Counties in South Carolina by unemployment rate

Marlboro County had the highest unemployment rate of 46 counties in June 2026, at 7.2%. Charleston County had the lowest, at 3.5%. The median was 4.7% and the figure for South Carolina was 4.4%. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Highest7.2Marlboro County
Median4.746 counties
South Carolina4.4History

All counties, June 2026

CSVChart (SVG)

Marlboro CountyMarlboro County: 7.2 %7.2Williamsburg CountyWilliamsburg County: 6.9 %6.9Marion CountyMarion County: 6.8 %6.8Allendale CountyAllendale County: 6.6 %6.6Lee CountyLee County: 6.2 %6.2Orangeburg CountyOrangeburg County: 5.9 %5.9Union CountyUnion County: 5.9 %5.9Bamberg CountyBamberg County: 5.8 %5.8Cherokee CountyCherokee County: 5.6 %5.6Dillon CountyDillon County: 5.6 %5.6Barnwell CountyBarnwell County: 5.5 %5.5Clarendon CountyClarendon County: 5.5 %5.5Sumter CountySumter County: 5.4 %5.4Chester CountyChester County: 5.3 %5.3Chesterfield CountyChesterfield County: 5.1 %5.1McCormick CountyMcCormick County: 5.1 %5.1Darlington CountyDarlington County: 5 %5Fairfield CountyFairfield County: 5 %5Greenwood CountyGreenwood County: 5 %5Colleton CountyColleton County: 4.9 %4.9Florence CountyFlorence County: 4.8 %4.8Georgetown CountyGeorgetown County: 4.8 %4.8Hampton CountyHampton County: 4.7 %4.7Horry CountyHorry County: 4.7 %4.7Abbeville CountyAbbeville County: 4.6 %4.6Calhoun CountyCalhoun County: 4.6 %4.6Newberry CountyNewberry County: 4.6 %4.6Richland CountyRichland County: 4.5 %4.5Spartanburg CountySpartanburg County: 4.5 %4.5Jasper CountyJasper County: 4.4 %4.4Kershaw CountyKershaw County: 4.4 %4.4Lancaster CountyLancaster County: 4.4 %4.4Pickens CountyPickens County: 4.4 %4.4Aiken CountyAiken County: 4.3 %4.3Laurens CountyLaurens County: 4.3 %4.3Oconee CountyOconee County: 4.3 %4.3York CountyYork County: 4.2 %4.2Beaufort CountyBeaufort County: 4.1 %4.1Anderson CountyAnderson County: 4 %4Edgefield CountyEdgefield County: 3.9 %3.9Berkeley CountyBerkeley County: 3.8 %3.8Dorchester CountyDorchester County: 3.8 %3.8Saluda CountySaluda County: 3.8 %3.8Greenville CountyGreenville County: 3.7 %3.7Lexington CountyLexington County: 3.7 %3.7Charleston CountyCharleston County: 3.5 %3.5
%. Source: BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCountiesJune 2026 (%)Change on June 2025
1Marlboro County7.20 pts
2Williamsburg County6.9-0.9 pts
3Marion County6.8+0.4 pts
4Allendale County6.6+0.5 pts
5Lee County6.2+0.3 pts
6Orangeburg County5.9-0.6 pts
6Union County5.9+0.2 pts
8Bamberg County5.8-0.3 pts
9Cherokee County5.6-0.4 pts
9Dillon County5.6-0.4 pts
11Barnwell County5.5-0.3 pts
11Clarendon County5.5-0.8 pts
13Sumter County5.4-0.1 pts
14Chester County5.3-0.3 pts
15Chesterfield County5.1-0.1 pts
15McCormick County5.1-0.2 pts
17Darlington County5-0.1 pts
17Fairfield County5-0.3 pts
17Greenwood County5-0.5 pts
20Colleton County4.9-0.5 pts
21Florence County4.8-0.1 pts
21Georgetown County4.8-0.5 pts
23Hampton County4.7+0.2 pts
23Horry County4.7-0.3 pts
25Abbeville County4.6-0.3 pts
25Calhoun County4.6-0.2 pts
25Newberry County4.60 pts
28Richland County4.5-0.3 pts
28Spartanburg County4.5-0.2 pts
30Jasper County4.4-0.2 pts
30Kershaw County4.4-0.2 pts
30Lancaster County4.4-0.3 pts
30Pickens County4.4-0.3 pts
34Aiken County4.3-0.2 pts
34Laurens County4.3-0.6 pts
34Oconee County4.3-0.1 pts
37York County4.2-0.4 pts
38Beaufort County4.1-0.2 pts
39Anderson County4-0.3 pts
40Edgefield County3.90 pts
41Berkeley County3.8-0.2 pts
41Dorchester County3.8-0.2 pts
41Saluda County3.8-0.2 pts
44Greenville County3.7-0.3 pts
44Lexington County3.7-0.3 pts
46Charleston County3.5-0.2 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 7.2% in June 2026, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which county has the lowest unemployment rate?

Charleston County, with 3.5% in June 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