Counties in South Carolina by unemployment rate

Williamsburg County had the highest unemployment rate of 46 counties in December 2025, at 8.5%. Charleston County had the lowest, at 3.8%. The median was 5.3% and the figure for South Carolina was 4.8%. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Median5.346 counties
South Carolina4.8History

All counties, December 2025

CSVChart (SVG)

Williamsburg CountyWilliamsburg County: 8.5 %8.5Marlboro CountyMarlboro County: 8.2 %8.2Orangeburg CountyOrangeburg County: 7.8 %7.8Allendale CountyAllendale County: 7.3 %7.3Bamberg CountyBamberg County: 7.2 %7.2Clarendon CountyClarendon County: 6.9 %6.9Marion CountyMarion County: 6.7 %6.7Barnwell CountyBarnwell County: 6.5 %6.5Lee CountyLee County: 6.5 %6.5Union CountyUnion County: 6.5 %6.5Cherokee CountyCherokee County: 6.3 %6.3Dillon CountyDillon County: 6.2 %6.2Horry CountyHorry County: 6 %6Sumter CountySumter County: 6 %6Chester CountyChester County: 5.9 %5.9Georgetown CountyGeorgetown County: 5.9 %5.9Chesterfield CountyChesterfield County: 5.8 %5.8Colleton CountyColleton County: 5.7 %5.7Greenwood CountyGreenwood County: 5.7 %5.7McCormick CountyMcCormick County: 5.7 %5.7Darlington CountyDarlington County: 5.6 %5.6Hampton CountyHampton County: 5.6 %5.6Fairfield CountyFairfield County: 5.4 %5.4Abbeville CountyAbbeville County: 5.2 %5.2Calhoun CountyCalhoun County: 5.2 %5.2Florence CountyFlorence County: 5.2 %5.2Laurens CountyLaurens County: 5.2 %5.2Lancaster CountyLancaster County: 5 %5Newberry CountyNewberry County: 5 %5Pickens CountyPickens County: 5 %5Kershaw CountyKershaw County: 4.9 %4.9Richland CountyRichland County: 4.9 %4.9Spartanburg CountySpartanburg County: 4.9 %4.9York CountyYork County: 4.9 %4.9Jasper CountyJasper County: 4.8 %4.8Aiken CountyAiken County: 4.7 %4.7Oconee CountyOconee County: 4.6 %4.6Anderson CountyAnderson County: 4.5 %4.5Beaufort CountyBeaufort County: 4.4 %4.4Saluda CountySaluda County: 4.4 %4.4Berkeley CountyBerkeley County: 4.3 %4.3Dorchester CountyDorchester County: 4.3 %4.3Edgefield CountyEdgefield County: 4.2 %4.2Greenville CountyGreenville County: 4.2 %4.2Lexington CountyLexington County: 4.2 %4.2Charleston CountyCharleston County: 3.8 %3.8
%. Source: BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCountiesDecember 2025 (%)Change on December 2024
1Williamsburg County8.5+2.4 pts
2Marlboro County8.2+1.3 pts
3Orangeburg County7.8+2 pts
4Allendale County7.3+1.8 pts
5Bamberg County7.2+1.6 pts
6Clarendon County6.9+1.5 pts
7Marion County6.7+0.8 pts
8Barnwell County6.5+1.2 pts
8Lee County6.5+0.7 pts
8Union County6.5+1.1 pts
11Cherokee County6.3+1.1 pts
12Dillon County6.2+0.3 pts
13Horry County6+1.2 pts
13Sumter County6+0.8 pts
15Chester County5.9+0.4 pts
15Georgetown County5.9+1.4 pts
17Chesterfield County5.8+1.3 pts
18Colleton County5.7+1.3 pts
18Greenwood County5.7+0.8 pts
18McCormick County5.7+0.8 pts
21Darlington County5.6+1 pts
21Hampton County5.6+2 pts
23Fairfield County5.4+0.4 pts
24Abbeville County5.2+1.1 pts
24Calhoun County5.2+1 pts
24Florence County5.2+1 pts
24Laurens County5.2+1 pts
28Lancaster County5+0.7 pts
28Newberry County5+1 pts
28Pickens County5+1.4 pts
31Kershaw County4.9+1.1 pts
31Richland County4.9+0.8 pts
31Spartanburg County4.9+0.9 pts
31York County4.9+0.9 pts
35Jasper County4.8+0.9 pts
36Aiken County4.7+0.9 pts
37Oconee County4.6+0.9 pts
38Anderson County4.5+0.9 pts
39Beaufort County4.4+0.7 pts
39Saluda County4.4+1.1 pts
41Berkeley County4.3+0.8 pts
41Dorchester County4.3+0.8 pts
43Edgefield County4.2+0.7 pts
43Greenville County4.2+0.7 pts
43Lexington County4.2+0.9 pts
46Charleston County3.8+0.6 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 December 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which county has the lowest unemployment rate?

Charleston County, with 3.8% in December 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