South Carolina Demographics
South Carolina is the 23rd most populous of 52 states in the United States, with 5,118,405 residents across 30,064 square miles. That is about 170 people per square mile. 68% of residents live in urban areas.
At the 2020 census
| Population | 5,118,405 |
|---|---|
| Land area | 30,064 sq mi |
| Density | 170 / sq mi |
| Urban share | 68% |
Data: 2020 Census · American Community Survey 2024
How South Carolina compares to the US
We're computing this state's comparison table — check back shortly. Population, land area, and density above are already exact.
Central Location: South Carolina
Measured from the state's main population center using 2020 census blocks.
We're computing the drive-time and radius areas around South Carolina — check back shortly. Meanwhile you can drop a pin anywhere in the radius tool.
Counties in South Carolina
| Name | Population | Sq mi | Per sq mi |
|---|---|---|---|
| Greenville County | 525,524 | 785.9 | 669 |
| Richland County | 416,147 | 757.3 | 550 |
| Charleston County | 408,241 | 918.1 | 445 |
| Horry County | 351,029 | 1,133.2 | 310 |
| Spartanburg County | 328,007 | 808.4 | 406 |
| Lexington County | 293,991 | 699.0 | 421 |
| York County | 282,103 | 681.0 | 414 |
| Berkeley County | 229,861 | 1,103.6 | 208 |
| Anderson County | 203,718 | 713.9 | 285 |
| Beaufort County | 187,117 | 576.0 | 325 |
| Aiken County | 168,808 | 1,070.7 | 158 |
| Dorchester County | 161,534 | 568.5 | 284 |
| Florence County | 137,059 | 800.5 | 171 |
| Pickens County | 131,404 | 496.9 | 264 |
| Sumter County | 105,556 | 665.1 | 159 |
| Lancaster County | 96,016 | 549.1 | 175 |
| Orangeburg County | 84,223 | 1,106.4 | 76 |
| Oconee County | 78,607 | 626.6 | 125 |
| Greenwood County | 69,351 | 455.6 | 152 |
| Laurens County | 67,539 | 712.9 | 95 |
| Kershaw County | 65,403 | 726.6 | 90 |
| Georgetown County | 63,404 | 813.6 | 78 |
| Darlington County | 62,905 | 560.6 | 112 |
| Cherokee County | 56,216 | 393.0 | 143 |
| Chesterfield County | 43,273 | 799.0 | 54 |
| Colleton County | 38,554 | 1,056.5 | 36 |
| Newberry County | 37,719 | 630.3 | 60 |
| Chester County | 32,294 | 580.7 | 56 |
| Clarendon County | 31,144 | 607.2 | 51 |
| Williamsburg County | 31,026 | 934.2 | 33 |
| Marion County | 29,183 | 489.4 | 60 |
| Jasper County | 28,791 | 655.2 | 44 |
| Dillon County | 28,292 | 405.1 | 70 |
| Union County | 27,244 | 513.6 | 53 |
| Marlboro County | 26,667 | 479.9 | 56 |
| Edgefield County | 25,657 | 500.7 | 51 |
| Abbeville County | 24,295 | 491.2 | 49 |
| Fairfield County | 20,948 | 686.3 | 31 |
| Barnwell County | 20,589 | 548.4 | 38 |
| Saluda County | 18,862 | 452.7 | 42 |
| Hampton County | 18,561 | 560.0 | 33 |
| Lee County | 16,531 | 410.2 | 40 |
| Calhoun County | 14,119 | 381.2 | 37 |
| Bamberg County | 13,311 | 393.4 | 34 |
| McCormick County | 9,526 | 358.9 | 27 |
| Allendale County | 8,039 | 408.1 | 20 |
Largest cities in South Carolina
| Name | Population | Sq mi | Per sq mi |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charleston, SC | 151,191 | 115.0 | 1,314 |
| Columbia, SC | 137,614 | 137.8 | 999 |
| North Charleston, SC | 115,525 | 77.6 | 1,488 |
| Mount Pleasant, SC | 90,991 | 49.5 | 1,837 |
| Rock Hill, SC | 74,721 | 43.7 | 1,710 |
| Greenville, SC | 70,784 | 29.8 | 2,376 |
| Summerville, SC | 51,201 | 22.5 | 2,272 |
| Goose Creek, SC | 45,982 | 42.3 | 1,086 |
| Sumter, SC | 43,499 | 32.9 | 1,324 |
| Florence, SC | 40,605 | 23.4 | 1,736 |
| Spartanburg, SC | 38,778 | 20.3 | 1,915 |
| Hilton Head Island, SC | 37,661 | 41.4 | 911 |
Showing the 12 most populous of 475 — the rest are shown on the map.
Related places
Nearest states
About this page
This page shows demographics for a US state from the 2020 census and the American Community Survey: population, land area, density, and how the state compares to national averages for income, housing, age, and more.
Use the links below to drill into the state's counties and largest cities, or open any point of the state in the radius tool to measure the population within a distance or drive time.