Data / Rankings / Job creation rate / Counties in South Carolina

Counties in South Carolina by job creation rate

Lee County had the highest job creation rate of 46 counties in 2017, at 20.108%. Fairfield County had the lowest, at 6.442%. The median was 11.811% and the figure for South Carolina was 13.409%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Highest20.108Lee County
Lowest6.442Fairfield County
Median11.81146 counties
South Carolina13.409History

Map of counties, 2017

Abbeville County: 8.33 %Aiken County: 9.606 %Allendale County: 6.968 %Anderson County: 12.74 %Bamberg County: 7.992 %Barnwell County: 10.649 %Beaufort County: 13.761 %Berkeley County: 15.98 %Calhoun County: 8.487 %Charleston County: 12.976 %Cherokee County: 13.958 %Chester County: 11.787 %Chesterfield County: 14.307 %Clarendon County: 12.027 %Colleton County: 14.105 %Darlington County: 14.306 %Dillon County: 8.698 %Dorchester County: 17.937 %Edgefield County: 8.072 %Fairfield County: 6.442 %Florence County: 11.801 %Georgetown County: 11.82 %Greenville County: 15.611 %Greenwood County: 11.106 %Hampton County: 10.16 %Horry County: 14.636 %Jasper County: 19.582 %Kershaw County: 10.153 %Lancaster County: 12.079 %Laurens County: 10.421 %Lee County: 20.108 %Lexington County: 12.795 %McCormick County: 7.467 %Marion County: 13.772 %Marlboro County: 9.758 %Newberry County: 8.358 %Oconee County: 7.93 %Orangeburg County: 11.402 %Pickens County: 12.4 %Richland County: 13.564 %Saluda County: 7.821 %Spartanburg County: 13.865 %Sumter County: 9.827 %Union County: 8.36 %Williamsburg County: 12.159 %York County: 14.295 %
  • Under 8.3
  • 8.3 to 10
  • 10 to 12
  • 12 to 13
  • 13 to 14
  • 14 and over
%, 2017. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Business Dynamics Statistics: job creation rate, all covered industries, nation and states from 1978, counties from 2010. Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundary files.

