rank by land area among South Carolina counties18th of 46
- Width, east to west37.5 mi
- Height, north to south27.4 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land30
- Establishments per square mile0.48
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. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Fairfield County
Flood risk in Fairfield County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Fairfield County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 450075
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book3
- Of those, participating in the NFIP2
- NFIP participation rate66.7 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
- Radon levels in Fairfield County, EPA zone predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/LZone 3
The county's own community in the status book, unincorporated Fairfield County (community 450075), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries no Community Rating System class, so no CRS premium discount applies there. The EPA places Fairfield County in radon zone 3, a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/L. The zone is a screening prediction for the county and does not substitute for a test at an address. 66.7 percent of the county's listed communities participate in the National Flood Insurance Program, per Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26.
Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26. US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Traffic counts, zoning and the flood zone at an address are not on this page; they resolve at the address in the platform. How this page was built →
Feasibility studies
When a Fairfield County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Fairfield County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202420,550
- Households8,930
- Average household size2.30
- Median household income$47,885
- Median age47.4
Common questions
Fairfield County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Fairfield County, South Carolina?
The Census Bureau estimates 20,369 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 20,550, in 8,930 households, ranking 38th of 46 South Carolina counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Fairfield County's population growing?
The population has fallen 2.73 percent since the 2020 census base of 20,940, to 20,369 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 172 births against 336 deaths, with net migration of 145. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Fairfield County?
$47,885. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $151,200, which is 3.2 times income, and median gross rent is $938 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Fairfield County?
331 establishments, employing 4,558 people with an annual payroll of $284.5 m. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is employment by industry in Fairfield County?
Manufacturing is the largest private sector at 1,118 jobs, 18.5 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 6,051 jobs at an average annual pay of $62,001, or $1,192 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Fairfield County?
12 7(a) approvals totaling $7.0 m since FY2020, across 8 lenders, with a median approval of $547,750. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in Fairfield County?
91 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $28.1 m. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Fairfield County?
Zone 3, a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Fairfield County come from?
The largest single origin is Richland County, with 148 households. Arriving households report an average income of $64,588 against $51,325 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Fairfield County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Fairfield County?
No. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame, to be confirmed locally.
Fairfield County
Cities and places in Fairfield.
5 Census places lie wholly or partly in Fairfield County. All 5 carry enough published place level data for a page of their own and are linked.
| Place | Type | Population | SBA 7(a) approvals, projects in this county | Lies in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blythewood | town | 5,731 | None recorded | 9.3 percent here, 90.7 percent Richland County |
| Winnsboro | town | 3,322 | 10 | Wholly in this county |
| Winnsboro Mills | CDP | 1,535 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Ridgeway | town | 261 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Jenkinsville | town | 69 | 1 | Wholly in this county |