Data / Rankings / Population density / Counties in South Carolina

Counties in South Carolina by population density

Greenville County had the highest population density of 46 counties in 2020, at 259 inhabitants per km². Allendale County had the lowest, at 7.5 inhabitants per km². The median was 29.7 inhabitants per km² and the figure for South Carolina was 65.9 inhabitants per km². Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest259Greenville County
Lowest7.5Allendale County
Median29.746 counties
South Carolina65.9History

All counties, 2020

CSVChart (SVG)

Greenville CountyGreenville County: 259 inhabitants per km²259Richland CountyRichland County: 212 inhabitants per km²212Charleston CountyCharleston County: 172.4 inhabitants per km²172.4Lexington CountyLexington County: 163 inhabitants per km²163York CountyYork County: 161 inhabitants per km²161Spartanburg CountySpartanburg County: 157.3 inhabitants per km²157.3Beaufort CountyBeaufort County: 125.9 inhabitants per km²125.9Horry CountyHorry County: 120.6 inhabitants per km²120.6Anderson CountyAnderson County: 110.4 inhabitants per km²110.4Dorchester CountyDorchester County: 110.1 inhabitants per km²110.1Pickens CountyPickens County: 102.3 inhabitants per km²102.3Berkeley CountyBerkeley County: 81 inhabitants per km²81Lancaster CountyLancaster County: 67.9 inhabitants per km²67.9Florence CountyFlorence County: 66 inhabitants per km²66Sumter CountySumter County: 61.2 inhabitants per km²61.2Aiken CountyAiken County: 61 inhabitants per km²61Greenwood CountyGreenwood County: 58.8 inhabitants per km²58.8Cherokee CountyCherokee County: 55.2 inhabitants per km²55.2Oconee CountyOconee County: 48.6 inhabitants per km²48.6Darlington CountyDarlington County: 43.3 inhabitants per km²43.3Laurens CountyLaurens County: 36.6 inhabitants per km²36.6Kershaw CountyKershaw County: 34.9 inhabitants per km²34.9Georgetown CountyGeorgetown County: 30.1 inhabitants per km²30.1Orangeburg CountyOrangeburg County: 29.3 inhabitants per km²29.3Dillon CountyDillon County: 27 inhabitants per km²27Newberry CountyNewberry County: 23.1 inhabitants per km²23.1Marion CountyMarion County: 23 inhabitants per km²23Chester CountyChester County: 21.5 inhabitants per km²21.5Marlboro CountyMarlboro County: 21.3 inhabitants per km²21.3Chesterfield CountyChesterfield County: 20.9 inhabitants per km²20.9Union CountyUnion County: 20.4 inhabitants per km²20.4Edgefield CountyEdgefield County: 19.8 inhabitants per km²19.8Clarendon CountyClarendon County: 19.6 inhabitants per km²19.6Abbeville CountyAbbeville County: 19.1 inhabitants per km²19.1Jasper CountyJasper County: 17.2 inhabitants per km²17.2Saluda CountySaluda County: 16.1 inhabitants per km²16.1Lee CountyLee County: 15.6 inhabitants per km²15.6Barnwell CountyBarnwell County: 14.5 inhabitants per km²14.5Calhoun CountyCalhoun County: 14.3 inhabitants per km²14.3Colleton CountyColleton County: 14.1 inhabitants per km²14.1Bamberg CountyBamberg County: 13 inhabitants per km²13Williamsburg CountyWilliamsburg County: 12.8 inhabitants per km²12.8Hampton CountyHampton County: 12.8 inhabitants per km²12.8Fairfield CountyFairfield County: 11.8 inhabitants per km²11.8McCormick CountyMcCormick County: 10.2 inhabitants per km²10.2Allendale CountyAllendale County: 7.5 inhabitants per km²7.5
inhabitants per km². Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-09.

Full ranking

RankCounties2020
inhabitants per km²
1Greenville County259
2Richland County212
3Charleston County172.4
4Lexington County163
5York County161
6Spartanburg County157.3
7Beaufort County125.9
8Horry County120.6
9Anderson County110.4
10Dorchester County110.1
11Pickens County102.3
12Berkeley County81
13Lancaster County67.9
14Florence County66
15Sumter County61.2
16Aiken County61
17Greenwood County58.8
18Cherokee County55.2
19Oconee County48.6
20Darlington County43.3
21Laurens County36.6
22Kershaw County34.9
23Georgetown County30.1
24Orangeburg County29.3
25Dillon County27
26Newberry County23.1
27Marion County23
28Chester County21.5
29Marlboro County21.3
30Chesterfield County20.9
31Union County20.4
32Edgefield County19.8
33Clarendon County19.6
34Abbeville County19.1
35Jasper County17.2
36Saluda County16.1
37Lee County15.6
38Barnwell County14.5
39Calhoun County14.3
40Colleton County14.1
41Bamberg County13
42Williamsburg County12.8
43Hampton County12.8
44Fairfield County11.8
45McCormick County10.2
46Allendale County7.5

Other periods

About this ranking

Resident population divided by land area in km². World Bank figures use mid-year population and land area excluding inland water.

United States: Census Bureau population estimates for 1 July divided by land area (water excluded) from the latest Census Gazetteer files. US tables often give people per square mile; multiply persons per km² by 2.59 to compare.

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. Population Estimates Program resident population on 1 July divided by land area from the latest Census Gazetteer files, persons per km². https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/datasets/2020-2025/. Retrieved 2026-10-09.

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Questions

Which county has the highest population density?

Greenville County, with 259 inhabitants per km² in 2020, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest population density?

Allendale County, with 7.5 inhabitants per km² 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, Population Estimates Program resident population on 1 July divided by land area from the latest Census Gazetteer files, persons per km². Retrieved 2026-10-09.

Population density: other rankings

Counties in South Carolina: more rankings