Sumter County, SC

County

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2024 Population

104,725

US Senator

Lindsey Graham

Republican Party

US Senator

Tim Scott

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

1.88% 1-year increase

2024 Poverty Rate

16.6%

1.2% 1-year increase

2024 Median Household Income

$56,693

1.26% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$165,300

3.64% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

41,224

0.829% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in Sumter County, SC reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

98.7% of the residents in Sumter County, SC are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Sumter County, SC are Central Carolina Technical College (682 degrees awarded in 2023), University of South Carolina-Sumter (175 degrees), and Morris College (76 degrees).

In 2024, the median property value in Sumter County, SC was $165,300, and the homeownership rate was 68.1%.

Most people in Sumter County, SC drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 23 minutes. The average car ownership in Sumter County, SC was 2 cars per household.

Sumter County, SC borders Calhoun County, SC, Clarendon County, SC, Florence County, SC, Kershaw County, SC, Lee County, SC, and Richland County, SC.

United States South Carolina Sumter, SC

Population & Diversity

Sumter County, SC is home to a population of 105k people, from which 98.7% are citizens. As of 2024, 3% of Sumter County, SC residents were born outside of the country (3.14k people).

In 2024, there were 1.05 times more Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) residents (47.9k people) in Sumter County, SC than any other race or ethnicity. There were 45.7k White (Non-Hispanic) and 3.65k Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

98.7%

2024 Citizenship

98.9%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 98.7% of Sumter County, SC residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Sumter County, SC was 98.9%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Sumter County, SC compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Sumter County, SC

Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
47.9k ± 704
White (Non-Hispanic)
45.7k ± 379
Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
3.65k ± 685

4.44%

Hispanic Population

4.66k people

4.44% of the people in Sumter County, SC are hispanic (4.66k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Sumter County, SC as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the County level, so we are showing data for South Carolina.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
63,986 ± 6,172 people
India
20,779 ± 3,532 people
Honduras
17,281 ± 3,222 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of South Carolina was Mexico, the natal country of 63,986 South Carolina residents, followed by India with 20,779 and Honduras with 17,281.

Foreign-Born Population

2024 Foreign-Born Population

3.14k people

2.8%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

2.93k people

As of 2024, 3% of Sumter County, SC residents (3.14k people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Sumter County, SC was 2.8%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Sumter County, SC compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Gulf War (2001-)
4,766 ± 554
Vietnam
2,002 ± 314
Gulf War (1990s)
1,670 ± 305

Sumter County, SC has a large population of military personnel who served in Gulf War (2001-), 2.38 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Sumter County, SC.

Economy

The economy of Sumter County, SC employs 41.2k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Sumter County, SC were Health Care & Social Assistance (6,213 people), Manufacturing (6,039 people), and Retail Trade (4,592 people), and the highest paying industries were Utilities ($57,928), Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($55,972), and Transportation & Warehousing ($55,521).

Employment

Occupations

41.2k

2024 Value

± 1,850

0.829%

1 Year growth

± 6.24%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Sumter County, SC grew at a rate of 0.829%, from 40.9k employees to 41.2k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Sumter County, SC, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (4,895 people), Sales & Related Occupations (3,867 people), and Management Occupations (3,860 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Sumter County, SC.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for South Carolina.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in South Carolina (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

Industries

Employment by Industries

41.2k

2024 Value

± 1,850

0.829%

1 Year growth

± 6.24%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Sumter County, SC grew at a rate of 0.829%, from 40.9k employees to 41.2k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Sumter County, SC, are Health Care & Social Assistance (6,213 people), Manufacturing (6,039 people), and Retail Trade (4,592 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Sumter County, SC, though some of these residents may live in Sumter County, SC and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$47,210

Median earning men ± $2,876

$36,335

Median earning women ± $1,238

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($61,941), Information ($60,179), and Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($58,567).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Information ($50,308), Public Administration ($45,369), and Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($43,001).

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for South Carolina.

Y-Axis

2.54%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 2.26M people employed in South Carolina. This represents a 2.54% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 13.4%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in South Carolina.

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

149
Retail Trade
121
Other Services (except Public Administration)
119
Retail Trade

The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.

The visualization shows the number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll

$328k
Construction
$272k
Manufacturing
$212k
Health Care and Social Assistance

The chart shows the total annual payroll and the average annual payroll by industry.

Education

In 2023, universities in Sumter County, SC awarded 933 degrees. The student population of Sumter County, SC in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 1,869 male students and 3,248 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Sumter County, SC are White (485 and 52.4%), Black or African American (319 and 34.4%), Hispanic or Latino (64 and 6.91%), and Two or More Races (44 and 4.75%).

The largest universities in Sumter County, SC by number of degrees awarded are Central Carolina Technical College (682 and 73.1%), University of South Carolina-Sumter (175 and 18.8%), and Morris College (76 and 8.15%).

