Counties in South Carolina by unemployment rate

Marlboro County had the highest unemployment rate of 46 counties in March 2026, at 7.6%. Saluda County had the lowest, at 3.4%. The median was 4.6% and the figure for South Carolina was 4.9%. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Highest7.6Marlboro County
Lowest3.4Saluda County
Median4.646 counties
South Carolina4.9History

All counties, March 2026

CSVChart (SVG)

Marlboro CountyMarlboro County: 7.6 %7.6Williamsburg CountyWilliamsburg County: 7.3 %7.3Marion CountyMarion County: 6.5 %6.5Union CountyUnion County: 6.5 %6.5Allendale CountyAllendale County: 6 %6Lee CountyLee County: 6 %6Orangeburg CountyOrangeburg County: 5.7 %5.7Clarendon CountyClarendon County: 5.5 %5.5Cherokee CountyCherokee County: 5.3 %5.3Chester CountyChester County: 5.3 %5.3Dillon CountyDillon County: 5.3 %5.3Barnwell CountyBarnwell County: 5.2 %5.2Fairfield CountyFairfield County: 5.2 %5.2Georgetown CountyGeorgetown County: 5.2 %5.2Sumter CountySumter County: 5.2 %5.2Bamberg CountyBamberg County: 5.1 %5.1Horry CountyHorry County: 5.1 %5.1McCormick CountyMcCormick County: 5.1 %5.1Darlington CountyDarlington County: 4.8 %4.8Chesterfield CountyChesterfield County: 4.7 %4.7Colleton CountyColleton County: 4.7 %4.7Greenwood CountyGreenwood County: 4.7 %4.7Florence CountyFlorence County: 4.6 %4.6Hampton CountyHampton County: 4.6 %4.6Lancaster CountyLancaster County: 4.6 %4.6Laurens CountyLaurens County: 4.4 %4.4Abbeville CountyAbbeville County: 4.3 %4.3Calhoun CountyCalhoun County: 4.3 %4.3Richland CountyRichland County: 4.3 %4.3Jasper CountyJasper County: 4.2 %4.2Spartanburg CountySpartanburg County: 4.2 %4.2York CountyYork County: 4.2 %4.2Aiken CountyAiken County: 4.1 %4.1Kershaw CountyKershaw County: 4.1 %4.1Newberry CountyNewberry County: 4.1 %4.1Oconee CountyOconee County: 4 %4Beaufort CountyBeaufort County: 3.9 %3.9Pickens CountyPickens County: 3.9 %3.9Anderson CountyAnderson County: 3.8 %3.8Berkeley CountyBerkeley County: 3.7 %3.7Dorchester CountyDorchester County: 3.7 %3.7Greenville CountyGreenville County: 3.7 %3.7Edgefield CountyEdgefield County: 3.6 %3.6Lexington CountyLexington County: 3.6 %3.6Charleston CountyCharleston County: 3.4 %3.4Saluda CountySaluda County: 3.4 %3.4
%. Source: BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCountiesMarch 2026 (%)Change on March 2025
1Marlboro County7.6+0.8 pts
2Williamsburg County7.3+0.3 pts
3Marion County6.5+0.9 pts
3Union County6.5+1.2 pts
5Allendale County6+0.9 pts
5Lee County6+0.3 pts
7Orangeburg County5.7+0.1 pts
8Clarendon County5.5+0.2 pts
9Cherokee County5.3+0.4 pts
9Chester County5.3-0.1 pts
9Dillon County5.3-0.4 pts
12Barnwell County5.2-0.1 pts
12Fairfield County5.20 pts
12Georgetown County5.2-0.4 pts
12Sumter County5.2+0.1 pts
16Bamberg County5.10 pts
16Horry County5.1+0.1 pts
16McCormick County5.1+0.1 pts
19Darlington County4.8+0.4 pts
20Chesterfield County4.7+0.3 pts
20Colleton County4.7+0.1 pts
20Greenwood County4.7-0.3 pts
23Florence County4.6+0.3 pts
23Hampton County4.6+0.9 pts
23Lancaster County4.6+0.1 pts
26Laurens County4.40 pts
27Abbeville County4.30 pts
27Calhoun County4.30 pts
27Richland County4.3+0.1 pts
30Jasper County4.2+0.2 pts
30Spartanburg County4.2+0.1 pts
30York County4.20 pts
33Aiken County4.1+0.2 pts
33Kershaw County4.1+0.1 pts
33Newberry County4.1+0.3 pts
36Oconee County4+0.2 pts
37Beaufort County3.90 pts
37Pickens County3.9+0.3 pts
39Anderson County3.8+0.1 pts
40Berkeley County3.7+0.1 pts
40Dorchester County3.7+0.1 pts
40Greenville County3.7+0.1 pts
43Edgefield County3.6+0.1 pts
43Lexington County3.60 pts
45Charleston County3.4+0.1 pts
45Saluda County3.4+0.2 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 7.6% in March 2026, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which county has the lowest unemployment rate?

Saluda County, with 3.4% in March 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