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

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

Allendale County had the highest unemployment rate (US five-year survey estimate) of 46 counties in 2021, at 16.4%. Charleston County had the lowest, at 3.8%. The median was 6.2% and the figure for South Carolina was 5.3%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Highest16.4Allendale County
Lowest3.8Charleston County
Median6.246 counties
South Carolina5.3History

Map of counties, 2021

Abbeville County: 4.1 %Aiken County: 6.7 %Allendale County: 16.4 %Anderson County: 5.4 %Bamberg County: 9.3 %Barnwell County: 7.9 %Beaufort County: 3.9 %Berkeley County: 4.2 %Calhoun County: 4.8 %Charleston County: 3.8 %Cherokee County: 7 %Chester County: 5.9 %Chesterfield County: 8.2 %Clarendon County: 10.8 %Colleton County: 6.3 %Darlington County: 6.3 %Dillon County: 6.5 %Dorchester County: 5.5 %Edgefield County: 6.8 %Fairfield County: 6 %Florence County: 4.6 %Georgetown County: 6.8 %Greenville County: 3.9 %Greenwood County: 5.7 %Hampton County: 10.8 %Horry County: 6.1 %Jasper County: 7.5 %Kershaw County: 5.6 %Lancaster County: 4.9 %Laurens County: 6.4 %Lee County: 7.8 %Lexington County: 4.7 %McCormick County: 6.6 %Marion County: 7.2 %Marlboro County: 9 %Newberry County: 4.6 %Oconee County: 6.1 %Orangeburg County: 9.5 %Pickens County: 4.4 %Richland County: 6.3 %Saluda County: 4.1 %Spartanburg County: 5 %Sumter County: 8.3 %Union County: 8.9 %Williamsburg County: 4.6 %York County: 4.9 %
  • Under 4.6
  • 4.6 to 5.4
  • 5.4 to 6.2
  • 6.2 to 6.8
  • 6.8 to 8.2
  • 8.2 and over
%, 2021. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundary files.

All counties, 2021

Allendale County: 16.4 %Allendale County16.4Hampton County: 10.8 %Hampton County10.8Clarendon County: 10.8 %Clarendon County10.8Orangeburg County: 9.5 %Orangeburg County9.5Bamberg County: 9.3 %Bamberg County9.3Marlboro County: 9 %Marlboro County9Union County: 8.9 %Union County8.9Sumter County: 8.3 %Sumter County8.3Chesterfield County: 8.2 %Chesterfield County8.2Barnwell County: 7.9 %Barnwell County7.9Lee County: 7.8 %Lee County7.8Jasper County: 7.5 %Jasper County7.5Marion County: 7.2 %Marion County7.2Cherokee County: 7 %Cherokee County7Georgetown County: 6.8 %Georgetown County6.8Edgefield County: 6.8 %Edgefield County6.8Aiken County: 6.7 %Aiken County6.7McCormick County: 6.6 %McCormick County6.6Dillon County: 6.5 %Dillon County6.5Laurens County: 6.4 %Laurens County6.4Colleton County: 6.3 %Colleton County6.3Darlington County: 6.3 %Darlington County6.3Richland County: 6.3 %Richland County6.3Horry County: 6.1 %Horry County6.1Oconee County: 6.1 %Oconee County6.1Fairfield County: 6 %Fairfield County6Chester County: 5.9 %Chester County5.9Greenwood County: 5.7 %Greenwood County5.7Kershaw County: 5.6 %Kershaw County5.6Dorchester County: 5.5 %Dorchester County5.5Anderson County: 5.4 %Anderson County5.4Spartanburg County: 5 %Spartanburg County5York County: 4.9 %York County4.9Lancaster County: 4.9 %Lancaster County4.9Calhoun County: 4.8 %Calhoun County4.8Lexington County: 4.7 %Lexington County4.7Florence County: 4.6 %Florence County4.6Newberry County: 4.6 %Newberry County4.6Williamsburg County: 4.6 %Williamsburg County4.6Pickens County: 4.4 %Pickens County4.4Berkeley County: 4.2 %Berkeley County4.2Abbeville County: 4.1 %Abbeville County4.1Saluda County: 4.1 %Saluda County4.1Beaufort County: 3.9 %Beaufort County3.9Greenville County: 3.9 %Greenville County3.9Charleston County: 3.8 %Charleston County3.8Allendale County: 16.4 %Allendale County16.4Hampton County: 10.8 %Hampton County10.8Clarendon County: 10.8 %Clarendon County10.8Orangeburg County: 9.5 %Orangeburg County9.5Bamberg County: 9.3 %Bamberg County9.3Marlboro County: 9 %Marlboro County9Union County: 8.9 %Union County8.9Sumter County: 8.3 %Sumter County8.3Chesterfield County: 8.2 %Chesterfield County8.2Barnwell County: 7.9 %Barnwell County7.9Lee County: 7.8 %Lee County7.8Jasper County: 7.5 %Jasper County7.5Marion County: 7.2 %Marion County7.2Cherokee County: 7 %Cherokee County7Georgetown County: 6.8 %Georgetown County6.8Edgefield County: 6.8 %Edgefield County6.8Aiken County: 6.7 %Aiken County6.7McCormick County: 6.6 %McCormick County6.6Dillon County: 6.5 %Dillon County6.5Laurens County: 6.4 %Laurens County6.4Colleton County: 6.3 %Colleton County6.3Darlington County: 6.3 %Darlington County6.3Richland County: 6.3 %Richland County6.3Horry County: 6.1 %Horry County6.1Oconee County: 6.1 %Oconee County6.1Fairfield County: 6 %Fairfield County6Chester County: 5.9 %Chester County5.9Greenwood County: 5.7 %Greenwood County5.7Kershaw County: 5.6 %Kershaw County5.6Dorchester County: 5.5 %Dorchester County5.5Anderson County: 5.4 %Anderson County5.4Spartanburg County: 5 %Spartanburg County5York County: 4.9 %York County4.9Lancaster County: 4.9 %Lancaster County4.9Calhoun County: 4.8 %Calhoun County4.8Lexington County: 4.7 %Lexington County4.7Florence County: 4.6 %Florence County4.6Newberry County: 4.6 %Newberry County4.6Williamsburg County: 4.6 %Williamsburg County4.6Pickens County: 4.4 %Pickens County4.4Berkeley County: 4.2 %Berkeley County4.2Abbeville County: 4.1 %Abbeville County4.1Saluda County: 4.1 %Saluda County4.1Beaufort County: 3.9 %Beaufort County3.9Greenville County: 3.9 %Greenville County3.9Charleston County: 3.8 %Charleston County3.8
%. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCounties2021 (%)
1Allendale County16.4
2Hampton County10.8
3Clarendon County10.8
4Orangeburg County9.5
5Bamberg County9.3
6Marlboro County9
7Union County8.9
8Sumter County8.3
9Chesterfield County8.2
10Barnwell County7.9
11Lee County7.8
12Jasper County7.5
13Marion County7.2
14Cherokee County7
15Georgetown County6.8
16Edgefield County6.8
17Aiken County6.7
18McCormick County6.6
19Dillon County6.5
20Laurens County6.4
21Colleton County6.3
22Darlington County6.3
22Richland County6.3
24Horry County6.1
25Oconee County6.1
26Fairfield County6
27Chester County5.9
28Greenwood County5.7
29Kershaw County5.6
30Dorchester County5.5
31Anderson County5.4
32Spartanburg County5
33York County4.9
34Lancaster County4.9
35Calhoun County4.8
36Lexington County4.7
37Florence County4.6
38Newberry County4.6
38Williamsburg County4.6
40Pickens County4.4
41Berkeley County4.2
42Abbeville County4.1
43Saluda County4.1
44Beaufort County3.9
45Greenville County3.9
46Charleston County3.8

