Data / Rankings / Labor force participation rate (US five-year survey estimate) / Cities in South Carolina

Cities in South Carolina by labor force participation rate (US five-year survey estimate)

James Island, SC had the highest labor force participation rate (US five-year survey estimate) of 43 cities in 2021, at 74%. Hardeeville, SC had the lowest, at 45.4%. The median was 64.2% and the figure for South Carolina was 60.5%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Highest74James Island, SC
Lowest45.4Hardeeville, SC
Median64.243 cities
South Carolina60.5History

All cities, 2021

James Island, SC: 74 %James Island, SC74Goose Creek, SC: 72.3 %Goose Creek, SC72.3Port Royal, SC: 71.9 %Port Royal, SC71.9Irmo, SC: 70.8 %Irmo, SC70.8Simpsonville, SC: 70.8 %Simpsonville, SC70.8Mauldin, SC: 70 %Mauldin, SC70Fort Mill, SC: 69.7 %Fort Mill, SC69.7Hanahan, SC: 69.6 %Hanahan, SC69.6Greer, SC: 69.1 %Greer, SC69.1Fountain Inn, SC: 68.7 %Fountain Inn, SC68.7Greenville, SC: 68.6 %Greenville, SC68.6North Charleston, SC: 68.2 %North Charleston, SC68.2Charleston, SC: 67.7 %Charleston, SC67.7Rock Hill, SC: 67.1 %Rock Hill, SC67.1Mount Pleasant, SC: 66.9 %Mount Pleasant, SC66.9Summerville, SC: 65.9 %Summerville, SC65.9Cayce, SC: 65.8 %Cayce, SC65.8Columbia, SC: 65.2 %Columbia, SC65.2West Columbia, SC: 64.6 %West Columbia, SC64.6Beaufort, SC: 64.5 %Beaufort, SC64.5North Augusta, SC: 64.4 %North Augusta, SC64.4Forest Acres, SC: 64.2 %Forest Acres, SC64.2York, SC: 64.2 %York, SC64.2Lexington, SC: 63.9 %Lexington, SC63.9Moncks Corner, SC: 63.8 %Moncks Corner, SC63.8Bluffton, SC: 63.8 %Bluffton, SC63.8Tega Cay, SC: 62.9 %Tega Cay, SC62.9Sumter, SC: 60.9 %Sumter, SC60.9Florence, SC: 60.4 %Florence, SC60.4Easley, SC: 60.4 %Easley, SC60.4Anderson, SC: 60.1 %Anderson, SC60.1Myrtle Beach, SC: 60 %Myrtle Beach, SC60Spartanburg, SC: 59.2 %Spartanburg, SC59.2Newberry, SC: 58.6 %Newberry, SC58.6Clemson, SC: 58 %Clemson, SC58Greenwood, SC: 57 %Greenwood, SC57Aiken, SC: 55.5 %Aiken, SC55.5Gaffney, SC: 54.4 %Gaffney, SC54.4Orangeburg, SC: 52.9 %Orangeburg, SC52.9North Myrtle Beach, SC: 51 %North Myrtle Beach, SC51Conway, SC: 50.4 %Conway, SC50.4Hilton Head Island, SC: 48.3 %Hilton Head Island, SC48.3Hardeeville, SC: 45.4 %Hardeeville, SC45.4James Island, SC: 74 %James Island, SC74Goose Creek, SC: 72.3 %Goose Creek, SC72.3Port Royal, SC: 71.9 %Port Royal, SC71.9Irmo, SC: 70.8 %Irmo, SC70.8Simpsonville, SC: 70.8 %Simpsonville, SC70.8Mauldin, SC: 70 %Mauldin, SC70Fort Mill, SC: 69.7 %Fort Mill, SC69.7Hanahan, SC: 69.6 %Hanahan, SC69.6Greer, SC: 69.1 %Greer, SC69.1Fountain Inn, SC: 68.7 %Fountain Inn, SC68.7Greenville, SC: 68.6 %Greenville, SC68.6North Charleston, SC: 68.2 %North Charleston, SC68.2Charleston, SC: 67.7 %Charleston, SC67.7Rock Hill, SC: 67.1 %Rock Hill, SC67.1Mount Pleasant, SC: 66.9 %Mount Pleasant, SC66.9Summerville, SC: 65.9 %Summerville, SC65.9Cayce, SC: 65.8 %Cayce, SC65.8Columbia, SC: 65.2 %Columbia, SC65.2West Columbia, SC: 64.6 %West Columbia, SC64.6Beaufort, SC: 64.5 %Beaufort, SC64.5North Augusta, SC: 64.4 %North Augusta, SC64.4Forest Acres, SC: 64.2 %Forest Acres, SC64.2York, SC: 64.2 %York, SC64.2Lexington, SC: 63.9 %Lexington, SC63.9Moncks Corner, SC: 63.8 %Moncks Corner, SC63.8Bluffton, SC: 63.8 %Bluffton, SC63.8Tega Cay, SC: 62.9 %Tega Cay, SC62.9Sumter, SC: 60.9 %Sumter, SC60.9Florence, SC: 60.4 %Florence, SC60.4Easley, SC: 60.4 %Easley, SC60.4Anderson, SC: 60.1 %Anderson, SC60.1Myrtle Beach, SC: 60 %Myrtle Beach, SC60Spartanburg, SC: 59.2 %Spartanburg, SC59.2Newberry, SC: 58.6 %Newberry, SC58.6Clemson, SC: 58 %Clemson, SC58Greenwood, SC: 57 %Greenwood, SC57Aiken, SC: 55.5 %Aiken, SC55.5Gaffney, SC: 54.4 %Gaffney, SC54.4Orangeburg, SC: 52.9 %Orangeburg, SC52.9North Myrtle Beach, SC: 51 %North Myrtle Beach, SC51Conway, SC: 50.4 %Conway, SC50.4Hilton Head Island, SC: 48.3 %Hilton Head Island, SC48.3Hardeeville, SC: 45.4 %Hardeeville, SC45.4
%. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCities2021 (%)
1James Island, SC74
2Goose Creek, SC72.3
3Port Royal, SC71.9
4Irmo, SC70.8
5Simpsonville, SC70.8
6Mauldin, SC70
7Fort Mill, SC69.7
8Hanahan, SC69.6
9Greer, SC69.1
10Fountain Inn, SC68.7
11Greenville, SC68.6
12North Charleston, SC68.2
13Charleston, SC67.7
14Rock Hill, SC67.1
15Mount Pleasant, SC66.9
16Summerville, SC65.9
17Cayce, SC65.8
18Columbia, SC65.2
19West Columbia, SC64.6
20Beaufort, SC64.5
21North Augusta, SC64.4
22Forest Acres, SC64.2
22York, SC64.2
24Lexington, SC63.9
25Moncks Corner, SC63.8
26Bluffton, SC63.8
27Tega Cay, SC62.9
28Sumter, SC60.9
29Florence, SC60.4
30Easley, SC60.4
31Anderson, SC60.1
32Myrtle Beach, SC60
33Spartanburg, SC59.2
34Newberry, SC58.6
35Clemson, SC58
36Greenwood, SC57
37Aiken, SC55.5
38Gaffney, SC54.4
39Orangeburg, SC52.9
40North Myrtle Beach, SC51
41Conway, SC50.4
42Hilton Head Island, SC48.3
43Hardeeville, SC45.4