The most popular majors in Sumter County, SC are Liberal Arts & Sciences (309 and 33.1%), Registered Nursing (96 and 10.3%), and Other Electromechanical, Instrumentation, & Maintenance Technology (53 and 5.68%).

The median tuition cost for private four year colleges is $14,624.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2023 in Sumter County, SC, the percentage of applicants admitted was 76.3%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 61.4%. The number of students enrolled in 2023 was 5,117 (36.5% men and 63.5% women).

The line chart shows the evolution of the percentage of applicants admitted, admitted who enrolled or the number of students enrolled according to the option selected in the upper button.

Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2023 there were 5,117 students enrolled in Sumter County, SC, 36.5% men and 63.5% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 2,303 records, of which 59.5% were women and 40.5% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Liberal Arts & Sciences
309 degrees awarded
Registered Nursing
86 degrees awarded
Other Multidisciplinary Studies
33 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Associates Degree recipients in Sumter County, SC was Liberal Arts & Sciences with 309 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Associates Degree from schools in Sumter County, SC according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

Central Carolina Technical College
682 degrees awarded
University of South Carolina-Sumter
175 degrees awarded
Morris College
76 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Central Carolina Technical College with 682 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2023, 389 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Sumter County, SC, which is 0.715 times less than the 544 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2023, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 485 degrees mean that there were 1.52 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Black or African American, with 319 degrees awarded.

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Universities

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($14,624) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($1,600) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($3,000) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Sumter County, SC was $165,300 in 2024, which is 0.497 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $159,500 to $165,300, a 3.64% increase. The homeownership rate in Sumter County, SC is 68.1%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Sumter County, SC have an average commute time of 23 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Sumter County, SC is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

In 2025, 15.1% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Sumter County, SC. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator grew 2.1%.

Housing

Property

$165,300

Median Property Value 2024

±$6,409

$27,990

Median Property Taxes

±$1,299

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Sumter County, SC the largest share of households pay taxes in the < $800 range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Sumter County, SC compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

68.1%

Homeownership

2024

69.8%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 68.1% of the housing units in Sumter County, SC were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 66.8%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Sumter County, SC compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$56,693

Median Household Income

± $2,137

41.1k

Number of Households

± 1,793

In 2024, the median household income of the 41.1k households in Sumter County, SC grew to $56,693 from the previous year's value of $55,990.

The following chart displays the households in Sumter County, SC distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $75k - $100k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Sumter County, SC is from South Carolina.

0.464

2023 Wage GINI in South Carolina

0.464

2022 Wage GINI in South Carolina

In 2023, the income inequality in South Carolina was 0.464 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.102% decline from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for South Carolina was lower than than the national average of 0.476. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in South Carolina in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in South Carolina across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (85.2%)
Carpooled (7.65%)
Worked At Home (4.46%)

In 2024, 85.2% of workers in Sumter County, SC drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (7.65%) and those who worked at home (4.46%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

23 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Sumter County, SC have a shorter commute time (23 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 2.58% of the workforce in Sumter County, SC have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Sumter County, SC compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Sumter County, SC distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Sumter County, SC have 2 cars.

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 15.1% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Sumter County, SC. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator grew 2.1%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the population living with severe housing problems.

Poverty & Diversity

16.6% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Sumter County, SC (16.9k out of 102k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 55 - 64, followed by Males 6 - 11 and then Females 25 - 34.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Sumter County, SC is Black, followed by White and Other.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Children in Poverty

In 2025, 23.9% of the children was living in poverty in Sumter County, SC. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 7.3%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the children living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Security

Crimes & Accidents

Indicator

In 2022, the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population was 621 in Sumter County, SC. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator declined 282 per 100,000 population.

The graph shows the trend in the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population.

Health

89.5% of the population of Sumter County, SC has health coverage, with 29.9% on employee plans, 22.6% on Medicaid, 10.1% on Medicare, 18.9% on non-group plans, and 7.87% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Sumter County, SC see 1,871 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,871 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1763 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 548 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 46.4% were men and 53.6% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

1,871 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Sumter County, SC

Primary care physicians in Sumter County, SC see an average of 1,871 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,871 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Sumter County, SC in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 26.2% under 18 years, 20.3% between 18 and 34 years, 35.3% between 35 and 64 years, and 18.2% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 46.4% were men and 53.6% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

10.5%

Uninsured

29.9%

Employer Coverage

22.6%

Medicaid

10.1%

Medicare

18.9%

Non-Group

7.87%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Sumter County, SC declined by 0.253% from 10.5% to 10.5%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Sumter County, SC changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

Health Indicators

Health Outcomes

Indicator

In 2025, the number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was 81.6 in Sumter County, SC.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Sumter County, SC.

Health Behaviors

Indicator

In 2025, the percentage of the adult population (age 18 and older) that reports a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 30 kg/m2 (age-adjusted) was 40.9% in Sumter County, SC.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Sumter County, SC.