Other periods

About this ranking

Unemployed civilians aged 16 and over as a percentage of the civilian labor force aged 16 and over. United States: American Community Survey five-year estimate, where the period shown is the last year of the five-year span.

An average over five years of survey responses, so it moves slowly. The official monthly and annual rates for states and counties are unemployment_rate, from BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics.

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 B23025: unemployed as a percentage of the civilian labor force aged 16 and over, calculated with stored inputs. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b23025.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 B23025: unemployed as a percentage of the civilian labor force aged 16 and over, calculated with stored inputs (Counties in South Carolina by unemployment 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-b23025.dat

MLA 9

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B23025: unemployed as a percentage of the civilian labor force aged 16 and over, calculated with stored inputs, Counties in South Carolina by unemployment 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-b23025.dat. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/unemployment-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 B23025: unemployed as a percentage of the civilian labor force aged 16 and over, calculated with stored inputs. Counties in South Carolina by unemployment 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-b23025.dat. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/unemployment-rate-acs/south-carolina-counties?period=2021.

Harvard

U.S. Census Bureau (2026) American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B23025: unemployed as a percentage of the civilian labor force aged 16 and over, calculated with stored inputs, Counties in South Carolina by unemployment 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-b23025.dat, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/unemployment-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 B23025: unemployed as a percentage of the civilian labor force aged 16 and over, calculated with stored inputs: Counties in South Carolina by unemployment 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-b23025.dat},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/unemployment-rate-acs/south-carolina-counties?period=2021. Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B23025: unemployed as a percentage of the civilian labor force aged 16 and over, calculated with stored inputs. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary\_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b23025.dat. Retrieved 2026-10-12.},
}
RIS
TY  - DATA
AU  - U.S. Census Bureau
TI  - American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B23025: unemployed as a percentage of the civilian labor force aged 16 and over, calculated with stored inputs: Counties in South Carolina by unemployment 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-b23025.dat
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/unemployment-rate-acs/south-carolina-counties?period=2021
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/unemployment-rate-acs/south-carolina-counties?period=2021.
N1  - Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B23025: unemployed as a percentage of the civilian labor force aged 16 and over, calculated with stored inputs. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b23025.dat. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  -
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Questions

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

Allendale County, with 16.4% in 2021, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

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

Charleston County, with 3.8% 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 B23025: unemployed as a percentage of the civilian labor force aged 16 and over, calculated with stored inputs. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

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

Counties in South Carolina: more rankings