Counties in South Carolina by business establishments (QCEW)

Greenville County had the highest business establishments (QCEW) of 46 counties in 2014, at 12,795. McCormick County had the lowest, at 137. The median was 869 and the figure for South Carolina was 117,766. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

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Highest12,795Greenville County
Median86946 counties
South Carolina117,766History

Map of counties, 2014

Abbeville County: 353 countAiken County: 2,804 countAllendale County: 181 countAnderson County: 3,458 countBamberg County: 295 countBarnwell County: 402 countBeaufort County: 4,921 countBerkeley County: 2,427 countCalhoun County: 245 countCharleston County: 12,569 countCherokee County: 878 countChester County: 539 countChesterfield County: 683 countClarendon County: 577 countColleton County: 723 countDarlington County: 1,088 countDillon County: 498 countDorchester County: 2,170 countEdgefield County: 352 countFairfield County: 344 countFlorence County: 3,148 countGeorgetown County: 1,872 countGreenville County: 12,795 countGreenwood County: 1,397 countHampton County: 374 countHorry County: 7,954 countJasper County: 599 countKershaw County: 1,163 countLancaster County: 1,157 countLaurens County: 860 countLee County: 285 countLexington County: 5,889 countMcCormick County: 137 countMarion County: 536 countMarlboro County: 372 countNewberry County: 762 countOconee County: 1,485 countOrangeburg County: 1,676 countPickens County: 2,113 countRichland County: 9,266 countSaluda County: 264 countSpartanburg County: 5,880 countSumter County: 2,001 countUnion County: 466 countWilliamsburg County: 590 countYork County: 4,984 count
  • Under 400
  • 400 to 500
  • 500 to 900
  • 900 to 1,900
  • 1,900 to 4,200
  • 4,200 and over
count, 2014. Source: BLS, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average establishments, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties. Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundary files.

All counties, 2014

Greenville County: 12,795 countGreenville County12,795Charleston County: 12,569 countCharleston County12,569Richland County: 9,266 countRichland County9,266Horry County: 7,954 countHorry County7,954Lexington County: 5,889 countLexington County5,889Spartanburg County: 5,880 countSpartanburg County5,880York County: 4,984 countYork County4,984Beaufort County: 4,921 countBeaufort County4,921Anderson County: 3,458 countAnderson County3,458Florence County: 3,148 countFlorence County3,148Aiken County: 2,804 countAiken County2,804Berkeley County: 2,427 countBerkeley County2,427Dorchester County: 2,170 countDorchester County2,170Pickens County: 2,113 countPickens County2,113Sumter County: 2,001 countSumter County2,001Georgetown County: 1,872 countGeorgetown County1,872Orangeburg County: 1,676 countOrangeburg County1,676Oconee County: 1,485 countOconee County1,485Greenwood County: 1,397 countGreenwood County1,397Kershaw County: 1,163 countKershaw County1,163Lancaster County: 1,157 countLancaster County1,157Darlington County: 1,088 countDarlington County1,088Cherokee County: 878 countCherokee County878Laurens County: 860 countLaurens County860Newberry County: 762 countNewberry County762Colleton County: 723 countColleton County723Chesterfield County: 683 countChesterfield County683Jasper County: 599 countJasper County599Williamsburg County: 590 countWilliamsburg County590Clarendon County: 577 countClarendon County577Chester County: 539 countChester County539Marion County: 536 countMarion County536Dillon County: 498 countDillon County498Union County: 466 countUnion County466Barnwell County: 402 countBarnwell County402Hampton County: 374 countHampton County374Marlboro County: 372 countMarlboro County372Abbeville County: 353 countAbbeville County353Edgefield County: 352 countEdgefield County352Fairfield County: 344 countFairfield County344Bamberg County: 295 countBamberg County295Lee County: 285 countLee County285Saluda County: 264 countSaluda County264Calhoun County: 245 countCalhoun County245Allendale County: 181 countAllendale County181McCormick County: 137 countMcCormick County137Greenville County: 12,795 countGreenville County12,795Charleston County: 12,569 countCharleston County12,569Richland County: 9,266 countRichland County9,266Horry County: 7,954 countHorry County7,954Lexington County: 5,889 countLexington County5,889Spartanburg County: 5,880 countSpartanburg County5,880York County: 4,984 countYork County4,984Beaufort County: 4,921 countBeaufort County4,921Anderson County: 3,458 countAnderson County3,458Florence County: 3,148 countFlorence County3,148Aiken County: 2,804 countAiken County2,804Berkeley County: 2,427 countBerkeley County2,427Dorchester County: 2,170 countDorchester County2,170Pickens County: 2,113 countPickens County2,113Sumter County: 2,001 countSumter County2,001Georgetown County: 1,872 countGeorgetown County1,872Orangeburg County: 1,676 countOrangeburg County1,676Oconee County: 1,485 countOconee County1,485Greenwood County: 1,397 countGreenwood County1,397Kershaw County: 1,163 countKershaw County1,163Lancaster County: 1,157 countLancaster County1,157Darlington County: 1,088 countDarlington County1,088Cherokee County: 878 countCherokee County878Laurens County: 860 countLaurens County860Newberry County: 762 countNewberry County762Colleton County: 723 countColleton County723Chesterfield County: 683 countChesterfield County683Jasper County: 599 countJasper County599Williamsburg County: 590 countWilliamsburg County590Clarendon County: 577 countClarendon County577Chester County: 539 countChester County539Marion County: 536 countMarion County536Dillon County: 498 countDillon County498Union County: 466 countUnion County466Barnwell County: 402 countBarnwell County402Hampton County: 374 countHampton County374Marlboro County: 372 countMarlboro County372Abbeville County: 353 countAbbeville County353Edgefield County: 352 countEdgefield County352Fairfield County: 344 countFairfield County344Bamberg County: 295 countBamberg County295Lee County: 285 countLee County285Saluda County: 264 countSaluda County264Calhoun County: 245 countCalhoun County245Allendale County: 181 countAllendale County181McCormick County: 137 countMcCormick County137
count. Source: BLS, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average establishments, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCounties2014
count
Change on 2013
1Greenville County12,795+1.6%
2Charleston County12,569+2.2%
3Richland County9,266+0.8%
4Horry County7,954+1.5%
5Lexington County5,889+0.7%
6Spartanburg County5,880-0%
7York County4,984+5.7%
8Beaufort County4,921+2.5%
9Anderson County3,458+0.6%
10Florence County3,148+2.1%
11Aiken County2,804+0.8%
12Berkeley County2,427+4.3%
13Dorchester County2,170+3.5%
14Pickens County2,113+2%
15Sumter County2,001+1.3%
16Georgetown County1,872+2.2%
17Orangeburg County1,676+0.3%
18Oconee County1,485+1.6%
19Greenwood County1,397-1.9%
20Kershaw County1,163+2.6%
21Lancaster County1,157+0.5%
22Darlington County1,088+0.1%
23Cherokee County878-1.3%
24Laurens County860-2.8%
25Newberry County762+5%
26Colleton County723-2.7%
27Chesterfield County683-0.4%
28Jasper County599+4.7%
29Williamsburg County590+1%
30Clarendon County577-1.9%
31Chester County539-2.2%
32Marion County536-2.4%
33Dillon County498+1.6%
34Union County466-0.2%
35Barnwell County402-2.2%
36Hampton County374-0.5%
37Marlboro County372+1.1%
38Abbeville County353-2.2%
39Edgefield County352+2.9%
40Fairfield County344+5.8%
41Bamberg County295-1%
42Lee County285-2.4%
43Saluda County264+0.4%
44Calhoun County245-0.8%
45Allendale County181-3.2%
46McCormick County137-0.7%

