Fastest-growing counties in South Carolina
From 2018 to 2019, the U.S. population grew by .48%, its slowest rate in 100 years. Declining births, increasing deaths largely due to the graying Baby Boomer population, and a crackdown on immigration have contributed to many states seeing net population losses in recent years.
But in other pockets of the country, populations are growing. These shifts can be due to job opportunities, high quality of life, easy commutability to job centers, low rents, or any combination of these or other factors. Stacker compiled a list of the fastest-growing counties in South Carolina using data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Counties are ranked by the highest population growth from 2010 to 2019, based on 5-year estimates.
A county typically sees population growth as a “bedroom community” (a municipality with an atypically large commuting population) to a large city. These communities are typically quieter than their feeder cities, offer lower rents and a higher quality of living, and are remote enough to be immune to the feeder city’s crime, traffic, and crowds. Keep reading to see if your home county made the list.
#30. McCormick County
– 2010 to 2019 population change: -672
— #2,466 among all counties nationwide
– 2010 to 2019 percent population change: -6.6%
— #39 among counties in South Carolina, #2,824 among all counties nationwide
– 2019 population: 9,531
— #45 largest county in South Carolina, #2,463 largest county nationwide
#29. Clarendon County
– 2010 to 2019 population change: -664
— #2,457 among all counties nationwide
– 2010 to 2019 percent population change: -1.9%
— #28 among counties in South Carolina, #1,973 among all counties nationwide
– 2019 population: 33,957
— #28 largest county in South Carolina, #1,329 largest county nationwide
#28. Calhoun County
– 2010 to 2019 population change: -549
— #2,362 among all counties nationwide
– 2010 to 2019 percent population change: -3.6%
— #33 among counties in South Carolina, #2,358 among all counties nationwide
– 2019 population: 14,663
— #43 largest county in South Carolina, #2,115 largest county nationwide
#27. Laurens County
– 2010 to 2019 population change: -180
— #1,855 among all counties nationwide
– 2010 to 2019 percent population change: -0.3%
— #26 among counties in South Carolina, #1,611 among all counties nationwide
– 2019 population: 66,846
— #21 largest county in South Carolina, #794 largest county nationwide
#26. Chesterfield County
– 2010 to 2019 population change: -134
— #1,766 among all counties nationwide
– 2010 to 2019 percent population change: -0.3%
— #27 among counties in South Carolina, #1,616 among all counties nationwide
– 2019 population: 45,953
— #25 largest county in South Carolina, #1,050 largest county nationwide
#25. Sumter County
– 2010 to 2019 population change: +156
— #1,378 among all counties nationwide
– 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +0.1%
— #25 among counties in South Carolina, #1,531 among all counties nationwide
– 2019 population: 106,757
— #15 largest county in South Carolina, #564 largest county nationwide
#24. Edgefield County
– 2010 to 2019 population change: +247
— #1,298 among all counties nationwide
– 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +0.9%
— #24 among counties in South Carolina, #1,387 among all counties nationwide
– 2019 population: 26,927
— #35 largest county in South Carolina, #1,525 largest county nationwide
#23. Saluda County
– 2010 to 2019 population change: +736
— #1,060 among all counties nationwide
– 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +3.8%
— #19 among counties in South Carolina, #948 among all counties nationwide
– 2019 population: 20,303
— #40 largest county in South Carolina, #1,810 largest county nationwide
#22. Newberry County
– 2010 to 2019 population change: +997
— #974 among all counties nationwide
– 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +2.7%
— #21 among counties in South Carolina, #1,100 among all counties nationwide
– 2019 population: 38,194
— #26 largest county in South Carolina, #1,220 largest county nationwide
#21. Greenwood County
– 2010 to 2019 population change: +1,521
— #851 among all counties nationwide
– 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +2.2%
— #23 among counties in South Carolina, #1,175 among all counties nationwide
– 2019 population: 70,411
— #19 largest county in South Carolina, #764 largest county nationwide
#20. Georgetown County
– 2010 to 2019 population change: +1,716
— #817 among all counties nationwide
– 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +2.8%
— #20 among counties in South Carolina, #1,079 among all counties nationwide
– 2019 population: 61,952
— #23 largest county in South Carolina, #847 largest county nationwide
#19. Cherokee County
– 2010 to 2019 population change: +2,063
— #764 among all counties nationwide
– 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +3.8%
— #18 among counties in South Carolina, #947 among all counties nationwide
– 2019 population: 56,895
— #24 largest county in South Carolina, #898 largest county nationwide
#18. Florence County
– 2010 to 2019 population change: +3,578
— #617 among all counties nationwide
– 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +2.7%
— #22 among counties in South Carolina, #1,108 among all counties nationwide
– 2019 population: 138,475
— #13 largest county in South Carolina, #464 largest county nationwide
#17. Oconee County
– 2010 to 2019 population change: +4,493
— #566 among all counties nationwide
