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 2021, at 262.7 inhabitants per km². Allendale County had the lowest, at 7.3 inhabitants per km². The median was 29.6 inhabitants per km² and the figure for South Carolina was 66.7 inhabitants per km². Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest262.7Greenville County
Lowest7.3Allendale County
Median29.646 counties
South Carolina66.7History

All counties, 2021

CSVChart (SVG)

Greenville CountyGreenville County: 262.7 inhabitants per km²262.7Richland CountyRichland County: 212.9 inhabitants per km²212.9Charleston CountyCharleston County: 174.4 inhabitants per km²174.4Lexington CountyLexington County: 166.2 inhabitants per km²166.2York CountyYork County: 163.9 inhabitants per km²163.9Spartanburg CountySpartanburg County: 160.2 inhabitants per km²160.2Beaufort CountyBeaufort County: 128.7 inhabitants per km²128.7Horry CountyHorry County: 124.8 inhabitants per km²124.8Anderson CountyAnderson County: 111.9 inhabitants per km²111.9Dorchester CountyDorchester County: 111.1 inhabitants per km²111.1Pickens CountyPickens County: 102.7 inhabitants per km²102.7Berkeley CountyBerkeley County: 82.9 inhabitants per km²82.9Lancaster CountyLancaster County: 70.6 inhabitants per km²70.6Florence CountyFlorence County: 65.8 inhabitants per km²65.8Aiken CountyAiken County: 61.7 inhabitants per km²61.7Sumter CountySumter County: 60.8 inhabitants per km²60.8Greenwood CountyGreenwood County: 58.5 inhabitants per km²58.5Cherokee CountyCherokee County: 55.2 inhabitants per km²55.2Oconee CountyOconee County: 48.9 inhabitants per km²48.9Darlington CountyDarlington County: 43.2 inhabitants per km²43.2Laurens CountyLaurens County: 36.8 inhabitants per km²36.8Kershaw CountyKershaw County: 35.2 inhabitants per km²35.2Georgetown CountyGeorgetown County: 30.3 inhabitants per km²30.3Orangeburg CountyOrangeburg County: 28.9 inhabitants per km²28.9Dillon CountyDillon County: 26.7 inhabitants per km²26.7Newberry CountyNewberry County: 23.3 inhabitants per km²23.3Marion CountyMarion County: 22.8 inhabitants per km²22.8Chester CountyChester County: 21.4 inhabitants per km²21.4Marlboro CountyMarlboro County: 21 inhabitants per km²21Chesterfield CountyChesterfield County: 20.9 inhabitants per km²20.9Union CountyUnion County: 20.3 inhabitants per km²20.3Edgefield CountyEdgefield County: 20.3 inhabitants per km²20.3Clarendon CountyClarendon County: 19.7 inhabitants per km²19.7Abbeville CountyAbbeville County: 19.1 inhabitants per km²19.1Jasper CountyJasper County: 17.9 inhabitants per km²17.9Saluda CountySaluda County: 16.1 inhabitants per km²16.1Lee CountyLee County: 15.3 inhabitants per km²15.3Barnwell 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: 12.9 inhabitants per km²12.9Hampton CountyHampton County: 12.6 inhabitants per km²12.6Williamsburg CountyWilliamsburg County: 12.6 inhabitants per km²12.6Fairfield CountyFairfield County: 11.7 inhabitants per km²11.7McCormick CountyMcCormick County: 10.5 inhabitants per km²10.5Allendale CountyAllendale County: 7.3 inhabitants per km²7.3
inhabitants per km². Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-09.

Full ranking

RankCounties2021
inhabitants per km²		Change on 2020
1Greenville County262.7+1.4%
2Richland County212.9+0.4%
3Charleston County174.4+1.2%
4Lexington County166.2+1.9%
5York County163.9+1.8%
6Spartanburg County160.2+1.9%
7Beaufort County128.7+2.2%
8Horry County124.8+3.5%
9Anderson County111.9+1.4%
10Dorchester County111.1+0.9%
11Pickens County102.7+0.4%
12Berkeley County82.9+2.3%
13Lancaster County70.6+4%
14Florence County65.8-0.3%
15Aiken County61.7+1.1%
16Sumter County60.8-0.7%
17Greenwood County58.5-0.5%
18Cherokee County55.2-0.2%
19Oconee County48.9+0.7%
20Darlington County43.2-0.1%
21Laurens County36.8+0.4%
22Kershaw County35.2+1%
23Georgetown County30.3+0.7%
24Orangeburg County28.9-1.3%
25Dillon County26.7-1%
26Newberry County23.3+0.7%
27Marion County22.8-0.8%
28Chester County21.4-0.4%
29Marlboro County21-1.6%
30Chesterfield County20.9+0.1%
31Union County20.3-0.5%
32Edgefield County20.3+2.3%
33Clarendon County19.7+0.4%
34Abbeville County19.10%
35Jasper County17.9+4.4%
36Saluda County16.10%
37Lee County15.3-1.6%
38Barnwell County14.5+0.1%
39Calhoun County14.3+0.2%
40Colleton County14.1-0.1%
41Bamberg County12.9-1%
42Hampton County12.6-1.4%
43Williamsburg County12.6-1.5%
44Fairfield County11.7-0.9%
45McCormick County10.5+2.4%
46Allendale County7.3-2.9%

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 262.7 inhabitants per km² in 2021, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest population density?

Allendale County, with 7.3 inhabitants per km² in 2021.

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