Counties in South Carolina by employer firms

Greenville County had the highest employer firms of 46 counties in 2014, at 9,318. McCormick County had the lowest, at 89. The median was 809 and the figure for South Carolina was 70,999. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Highest9,318Greenville County
Median80946 counties
South Carolina70,999History

Map of counties, 2014

Abbeville County: 287 countAiken County: 2,092 countAllendale County: 110 countAnderson County: 2,990 countBamberg County: 224 countBarnwell County: 321 countBeaufort County: 3,900 countBerkeley County: 2,276 countCalhoun County: 220 countCharleston County: 9,265 countCherokee County: 838 countChester County: 459 countChesterfield County: 544 countClarendon County: 410 countColleton County: 613 countDarlington County: 895 countDillon County: 403 countDorchester County: 1,767 countEdgefield County: 278 countFairfield County: 237 countFlorence County: 2,454 countGeorgetown County: 1,379 countGreenville County: 9,318 countGreenwood County: 1,109 countHampton County: 279 countHorry County: 6,202 countJasper County: 527 countKershaw County: 943 countLancaster County: 1,038 countLaurens County: 780 countLee County: 179 countLexington County: 4,887 countMcCormick County: 89 countMarion County: 430 countMarlboro County: 300 countNewberry County: 630 countOconee County: 1,285 countOrangeburg County: 1,286 countPickens County: 1,644 countRichland County: 6,376 countSaluda County: 232 countSpartanburg County: 4,796 countSumter County: 1,447 countUnion County: 368 countWilliamsburg County: 423 countYork County: 3,710 count
  • Under 280
  • 280 to 420
  • 420 to 810
  • 810 to 1,400
  • 1,400 to 3,400
  • 3,400 and over
count, 2014. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Business Dynamics Statistics: employer firms, all covered industries, nation, states and counties. Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundary files.

All counties, 2014

Greenville County: 9,318 countGreenville County9,318Charleston County: 9,265 countCharleston County9,265Richland County: 6,376 countRichland County6,376Horry County: 6,202 countHorry County6,202Lexington County: 4,887 countLexington County4,887Spartanburg County: 4,796 countSpartanburg County4,796Beaufort County: 3,900 countBeaufort County3,900York County: 3,710 countYork County3,710Anderson County: 2,990 countAnderson County2,990Florence County: 2,454 countFlorence County2,454Berkeley County: 2,276 countBerkeley County2,276Aiken County: 2,092 countAiken County2,092Dorchester County: 1,767 countDorchester County1,767Pickens County: 1,644 countPickens County1,644Sumter County: 1,447 countSumter County1,447Georgetown County: 1,379 countGeorgetown County1,379Orangeburg County: 1,286 countOrangeburg County1,286Oconee County: 1,285 countOconee County1,285Greenwood County: 1,109 countGreenwood County1,109Lancaster County: 1,038 countLancaster County1,038Kershaw County: 943 countKershaw County943Darlington County: 895 countDarlington County895Cherokee County: 838 countCherokee County838Laurens County: 780 countLaurens County780Newberry County: 630 countNewberry County630Colleton County: 613 countColleton County613Chesterfield County: 544 countChesterfield County544Jasper County: 527 countJasper County527Chester County: 459 countChester County459Marion County: 430 countMarion County430Williamsburg County: 423 countWilliamsburg County423Clarendon County: 410 countClarendon County410Dillon County: 403 countDillon County403Union County: 368 countUnion County368Barnwell County: 321 countBarnwell County321Marlboro County: 300 countMarlboro County300Abbeville County: 287 countAbbeville County287Hampton County: 279 countHampton County279Edgefield County: 278 countEdgefield County278Fairfield County: 237 countFairfield County237Saluda County: 232 countSaluda County232Bamberg County: 224 countBamberg County224Calhoun County: 220 countCalhoun County220Lee County: 179 countLee County179Allendale County: 110 countAllendale County110McCormick County: 89 countMcCormick County89Greenville County: 9,318 countGreenville County9,318Charleston County: 9,265 countCharleston County9,265Richland County: 6,376 countRichland County6,376Horry County: 6,202 countHorry County6,202Lexington County: 4,887 countLexington County4,887Spartanburg County: 4,796 countSpartanburg County4,796Beaufort County: 3,900 countBeaufort County3,900York County: 3,710 countYork County3,710Anderson County: 2,990 countAnderson County2,990Florence County: 2,454 countFlorence County2,454Berkeley County: 2,276 countBerkeley County2,276Aiken County: 2,092 countAiken County2,092Dorchester County: 1,767 countDorchester County1,767Pickens County: 1,644 countPickens County1,644Sumter County: 1,447 countSumter County1,447Georgetown County: 1,379 countGeorgetown County1,379Orangeburg County: 1,286 countOrangeburg County1,286Oconee County: 1,285 countOconee County1,285Greenwood County: 1,109 countGreenwood County1,109Lancaster County: 1,038 countLancaster County1,038Kershaw County: 943 countKershaw County943Darlington County: 895 countDarlington County895Cherokee County: 838 countCherokee County838Laurens County: 780 countLaurens County780Newberry County: 630 countNewberry County630Colleton County: 613 countColleton County613Chesterfield County: 544 countChesterfield County544Jasper County: 527 countJasper County527Chester County: 459 countChester County459Marion County: 430 countMarion County430Williamsburg County: 423 countWilliamsburg County423Clarendon County: 410 countClarendon County410Dillon County: 403 countDillon County403Union County: 368 countUnion County368Barnwell County: 321 countBarnwell County321Marlboro County: 300 countMarlboro County300Abbeville County: 287 countAbbeville County287Hampton County: 279 countHampton County279Edgefield County: 278 countEdgefield County278Fairfield County: 237 countFairfield County237Saluda County: 232 countSaluda County232Bamberg County: 224 countBamberg County224Calhoun County: 220 countCalhoun County220Lee County: 179 countLee County179Allendale County: 110 countAllendale County110McCormick County: 89 countMcCormick County89
count. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Business Dynamics Statistics: employer firms, all covered industries, nation, states and counties. Retrieved 2026-10-11.

