HomeSouth CarolinaSumter County
Sumter County, South Carolina: commercial real estate data.
Sumter County, South Carolina had an estimated 104,776 residents on July 1, 2024, down 0.7 percent since the 2020 census base of 105,557, across 665 square miles. County output reached $6.29 bn in 2024, 1,833 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 36 7(a) approvals worth $41.0 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Sumter County
How many people live in Sumter County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-2024104,725
- Households41,083
- Average household size2.55
- Median household income$56,693
- Median age38.0
- Median gross rent$1,057 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$165,300
- Home value to household income2.9 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income22.4 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher23.6 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree8.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over69,673
- Population under 1824,823
- Share under 1823.7 percent
- Population 65 and over18,606
- Share 65 and over17.8 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6461,296
- Civilian labor force44,264
- Unemployment rate6.9 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over55.4 percent
- Rank by population among South Carolina counties15th of 46
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included598th of 3,222
Sumter County is the 15th largest of 46 South Carolina counties by population. A median home costs 2.9 times median household income, which is affordable by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 23.7 percent against 17.8 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Sumter County
Is Sumter County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 2024104,776
- Census 2020 base population105,557
- Population change since the 2020 census base-0.74 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 2024366
- Births, 20241,302
- Deaths, 20241,240
- Natural change, 202462
- Net domestic migration, 2024159
- Net international migration, 2024138
- Total net migration, 2024297
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-963
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2104th of 3,144
The county has lost 0.74 percent of its population since the 2020 census base. The population grew in 2024 from both sources: births exceeded deaths and more people moved in than left.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Sumter County
Where are people moving to Sumter County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving3,040
- People arriving, from those returns5,915
- Tax returns filed by households leaving3,025
- Net household movement15
- Adjusted gross income arriving$155.8 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$3.1 m
- Average income of an arriving household$51,245
- Average income of a leaving household$50,477
- Largest single originRichland County (236 households)
- Largest single destinationRichland County (285 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Richland County | 236 | 431 | $9.5 m |
| Clarendon County | 168 | 351 | $6.3 m |
| Foreign - APO/FPO ZIPs | 146 | 301 | $8.2 m |
| Lexington County | 91 | 163 | $7.0 m |
| Lee County | 77 | 151 | $2.3 m |
| Florence County | 63 | 115 | $2.4 m |
| Horry County | 46 | 73 | $1.2 m |
| Mecklenburg County | 44 | 77 | $1.6 m |
Households arriving report $768 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.
Sumter County
What is the Sumter County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$6.29 bn
- County GDP, 2023$5.88 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20247.0 percent
- GDP change over five years40.2 percent
- Rank by GDP among the South Carolina areas BEA publishes14th of 46
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes623rd of 3,127
- GDP per resident$60,041
Output grew 7.0 percent in the latest year and 40.2 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.
Sumter County
Employment by industry in Sumter County
- Covered employment, annual average35,179
- Establishments reporting2,305
- Average annual pay$53,273
- Average weekly wage$1,024
- Manufacturing, employment5,889
- Manufacturing, average annual pay$64,550
- Health care and social assistance, employment5,433
- Health care and social assistance, average annual pay$55,378
- Retail trade, employment4,244
- Retail trade, average annual pay$31,320
- Accommodation and food services, employment3,412
- Accommodation and food services, average annual pay$19,661
- Construction, employment2,510
- Administrative and support and waste management services, employment2,064
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 5,889 | 86 | $64,550 |
| Health care and social assistance | 5,433 | 408 | $55,378 |
| Retail trade | 4,244 | 385 | $31,320 |
| Accommodation and food services | 3,412 | 194 | $19,661 |
| Construction | 2,510 | 176 | $72,461 |
| Administrative and support and waste management services | 2,064 | 118 | $41,786 |
| Professional, scientific and technical services | 1,012 | 227 | $71,440 |
| Other services, except public administration | 975 | 174 | $45,212 |
Manufacturing is the largest private sector at 5,889 jobs, 16.7 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Sumter County
How many businesses are in Sumter County?
- Establishments, all industries1,833
- Employment at those establishments29,449
- Annual payroll$1.30 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents17.5
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.
