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Population News Articles

Population Density

Historic & Projected Growth

Population by County


POPULATION DENSITY

People per square mile, 2010:   153.9

People per square mile, 2020:   170.2


HISTORIC & PROJECTED GROWTH 1790 TO 2040

Year
Population
1790
249,073
1800
345,591
1810
415,115
1820
502,741
1830
581,185
1840
594,398
1850
668,507
1860
703,708
1870
705,606
1880
995,577
1890
1,151,149
1900
1,340,316
1910
1,515,400
1920
1,683,724
1930
1,738,765
1940
1,899,804
1950
2,117,027
1960
2,382,594
1970
2,590,713
1980
3,120,729
1990
3,486,703
2000
4,012,012
2010
4,625,364
2020
5,118,425
2030
5,792,247
2040
6,352,502

Sources: Census figures from U.S. Bureau of the Census & *Estimates from Weldon Cooper Center, Demographics Research Group
(The Census Bureau and Weldon Cooper Center have not yet provided updated State projections to reflect 2020 census numbers.)


Population by County

Census 2020 Population
Census 2010 Population
Change from 2020
Percent Change
SOUTH CAROLINA
5,118,425
4,625,364
493,061
10.66%
Abbeville County
24295
25,417
-1,122
-4.41%
Aiken County
168808
160,099
8,709
5.44%
Allendale County
8039
10,419
-2,380
-22.84%
Anderson County
203718
187,126
16,592
8.87%
Bamberg County
13311
15,987
-2,676
-16.74%
Barnwell County
20589
22,621
-2,032
-8.98%
Beaufort County
187117
162,233
24,884
15.34%
Berkeley County
229861
177,843
52,018
29.25%
Calhoun County
14119
15,175
-1,056
-6.96%
Charleston County
408235
350,209
58,026
16.57%
Cherokee County
56216
55,342
874
1.58%
Chester County
32294
33,140
-846
-2.55%
Chesterfield County
43273
46,734
-3,461
-7.41%
Clarendon County
31144
34,971
-3,827
-10.94%
Colleton County
38604
38,892
-288
-0.74%
Darlington County
62905
68,681
-5,776
-8.41%
Dillon County
28292
32,062
-3,770
-11.76%
Dorchester County
161540
136,555
24,985
18.30%
Edgefield County
25657
26,985
-1,328
-4.92%
Fairfield County
20948
23,956
-3,008
-12.56%
Florence County
137059
136,885
174
0.13%
Georgetown County
63404
60,158
3,246
5.40%
Greenville County
525534
451,225
74,309
16.47%
Greenwood County
69351
69,661
-310
-0.45%
Hampton County
18561
21,090
-2,529
-11.99%
Horry County
351029
269,291
81,738
30.35%
Jasper County
28791
24,777
4,014
16.20%
Kershaw County
65403
61,697
3,706
6.01%
Lancaster County
96016
76,652
19,364
25.26%
Laurens County
67539
66,537
1,002
1.51%
Lee County
16531
19,220
-2,689
-13.99%
Lexington County
293991
262,391
31,600
12.04%
McCormick County
9526
10,233
-707
-6.91%
Marion County
29183
33,062
-3,879
-11.73%
Marlboro County
26667
28,933
-2,266
-7.83%
Newberry County
37719
37,508
211
0.56%
Oconee County
78607
74,273
4,334
5.84%
Orangeburg County
84223
92,501
-8,278
-8.95%
Pickens County
131404
119,224
12,180
10.22%
Richland County
416147
384,504
31,643
8.23%
Saluda County
18862
19,875
-1,013
-5.10%
Spartanburg County
327997
284,307
43,690
15.37%
Sumter County
105556
107,456
-1,900
-1.77%
Union County
27244
28,961
-1,717
-5.93%
Williamsburg County
31026
34,423
-3,397
-9.87%
York County
282090
226,073
56,017
24.78%

SOURCE: U.S. Bureau of the Census


$1.2 million ‘living shoreline’ project designed to help protect Parris Island from erosion – December 10, 2022

South Carolina ranks No. 3 among deadliest states for cyclists, pedestrians. But help is on the way – December 9, 2022

Toxic chemicals found in virtually every South Carolina river tested. Action needed, critics say – December 8, 2022

10 Largest Cities In South Carolina By Population – December 7, 2022

SC power plant under more federal scrutiny after backup generator failure in January – November 30, 2022

South Carolina Governor Seeks to Protect Port from USS Yorktown Pollution – July 11, 2022

Crabtree Canal in Horry County among 25 waterways to get litter-control device funded by Palmetto Pride – July 3, 2022

Out-of-staters flock to Greenville amid nationwide population shift – June 21, 2022

Climate Change adds to extreme heat in the South – June 20, 2022

South Carolina passes overhaul of e-scrap recycling – June 16, 2022

Stinking SC paper mill with tainted waste pits the focus of state pollution probe – March 12, 2022

