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

Counties in South Carolina by poverty rate

Allendale County had the highest poverty rate of 46 counties in 2015, at 41%. York County had the lowest, at 12.5%. The median was 19.3% and the figure for South Carolina was 16.8%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest41Allendale County
Lowest12.5York County
Median19.346 counties
South Carolina16.8History

All counties, 2015

CSVChart (SVG)

Allendale CountyAllendale County: 41 %41Williamsburg CountyWilliamsburg County: 33.6 %33.6Bamberg CountyBamberg County: 32.7 %32.7Dillon CountyDillon County: 31.2 %31.2Lee CountyLee County: 28.3 %28.3Marlboro CountyMarlboro County: 28.2 %28.2Barnwell CountyBarnwell County: 27.3 %27.3Chester CountyChester County: 25.7 %25.7Clarendon CountyClarendon County: 25.4 %25.4Marion CountyMarion County: 24.4 %24.4Orangeburg CountyOrangeburg County: 24 %24Hampton CountyHampton County: 23.6 %23.6Chesterfield CountyChesterfield County: 23.5 %23.5Jasper CountyJasper County: 23.2 %23.2Union CountyUnion County: 23.2 %23.2Colleton CountyColleton County: 23.1 %23.1Fairfield CountyFairfield County: 23 %23Darlington CountyDarlington County: 21.5 %21.5Calhoun CountyCalhoun County: 21.3 %21.3Cherokee CountyCherokee County: 20.3 %20.3Florence CountyFlorence County: 20.3 %20.3Sumter CountySumter County: 19.6 %19.6Georgetown CountyGeorgetown County: 19.3 %19.3McCormick CountyMcCormick County: 19.2 %19.2Abbeville CountyAbbeville County: 19.1 %19.1Greenwood CountyGreenwood County: 19.1 %19.1Newberry CountyNewberry County: 19.1 %19.1Edgefield CountyEdgefield County: 18.9 %18.9Laurens CountyLaurens County: 18.9 %18.9Saluda CountySaluda County: 18.3 %18.3Aiken CountyAiken County: 18.1 %18.1Pickens CountyPickens County: 18.1 %18.1Oconee CountyOconee County: 18 %18Anderson CountyAnderson County: 17.2 %17.2Horry CountyHorry County: 16.7 %16.7Richland CountyRichland County: 15.8 %15.8Kershaw CountyKershaw County: 15.5 %15.5Spartanburg CountySpartanburg County: 15 %15Charleston CountyCharleston County: 14.9 %14.9Lancaster CountyLancaster County: 14.4 %14.4Greenville CountyGreenville County: 13.8 %13.8Dorchester CountyDorchester County: 13.6 %13.6Lexington CountyLexington County: 13.2 %13.2Berkeley CountyBerkeley County: 13 %13Beaufort CountyBeaufort County: 12.9 %12.9York CountyYork County: 12.5 %12.5
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2015 (%)
1Allendale County41
2Williamsburg County33.6
3Bamberg County32.7
4Dillon County31.2
5Lee County28.3
6Marlboro County28.2
7Barnwell County27.3
8Chester County25.7
9Clarendon County25.4
10Marion County24.4
11Orangeburg County24
12Hampton County23.6
13Chesterfield County23.5
14Jasper County23.2
14Union County23.2
16Colleton County23.1
17Fairfield County23
18Darlington County21.5
19Calhoun County21.3
20Cherokee County20.3
20Florence County20.3
22Sumter County19.6
23Georgetown County19.3
24McCormick County19.2
25Abbeville County19.1
25Greenwood County19.1
25Newberry County19.1
28Edgefield County18.9
28Laurens County18.9
30Saluda County18.3
31Aiken County18.1
31Pickens County18.1
33Oconee County18
34Anderson County17.2
35Horry County16.7
36Richland County15.8
37Kershaw County15.5
38Spartanburg County15
39Charleston County14.9
40Lancaster County14.4
41Greenville County13.8
42Dorchester County13.6
43Lexington County13.2
44Berkeley County13
45Beaufort County12.9
46York County12.5

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/2015/2015-state-and-county/est15all.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

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Questions

Which county has the highest poverty rate?

Allendale County, with 41% in 2015, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

York County, with 12.5% 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, 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