All counties, 2017

Lee County: 20.108 %Lee County20.108Jasper County: 19.582 %Jasper County19.582Dorchester County: 17.937 %Dorchester County17.937Berkeley County: 15.98 %Berkeley County15.98Greenville County: 15.611 %Greenville County15.611Horry County: 14.636 %Horry County14.636Chesterfield County: 14.307 %Chesterfield County14.307Darlington County: 14.306 %Darlington County14.306York County: 14.295 %York County14.295Colleton County: 14.105 %Colleton County14.105Cherokee County: 13.958 %Cherokee County13.958Spartanburg County: 13.865 %Spartanburg County13.865Marion County: 13.772 %Marion County13.772Beaufort County: 13.761 %Beaufort County13.761Richland County: 13.564 %Richland County13.564Charleston County: 12.976 %Charleston County12.976Lexington County: 12.795 %Lexington County12.795Anderson County: 12.74 %Anderson County12.74Pickens County: 12.4 %Pickens County12.4Williamsburg County: 12.159 %Williamsburg County12.159Lancaster County: 12.079 %Lancaster County12.079Clarendon County: 12.027 %Clarendon County12.027Georgetown County: 11.82 %Georgetown County11.82Florence County: 11.801 %Florence County11.801Chester County: 11.787 %Chester County11.787Orangeburg County: 11.402 %Orangeburg County11.402Greenwood County: 11.106 %Greenwood County11.106Barnwell County: 10.649 %Barnwell County10.649Laurens County: 10.421 %Laurens County10.421Hampton County: 10.16 %Hampton County10.16Kershaw County: 10.153 %Kershaw County10.153Sumter County: 9.827 %Sumter County9.827Marlboro County: 9.758 %Marlboro County9.758Aiken County: 9.606 %Aiken County9.606Dillon County: 8.698 %Dillon County8.698Calhoun County: 8.487 %Calhoun County8.487Union County: 8.36 %Union County8.36Newberry County: 8.358 %Newberry County8.358Abbeville County: 8.33 %Abbeville County8.33Edgefield County: 8.072 %Edgefield County8.072Bamberg County: 7.992 %Bamberg County7.992Oconee County: 7.93 %Oconee County7.93Saluda County: 7.821 %Saluda County7.821McCormick County: 7.467 %McCormick County7.467Allendale County: 6.968 %Allendale County6.968Fairfield County: 6.442 %Fairfield County6.442Lee County: 20.108 %Lee County20.108Jasper County: 19.582 %Jasper County19.582Dorchester County: 17.937 %Dorchester County17.937Berkeley County: 15.98 %Berkeley County15.98Greenville County: 15.611 %Greenville County15.611Horry County: 14.636 %Horry County14.636Chesterfield County: 14.307 %Chesterfield County14.307Darlington County: 14.306 %Darlington County14.306York County: 14.295 %York County14.295Colleton County: 14.105 %Colleton County14.105Cherokee County: 13.958 %Cherokee County13.958Spartanburg County: 13.865 %Spartanburg County13.865Marion County: 13.772 %Marion County13.772Beaufort County: 13.761 %Beaufort County13.761Richland County: 13.564 %Richland County13.564Charleston County: 12.976 %Charleston County12.976Lexington County: 12.795 %Lexington County12.795Anderson County: 12.74 %Anderson County12.74Pickens County: 12.4 %Pickens County12.4Williamsburg County: 12.159 %Williamsburg County12.159Lancaster County: 12.079 %Lancaster County12.079Clarendon County: 12.027 %Clarendon County12.027Georgetown County: 11.82 %Georgetown County11.82Florence County: 11.801 %Florence County11.801Chester County: 11.787 %Chester County11.787Orangeburg County: 11.402 %Orangeburg County11.402Greenwood County: 11.106 %Greenwood County11.106Barnwell County: 10.649 %Barnwell County10.649Laurens County: 10.421 %Laurens County10.421Hampton County: 10.16 %Hampton County10.16Kershaw County: 10.153 %Kershaw County10.153Sumter County: 9.827 %Sumter County9.827Marlboro County: 9.758 %Marlboro County9.758Aiken County: 9.606 %Aiken County9.606Dillon County: 8.698 %Dillon County8.698Calhoun County: 8.487 %Calhoun County8.487Union County: 8.36 %Union County8.36Newberry County: 8.358 %Newberry County8.358Abbeville County: 8.33 %Abbeville County8.33Edgefield County: 8.072 %Edgefield County8.072Bamberg County: 7.992 %Bamberg County7.992Oconee County: 7.93 %Oconee County7.93Saluda County: 7.821 %Saluda County7.821McCormick County: 7.467 %McCormick County7.467Allendale County: 6.968 %Allendale County6.968Fairfield County: 6.442 %Fairfield County6.442
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Business Dynamics Statistics: job creation rate, all covered industries, nation and states from 1978, counties from 2010. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCounties2017 (%)Change on 2016
1Lee County20.108+8.33 pts
2Jasper County19.582+2.91 pts
3Dorchester County17.937+2.44 pts
4Berkeley County15.98-0.72 pts
5Greenville County15.611+1.13 pts
6Horry County14.636-0.73 pts
7Chesterfield County14.307+3.75 pts
8Darlington County14.306+5.1 pts
9York County14.295-2.61 pts
10Colleton County14.105+1.38 pts
11Cherokee County13.958+1.7 pts
12Spartanburg County13.865+1.59 pts
13Marion County13.772+3.71 pts
14Beaufort County13.761-0.53 pts
15Richland County13.564+2.21 pts
16Charleston County12.976-1.02 pts
17Lexington County12.795-1.03 pts
18Anderson County12.74+1 pts
19Pickens County12.4+0.73 pts
20Williamsburg County12.159+1.91 pts
21Lancaster County12.079-5.5 pts
22Clarendon County12.027+2.03 pts
23Georgetown County11.82-0.63 pts
24Florence County11.801+1.11 pts
25Chester County11.787-0.29 pts
26Orangeburg County11.402+2.75 pts
27Greenwood County11.106+0.43 pts
28Barnwell County10.649+5.67 pts
29Laurens County10.421+0.6 pts
30Hampton County10.16-6.07 pts
31Kershaw County10.153-8.21 pts
32Sumter County9.827-2.47 pts
33Marlboro County9.758-1.33 pts
34Aiken County9.606-1.56 pts
35Dillon County8.698-0.16 pts
36Calhoun County8.487-1.98 pts
37Union County8.36-3.38 pts
38Newberry County8.358-2.99 pts
39Abbeville County8.33+0.42 pts
40Edgefield County8.072-1.6 pts
41Bamberg County7.992-4.12 pts
42Oconee County7.93-1.46 pts
43Saluda County7.821+3.51 pts
44McCormick County7.467+1.44 pts
45Allendale County6.968-2.49 pts
46Fairfield County6.442-0.63 pts

