County facts · Population · October 25, 2026
South Carolina Population by County, 2025 Census Estimates
South Carolina population by county: July 2025 Census estimates for all 46 counties, change since 2020, density, and a link to each official parcel map.
Looking for South Carolina population by county? The Census Bureau estimates that South Carolina had 5,570,274 residents on July 1, 2025, spread across 46 counties. Greenville County is the most populous, with 583,125 people (10% of the state), and Allendale County is the least populous, with 7,355.
The table below lists every county with its 2025 estimate, its April 2020 starting point, the change, people per square mile, and a link to its official parcel viewer.
South Carolina population at a glance
- Counties: 46
- Statewide, July 1, 2025: 5,570,274 (April 1, 2020 estimates base: 5,118,250; change +452,024, +8.8%)
- Most populous: Greenville County (583,125); least populous: Allendale County (7,355)
- Median county: about 60,582 residents (half of the counties are smaller)
- The 5 largest counties hold 41% of all South Carolina residents
- Counties with 1,000,000+ residents: 0 · 100,000+: 16 · under 10,000: 1
- Statewide density: about 185 people per square mile of land
South Carolina population by county, July 2025 (all 46)
| # | County | Jul 2025 | Apr 2020 | % change | People per sq mi | Parcel viewer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Greenville County | 583,125 | 525,549 | +11.0% | 742 | county web map |
| 2 | Charleston County | 436,200 | 408,522 | +6.8% | 475 | county web map |
| 3 | Richland County | 434,956 | 416,131 | +4.5% | 574 | county web map |
| 4 | Horry County | 427,551 | 351,036 | +21.8% | 377 | county web map |
| 5 | Spartanburg County | 380,857 | 328,000 | +16.1% | 471 | ArcGIS Web AppBuilder |
| 6 | Lexington County | 317,588 | 293,919 | +8.1% | 454 | county web map |
| 7 | York County | 306,887 | 281,907 | +8.9% | 451 | ArcGIS Experience Builder |
| 8 | Berkeley County | 274,666 | 229,779 | +19.5% | 249 | ArcGIS Experience Builder |
| 9 | Anderson County | 219,930 | 203,721 | +8.0% | 308 | county web map |
| 10 | Beaufort County | 204,433 | 187,093 | +9.3% | 355 | ArcGIS Experience Builder |
| 11 | Aiken County | 181,515 | 168,810 | +7.5% | 170 | qPublic (Schneider Geospatial) |
| 12 | Dorchester County | 178,397 | 161,330 | +10.6% | 314 | ArcGIS Web AppBuilder |
| 13 | Pickens County | 139,198 | 131,415 | +5.9% | 280 | qPublic (Schneider Geospatial) |
| 14 | Florence County | 138,504 | 137,067 | +1.0% | 173 | county web map |
| 15 | Lancaster County | 114,296 | 96,012 | +19.0% | 208 | Beacon (Schneider Geospatial) |
| 16 | Sumter County | 105,067 | 105,557 | −0.5% | 158 | ArcGIS Web AppBuilder |
| 17 | Oconee County | 83,775 | 78,612 | +6.6% | 134 | ArcGIS Web AppBuilder |
| 18 | Orangeburg County | 83,177 | 84,227 | −1.2% | 75 | ArcGIS Web AppBuilder |
| 19 | Kershaw County | 73,166 | 65,407 | +11.9% | 101 | Beacon (Schneider Geospatial) |
| 20 | Laurens County | 71,848 | 67,522 | +6.4% | 101 | Beacon (Schneider Geospatial) |
| 21 | Greenwood County | 70,379 | 69,350 | +1.5% | 154 | county web map |
| 22 | Georgetown County | 65,912 | 63,400 | +4.0% | 81 | ArcGIS Experience Builder |
| 23 | Darlington County | 62,888 | 62,905 | −0.0% | 112 | qPublic (Schneider Geospatial) |
| 24 | Cherokee County | 58,275 | 56,225 | +3.6% | 148 | qPublic (Schneider Geospatial) |
| 25 | Chesterfield County | 44,740 | 43,268 | +3.4% | 56 | WTH GIS |
| 26 | Newberry County | 39,561 | 37,716 | +4.9% | 63 | listed link under review |
| 27 | Colleton County | 39,382 | 38,600 | +2.0% | 37 | ArcGIS Web AppBuilder |
| 28 | Jasper County | 38,533 | 28,811 | +33.7% | 59 | Beacon (Schneider Geospatial) |
| 29 | Chester County | 33,001 | 32,298 | +2.2% | 57 | Beacon (Schneider Geospatial) |
| 30 | Clarendon County | 31,043 | 31,145 | −0.3% | 51 | qPublic (Schneider Geospatial) |
| 31 | Edgefield County | 29,808 | 25,649 | +16.2% | 60 | qPublic (Schneider Geospatial) |
| 32 | Williamsburg County | 29,662 | 31,020 | −4.4% | 32 | WTH GIS |
| 33 | Marion County | 28,242 | 29,184 | −3.2% | 58 | WTH GIS |
| 34 | Dillon County | 27,458 | 28,294 | −3.0% | 68 | WTH GIS |
| 35 | Union County | 26,799 | 27,230 | −1.6% | 52 | Beacon (Schneider Geospatial) |
| 36 | Marlboro County | 25,488 | 26,667 | −4.4% | 53 | WTH GIS |
| 37 | Abbeville County | 24,836 | 24,293 | +2.2% | 51 | qPublic (Schneider Geospatial) |
| 38 | Barnwell County | 20,653 | 20,583 | +0.3% | 38 | qPublic (Schneider Geospatial) |
