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 2017, at 36.7%. Dorchester County had the lowest, at 10%. The median was 18.6% and the figure for South Carolina was 15.4%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest36.7Allendale County
Lowest10Dorchester County
Median18.646 counties
South Carolina15.4History

All counties, 2017

CSVChart (SVG)

Allendale CountyAllendale County: 36.7 %36.7Dillon CountyDillon County: 29.8 %29.8Marlboro CountyMarlboro County: 28 %28Barnwell CountyBarnwell County: 27.7 %27.7Marion CountyMarion County: 27.5 %27.5Williamsburg CountyWilliamsburg County: 26.8 %26.8Bamberg CountyBamberg County: 26.5 %26.5Lee CountyLee County: 25.8 %25.8Hampton CountyHampton County: 25.1 %25.1Orangeburg CountyOrangeburg County: 24.4 %24.4Clarendon CountyClarendon County: 23.2 %23.2Colleton CountyColleton County: 22.4 %22.4Chesterfield CountyChesterfield County: 22.1 %22.1Darlington CountyDarlington County: 21.9 %21.9Laurens CountyLaurens County: 21.9 %21.9Abbeville CountyAbbeville County: 20.3 %20.3Cherokee CountyCherokee County: 20.2 %20.2Jasper CountyJasper County: 19.9 %19.9Chester CountyChester County: 19.3 %19.3Fairfield CountyFairfield County: 19.3 %19.3Sumter CountySumter County: 19.1 %19.1Newberry CountyNewberry County: 19 %19Florence CountyFlorence County: 18.6 %18.6McCormick CountyMcCormick County: 18.5 %18.5Greenwood CountyGreenwood County: 18.3 %18.3Calhoun CountyCalhoun County: 18.2 %18.2Saluda CountySaluda County: 18 %18Union CountyUnion County: 18 %18Edgefield CountyEdgefield County: 17.3 %17.3Georgetown CountyGeorgetown County: 17.1 %17.1Richland CountyRichland County: 16.9 %16.9Horry CountyHorry County: 16.1 %16.1Oconee CountyOconee County: 16 %16Pickens CountyPickens County: 15.3 %15.3Aiken CountyAiken County: 14.8 %14.8Anderson CountyAnderson County: 14.4 %14.4Kershaw CountyKershaw County: 14.4 %14.4Spartanburg CountySpartanburg County: 13.7 %13.7Lancaster CountyLancaster County: 13.6 %13.6Charleston CountyCharleston County: 13.3 %13.3Greenville CountyGreenville County: 12.4 %12.4Berkeley CountyBerkeley County: 11.7 %11.7Lexington CountyLexington County: 11.7 %11.7York CountyYork County: 11.2 %11.2Beaufort CountyBeaufort County: 10.7 %10.7Dorchester CountyDorchester County: 10 %10
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2017 (%)Change on 2016
1Allendale County36.7-1.5 pts
2Dillon County29.8+4.2 pts
3Marlboro County28-0.1 pts
4Barnwell County27.7+5.1 pts
5Marion County27.5+2.3 pts
6Williamsburg County26.8-3 pts
7Bamberg County26.5-1.9 pts
8Lee County25.8-1.9 pts
9Hampton County25.1+2.8 pts
10Orangeburg County24.4+1.7 pts
11Clarendon County23.2-1.7 pts
12Colleton County22.4-1 pts
13Chesterfield County22.1+1.6 pts
14Darlington County21.9+0.8 pts
14Laurens County21.9+3.7 pts
16Abbeville County20.3+5 pts
17Cherokee County20.2+1.6 pts
18Jasper County19.9-0.8 pts
19Chester County19.3-0.5 pts
19Fairfield County19.3-1.9 pts
21Sumter County19.1-1.3 pts
22Newberry County19+0.1 pts
23Florence County18.6+0.3 pts
24McCormick County18.5+0.4 pts
25Greenwood County18.3-3.4 pts
26Calhoun County18.2+2 pts
27Saluda County18+1.3 pts
27Union County18-3.2 pts
29Edgefield County17.3-0.4 pts
30Georgetown County17.1+1.9 pts
31Richland County16.9+0.5 pts
32Horry County16.1+1.1 pts
33Oconee County16+1.4 pts
34Pickens County15.3+0.4 pts
35Aiken County14.8-2.2 pts
36Anderson County14.4-1 pts
36Kershaw County14.4-1.2 pts
38Spartanburg County13.7-1.9 pts
39Lancaster County13.6+0.6 pts
40Charleston County13.3-1.7 pts
41Greenville County12.4+1.5 pts
42Berkeley County11.7-0.6 pts
42Lexington County11.70 pts
44York County11.2+0.5 pts
45Beaufort County10.7+0.4 pts
46Dorchester County10+0.5 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/2017/2017-state-and-county/est17all.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 36.7% in 2017, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

Dorchester County, with 10% 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, 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