– 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +6.2%
— #16 among counties in South Carolina, #679 among all counties nationwide
– 2019 population: 77,528
— #18 largest county in South Carolina, #714 largest county nationwide
#16. Kershaw County
– 2010 to 2019 population change: +4,946
— #546 among all counties nationwide
– 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +8.2%
— #13 among counties in South Carolina, #517 among all counties nationwide
– 2019 population: 65,112
— #22 largest county in South Carolina, #820 largest county nationwide
#15. Jasper County
– 2010 to 2019 population change: +5,023
— #543 among all counties nationwide
– 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +21.3%
— #6 among counties in South Carolina, #88 among all counties nationwide
– 2019 population: 28,657
— #33 largest county in South Carolina, #1,465 largest county nationwide
#14. Pickens County
– 2010 to 2019 population change: +6,206
— #490 among all counties nationwide
– 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +5.3%
— #17 among counties in South Carolina, #771 among all counties nationwide
– 2019 population: 124,029
— #14 largest county in South Carolina, #509 largest county nationwide
#13. Aiken County
– 2010 to 2019 population change: +11,631
— #358 among all counties nationwide
– 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +7.4%
— #15 among counties in South Carolina, #573 among all counties nationwide
– 2019 population: 168,301
— #11 largest county in South Carolina, #383 largest county nationwide
#12. Anderson County
– 2010 to 2019 population change: +14,373
— #324 among all counties nationwide
– 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +7.8%
— #14 among counties in South Carolina, #546 among all counties nationwide
– 2019 population: 198,064
— #9 largest county in South Carolina, #336 largest county nationwide
#11. Lancaster County
– 2010 to 2019 population change: +20,006
— #265 among all counties nationwide
– 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +27.7%
— #2 among counties in South Carolina, #46 among all counties nationwide
– 2019 population: 92,308
— #16 largest county in South Carolina, #635 largest county nationwide
#10. Dorchester County
– 2010 to 2019 population change: +28,681
— #192 among all counties nationwide
– 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +22.1%
— #5 among counties in South Carolina, #77 among all counties nationwide
– 2019 population: 158,299
— #12 largest county in South Carolina, #416 largest county nationwide
#9. Spartanburg County
– 2010 to 2019 population change: +29,450
— #185 among all counties nationwide
– 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +10.6%
— #11 among counties in South Carolina, #366 among all counties nationwide
– 2019 population: 307,617
— #5 largest county in South Carolina, #226 largest county nationwide
#8. Beaufort County
– 2010 to 2019 population change: +30,545
— #178 among all counties nationwide
– 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +19.6%
— #7 among counties in South Carolina, #108 among all counties nationwide
– 2019 population: 186,095
— #10 largest county in South Carolina, #352 largest county nationwide
#7. Lexington County
– 2010 to 2019 population change: +37,715
— #138 among all counties nationwide
– 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +14.9%
— #10 among counties in South Carolina, #199 among all counties nationwide
– 2019 population: 290,278
— #6 largest county in South Carolina, #237 largest county nationwide
#6. Richland County
– 2010 to 2019 population change: +38,760
— #133 among all counties nationwide
– 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +10.4%
— #12 among counties in South Carolina, #379 among all counties nationwide
– 2019 population: 411,357
— #2 largest county in South Carolina, #171 largest county nationwide
#5. Berkeley County
– 2010 to 2019 population change: +45,166
— #115 among all counties nationwide
– 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +26.6%
— #3 among counties in South Carolina, #52 among all counties nationwide
– 2019 population: 215,044
— #8 largest county in South Carolina, #309 largest county nationwide
#4. York County
– 2010 to 2019 population change: +50,956
— #105 among all counties nationwide
– 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +23.7%
— #4 among counties in South Carolina, #63 among all counties nationwide
– 2019 population: 265,872
— #7 largest county in South Carolina, #256 largest county nationwide
#3. Charleston County
– 2010 to 2019 population change: +58,731
— #89 among all counties nationwide
– 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +17.2%
— #8 among counties in South Carolina, #147 among all counties nationwide
– 2019 population: 401,165
— #3 largest county in South Carolina, #174 largest county nationwide
#2. Greenville County
– 2010 to 2019 population change: +70,566
— #69 among all counties nationwide
– 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +16.2%
— #9 among counties in South Carolina, #171 among all counties nationwide
– 2019 population: 507,003
— #1 largest county in South Carolina, #136 largest county nationwide
#1. Horry County
– 2010 to 2019 population change: +73,905
— #65 among all counties nationwide
– 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +28.6%
— #1 among counties in South Carolina, #39 among all counties nationwide
– 2019 population: 332,172
— #4 largest county in South Carolina, #209 largest county nationwide
