Data / Rankings / Poverty rate (US official measure) / Counties in South Carolina

Counties in South Carolina by poverty rate, 2024

Allendale County had the highest poverty rate of 46 counties in 2024, at 31.6%. Beaufort County had the lowest, at 8.4%. The median was 16.5% and the figure for South Carolina was 13.3%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest31.6Allendale County
Lowest8.4Beaufort County
Median16.546 counties
South Carolina13.3History

All counties, 2024

CSVChart (SVG)

Allendale CountyAllendale County: 31.6 %31.6Marion CountyMarion County: 30.8 %30.8Marlboro CountyMarlboro County: 30.2 %30.2Williamsburg CountyWilliamsburg County: 25.5 %25.5Darlington CountyDarlington County: 24.6 %24.6Bamberg CountyBamberg County: 24.2 %24.2Dillon CountyDillon County: 23.8 %23.8Lee CountyLee County: 22.8 %22.8Colleton CountyColleton County: 21 %21Orangeburg CountyOrangeburg County: 21 %21Hampton CountyHampton County: 20.5 %20.5Barnwell CountyBarnwell County: 20.3 %20.3Union CountyUnion County: 18.7 %18.7Chesterfield CountyChesterfield County: 18.5 %18.5Florence CountyFlorence County: 17.5 %17.5Clarendon CountyClarendon County: 17.4 %17.4Georgetown CountyGeorgetown County: 17.4 %17.4Newberry CountyNewberry County: 17.3 %17.3Fairfield CountyFairfield County: 16.9 %16.9Laurens CountyLaurens County: 16.9 %16.9Edgefield CountyEdgefield County: 16.8 %16.8Abbeville CountyAbbeville County: 16.7 %16.7Sumter CountySumter County: 16.7 %16.7Cherokee CountyCherokee County: 16.4 %16.4Chester CountyChester County: 16.4 %16.4Greenwood CountyGreenwood County: 16.3 %16.3Oconee CountyOconee County: 16.1 %16.1Richland CountyRichland County: 15.8 %15.8Pickens CountyPickens County: 15.6 %15.6Saluda CountySaluda County: 15.1 %15.1Calhoun CountyCalhoun County: 14.8 %14.8Jasper CountyJasper County: 14.5 %14.5Horry CountyHorry County: 14 %14Aiken CountyAiken County: 13.7 %13.7McCormick CountyMcCormick County: 13.4 %13.4Anderson CountyAnderson County: 13.1 %13.1Spartanburg CountySpartanburg County: 12.5 %12.5Kershaw CountyKershaw County: 12.2 %12.2Lexington CountyLexington County: 11.3 %11.3Charleston CountyCharleston County: 10.3 %10.3Lancaster CountyLancaster County: 10.2 %10.2Greenville CountyGreenville County: 9.9 %9.9Dorchester CountyDorchester County: 9.1 %9.1Berkeley CountyBerkeley County: 8.9 %8.9York CountyYork County: 8.8 %8.8Beaufort CountyBeaufort County: 8.4 %8.4
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2024 (%)Change on 2023
1Allendale County31.6-1 pts
2Marion County30.8+5.4 pts
3Marlboro County30.2+3 pts
4Williamsburg County25.5+0.7 pts
5Darlington County24.6+2.3 pts
6Bamberg County24.2-3.5 pts
7Dillon County23.8-0.6 pts
8Lee County22.8-1.7 pts
9Colleton County21-2 pts
9Orangeburg County21-0.7 pts
11Hampton County20.5-3.7 pts
12Barnwell County20.3-6.9 pts
13Union County18.7-4.7 pts
14Chesterfield County18.5-1.8 pts
15Florence County17.5-1.3 pts
16Clarendon County17.4-2.6 pts
16Georgetown County17.4+3.6 pts
18Newberry County17.3-0.2 pts
19Fairfield County16.9-3.8 pts
19Laurens County16.9+0.2 pts
21Edgefield County16.80 pts
22Abbeville County16.7+1.4 pts
22Sumter County16.7-0.8 pts
24Cherokee County16.4-0.4 pts
24Chester County16.4-3.7 pts
26Greenwood County16.3-0.6 pts
27Oconee County16.1+1.5 pts
28Richland County15.8-0.1 pts
29Pickens County15.6-1.2 pts
30Saluda County15.1-1 pts
31Calhoun County14.8+0.2 pts
32Jasper County14.5-1.7 pts
33Horry County14+1.1 pts
34Aiken County13.7-0.4 pts
35McCormick County13.4-4.2 pts
36Anderson County13.1-0.4 pts
37Spartanburg County12.5-1.5 pts
38Kershaw County12.2-0.4 pts
39Lexington County11.3+0.1 pts
40Charleston County10.3-0.7 pts
41Lancaster County10.2-0.6 pts
42Greenville County9.9-1.4 pts
43Dorchester County9.1-1.1 pts
44Berkeley County8.9-0.9 pts
45York County8.8-0.8 pts
46Beaufort County8.4-1.1 pts

Other periods

About this ranking

People living in families or alone with income below the official US poverty thresholds, as a percentage of people whose poverty status can be determined. United States: Census Bureau Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE), all ages.

Absolute thresholds set by the US government, so not comparable with the EU at_risk_of_poverty_rate.

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. Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE): percent of people of all ages in poverty, states and counties. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2024/2024-state-and-county/est24all.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

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Rank Counties in South Carolina by poverty rate using official data, and cite the source.
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Questions

Which county has the highest poverty rate?

Allendale County, with 31.6% in 2024, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

Beaufort County, with 8.4% in 2024.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE): percent of people of all ages in poverty, states and counties. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Poverty rate (US official measure): other rankings

Counties in South Carolina: more rankings