Other periods

About this ranking

People aged 16 and over in the labor force (employed, unemployed or in the Armed Forces) as a percentage of all people aged 16 and over, including people in group quarters. United States: American Community Survey five-year estimate, where the period shown is the last year of the five-year span.

The Census Bureau definition used in its data profiles. It differs from the BLS labor_force_participation_rate, which counts the civilian noninstitutional population only.

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

How to cite

U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B23025: population 16 years and over in the labor force as a percentage of the population 16 years and over, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more). https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b23025.dat. 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. (2026). American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B23025: population 16 years and over in the labor force as a percentage of the population 16 years and over, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more) (Cities in South Carolina by labor force participation rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2021) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b23025.dat

MLA 9

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B23025: population 16 years and over in the labor force as a percentage of the population 16 years and over, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more), Cities in South Carolina by labor force participation rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2021. U.S. Census Bureau, 29 Jan. 2026, https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b23025.dat. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/labor-force-participation-rate-acs/south-carolina-cities?period=2021. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

U.S. Census Bureau. 2026. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B23025: population 16 years and over in the labor force as a percentage of the population 16 years and over, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more). Cities in South Carolina by labor force participation rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2021. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b23025.dat. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/labor-force-participation-rate-acs/south-carolina-cities?period=2021.

Harvard

U.S. Census Bureau (2026) American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B23025: population 16 years and over in the labor force as a percentage of the population 16 years and over, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more), Cities in South Carolina by labor force participation rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2021 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b23025.dat, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/labor-force-participation-rate-acs/south-carolina-cities?period=2021 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_cities_in_south_carolina_2021,
  author = {{U.S. Census Bureau}},
  title = {{American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B23025: population 16 years and over in the labor force as a percentage of the population 16 years and over, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more): Cities in South Carolina by labor force participation rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2021}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b23025.dat},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/labor-force-participation-rate-acs/south-carolina-cities?period=2021. Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B23025: population 16 years and over in the labor force as a percentage of the population 16 years and over, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more). https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary\_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b23025.dat. Retrieved 2026-10-12.},
}
RIS
TY  - DATA
AU  - U.S. Census Bureau
TI  - American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B23025: population 16 years and over in the labor force as a percentage of the population 16 years and over, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more): Cities in South Carolina by labor force participation rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2021
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/01/29
PB  - U.S. Census Bureau
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b23025.dat
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/labor-force-participation-rate-acs/south-carolina-cities?period=2021
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/labor-force-participation-rate-acs/south-carolina-cities?period=2021.
N1  - Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B23025: population 16 years and over in the labor force as a percentage of the population 16 years and over, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more). https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b23025.dat. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  -
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Questions

Which city has the highest labor force participation rate (US five-year survey estimate)?

James Island, SC, with 74% in 2021, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which city has the lowest labor force participation rate (US five-year survey estimate)?

Hardeeville, SC, with 45.4% in 2021.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B23025: population 16 years and over in the labor force as a percentage of the population 16 years and over, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more). Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Labor force participation rate (US five-year survey estimate): other rankings

Cities in South Carolina: more rankings