UN report underlines a climate change reality: SC has ‘a lot to do’ to adapt – March 5, 2022

South Carolina is the #8 state with the most people living near toxic release facilities – February 28, 2022

Housing can’t keep pace with explosive population growth in this South Carolina town – February 22, 2022

Brennan Acquires 79 Acres in Spartanburg, South Carolina – February 17, 2022

Fastest-growing counties in South Carolina – December 6, 2021

SC infrastructure rated D+, experts hopeful new law will change that – December 2, 2021

Climate change’s impacts on South Carolina – November 29, 2021

Fixing “Malfunction Junction”: Work to Begin on SC’s Biggest Infrastructure Project – November 15, 2021

South Carolina Sea Islands families facing land loss from climate change, development – November 12, 2021

South Carolina Plans To Destroy Black Neighborhood To Build A Freeway – September 9, 2021

Plagued by poor roads and aging systems, South Carolina scores a D+ in infrastructure – September 8, 2021

Stink, Sulfur and Soot: Billionaire Kraft Deals an Air Pollution Crisis to South Carolina – August 23, 2021

Population growth brings changes to Jasper County – August 30, 2021

Charleston tops 2020 census list as largest in SC – August 20, 2021

Greenville County’s population boom among the biggest in SC spanning the last decade – June 25, 2021

By the numbers: As Upstate adds houses, activists worry, ‘You can’t build more land’ – June 25, 2021

The Ray, CORE SC Announce Collaboration to Advance Clean Infrastructure Innovation for South Carolina – June 24, 2021

CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA, DEVELOPING NEW LAND-USE MAPS BASED ON ELEVATION & HYDROLOGY – June 15, 2021

South Carolina’s litter problem has reached ‘near epidemic proportion,’ officials say – March 18, 2021

South Carolina Region OKs New Flood Maps For First Time In Years – March 11, 2021

Dominion SC plans to retire coal plants by 2030 but would mostly rely on natural gas – March 2, 2021

522-home development in Piedmont wins approval despite traffic and environmental concerns – March 1, 2021

Once a coastal phenomenon, population growth hot spots spread across South Carolina – December 3, 2020

‘Inexcusable’: 100K gallons of sewage spilled into Bluffton’s May River. What happened? – November 30, 2020

In South Carolina, Oyster Shell Recycling Helps Rebuild Reefs With Many Benefits – November 24, 2020

South Carolina weighs wall as seas rise and storms strengthen – November 23, 2020

Chemical injected in town’s drinking water called ‘an environmental injustice’ – November 16, 2020

A missing piece in Charleston’s sea level rise puzzle is what’s happening on land – October 1, 2020

Environmental groups team up to demand new Septic tank revisions – September 26, 2020

Charleston, SC Becomes First City in U.S. South to Sue Big Oil for Climate Costs – September 11, 2020

Charleston’s 350 years old, but most of the city’s growth happened during the last 50 – July 31, 2020

Sierra Club sues three SC coal plants over decade-long expired water pollution permits – July 30, 2020

South Carolina sees hotter-than-normal year so far – July 30, 2020

A NEW PLASTIC WAVE IS COMING TO OUR SHORES – July 29, 2020

NEWS BRIEFS: ‘Charleston is in trouble’ on flooding, report says – July 20, 2020

Census: Hanahan population soared; Mount Pleasant’s growth since 2010 tops most US cities – May 21, 2020

Fort Mill and Rock Hill saw population surge before. But neither hit these new levels – May 21, 2020

Are farms doomed by development? Sprawling growth devours SC farmland, study says – May 21, 2020

SC Motor Fuel User Fee to increase for the fourth consecutive year – June 2, 2020

With a growing population, alligator-human encounters could become more common in SC – June 11, 2020

Lawmakers drum up opposition to offshore drilling in South Carolina – January 31, 2020

Toxins found in drinking water near SC air base. Did base pollute people’s water? – January 30, 2020

For the birds: Here’s what Horry County’s growth means for their dying populations – January 24, 2020

Floods and fires: South Carolina faces ‘elevated’ risk from climate change, study says – January 15, 2020

South Carolina has sixth-highest growth rate in the country – January 2, 2020

Drought continues to impact South Carolina farmers despite rain – October 16, 2019

Drought a major disruption for S.C. wildlife and natural resources, Clemson experts say – October 14, 2019

New South Carolina area code coming for central part of state – October 8, 2019

Affordable housing and growth are the biggest issues facing the region, local leaders say – October 2, 2019

A third of SC families struggle to afford housing despite strong economy, study finds – September 2, 2019

Here is the fastest-growing county in every state – September 2, 2019

A garden aims to buffer a community from food insecurity – August 30, 2019

When hospitals fill up, SC patients are boarded in the ER. It’s a problem across the US – July 8, 2019