Counties in South Carolina by unemployment rate

Williamsburg County had the highest unemployment rate of 46 counties in July 2026, at 7%. Saluda County had the lowest, at 3.4%. The median was 4.4% and the figure for South Carolina was 4.2%. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Lowest3.4Saluda County
Median4.446 counties
South Carolina4.2History

All counties, July 2026

CSVChart (SVG)

Williamsburg CountyWilliamsburg County: 7 %7Marlboro CountyMarlboro County: 6.7 %6.7Marion CountyMarion County: 6.6 %6.6Allendale CountyAllendale County: 6.1 %6.1Orangeburg CountyOrangeburg County: 6.1 %6.1Lee CountyLee County: 5.9 %5.9Union CountyUnion County: 5.9 %5.9Clarendon CountyClarendon County: 5.7 %5.7Bamberg CountyBamberg County: 5.5 %5.5Cherokee CountyCherokee County: 5.5 %5.5Dillon CountyDillon County: 5.4 %5.4Chester CountyChester County: 5.2 %5.2Barnwell CountyBarnwell County: 5.1 %5.1Sumter CountySumter County: 5.1 %5.1Darlington CountyDarlington County: 5 %5Chesterfield CountyChesterfield County: 4.9 %4.9Fairfield CountyFairfield County: 4.9 %4.9Greenwood CountyGreenwood County: 4.9 %4.9Colleton CountyColleton County: 4.8 %4.8McCormick CountyMcCormick County: 4.8 %4.8Florence CountyFlorence County: 4.6 %4.6Georgetown CountyGeorgetown County: 4.6 %4.6Abbeville CountyAbbeville County: 4.4 %4.4Hampton CountyHampton County: 4.4 %4.4Horry CountyHorry County: 4.4 %4.4Calhoun CountyCalhoun County: 4.3 %4.3Newberry CountyNewberry County: 4.3 %4.3Richland CountyRichland County: 4.3 %4.3Spartanburg CountySpartanburg County: 4.3 %4.3Kershaw CountyKershaw County: 4.2 %4.2Lancaster CountyLancaster County: 4.1 %4.1Laurens CountyLaurens County: 4.1 %4.1Pickens CountyPickens County: 4.1 %4.1Berkeley CountyBerkeley County: 4 %4Dorchester CountyDorchester County: 4 %4Jasper CountyJasper County: 4 %4Oconee CountyOconee County: 4 %4York CountyYork County: 4 %4Aiken CountyAiken County: 3.9 %3.9Anderson CountyAnderson County: 3.8 %3.8Beaufort CountyBeaufort County: 3.8 %3.8Lexington CountyLexington County: 3.6 %3.6Edgefield CountyEdgefield County: 3.5 %3.5Greenville CountyGreenville County: 3.5 %3.5Charleston CountyCharleston County: 3.4 %3.4Saluda CountySaluda County: 3.4 %3.4
%. Source: BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCountiesJuly 2026 (%)Change on July 2025
1Williamsburg County7-1.6 pts
2Marlboro County6.7-0.8 pts
3Marion County6.6-0.3 pts
4Allendale County6.1-0.1 pts
4Orangeburg County6.1-0.9 pts
6Lee County5.90 pts
6Union County5.90 pts
8Clarendon County5.7-0.7 pts
9Bamberg County5.5-1 pts
9Cherokee County5.5-1.6 pts
11Dillon County5.4-1 pts
12Chester County5.2-0.9 pts
13Barnwell County5.1-0.8 pts
13Sumter County5.1-0.6 pts
15Darlington County5-0.6 pts
16Chesterfield County4.9-0.6 pts
16Fairfield County4.9-0.6 pts
16Greenwood County4.9-1.1 pts
19Colleton County4.8-1.2 pts
19McCormick County4.8-0.2 pts
21Florence County4.6-0.7 pts
21Georgetown County4.6-0.9 pts
23Abbeville County4.4-1 pts
23Hampton County4.4-0.4 pts
23Horry County4.4-0.8 pts
26Calhoun County4.3-0.5 pts
26Newberry County4.3-0.4 pts
26Richland County4.3-0.7 pts
26Spartanburg County4.3-0.7 pts
30Kershaw County4.2-0.6 pts
31Lancaster County4.1-0.8 pts
31Laurens County4.1-1 pts
31Pickens County4.1-0.9 pts
34Berkeley County4-0.3 pts
34Dorchester County4-0.2 pts
34Jasper County4-0.5 pts
34Oconee County4-0.6 pts
34York County4-0.9 pts
39Aiken County3.9-0.8 pts
40Anderson County3.8-0.7 pts
40Beaufort County3.8-0.6 pts
42Lexington County3.6-0.5 pts
43Edgefield County3.5-0.9 pts
43Greenville County3.5-0.7 pts
45Charleston County3.4-0.4 pts
45Saluda County3.4-0.8 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?

Williamsburg County, with 7% in July 2026, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which county has the lowest unemployment rate?

Saluda County, with 3.4% in July 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