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 2023, at 32.6%. Beaufort County had the lowest, at 9.5%. The median was 16.8% and the figure for South Carolina was 13.9%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest32.6Allendale County
Lowest9.5Beaufort County
Median16.846 counties
South Carolina13.9History

All counties, 2023

CSVChart (SVG)

Allendale CountyAllendale County: 32.6 %32.6Bamberg CountyBamberg County: 27.7 %27.7Barnwell CountyBarnwell County: 27.2 %27.2Marlboro CountyMarlboro County: 27.2 %27.2Marion CountyMarion County: 25.4 %25.4Williamsburg CountyWilliamsburg County: 24.8 %24.8Lee CountyLee County: 24.5 %24.5Dillon CountyDillon County: 24.4 %24.4Hampton CountyHampton County: 24.2 %24.2Union CountyUnion County: 23.4 %23.4Colleton CountyColleton County: 23 %23Darlington CountyDarlington County: 22.3 %22.3Orangeburg CountyOrangeburg County: 21.7 %21.7Fairfield CountyFairfield County: 20.7 %20.7Chesterfield CountyChesterfield County: 20.3 %20.3Chester CountyChester County: 20.1 %20.1Clarendon CountyClarendon County: 20 %20Florence CountyFlorence County: 18.8 %18.8McCormick CountyMcCormick County: 17.6 %17.6Newberry CountyNewberry County: 17.5 %17.5Sumter CountySumter County: 17.5 %17.5Greenwood CountyGreenwood County: 16.9 %16.9Cherokee CountyCherokee County: 16.8 %16.8Edgefield CountyEdgefield County: 16.8 %16.8Pickens CountyPickens County: 16.8 %16.8Laurens CountyLaurens County: 16.7 %16.7Jasper CountyJasper County: 16.2 %16.2Saluda CountySaluda County: 16.1 %16.1Richland CountyRichland County: 15.9 %15.9Abbeville CountyAbbeville County: 15.3 %15.3Calhoun CountyCalhoun County: 14.6 %14.6Oconee CountyOconee County: 14.6 %14.6Aiken CountyAiken County: 14.1 %14.1Spartanburg CountySpartanburg County: 14 %14Georgetown CountyGeorgetown County: 13.8 %13.8Anderson CountyAnderson County: 13.5 %13.5Horry CountyHorry County: 12.9 %12.9Kershaw CountyKershaw County: 12.6 %12.6Greenville CountyGreenville County: 11.3 %11.3Lexington CountyLexington County: 11.2 %11.2Charleston CountyCharleston County: 11 %11Lancaster CountyLancaster County: 10.8 %10.8Dorchester CountyDorchester County: 10.2 %10.2Berkeley CountyBerkeley County: 9.8 %9.8York CountyYork County: 9.6 %9.6Beaufort CountyBeaufort County: 9.5 %9.5
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2023 (%)Change on 2022
1Allendale County32.6-4.1 pts
2Bamberg County27.7-0.7 pts
3Barnwell County27.2+6 pts
3Marlboro County27.2-1.5 pts
5Marion County25.4-6.2 pts
6Williamsburg County24.8-1.5 pts
7Lee County24.5-3.4 pts
8Dillon County24.4-5.9 pts
9Hampton County24.2+2.3 pts
10Union County23.4+5 pts
11Colleton County23+2.7 pts
12Darlington County22.3+1.4 pts
13Orangeburg County21.7-2.9 pts
14Fairfield County20.7+2.6 pts
15Chesterfield County20.3+0.7 pts
16Chester County20.1+2.2 pts
17Clarendon County20-0.3 pts
18Florence County18.8-1.6 pts
19McCormick County17.6+0.6 pts
20Newberry County17.5+0.1 pts
20Sumter County17.5+3.1 pts
22Greenwood County16.9-1.5 pts
23Cherokee County16.8-0.5 pts
23Edgefield County16.8+0.4 pts
23Pickens County16.8+0.8 pts
26Laurens County16.7-1.3 pts
27Jasper County16.2-1 pts
28Saluda County16.1+0.3 pts
29Richland County15.9-0.3 pts
30Abbeville County15.3-1.7 pts
31Calhoun County14.6-0.6 pts
31Oconee County14.6-2.1 pts
33Aiken County14.1-2.9 pts
34Spartanburg County14-0.6 pts
35Georgetown County13.8-1.4 pts
36Anderson County13.5-1.8 pts
37Horry County12.9+0.4 pts
38Kershaw County12.6+0.3 pts
39Greenville County11.3+1.2 pts
40Lexington County11.2+0.2 pts
41Charleston County11-0.6 pts
42Lancaster County10.8+0.2 pts
43Dorchester County10.2-0.5 pts
44Berkeley County9.8+0.8 pts
45York County9.6+1.3 pts
46Beaufort County9.5-0.5 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/2023/2023-state-and-county/est23all.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

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Questions

Which county has the highest poverty rate?

Allendale County, with 32.6% in 2023, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

Beaufort County, with 9.5% in 2023.

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