Data / Rankings / Poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate) / Counties in South Carolina

Counties in South Carolina by poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate)

Dillon County had the highest poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate) of 46 counties in 2021, at 31.2%. York County had the lowest, at 9.2%. The median was 17.5% and the figure for South Carolina was 14.5%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Highest31.2Dillon County
Lowest9.2York County
Median17.546 counties
South Carolina14.5History

Map of counties, 2021

Abbeville County: 17.2 %Aiken County: 13.3 %Allendale County: 27.4 %Anderson County: 14 %Bamberg County: 18.5 %Barnwell County: 30 %Beaufort County: 10.1 %Berkeley County: 11.4 %Calhoun County: 20.1 %Charleston County: 12.5 %Cherokee County: 18 %Chester County: 18.2 %Chesterfield County: 20.8 %Clarendon County: 19.9 %Colleton County: 18.3 %Darlington County: 20.3 %Dillon County: 31.2 %Dorchester County: 12 %Edgefield County: 16.4 %Fairfield County: 17.8 %Florence County: 17.6 %Georgetown County: 16.5 %Greenville County: 11.2 %Greenwood County: 17.1 %Hampton County: 20.5 %Horry County: 13.8 %Jasper County: 18.5 %Kershaw County: 14.8 %Lancaster County: 12.1 %Laurens County: 20.8 %Lee County: 22.8 %Lexington County: 11.9 %McCormick County: 15.4 %Marion County: 25.6 %Marlboro County: 28 %Newberry County: 15.7 %Oconee County: 15.4 %Orangeburg County: 24.9 %Pickens County: 17.2 %Richland County: 16.8 %Saluda County: 17.5 %Spartanburg County: 13.9 %Sumter County: 18.1 %Union County: 20.9 %Williamsburg County: 22.4 %York County: 9.2 %
  • Under 13
  • 13 to 16
  • 16 to 18
  • 18 to 22
  • 22 and over
%, 2021. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundary files.

All counties, 2021

Dillon County: 31.2 %Dillon County31.2Barnwell County: 30 %Barnwell County30Marlboro County: 28 %Marlboro County28Allendale County: 27.4 %Allendale County27.4Marion County: 25.6 %Marion County25.6Orangeburg County: 24.9 %Orangeburg County24.9Lee County: 22.8 %Lee County22.8Williamsburg County: 22.4 %Williamsburg County22.4Union County: 20.9 %Union County20.9Laurens County: 20.8 %Laurens County20.8Chesterfield County: 20.8 %Chesterfield County20.8Hampton County: 20.5 %Hampton County20.5Darlington County: 20.3 %Darlington County20.3Calhoun County: 20.1 %Calhoun County20.1Clarendon County: 19.9 %Clarendon County19.9Bamberg County: 18.5 %Bamberg County18.5Jasper County: 18.5 %Jasper County18.5Colleton County: 18.3 %Colleton County18.3Chester County: 18.2 %Chester County18.2Sumter County: 18.1 %Sumter County18.1Cherokee County: 18 %Cherokee County18Fairfield County: 17.8 %Fairfield County17.8Florence County: 17.6 %Florence County17.6Saluda County: 17.5 %Saluda County17.5Abbeville County: 17.2 %Abbeville County17.2Pickens County: 17.2 %Pickens County17.2Greenwood County: 17.1 %Greenwood County17.1Richland County: 16.8 %Richland County16.8Georgetown County: 16.5 %Georgetown County16.5Edgefield County: 16.4 %Edgefield County16.4Newberry County: 15.7 %Newberry County15.7Oconee County: 15.4 %Oconee County15.4McCormick County: 15.4 %McCormick County15.4Kershaw County: 14.8 %Kershaw County14.8Anderson County: 14 %Anderson County14Spartanburg County: 13.9 %Spartanburg County13.9Horry County: 13.8 %Horry County13.8Aiken County: 13.3 %Aiken County13.3Charleston County: 12.5 %Charleston County12.5Lancaster County: 12.1 %Lancaster County12.1Dorchester County: 12 %Dorchester County12Lexington County: 11.9 %Lexington County11.9Berkeley County: 11.4 %Berkeley County11.4Greenville County: 11.2 %Greenville County11.2Beaufort County: 10.1 %Beaufort County10.1York County: 9.2 %York County9.2Dillon County: 31.2 %Dillon County31.2Barnwell County: 30 %Barnwell County30Marlboro County: 28 %Marlboro County28Allendale County: 27.4 %Allendale County27.4Marion County: 25.6 %Marion County25.6Orangeburg County: 24.9 %Orangeburg County24.9Lee County: 22.8 %Lee County22.8Williamsburg County: 22.4 %Williamsburg County22.4Union County: 20.9 %Union County20.9Laurens County: 20.8 %Laurens County20.8Chesterfield County: 20.8 %Chesterfield County20.8Hampton County: 20.5 %Hampton County20.5Darlington County: 20.3 %Darlington County20.3Calhoun County: 20.1 %Calhoun County20.1Clarendon County: 19.9 %Clarendon County19.9Bamberg County: 18.5 %Bamberg County18.5Jasper County: 18.5 %Jasper County18.5Colleton County: 18.3 %Colleton County18.3Chester County: 18.2 %Chester County18.2Sumter County: 18.1 %Sumter County18.1Cherokee County: 18 %Cherokee County18Fairfield County: 17.8 %Fairfield County17.8Florence County: 17.6 %Florence County17.6Saluda County: 17.5 %Saluda County17.5Abbeville County: 17.2 %Abbeville County17.2Pickens County: 17.2 %Pickens County17.2Greenwood County: 17.1 %Greenwood County17.1Richland County: 16.8 %Richland County16.8Georgetown County: 16.5 %Georgetown County16.5Edgefield County: 16.4 %Edgefield County16.4Newberry County: 15.7 %Newberry County15.7Oconee County: 15.4 %Oconee County15.4McCormick County: 15.4 %McCormick County15.4Kershaw County: 14.8 %Kershaw County14.8Anderson County: 14 %Anderson County14Spartanburg County: 13.9 %Spartanburg County13.9Horry County: 13.8 %Horry County13.8Aiken County: 13.3 %Aiken County13.3Charleston County: 12.5 %Charleston County12.5Lancaster County: 12.1 %Lancaster County12.1Dorchester County: 12 %Dorchester County12Lexington County: 11.9 %Lexington County11.9Berkeley County: 11.4 %Berkeley County11.4Greenville County: 11.2 %Greenville County11.2Beaufort County: 10.1 %Beaufort County10.1York County: 9.2 %York County9.2
%. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCounties2021 (%)
1Dillon County31.2
2Barnwell County30
3Marlboro County28
4Allendale County27.4
5Marion County25.6
6Orangeburg County24.9
7Lee County22.8
8Williamsburg County22.4
9Union County20.9
10Laurens County20.8
11Chesterfield County20.8
12Hampton County20.5
13Darlington County20.3
14Calhoun County20.1
15Clarendon County19.9
16Bamberg County18.5
17Jasper County18.5
18Colleton County18.3
19Chester County18.2
20Sumter County18.1
21Cherokee County18
22Fairfield County17.8
23Florence County17.6
24Saluda County17.5
25Abbeville County17.2
26Pickens County17.2
27Greenwood County17.1
28Richland County16.8
29Georgetown County16.5
30Edgefield County16.4
31Newberry County15.7
32Oconee County15.4
33McCormick County15.4
34Kershaw County14.8
35Anderson County14
36Spartanburg County13.9
37Horry County13.8
38Aiken County13.3
39Charleston County12.5
40Lancaster County12.1
41Dorchester County12
42Lexington County11.9
43Berkeley County11.4
44Greenville County11.2
45Beaufort County10.1
46York County9.2

