Counties in South Carolina by unemployment rate

Marlboro County had the highest unemployment rate of 46 counties in April 2026, at 6.7%. Charleston County had the lowest, at 2.9%. The median was 3.95% and the figure for South Carolina was 4.8%. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Highest6.7Marlboro County
Median3.9546 counties
South Carolina4.8History

All counties, April 2026

CSVChart (SVG)

Marlboro CountyMarlboro County: 6.7 %6.7Williamsburg CountyWilliamsburg County: 6.2 %6.2Union CountyUnion County: 5.6 %5.6Marion CountyMarion County: 5.5 %5.5Lee CountyLee County: 5.4 %5.4Allendale CountyAllendale County: 5.3 %5.3Cherokee CountyCherokee County: 5 %5Orangeburg CountyOrangeburg County: 5 %5Dillon CountyDillon County: 4.8 %4.8Clarendon CountyClarendon County: 4.7 %4.7Sumter CountySumter County: 4.7 %4.7Bamberg CountyBamberg County: 4.6 %4.6Chester CountyChester County: 4.6 %4.6Fairfield CountyFairfield County: 4.6 %4.6Barnwell CountyBarnwell County: 4.4 %4.4Georgetown CountyGeorgetown County: 4.3 %4.3Chesterfield CountyChesterfield County: 4.2 %4.2Darlington CountyDarlington County: 4.2 %4.2Horry CountyHorry County: 4.2 %4.2McCormick CountyMcCormick County: 4.2 %4.2Colleton CountyColleton County: 4.1 %4.1Greenwood CountyGreenwood County: 4.1 %4.1Florence CountyFlorence County: 4 %4Hampton CountyHampton County: 3.9 %3.9Lancaster CountyLancaster County: 3.9 %3.9Laurens CountyLaurens County: 3.9 %3.9Abbeville CountyAbbeville County: 3.8 %3.8Calhoun CountyCalhoun County: 3.8 %3.8Richland CountyRichland County: 3.8 %3.8Spartanburg CountySpartanburg County: 3.8 %3.8Newberry CountyNewberry County: 3.7 %3.7York CountyYork County: 3.7 %3.7Kershaw CountyKershaw County: 3.6 %3.6Jasper CountyJasper County: 3.5 %3.5Pickens CountyPickens County: 3.5 %3.5Aiken CountyAiken County: 3.4 %3.4Anderson CountyAnderson County: 3.3 %3.3Beaufort CountyBeaufort County: 3.3 %3.3Oconee CountyOconee County: 3.3 %3.3Berkeley CountyBerkeley County: 3.2 %3.2Dorchester CountyDorchester County: 3.2 %3.2Greenville CountyGreenville County: 3.2 %3.2Edgefield CountyEdgefield County: 3.1 %3.1Lexington CountyLexington County: 3.1 %3.1Saluda CountySaluda County: 3 %3Charleston CountyCharleston County: 2.9 %2.9
%. Source: BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCountiesApril 2026 (%)Change on April 2025
1Marlboro County6.7+0.8 pts
2Williamsburg County6.2+0.2 pts
3Union County5.6-0.3 pts
4Marion County5.5+0.5 pts
5Lee County5.4+0.3 pts
6Allendale County5.3+0.7 pts
7Cherokee County5-0.3 pts
7Orangeburg County5-0.1 pts
9Dillon County4.8-0.2 pts
10Clarendon County4.7-0.3 pts
10Sumter County4.7+0.2 pts
12Bamberg County4.60 pts
12Chester County4.6-0.2 pts
12Fairfield County4.6+0.2 pts
15Barnwell County4.4-0.4 pts
16Georgetown County4.3-0.2 pts
17Chesterfield County4.2+0.2 pts
17Darlington County4.2+0.3 pts
17Horry County4.20 pts
17McCormick County4.2+0.1 pts
21Colleton County4.10 pts
21Greenwood County4.1-0.5 pts
23Florence County4+0.2 pts
24Hampton County3.9+0.5 pts
24Lancaster County3.90 pts
24Laurens County3.9-0.3 pts
27Abbeville County3.8-0.1 pts
27Calhoun County3.8+0.3 pts
27Richland County3.80 pts
27Spartanburg County3.8-0.1 pts
31Newberry County3.7+0.2 pts
31York County3.7-0.1 pts
33Kershaw County3.60 pts
34Jasper County3.5+0.2 pts
34Pickens County3.5-0.2 pts
36Aiken County3.40 pts
37Anderson County3.3-0.1 pts
37Beaufort County3.3+0.1 pts
37Oconee County3.3+0.1 pts
40Berkeley County3.20 pts
40Dorchester County3.20 pts
40Greenville County3.2-0.1 pts
43Edgefield County3.1+0.2 pts
43Lexington County3.10 pts
45Saluda County3-0.1 pts
46Charleston County2.90 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 6.7% in April 2026, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which county has the lowest unemployment rate?

Charleston County, with 2.9% in April 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