Counties in South Carolina by employer firms

Charleston County had the highest employer firms of 46 counties in 2015, at 9,586. McCormick County had the lowest, at 80. The median was 811 and the figure for South Carolina was 71,951. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Highest9,586Charleston County
Median81146 counties
South Carolina71,951History

Map of counties, 2015

Abbeville County: 290 countAiken County: 2,096 countAllendale County: 112 countAnderson County: 2,987 countBamberg County: 229 countBarnwell County: 315 countBeaufort County: 3,999 countBerkeley County: 2,325 countCalhoun County: 216 countCharleston County: 9,586 countCherokee County: 830 countChester County: 460 countChesterfield County: 548 countClarendon County: 414 countColleton County: 621 countDarlington County: 880 countDillon County: 398 countDorchester County: 1,818 countEdgefield County: 269 countFairfield County: 243 countFlorence County: 2,470 countGeorgetown County: 1,392 countGreenville County: 9,480 countGreenwood County: 1,119 countHampton County: 274 countHorry County: 6,371 countJasper County: 560 countKershaw County: 947 countLancaster County: 1,077 countLaurens County: 791 countLee County: 180 countLexington County: 4,908 countMcCormick County: 80 countMarion County: 423 countMarlboro County: 296 countNewberry County: 624 countOconee County: 1,306 countOrangeburg County: 1,272 countPickens County: 1,617 countRichland County: 6,465 countSaluda County: 223 countSpartanburg County: 4,808 countSumter County: 1,440 countUnion County: 355 countWilliamsburg County: 431 countYork County: 3,769 count
  • Under 270
  • 270 to 420
  • 420 to 810
  • 810 to 1,400
  • 1,400 to 3,400
  • 3,400 and over
count, 2015. 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, 2015

Charleston County: 9,586 countCharleston County9,586Greenville County: 9,480 countGreenville County9,480Richland County: 6,465 countRichland County6,465Horry County: 6,371 countHorry County6,371Lexington County: 4,908 countLexington County4,908Spartanburg County: 4,808 countSpartanburg County4,808Beaufort County: 3,999 countBeaufort County3,999York County: 3,769 countYork County3,769Anderson County: 2,987 countAnderson County2,987Florence County: 2,470 countFlorence County2,470Berkeley County: 2,325 countBerkeley County2,325Aiken County: 2,096 countAiken County2,096Dorchester County: 1,818 countDorchester County1,818Pickens County: 1,617 countPickens County1,617Sumter County: 1,440 countSumter County1,440Georgetown County: 1,392 countGeorgetown County1,392Oconee County: 1,306 countOconee County1,306Orangeburg County: 1,272 countOrangeburg County1,272Greenwood County: 1,119 countGreenwood County1,119Lancaster County: 1,077 countLancaster County1,077Kershaw County: 947 countKershaw County947Darlington County: 880 countDarlington County880Cherokee County: 830 countCherokee County830Laurens County: 791 countLaurens County791Newberry County: 624 countNewberry County624Colleton County: 621 countColleton County621Jasper County: 560 countJasper County560Chesterfield County: 548 countChesterfield County548Chester County: 460 countChester County460Williamsburg County: 431 countWilliamsburg County431Marion County: 423 countMarion County423Clarendon County: 414 countClarendon County414Dillon County: 398 countDillon County398Union County: 355 countUnion County355Barnwell County: 315 countBarnwell County315Marlboro County: 296 countMarlboro County296Abbeville County: 290 countAbbeville County290Hampton County: 274 countHampton County274Edgefield County: 269 countEdgefield County269Fairfield County: 243 countFairfield County243Bamberg County: 229 countBamberg County229Saluda County: 223 countSaluda County223Calhoun County: 216 countCalhoun County216Lee County: 180 countLee County180Allendale County: 112 countAllendale County112McCormick County: 80 countMcCormick County80Charleston County: 9,586 countCharleston County9,586Greenville County: 9,480 countGreenville County9,480Richland County: 6,465 countRichland County6,465Horry County: 6,371 countHorry County6,371Lexington County: 4,908 countLexington County4,908Spartanburg County: 4,808 countSpartanburg County4,808Beaufort County: 3,999 countBeaufort County3,999York County: 3,769 countYork County3,769Anderson County: 2,987 countAnderson County2,987Florence County: 2,470 countFlorence County2,470Berkeley County: 2,325 countBerkeley County2,325Aiken County: 2,096 countAiken County2,096Dorchester County: 1,818 countDorchester County1,818Pickens County: 1,617 countPickens County1,617Sumter County: 1,440 countSumter County1,440Georgetown County: 1,392 countGeorgetown County1,392Oconee County: 1,306 countOconee County1,306Orangeburg County: 1,272 countOrangeburg County1,272Greenwood County: 1,119 countGreenwood County1,119Lancaster County: 1,077 countLancaster County1,077Kershaw County: 947 countKershaw County947Darlington County: 880 countDarlington County880Cherokee County: 830 countCherokee County830Laurens County: 791 countLaurens County791Newberry County: 624 countNewberry County624Colleton County: 621 countColleton County621Jasper County: 560 countJasper County560Chesterfield County: 548 countChesterfield County548Chester County: 460 countChester County460Williamsburg County: 431 countWilliamsburg County431Marion County: 423 countMarion County423Clarendon County: 414 countClarendon County414Dillon County: 398 countDillon County398Union County: 355 countUnion County355Barnwell County: 315 countBarnwell County315Marlboro County: 296 countMarlboro County296Abbeville County: 290 countAbbeville County290Hampton County: 274 countHampton County274Edgefield County: 269 countEdgefield County269Fairfield County: 243 countFairfield County243Bamberg County: 229 countBamberg County229Saluda County: 223 countSaluda County223Calhoun County: 216 countCalhoun County216Lee County: 180 countLee County180Allendale County: 112 countAllendale County112McCormick County: 80 countMcCormick County80
count. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Business Dynamics Statistics: employer firms, all covered industries, nation, states and counties. Retrieved 2026-10-11.

