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 2020, at 31.6%. York County had the lowest, at 8.8%. The median was 16.6% and the figure for South Carolina was 13.8%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest31.6Allendale County
Lowest8.8York County
Median16.646 counties
South Carolina13.8History

All counties, 2020

CSVChart (SVG)

Allendale CountyAllendale County: 31.6 %31.6Marlboro CountyMarlboro County: 26 %26Williamsburg CountyWilliamsburg County: 25.4 %25.4Lee CountyLee County: 23 %23Dillon CountyDillon County: 22.2 %22.2Marion CountyMarion County: 21.8 %21.8Barnwell CountyBarnwell County: 21.6 %21.6Bamberg CountyBamberg County: 21 %21Sumter CountySumter County: 20.5 %20.5Colleton CountyColleton County: 20.1 %20.1Chesterfield CountyChesterfield County: 19.7 %19.7Hampton CountyHampton County: 19.6 %19.6Orangeburg CountyOrangeburg County: 19.1 %19.1Darlington CountyDarlington County: 18.9 %18.9Clarendon CountyClarendon County: 18.4 %18.4Jasper CountyJasper County: 18.4 %18.4Laurens CountyLaurens County: 18.4 %18.4Chester CountyChester County: 18.3 %18.3Fairfield CountyFairfield County: 17.6 %17.6Saluda CountySaluda County: 17.4 %17.4Florence CountyFlorence County: 17.1 %17.1McCormick CountyMcCormick County: 17 %17Edgefield CountyEdgefield County: 16.8 %16.8Greenwood CountyGreenwood County: 16.4 %16.4Newberry CountyNewberry County: 16.4 %16.4Richland CountyRichland County: 16 %16Calhoun CountyCalhoun County: 15.5 %15.5Abbeville CountyAbbeville County: 15.3 %15.3Pickens CountyPickens County: 15.3 %15.3Georgetown CountyGeorgetown County: 15.1 %15.1Union CountyUnion County: 14.9 %14.9Cherokee CountyCherokee County: 14.6 %14.6Kershaw CountyKershaw County: 14.4 %14.4Spartanburg CountySpartanburg County: 14.2 %14.2Anderson CountyAnderson County: 14 %14Aiken CountyAiken County: 13 %13Horry CountyHorry County: 12.8 %12.8Dorchester CountyDorchester County: 12.1 %12.1Greenville CountyGreenville County: 12.1 %12.1Charleston CountyCharleston County: 11.9 %11.9Lancaster CountyLancaster County: 11.4 %11.4Berkeley CountyBerkeley County: 11.1 %11.1Oconee CountyOconee County: 11.1 %11.1Lexington CountyLexington County: 10.4 %10.4Beaufort CountyBeaufort County: 9.6 %9.6York CountyYork County: 8.8 %8.8
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2020 (%)Change on 2019
1Allendale County31.6+1.4 pts
2Marlboro County26-2.9 pts
3Williamsburg County25.4-2.4 pts
4Lee County23-2.4 pts
5Dillon County22.2-4.6 pts
6Marion County21.8-3.1 pts
7Barnwell County21.6-3.3 pts
8Bamberg County21-3.2 pts
9Sumter County20.5+2.7 pts
10Colleton County20.1-0.9 pts
11Chesterfield County19.7-0.2 pts
12Hampton County19.6-3.6 pts
13Orangeburg County19.1-7.2 pts
14Darlington County18.9-0.7 pts
15Clarendon County18.4-6.7 pts
15Jasper County18.4+1.2 pts
15Laurens County18.4-0.7 pts
18Chester County18.3+0.6 pts
19Fairfield County17.6-1.5 pts
20Saluda County17.4+1.3 pts
21Florence County17.1+0.1 pts
22McCormick County17-1.1 pts
23Edgefield County16.8+1.1 pts
24Greenwood County16.4-1.6 pts
24Newberry County16.4+2.4 pts
26Richland County16-0.2 pts
27Calhoun County15.5-2.7 pts
28Abbeville County15.3+0.5 pts
28Pickens County15.30 pts
30Georgetown County15.1-2.4 pts
31Union County14.9-5 pts
32Cherokee County14.6-1.4 pts
33Kershaw County14.4+0.6 pts
34Spartanburg County14.2+1.3 pts
35Anderson County14+1.1 pts
36Aiken County13+0.5 pts
37Horry County12.8+0.1 pts
38Dorchester County12.1+2.8 pts
38Greenville County12.1+1.4 pts
40Charleston County11.9+0.2 pts
41Lancaster County11.4-0.4 pts
42Berkeley County11.1+0.4 pts
42Oconee County11.1-2 pts
44Lexington County10.4-1.5 pts
45Beaufort County9.6-0.6 pts
46York County8.8+0.2 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/2020/2020-state-and-county/est20all.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 2020, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

York County, with 8.8% in 2020.

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