Here are the 5 lowest income SC counties, new study shows. Do you live in one?

Patrick McCreless
·3 min read

While many counties in South Carolina have prospered in recent years, some have done so more than others.

Financial tech company SmartAsset recently published a study that ranks all 46 counties in the state by using data from property values, investment income and per capita income. Of the five lowest income counties, two are in the Lowcountry. The other three are in the Pee Dee region.

Below is a list of the bottom five counties in the state.

#1 Allendale County

  • Median income: $31,800

  • Investment income: $26,540

  • Median home value: $56,615

Allendale County was formed in 1919 and is South Carolina’s youngest county. The county has long struggled economically. The total population as of July 2022 was 7,579, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The county is home to various historic sites, such as the Burton’s Ferry turnstile bridge and the Allendale County Courthouse, built in 1922.

#2 Marlboro County

  • Median income: $32,136

  • Investment income: $17,942

  • Median home value: $64,604

Established in 1785, Marlboro County was named for John Churchill, first duke of Marlborough. The total population as of July 2022 was 26,039, according to the U.S. Census. Marlboro County is home to the Pee Dee Indian tribe, which is where the Pee Dee Region gets its name.

#3 Marion County

  • Median income: $34,465

  • Investment income: $17,127

  • Median home value: #68,247

Marion County was organized by European Americans in 1785 soon after the Revolutionary War, but was first called Liberty County. It was renamed to Marion County four years later in honor of Brigadier General Francis Macon. The county’s total population as of July 2022 was 14,494, according to the U.S. Census. Major industries there include the MUSC Health Marion Medical Center, A Coca-Cola distribution center, a machine manufacturer called Multi-Tech and SOPAKCO, a food processing and packaging plant.

#4 Williamsburg County

  • Median income: $40,124

  • Investment income: $23,116

  • Median home value: $104,858

Founded in 1886, Williamsburg County is today known in part by its beautiful live oak trees. The county’s total population as of July 2022 was 30,058, according to the U.S. Census. Manufacturing industries in the county include plastic fabricator Agru America, laser welding facility Micro Fusion Technology and Tupperware US, Inc.

#5 Hampton County

  • Median income: $38,298

  • Investment income: $37,313

  • Median home value: $112,182

Hampton County was founded in 1878. The county’s total population as of July 2022 was 18,113, according to the U.S. Census. One of the county’s claims to fame is its annual watermelon festival. Now in its 81st year, it’s considered by many to be the oldest festival in the state, having been held consecutively every year since it began.

Here are the five richest counties in South Carolina, according to the study.

#1 Charleston County

  • Median income: $70,807

  • Investment income: $63,931

  • Median home value: $523,418

#2 Beaufort County

  • Median income: $74,199

  • Investment income: $60,657

  • Median home value: $505,269

#3 York County

  • Median income: $72,234

  • Investment income: $34,527

  • Median home value: $355,603

#4 Dorchester County

  • Median income: $68,046

  • Investment income: $18,060

  • Median home value: $335,915

#5 Lancaster County

  • Median income: $67,407

  • Investment income: $18,847

  • Median home value: $364,904