Other periods

About this ranking

Average number of establishments with jobs covered by unemployment insurance during the year, all industries, private and government, from the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. An establishment is a single place of business, such as a factory, store or office; a company with several locations has several.

Counts places of business, not firms: for firms use employer_firms. Changes in how large employers report their locations can move the count without any change in activity.

Every value in the ranking comes from the same publisher and the same period, so the counties are compared on one definition. Equal values share a rank.

How to cite

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average establishments, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties. https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2014/a/industry/10.csv. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Citation styles

The publisher is the author. Invokely is named only as the place the figures were read, where a style asks for it.

APA 7

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2026). Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average establishments, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties (Counties in South Carolina by business establishments (QCEW), 2014) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2014/a/industry/10.csv

MLA 9

Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average establishments, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties, Counties in South Carolina by business establishments (QCEW), 2014. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 21 Aug. 2026, https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2014/a/industry/10.csv. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/business-establishments/south-carolina-counties?period=2014. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. 2026. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average establishments, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties. Counties in South Carolina by business establishments (QCEW), 2014. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2014/a/industry/10.csv. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/business-establishments/south-carolina-counties?period=2014.

Harvard

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2026) Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average establishments, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties, Counties in South Carolina by business establishments (QCEW), 2014 [Dataset]. Available at: https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2014/a/industry/10.csv, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/business-establishments/south-carolina-counties?period=2014 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{bureau_counties_in_south_carolina_2014,
  author = {{U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics}},
  title = {{Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average establishments, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties: Counties in South Carolina by business establishments (QCEW), 2014}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2014/a/industry/10.csv},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/business-establishments/south-carolina-counties?period=2014. Publisher attribution: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average establishments, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties. https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2014/a/industry/10.csv. Retrieved 2026-10-12.},
}
RIS
TY  - DATA
AU  - U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
TI  - Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average establishments, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties: Counties in South Carolina by business establishments (QCEW), 2014
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/08/21
PB  - U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2014/a/industry/10.csv
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/business-establishments/south-carolina-counties?period=2014
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/business-establishments/south-carolina-counties?period=2014.
N1  - Publisher attribution: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average establishments, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties. https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2014/a/industry/10.csv. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  - 
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Rank Counties in South Carolina by business establishments (QCEW) using official data, and cite the source.
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Questions

Which county has the highest business establishments (QCEW)?

Greenville County, with 12,795 in 2014, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which county has the lowest business establishments (QCEW)?

McCormick County, with 137 in 2014.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW): annual average establishments, total covered, all industries (NAICS 10), nation, states and counties. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Business establishments (QCEW): other rankings

Counties in South Carolina: more rankings