| 39 | Fairfield County | 20,340 | 20,961 | −3.0% | 30 | county web map |
| 40 | Saluda County | 19,680 | 18,942 | +3.9% | 43 | county web map |
| 41 | Hampton County | 18,174 | 18,565 | −2.1% | 32 | ArcGIS Web AppBuilder |
| 42 | Lee County | 15,730 | 16,533 | −4.9% | 38 | Beacon (Schneider Geospatial) |
| 43 | Calhoun County | 14,188 | 14,120 | +0.5% | 37 | county web map |
| 44 | Bamberg County | 12,796 | 13,311 | −3.9% | 33 | no verified public viewer listed yet |
| 45 | McCormick County | 10,215 | 9,527 | +7.2% | 28 | WTH GIS |
| 46 | Allendale County | 7,355 | 8,037 | −8.5% | 18 | WTH GIS |
Percent change runs from the April 1, 2020 estimates base to July 1, 2025. People per square mile is the July 2025 estimate divided by the county's land area in the Census Bureau's 2020 Gazetteer file, so lakes and bays are left out.
How South Carolina's population is spread out
Grouping the counties by size shows how concentrated the state is:
| Residents (July 2025) | Counties | Total residents | Share of state |
|---|---|---|---|
| 250,000 to 999,999 | 8 | 3,161,830 | 57% |
| 100,000 to 249,999 | 8 | 1,281,340 | 23% |
| 25,000 to 99,999 | 20 | 963,137 | 17% |
| 10,000 to 24,999 | 9 | 156,612 | 3% |
| Under 10,000 | 1 | 7,355 | 0% |
8 counties with at least 250,000 residents hold 57% of the state's population.
Most and least densely populated
The most crowded counties by people per square mile of land:
- Greenville County: 742 per sq mi (583,125 people on 786 sq mi)
- Richland County: 574 per sq mi (434,956 people on 757 sq mi)
- Charleston County: 475 per sq mi (436,200 people on 918 sq mi)
- Spartanburg County: 471 per sq mi (380,857 people on 808 sq mi)
- Lexington County: 454 per sq mi (317,588 people on 699 sq mi)
The most thinly settled:
- Allendale County: 18 per sq mi (7,355 people on 408 sq mi)
- McCormick County: 28 per sq mi (10,215 people on 359 sq mi)
- Fairfield County: 30 per sq mi (20,340 people on 686 sq mi)
- Williamsburg County: 32 per sq mi (29,662 people on 934 sq mi)
- Hampton County: 32 per sq mi (18,174 people on 560 sq mi)
About these numbers
- They are estimates. Between censuses the Census Bureau's Population Estimates Program updates county totals each year from births, deaths and migration records. The next full count is the 2030 census.
- The base is April 1, 2020. The estimates start from an April 1, 2020 "estimates base" built from the 2020 census, which is why it is slightly different from the published census count.
- Each new release revises the past. A newer vintage can change earlier years as well, so compare numbers from the same release, as this page does.
- Statewide total. The counties add up exactly to the statewide figure of 5,570,274 in the same file.
Using population numbers in a land search
- Big counties, busy offices. In the most populous counties, parcel maps and deed records are usually online and searchable, but recording and permit offices are busier. Allow for that if you are on a deadline.
- Small counties, fewer sales. In counties with only a few thousand people, land changes hands less often, so there are fewer recent sales to compare a price with. Recorded deeds and the local assessor's sales records are the best source.
- Density hints at lot size. A low people-per-square-mile figure usually means farms, ranches and timber tracts; a high one means subdivided lots. The parcel viewer shows the actual parcel lines.
- Check the official map. Use the parcel viewer link in the table for boundaries, parcel numbers and owner names, then confirm anything important with the local assessor and the office that records deeds.
Related guides
- Fastest growing counties in South Carolina
- Largest counties in South Carolina
- South Carolina county GIS websites by viewer
- South Carolina plat maps
- South Carolina landowner maps for hunting
- Most populous counties in the US
- Where people are moving in the US
More: All South Carolina counties on Platbookmapper
Sources
- U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, county totals, Vintage 2025 (April 1, 2020 estimates base and July 1, 2020–2025 estimates, with components of change). Statewide totals are the sum of the counties and match the file's state row.
- U.S. Census Bureau Gazetteer files, 2020 county land and water area (for people per square mile).
- Platbookmapper county GIS directory (live data file behind our county pages, pulled October 25, 2026) for each official parcel viewer.