Full ranking

RankCounties2015
count
Change on 2014
1Charleston County9,586+3.5%
2Greenville County9,480+1.7%
3Richland County6,465+1.4%
4Horry County6,371+2.7%
5Lexington County4,908+0.4%
6Spartanburg County4,808+0.3%
7Beaufort County3,999+2.5%
8York County3,769+1.6%
9Anderson County2,987-0.1%
10Florence County2,470+0.7%
11Berkeley County2,325+2.2%
12Aiken County2,096+0.2%
13Dorchester County1,818+2.9%
14Pickens County1,617-1.6%
15Sumter County1,440-0.5%
16Georgetown County1,392+0.9%
17Oconee County1,306+1.6%
18Orangeburg County1,272-1.1%
19Greenwood County1,119+0.9%
20Lancaster County1,077+3.8%
21Kershaw County947+0.4%
22Darlington County880-1.7%
23Cherokee County830-1%
24Laurens County791+1.4%
25Newberry County624-1%
26Colleton County621+1.3%
27Jasper County560+6.3%
28Chesterfield County548+0.7%
29Chester County460+0.2%
30Williamsburg County431+1.9%
31Marion County423-1.6%
32Clarendon County414+1%
33Dillon County398-1.2%
34Union County355-3.5%
35Barnwell County315-1.9%
36Marlboro County296-1.3%
37Abbeville County290+1%
38Hampton County274-1.8%
39Edgefield County269-3.2%
40Fairfield County243+2.5%
41Bamberg County229+2.2%
42Saluda County223-3.9%
43Calhoun County216-1.8%
44Lee County180+0.6%
45Allendale County112+1.8%
46McCormick County80-10.1%

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, 2015) [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, 2015. 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=2015. 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, 2015. 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=2015.

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, 2015 [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=2015 (Accessed: 11 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_counties_in_south_carolina_2015,
  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, 2015}},
  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=2015. 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, 2015
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=2015
Y2  - 2026/10/11
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/employer-firms/south-carolina-counties?period=2015.
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?

Charleston County, with 9,586 in 2015, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest employer firms?

McCormick County, with 80 in 2015.

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