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 2016, at 38.2%. Dorchester County had the lowest, at 9.5%. The median was 18.3% and the figure for South Carolina was 15.3%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest38.2Allendale County
Lowest9.5Dorchester County
Median18.346 counties
South Carolina15.3History

All counties, 2016

CSVChart (SVG)

Allendale CountyAllendale County: 38.2 %38.2Williamsburg CountyWilliamsburg County: 29.8 %29.8Bamberg CountyBamberg County: 28.4 %28.4Marlboro CountyMarlboro County: 28.1 %28.1Lee CountyLee County: 27.7 %27.7Dillon CountyDillon County: 25.6 %25.6Marion CountyMarion County: 25.2 %25.2Clarendon CountyClarendon County: 24.9 %24.9Colleton CountyColleton County: 23.4 %23.4Orangeburg CountyOrangeburg County: 22.7 %22.7Barnwell CountyBarnwell County: 22.6 %22.6Hampton CountyHampton County: 22.3 %22.3Greenwood CountyGreenwood County: 21.7 %21.7Fairfield CountyFairfield County: 21.2 %21.2Union CountyUnion County: 21.2 %21.2Darlington CountyDarlington County: 21.1 %21.1Jasper CountyJasper County: 20.7 %20.7Chesterfield CountyChesterfield County: 20.5 %20.5Sumter CountySumter County: 20.4 %20.4Chester CountyChester County: 19.8 %19.8Newberry CountyNewberry County: 18.9 %18.9Cherokee CountyCherokee County: 18.6 %18.6Florence CountyFlorence County: 18.3 %18.3Laurens CountyLaurens County: 18.2 %18.2McCormick CountyMcCormick County: 18.1 %18.1Edgefield CountyEdgefield County: 17.7 %17.7Aiken CountyAiken County: 17 %17Saluda CountySaluda County: 16.7 %16.7Richland CountyRichland County: 16.4 %16.4Calhoun CountyCalhoun County: 16.2 %16.2Kershaw CountyKershaw County: 15.6 %15.6Spartanburg CountySpartanburg County: 15.6 %15.6Anderson CountyAnderson County: 15.4 %15.4Abbeville CountyAbbeville County: 15.3 %15.3Georgetown CountyGeorgetown County: 15.2 %15.2Charleston CountyCharleston County: 15 %15Horry CountyHorry County: 15 %15Pickens CountyPickens County: 14.9 %14.9Oconee CountyOconee County: 14.6 %14.6Lancaster CountyLancaster County: 13 %13Berkeley CountyBerkeley County: 12.3 %12.3Lexington CountyLexington County: 11.7 %11.7Greenville CountyGreenville County: 10.9 %10.9York CountyYork County: 10.7 %10.7Beaufort CountyBeaufort County: 10.3 %10.3Dorchester CountyDorchester County: 9.5 %9.5
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2016 (%)Change on 2015
1Allendale County38.2-2.8 pts
2Williamsburg County29.8-3.8 pts
3Bamberg County28.4-4.3 pts
4Marlboro County28.1-0.1 pts
5Lee County27.7-0.6 pts
6Dillon County25.6-5.6 pts
7Marion County25.2+0.8 pts
8Clarendon County24.9-0.5 pts
9Colleton County23.4+0.3 pts
10Orangeburg County22.7-1.3 pts
11Barnwell County22.6-4.7 pts
12Hampton County22.3-1.3 pts
13Greenwood County21.7+2.6 pts
14Fairfield County21.2-1.8 pts
14Union County21.2-2 pts
16Darlington County21.1-0.4 pts
17Jasper County20.7-2.5 pts
18Chesterfield County20.5-3 pts
19Sumter County20.4+0.8 pts
20Chester County19.8-5.9 pts
21Newberry County18.9-0.2 pts
22Cherokee County18.6-1.7 pts
23Florence County18.3-2 pts
24Laurens County18.2-0.7 pts
25McCormick County18.1-1.1 pts
26Edgefield County17.7-1.2 pts
27Aiken County17-1.1 pts
28Saluda County16.7-1.6 pts
29Richland County16.4+0.6 pts
30Calhoun County16.2-5.1 pts
31Kershaw County15.6+0.1 pts
31Spartanburg County15.6+0.6 pts
33Anderson County15.4-1.8 pts
34Abbeville County15.3-3.8 pts
35Georgetown County15.2-4.1 pts
36Charleston County15+0.1 pts
36Horry County15-1.7 pts
38Pickens County14.9-3.2 pts
39Oconee County14.6-3.4 pts
40Lancaster County13-1.4 pts
41Berkeley County12.3-0.7 pts
42Lexington County11.7-1.5 pts
43Greenville County10.9-2.9 pts
44York County10.7-1.8 pts
45Beaufort County10.3-2.6 pts
46Dorchester County9.5-4.1 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/2016/2016-state-and-county/est16all.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 38.2% in 2016, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

Dorchester County, with 9.5% in 2016.

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