Counties in South Carolina by poverty rate

Allendale County had the highest poverty rate of 46 counties in 2022, at 36.7%. York County had the lowest, at 8.3%. The median was 17.1% and the figure for South Carolina was 14%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest36.7Allendale County
Lowest8.3York County
Median17.146 counties
South Carolina14History

All counties, 2022

CSVChart (SVG)

Allendale CountyAllendale County: 36.7 %36.7Marion CountyMarion County: 31.6 %31.6Dillon CountyDillon County: 30.3 %30.3Marlboro CountyMarlboro County: 28.7 %28.7Bamberg CountyBamberg County: 28.4 %28.4Lee CountyLee County: 27.9 %27.9Williamsburg CountyWilliamsburg County: 26.3 %26.3Orangeburg CountyOrangeburg County: 24.6 %24.6Hampton CountyHampton County: 21.9 %21.9Barnwell CountyBarnwell County: 21.2 %21.2Darlington CountyDarlington County: 20.9 %20.9Florence CountyFlorence County: 20.4 %20.4Clarendon CountyClarendon County: 20.3 %20.3Colleton CountyColleton County: 20.3 %20.3Chesterfield CountyChesterfield County: 19.6 %19.6Greenwood CountyGreenwood County: 18.4 %18.4Union CountyUnion County: 18.4 %18.4Fairfield CountyFairfield County: 18.1 %18.1Laurens CountyLaurens County: 18 %18Chester CountyChester County: 17.9 %17.9Newberry CountyNewberry County: 17.4 %17.4Cherokee CountyCherokee County: 17.3 %17.3Jasper CountyJasper County: 17.2 %17.2Abbeville CountyAbbeville County: 17 %17Aiken CountyAiken County: 17 %17McCormick CountyMcCormick County: 17 %17Oconee CountyOconee County: 16.7 %16.7Edgefield CountyEdgefield County: 16.4 %16.4Richland CountyRichland County: 16.2 %16.2Pickens CountyPickens County: 16 %16Saluda CountySaluda County: 15.8 %15.8Anderson CountyAnderson County: 15.3 %15.3Calhoun CountyCalhoun County: 15.2 %15.2Georgetown CountyGeorgetown County: 15.2 %15.2Spartanburg CountySpartanburg County: 14.6 %14.6Sumter CountySumter County: 14.4 %14.4Horry CountyHorry County: 12.5 %12.5Kershaw CountyKershaw County: 12.3 %12.3Charleston CountyCharleston County: 11.6 %11.6Lexington CountyLexington County: 11 %11Dorchester CountyDorchester County: 10.7 %10.7Lancaster CountyLancaster County: 10.6 %10.6Greenville CountyGreenville County: 10.1 %10.1Beaufort CountyBeaufort County: 10 %10Berkeley CountyBerkeley County: 9 %9York CountyYork County: 8.3 %8.3
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2022 (%)Change on 2021
1Allendale County36.7+1.3 pts
2Marion County31.6+2.4 pts
3Dillon County30.3+4.2 pts
4Marlboro County28.7+4.6 pts
5Bamberg County28.4+2.5 pts
6Lee County27.9+2 pts
7Williamsburg County26.3+5.1 pts
8Orangeburg County24.6-1.9 pts
9Hampton County21.9-1.6 pts
10Barnwell County21.2-1.8 pts
11Darlington County20.90 pts
12Florence County20.4+1.6 pts
13Clarendon County20.3-0.5 pts
13Colleton County20.3-0.6 pts
15Chesterfield County19.6-0.6 pts
16Greenwood County18.4+2.5 pts
16Union County18.4-1.7 pts
18Fairfield County18.1-2.5 pts
19Laurens County18-0.5 pts
20Chester County17.9+0.6 pts
21Newberry County17.4+2.5 pts
22Cherokee County17.3-1.5 pts
23Jasper County17.2+1.1 pts
24Abbeville County17+2.2 pts
24Aiken County17+1.5 pts
24McCormick County17-2.5 pts
27Oconee County16.7+0.3 pts
28Edgefield County16.4-0.4 pts
29Richland County16.2-0.8 pts
30Pickens County16-1.8 pts
31Saluda County15.8-0.7 pts
32Anderson County15.3-0.6 pts
33Calhoun County15.2-3.5 pts
33Georgetown County15.2+0.5 pts
35Spartanburg County14.6+0.9 pts
36Sumter County14.4-5.6 pts
37Horry County12.5-0.1 pts
38Kershaw County12.3-1.7 pts
39Charleston County11.6-2.2 pts
40Lexington County11-0.1 pts
41Dorchester County10.7+0.8 pts
42Lancaster County10.6-1.2 pts
43Greenville County10.1-0.8 pts
44Beaufort County10-1.3 pts
45Berkeley County9-1.2 pts
46York County8.3-1.4 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/2022/2022-state-and-county/est22all.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 2022, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

York County, with 8.3% in 2022.

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