Counties in South Carolina by unemployment rate

Marlboro County had the highest unemployment rate of 46 counties in February 2026, at 9.1%. Charleston County had the lowest, at 4.5%. The median was 5.8% and the figure for South Carolina was 5%. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Highest9.1Marlboro County
Median5.846 counties
South Carolina5History

All counties, February 2026

CSVChart (SVG)

Marlboro CountyMarlboro County: 9.1 %9.1Williamsburg CountyWilliamsburg County: 8.9 %8.9Marion CountyMarion County: 8 %8Allendale CountyAllendale County: 7.6 %7.6Lee CountyLee County: 7.3 %7.3Union CountyUnion County: 7.3 %7.3Orangeburg CountyOrangeburg County: 7.2 %7.2Clarendon CountyClarendon County: 7.1 %7.1Horry CountyHorry County: 6.9 %6.9Bamberg CountyBamberg County: 6.8 %6.8Cherokee CountyCherokee County: 6.7 %6.7Georgetown CountyGeorgetown County: 6.7 %6.7McCormick CountyMcCormick County: 6.7 %6.7Sumter CountySumter County: 6.7 %6.7Barnwell CountyBarnwell County: 6.6 %6.6Dillon CountyDillon County: 6.6 %6.6Chester CountyChester County: 6.5 %6.5Fairfield CountyFairfield County: 6.4 %6.4Colleton CountyColleton County: 6.3 %6.3Darlington CountyDarlington County: 6.2 %6.2Chesterfield CountyChesterfield County: 6.1 %6.1Greenwood CountyGreenwood County: 6.1 %6.1Abbeville CountyAbbeville County: 5.8 %5.8Calhoun CountyCalhoun County: 5.8 %5.8Florence CountyFlorence County: 5.8 %5.8Hampton CountyHampton County: 5.8 %5.8Lancaster CountyLancaster County: 5.8 %5.8Jasper CountyJasper County: 5.6 %5.6Laurens CountyLaurens County: 5.6 %5.6Aiken CountyAiken County: 5.4 %5.4Richland CountyRichland County: 5.4 %5.4Spartanburg CountySpartanburg County: 5.4 %5.4Beaufort CountyBeaufort County: 5.3 %5.3Kershaw CountyKershaw County: 5.3 %5.3Oconee CountyOconee County: 5.3 %5.3York CountyYork County: 5.3 %5.3Pickens CountyPickens County: 5.2 %5.2Anderson CountyAnderson County: 5.1 %5.1Newberry CountyNewberry County: 5 %5Berkeley CountyBerkeley County: 4.9 %4.9Dorchester CountyDorchester County: 4.8 %4.8Edgefield CountyEdgefield County: 4.8 %4.8Greenville CountyGreenville County: 4.8 %4.8Lexington CountyLexington County: 4.8 %4.8Saluda CountySaluda County: 4.6 %4.6Charleston CountyCharleston County: 4.5 %4.5
%. Source: BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCountiesFebruary 2026 (%)Change on February 2025
1Marlboro County9.1+2 pts
2Williamsburg County8.9+1.6 pts
3Marion County8+1.8 pts
4Allendale County7.6+1.9 pts
5Lee County7.3+1.1 pts
5Union County7.3+1.5 pts
7Orangeburg County7.2+1.2 pts
8Clarendon County7.1+1.4 pts
9Horry County6.9+1.2 pts
10Bamberg County6.8+1.2 pts
11Cherokee County6.7+1.3 pts
11Georgetown County6.7+0.5 pts
11McCormick County6.7+1.2 pts
11Sumter County6.7+1.3 pts
15Barnwell County6.6+0.8 pts
15Dillon County6.6+0.5 pts
17Chester County6.5+0.7 pts
18Fairfield County6.4+1 pts
19Colleton County6.3+1.2 pts
20Darlington County6.2+1.4 pts
21Chesterfield County6.1+1.3 pts
21Greenwood County6.1+0.7 pts
23Abbeville County5.8+1.2 pts
23Calhoun County5.8+1.3 pts
23Florence County5.8+1.1 pts
23Hampton County5.8+1.7 pts
23Lancaster County5.8+1 pts
28Jasper County5.6+1.2 pts
28Laurens County5.6+0.9 pts
30Aiken County5.4+1 pts
30Richland County5.4+0.9 pts
30Spartanburg County5.4+0.9 pts
33Beaufort County5.3+0.9 pts
33Kershaw County5.3+0.9 pts
33Oconee County5.3+1 pts
33York County5.3+0.8 pts
37Pickens County5.2+1 pts
38Anderson County5.1+1 pts
39Newberry County5+0.7 pts
40Berkeley County4.9+0.9 pts
41Dorchester County4.8+0.9 pts
41Edgefield County4.8+0.9 pts
41Greenville County4.8+0.8 pts
41Lexington County4.8+0.9 pts
45Saluda County4.6+0.8 pts
46Charleston County4.5+0.8 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?

Marlboro County, with 9.1% in February 2026, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which county has the lowest unemployment rate?

Charleston County, with 4.5% in February 2026.

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