Sumter County
Building permits in Sumter County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 2024386
- Declared construction value permitted$62.1 m
- Single family units authorized344
- Multifamily units authorized42
- Multifamily share of units10.9 percent
- Average declared value per unit$160,765
- Units authorized per 1,000 households9.4
Single-family homes are 89.1 percent of units authorized, so the pipeline is predominantly single-family.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Sumter County
SBA loans in Sumter County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded36
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$41.0 m
- Average 7(a) approval$1,138,619
- Median 7(a) approval$388,500
- 10th percentile approval$10,000
- 90th percentile approval$3,365,000
- Largest single approval$5,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)389
- Jobs per approval10.8
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active22
- Distinct industries receiving approvals23
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer38.9 percent
- Loans on real estate terms14
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter20
- Franchise loans6
- Franchise share of approvals16.7 percent
- Leading industry by approval countHotels (except Casino Hotels) and Motels (8)
- Most active lenderWells Fargo Bank National Association (6)
- 504 approvals recorded10
- 504 gross approval dollars$8.8 m
- Average 504 approval$882,400
- Median 504 approval$553,000
- Distinct CDCs active4
- 504 jobs per approval21.1
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved23.9
- Most active CDCProvident Business Financial Services, Inc. (6)
- Combined SBA approval dollars, 7(a) FY2020 to FY2026 and 504 FY2010 to FY2026$49.8 m
The average approval of $1,138,619 sits well above the median of $388,500, pulled up by a few larger deals, so the median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here gets. 38.9 percent of approvals run on real estate terms of 240 months or more, so this is a market where SBA credit is buying buildings, not just funding operations.
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.
Sumter County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Sumter County
Do SBA loans in Sumter County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded8
- Paid in full8
- Charged off0
- Status: Paid in full8
- Status: Exempt from disclosure23
- Status: Cancelled3
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed2
Only 8 loans have 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.
Sumter County
SBA lending by place in Sumter County
- Borrower cities with recorded lending4
- Sumter, approvals33
- Swansea, approvals1
- Lynchburg, approvals1
- Shaw Afb, approvals1
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Sumter | 33 | $38,264,300 |
| Swansea | 1 | $2,184,000 |
| Lynchburg | 1 | $500,000 |
| Shaw Afb | 1 | $42,000 |
Sumter accounts for 33 approvals against 1 in Swansea. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Sumter County
How large is Sumter County?
- Land area665 sq mi
- Rank by land area among South Carolina counties20th of 46
- Width, east to west42.5 mi
- Height, north to south36.2 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land157
- Establishments per square mile2.76
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.
Sumter County
Flood risk in Sumter County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Sumter County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 450182
- Community Rating System class of the county's own communityClass 7
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book4
- Of those, participating in the NFIP4
- NFIP participation rate100.0 percent
- Best Community Rating System class in the county A lower CRS class is a larger flood insurance premium discount.Class 7
- Communities carrying a CRS class2
- Radon levels in Sumter 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 Sumter County (community 450182), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries Community Rating System class 7, a flood insurance premium discount for policies written there. The EPA places Sumter 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. The best Community Rating System class among the county's communities is 7, which carries a flood insurance premium discount for policies written in that community. 100.0 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 Sumter 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 Sumter County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-2024104,725
- Households41,083
- Average household size2.55
- Median household income$56,693
- Median age38.0
Common questions
Sumter County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Sumter County, South Carolina?
The Census Bureau estimates 104,776 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 104,725, in 41,083 households, ranking 15th of 46 South Carolina counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Sumter County's population growing?
The population has fallen 0.74 percent since the 2020 census base of 105,557, to 104,776 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 1,302 births against 1,240 deaths, with net migration of 297. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Sumter County?
$56,693. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $165,300, which is 2.9 times income, and median gross rent is $1,057 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Sumter County?
1,833 establishments, employing 29,449 people with an annual payroll of $1.30 bn. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is employment by industry in Sumter County?
Manufacturing is the largest private sector at 5,889 jobs, 16.7 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 35,179 jobs at an average annual pay of $53,273, or $1,024 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Sumter County?
36 7(a) approvals totaling $41.0 m since FY2020, across 22 lenders, with a median approval of $388,500, plus 10 504 approvals worth $8.8 m since FY2010. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in Sumter County?
386 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $62.1 m. Multifamily was 10.9 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Sumter 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 Sumter County come from?
The largest single origin is Richland County, with 236 households. Arriving households report an average income of $51,245 against $50,477 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Sumter 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 Sumter 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.
Sumter County
Cities and places in Sumter.
17 Census places lie wholly or partly in Sumter County. All 17 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sumter | city | 43,053 | 33 | Wholly in this county |
| Lakewood | CDP | 3,544 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Dalzell | CDP | 2,946 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Cherryvale | CDP | 2,611 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Privateer | CDP | 2,472 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Stateburg | CDP | 2,027 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Wedgefield | CDP | 1,968 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| South Sumter | CDP | 1,626 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Cane Savannah | CDP | 1,551 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Oakland | CDP | 1,060 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| East Sumter | CDP | 943 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Mayesville | town | 832 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Pinewood | town | 668 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Mulberry | CDP | 474 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Oswego | CDP | 172 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Rembert | CDP | 144 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Shiloh | CDP | 124 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
A further 3 of the county's 36 SBA 7(a) approvals are to borrowers in cities that match no Census place in Sumter County, the largest being Swansea (1), Lynchburg (1), Shaw Afb (1). Those are postal cities, unincorporated areas and cities outside the county, so no place row claims them; they are counted in the county total above.