Other periods

About this ranking

People with income in the past 12 months below the official US poverty thresholds, as a percentage of people whose poverty status is determined. United States: American Community Survey five-year estimate, where the period shown is the last year of the five-year span.

The headline single-year rate for states and counties is poverty_rate (SAIPE). Poverty status is not determined for people in institutions, military group quarters or college dormitories, or for unrelated children under 15. 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. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b17001.dat. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Citation styles

The publisher is the author. Invokely is named only as the place the figures were read, where a style asks for it.

APA 7

U.S. Census Bureau. (2026). American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs (Counties in South Carolina by poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2021) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b17001.dat

MLA 9

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs, Counties in South Carolina by poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2021. U.S. Census Bureau, 29 Jan. 2026, https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b17001.dat. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/poverty-rate-acs/south-carolina-counties?period=2021. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

U.S. Census Bureau. 2026. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs. Counties in South Carolina by poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2021. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b17001.dat. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/poverty-rate-acs/south-carolina-counties?period=2021.

Harvard

U.S. Census Bureau (2026) American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs, Counties in South Carolina by poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2021 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b17001.dat, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/poverty-rate-acs/south-carolina-counties?period=2021 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_counties_in_south_carolina_2021,
  author = {{U.S. Census Bureau}},
  title = {{American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs: Counties in South Carolina by poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2021}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b17001.dat},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/poverty-rate-acs/south-carolina-counties?period=2021. Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary\_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b17001.dat. Retrieved 2026-10-12.},
}
RIS
TY  - DATA
AU  - U.S. Census Bureau
TI  - American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs: Counties in South Carolina by poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2021
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/01/29
PB  - U.S. Census Bureau
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b17001.dat
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/poverty-rate-acs/south-carolina-counties?period=2021
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/poverty-rate-acs/south-carolina-counties?period=2021.
N1  - Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b17001.dat. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  -
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Questions

Which county has the highest poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate)?

Dillon County, with 31.2% in 2021, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate)?

York County, with 9.2% 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, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate): other rankings

Counties in South Carolina: more rankings