Other periods

About this ranking

Jobs added at opening and expanding establishments during the year, as a percentage of average employment in the two years. United States: Census Bureau Business Dynamics Statistics.

A gross flow: jobs lost elsewhere are not subtracted, so the net change is this rate minus job_destruction_rate. Not the same as payroll job growth from the monthly employment surveys. The year is the twelve months to March: 2023 compares March 2022 with March 2023.

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: job creation rate, all covered industries, nation and states from 1978, counties from 2010. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/bds/tables/time-series/2023/bds2023_st_cty.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. Census Bureau. (2025). Business Dynamics Statistics: job creation rate, all covered industries, nation and states from 1978, counties from 2010 (Counties in South Carolina by job creation rate, 2017) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/bds/tables/time-series/2023/bds2023_st_cty.csv

MLA 9

Business Dynamics Statistics: job creation rate, all covered industries, nation and states from 1978, counties from 2010, Counties in South Carolina by job creation rate, 2017. 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/job-creation-rate/south-carolina-counties?period=2017. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

U.S. Census Bureau. 2025. Business Dynamics Statistics: job creation rate, all covered industries, nation and states from 1978, counties from 2010. Counties in South Carolina by job creation rate, 2017. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/bds/tables/time-series/2023/bds2023_st_cty.csv. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/job-creation-rate/south-carolina-counties?period=2017.

Harvard

U.S. Census Bureau (2025) Business Dynamics Statistics: job creation rate, all covered industries, nation and states from 1978, counties from 2010, Counties in South Carolina by job creation rate, 2017 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/bds/tables/time-series/2023/bds2023_st_cty.csv, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/job-creation-rate/south-carolina-counties?period=2017 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_counties_in_south_carolina_2017,
  author = {{U.S. Census Bureau}},
  title = {{Business Dynamics Statistics: job creation rate, all covered industries, nation and states from 1978, counties from 2010: Counties in South Carolina by job creation rate, 2017}},
  year = {2025},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/bds/tables/time-series/2023/bds2023_st_cty.csv},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/job-creation-rate/south-carolina-counties?period=2017. Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. Business Dynamics Statistics: job creation rate, all covered industries, nation and states from 1978, counties from 2010. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/bds/tables/time-series/2023/bds2023\_st\_cty.csv. Retrieved 2026-10-12.},
}
RIS
TY  - DATA
AU  - U.S. Census Bureau
TI  - Business Dynamics Statistics: job creation rate, all covered industries, nation and states from 1978, counties from 2010: Counties in South Carolina by job creation rate, 2017
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/job-creation-rate/south-carolina-counties?period=2017
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/job-creation-rate/south-carolina-counties?period=2017.
N1  - Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. Business Dynamics Statistics: job creation rate, all covered industries, nation and states from 1978, counties from 2010. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/bds/tables/time-series/2023/bds2023_st_cty.csv. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  -
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Questions

Which county has the highest job creation rate?

Lee County, with 20.108% in 2017, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest job creation rate?

Fairfield County, with 6.442% in 2017.

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: job creation rate, all covered industries, nation and states from 1978, counties from 2010. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Job creation rate: other rankings

Counties in South Carolina: more rankings