Counties in South Carolina by unemployment rate

Williamsburg County had the highest unemployment rate of 46 counties in August 2025, at 8.5%. Charleston County had the lowest, at 4%. The median was 5.25% and the figure for South Carolina was 4.6%. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Median5.2546 counties
South Carolina4.6History

All counties, August 2025

CSVChart (SVG)

Williamsburg CountyWilliamsburg County: 8.5 %8.5Marlboro CountyMarlboro County: 8.1 %8.1Allendale CountyAllendale County: 6.8 %6.8Clarendon CountyClarendon County: 6.8 %6.8Orangeburg CountyOrangeburg County: 6.8 %6.8Marion CountyMarion County: 6.6 %6.6Bamberg CountyBamberg County: 6.5 %6.5Dillon CountyDillon County: 6.3 %6.3Union CountyUnion County: 6.3 %6.3Barnwell CountyBarnwell County: 6.2 %6.2Cherokee CountyCherokee County: 6.2 %6.2Chester CountyChester County: 6.2 %6.2Lee CountyLee County: 6 %6Colleton CountyColleton County: 5.8 %5.8Fairfield CountyFairfield County: 5.8 %5.8Georgetown CountyGeorgetown County: 5.8 %5.8McCormick CountyMcCormick County: 5.8 %5.8Sumter CountySumter County: 5.8 %5.8Greenwood CountyGreenwood County: 5.7 %5.7Chesterfield CountyChesterfield County: 5.6 %5.6Darlington CountyDarlington County: 5.6 %5.6Horry CountyHorry County: 5.4 %5.4Lancaster CountyLancaster County: 5.3 %5.3Abbeville CountyAbbeville County: 5.2 %5.2Calhoun CountyCalhoun County: 5.2 %5.2Florence CountyFlorence County: 5.2 %5.2Laurens CountyLaurens County: 5.1 %5.1Jasper CountyJasper County: 5 %5Hampton CountyHampton County: 4.9 %4.9Kershaw CountyKershaw County: 4.9 %4.9Richland CountyRichland County: 4.9 %4.9Spartanburg CountySpartanburg County: 4.9 %4.9York CountyYork County: 4.9 %4.9Aiken CountyAiken County: 4.8 %4.8Beaufort CountyBeaufort County: 4.6 %4.6Newberry CountyNewberry County: 4.6 %4.6Oconee CountyOconee County: 4.6 %4.6Anderson CountyAnderson County: 4.5 %4.5Pickens CountyPickens County: 4.5 %4.5Berkeley CountyBerkeley County: 4.4 %4.4Dorchester CountyDorchester County: 4.3 %4.3Edgefield CountyEdgefield County: 4.3 %4.3Greenville CountyGreenville County: 4.3 %4.3Lexington CountyLexington County: 4.2 %4.2Saluda CountySaluda County: 4.1 %4.1Charleston CountyCharleston County: 4 %4
%. Source: BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCountiesAugust 2025 (%)Change on August 2024
1Williamsburg County8.5+0.9 pts
2Marlboro County8.1-0.2 pts
3Allendale County6.8-0.4 pts
3Clarendon County6.8+0.2 pts
3Orangeburg County6.8-0.3 pts
6Marion County6.6-0.2 pts
7Bamberg County6.5-0.6 pts
8Dillon County6.3-0.7 pts
8Union County6.3-0.7 pts
10Barnwell County6.2+0.2 pts
10Cherokee County6.2-0.6 pts
10Chester County6.2-0.1 pts
13Lee County6-1.4 pts
14Colleton County5.8+0.2 pts
14Fairfield County5.8-0.2 pts
14Georgetown County5.8+0.4 pts
14McCormick County5.8-0.6 pts
14Sumter County5.8-0.3 pts
19Greenwood County5.7-0.3 pts
20Chesterfield County5.60 pts
20Darlington County5.60 pts
22Horry County5.40 pts
23Lancaster County5.3+0.2 pts
24Abbeville County5.2+0.1 pts
24Calhoun County5.2-0.3 pts
24Florence County5.20 pts
27Laurens County5.1-0.1 pts
28Jasper County5+0.1 pts
29Hampton County4.9+0.2 pts
29Kershaw County4.90 pts
29Richland County4.9-0.1 pts
29Spartanburg County4.9-0.1 pts
29York County4.9+0.1 pts
34Aiken County4.80 pts
35Beaufort County4.60 pts
35Newberry County4.6-0.3 pts
35Oconee County4.6-0.1 pts
38Anderson County4.5-0.1 pts
38Pickens County4.5-0.2 pts
40Berkeley County4.40 pts
41Dorchester County4.3-0.1 pts
41Edgefield County4.3-0.1 pts
41Greenville County4.3-0.1 pts
44Lexington County4.2-0.1 pts
45Saluda County4.1-0.2 pts
46Charleston County4-0.1 pts

Other periods

About this ranking

Unemployed people as a percentage of the labour force, using the survey definition of unemployment: without work, available and looking for work. Spain: EPA, aged 16 and over. EU: Labour Force Survey, aged 15 to 74. United States: civilian labour force aged 16 and over, from the Current Population Survey for the nation and from BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics models, consistent with that survey, for states and counties. Other countries and the World: ILO modelled estimates published by the World Bank, aged 15 and over.

Survey-based. Available for Spain, regions, provinces, EU countries, US states and US counties, not Spanish municipalities. For municipalities use registered_unemployment_rate. US national and state rates are seasonally adjusted; county rates are not. Countries without a national or Eurostat series get the annual ILO modelled estimate, a model output rather than a survey result.

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. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Local Area Unemployment Statistics: unemployment rate by county, not seasonally adjusted. https://download.bls.gov/pub/time.series/la/la.data.0.CurrentU25-29. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

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Questions

Which county has the highest unemployment rate?

Williamsburg County, with 8.5% in August 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which county has the lowest unemployment rate?

Charleston County, with 4% in August 2025.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics: unemployment rate by county, not seasonally adjusted. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Unemployment rate: other rankings

Counties in South Carolina: more rankings