Counties in South Carolina by unemployment rate

Marlboro County had the highest unemployment rate of 46 counties in May 2026, at 6.8%. Charleston County had the lowest, at 3%. The median was 4.1% and the figure for South Carolina was 4.6%. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Highest6.8Marlboro County
Median4.146 counties
South Carolina4.6History

All counties, May 2026

CSVChart (SVG)

Marlboro CountyMarlboro County: 6.8 %6.8Williamsburg CountyWilliamsburg County: 6.4 %6.4Allendale CountyAllendale County: 5.8 %5.8Marion CountyMarion County: 5.7 %5.7Lee CountyLee County: 5.6 %5.6Union CountyUnion County: 5.5 %5.5Orangeburg CountyOrangeburg County: 5.4 %5.4Bamberg CountyBamberg County: 5 %5Cherokee CountyCherokee County: 5 %5Dillon CountyDillon County: 5 %5Barnwell CountyBarnwell County: 4.9 %4.9Clarendon CountyClarendon County: 4.9 %4.9Sumter CountySumter County: 4.9 %4.9Chester CountyChester County: 4.8 %4.8Fairfield CountyFairfield County: 4.6 %4.6Darlington CountyDarlington County: 4.5 %4.5Greenwood CountyGreenwood County: 4.5 %4.5Chesterfield CountyChesterfield County: 4.4 %4.4Georgetown CountyGeorgetown County: 4.4 %4.4Horry CountyHorry County: 4.4 %4.4Florence CountyFlorence County: 4.3 %4.3Colleton CountyColleton County: 4.2 %4.2Abbeville CountyAbbeville County: 4.1 %4.1Hampton CountyHampton County: 4.1 %4.1McCormick CountyMcCormick County: 4.1 %4.1Richland CountyRichland County: 4.1 %4.1Lancaster CountyLancaster County: 4 %4Laurens CountyLaurens County: 4 %4Newberry CountyNewberry County: 4 %4Pickens CountyPickens County: 4 %4Calhoun CountyCalhoun County: 3.9 %3.9Spartanburg CountySpartanburg County: 3.9 %3.9York CountyYork County: 3.9 %3.9Kershaw CountyKershaw County: 3.8 %3.8Aiken CountyAiken County: 3.7 %3.7Jasper CountyJasper County: 3.7 %3.7Anderson CountyAnderson County: 3.6 %3.6Oconee CountyOconee County: 3.6 %3.6Beaufort CountyBeaufort County: 3.4 %3.4Berkeley CountyBerkeley County: 3.4 %3.4Dorchester CountyDorchester County: 3.4 %3.4Greenville CountyGreenville County: 3.4 %3.4Edgefield CountyEdgefield County: 3.3 %3.3Lexington CountyLexington County: 3.3 %3.3Saluda CountySaluda County: 3.3 %3.3Charleston CountyCharleston County: 3 %3
%. Source: BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCountiesMay 2026 (%)Change on May 2025
1Marlboro County6.8+0.5 pts
2Williamsburg County6.4-0.3 pts
3Allendale County5.8+0.7 pts
4Marion County5.7+0.5 pts
5Lee County5.60 pts
6Union County5.5+0.6 pts
7Orangeburg County5.4-0.1 pts
8Bamberg County5+0.1 pts
8Cherokee County5-0.1 pts
8Dillon County5-0.3 pts
11Barnwell County4.9-0.3 pts
11Clarendon County4.9-0.5 pts
11Sumter County4.9+0.1 pts
14Chester County4.8-0.3 pts
15Fairfield County4.6-0.1 pts
16Darlington County4.5+0.1 pts
16Greenwood County4.5-0.4 pts
18Chesterfield County4.40 pts
18Georgetown County4.4-0.3 pts
18Horry County4.40 pts
21Florence County4.3+0.1 pts
22Colleton County4.2-0.2 pts
23Abbeville County4.1-0.2 pts
23Hampton County4.1+0.5 pts
23McCormick County4.1-0.4 pts
23Richland County4.1-0.1 pts
27Lancaster County4-0.2 pts
27Laurens County4-0.4 pts
27Newberry County4+0.1 pts
27Pickens County4-0.1 pts
31Calhoun County3.9-0.1 pts
31Spartanburg County3.9-0.2 pts
31York County3.9-0.1 pts
34Kershaw County3.8-0.1 pts
35Aiken County3.7-0.1 pts
35Jasper County3.7-0.1 pts
37Anderson County3.6-0.1 pts
37Oconee County3.60 pts
39Beaufort County3.4-0.1 pts
39Berkeley County3.40 pts
39Dorchester County3.40 pts
39Greenville County3.4-0.1 pts
43Edgefield County3.30 pts
43Lexington County3.3-0.1 pts
43Saluda County3.30 pts
46Charleston County3-0.1 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?

Marlboro County, with 6.8% in May 2026, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which county has the lowest unemployment rate?

Charleston County, with 3% in May 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