Full ranking

RankCounties2014
count
Change on 2013
1Greenville County9,318+0.3%
2Charleston County9,265+1.6%
3Richland County6,3760%
4Horry County6,202+0.9%
5Lexington County4,887+0.1%
6Spartanburg County4,796-0.2%
7Beaufort County3,900+2%
8York County3,710+2.1%
9Anderson County2,990+0.7%
10Florence County2,454-0%
11Berkeley County2,276+2.4%
12Aiken County2,092+0.4%
13Dorchester County1,767+0.7%
14Pickens County1,644-0.7%
15Sumter County1,447-0.8%
16Georgetown County1,379+0.9%
17Orangeburg County1,286-1.6%
18Oconee County1,285+0.5%
19Greenwood County1,109-0.3%
20Lancaster County1,038+1.9%
21Kershaw County943+2.6%
22Darlington County895-2.5%
23Cherokee County838-1.9%
24Laurens County780-1.4%
25Newberry County630+1.1%
26Colleton County613-3.2%
27Chesterfield County544-1.6%
28Jasper County527+4.8%
29Chester County459-0.4%
30Marion County430-0.5%
31Williamsburg County423+1.4%
32Clarendon County410-4.2%
33Dillon County403-2.7%
34Union County368-1.3%
35Barnwell County321+2.9%
36Marlboro County300+1.7%
37Abbeville County287+0.3%
38Hampton County279-0.4%
39Edgefield County278-0.7%
40Fairfield County237-2.1%
41Saluda County232-0.9%
42Bamberg County224-2.6%
43Calhoun County220+2.3%
44Lee County179-1.6%
45Allendale County110+1.9%
46McCormick County89+1.1%

Other periods

About this ranking

Number of firms in the private nonfarm sectors covered by the US Census Bureau Business Dynamics Statistics. Establishments under common ownership form one firm.

Excludes nonemployer businesses. Differs from active_companies, the INE DIRCE count, which includes businesses without employees.

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. Census Bureau. Business Dynamics Statistics: employer firms, all covered industries, nation, states and counties. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/bds/tables/time-series/2023/bds2023_st_cty.csv. Retrieved 2026-10-11.

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. Census Bureau. (2025). Business Dynamics Statistics: employer firms, all covered industries, nation, states and counties (Counties in South Carolina by employer firms, 2014) [Data set]. Retrieved October 11, 2026, from https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/bds/tables/time-series/2023/bds2023_st_cty.csv

MLA 9

Business Dynamics Statistics: employer firms, all covered industries, nation, states and counties, Counties in South Carolina by employer firms, 2014. U.S. Census Bureau, 25 Sept. 2025, https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/bds/tables/time-series/2023/bds2023_st_cty.csv. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/employer-firms/south-carolina-counties?period=2014. Accessed 11 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

U.S. Census Bureau. 2025. Business Dynamics Statistics: employer firms, all covered industries, nation, states and counties. Counties in South Carolina by employer firms, 2014. Dataset. Accessed October 11, 2026. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/bds/tables/time-series/2023/bds2023_st_cty.csv. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/employer-firms/south-carolina-counties?period=2014.

Harvard

U.S. Census Bureau (2025) Business Dynamics Statistics: employer firms, all covered industries, nation, states and counties, Counties in South Carolina by employer firms, 2014 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/bds/tables/time-series/2023/bds2023_st_cty.csv, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/employer-firms/south-carolina-counties?period=2014 (Accessed: 11 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_counties_in_south_carolina_2014,
  author = {{U.S. Census Bureau}},
  title = {{Business Dynamics Statistics: employer firms, all covered industries, nation, states and counties: Counties in South Carolina by employer firms, 2014}},
  year = {2025},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/bds/tables/time-series/2023/bds2023_st_cty.csv},
  urldate = {2026-10-11},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/employer-firms/south-carolina-counties?period=2014. Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. Business Dynamics Statistics: employer firms, all covered industries, nation, states and counties. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/bds/tables/time-series/2023/bds2023\_st\_cty.csv. Retrieved 2026-10-11.},
}
RIS
TY  - DATA
AU  - U.S. Census Bureau
TI  - Business Dynamics Statistics: employer firms, all covered industries, nation, states and counties: Counties in South Carolina by employer firms, 2014
PY  - 2025
DA  - 2025/09/25
PB  - U.S. Census Bureau
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/bds/tables/time-series/2023/bds2023_st_cty.csv
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/employer-firms/south-carolina-counties?period=2014
Y2  - 2026/10/11
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/employer-firms/south-carolina-counties?period=2014.
N1  - Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. Business Dynamics Statistics: employer firms, all covered industries, nation, states and counties. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/bds/tables/time-series/2023/bds2023_st_cty.csv. Retrieved 2026-10-11.
ER  - 
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Questions

Which county has the highest employer firms?

Greenville County, with 9,318 in 2014, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest employer firms?

McCormick County, with 89 in 2014.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: U.S. Census Bureau, Business Dynamics Statistics: employer firms, all covered industries, nation, states and counties. Retrieved 2026-10-11.

Employer firms: other rankings

Counties in South Carolina: more rankings