Colleton County, SC

County

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2024 Population

38,783

US Senator

Lindsey Graham

Republican Party

US Senator

Tim Scott

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

0.474% 1-year decrease

2024 Poverty Rate

19.6%

4.79% 1-year increase

2024 Median Household Income

$51,114

4.79% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$162,500

11.4% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

15,482

1.2% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in Colleton 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.

97.1% of the residents in Colleton County, SC are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Colleton County, SC are Cosmetic Arts Institute (13 degrees awarded in 2018).

In 2024, the median property value in Colleton County, SC was $162,500, and the homeownership rate was 73.3%.

Most people in Colleton County, SC drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 34.9 minutes. The average car ownership in Colleton County, SC was 2 cars per household.

Colleton County, SC borders Allendale County, SC, Bamberg County, SC, Beaufort County, SC, Charleston County, SC, Dorchester County, SC, Hampton County, SC, and Orangeburg County, SC.

United States South Carolina

Population & Diversity

Colleton County, SC is home to a population of 38.8k people, from which 97.1% are citizens. As of 2024, 3.39% of Colleton County, SC residents were born outside of the country (1.31k people).

In 2024, there were 1.68 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (21.9k people) in Colleton County, SC than any other race or ethnicity. There were 13k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 1.48k Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

97.1%

2024 Citizenship

98%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 97.1% of Colleton County, SC residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Colleton County, SC was 98%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Colleton County, SC

White (Non-Hispanic)
21.9k ± 185
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
13k ± 435
Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
1.48k ± 449

4.56%

Hispanic Population

1.77k people

4.56% of the people in Colleton County, SC are hispanic (1.77k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Colleton 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

3.39%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

1.31k people

2.46%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

949 people

As of 2024, 3.39% of Colleton County, SC residents (1.31k 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 Colleton County, SC was 2.46%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
951 ± 211
Gulf War (2001-)
564 ± 225
Gulf War (1990s)
501 ± 206

Colleton County, SC has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.69 times greater than any other conflict.

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

Economy

The economy of Colleton County, SC employs 15.5k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Colleton County, SC were Manufacturing (1,968 people), Construction (1,953 people), and Health Care & Social Assistance (1,831 people), and the highest paying industries were Wholesale Trade ($80,588), Utilities ($64,250), and Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($63,333).

Employment

Occupations

15.5k

2024 Value

± 1,006

1.2%

1 Year growth

± 9.3%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Colleton County, SC grew at a rate of 1.2%, from 15.3k employees to 15.5k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Colleton County, SC, are Construction & Extraction Occupations (1,578 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (1,558 people), and Sales & Related Occupations (1,553 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Colleton 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

15.5k

2024 Value

± 1,006

1.2%

1 Year growth

± 9.3%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Colleton County, SC grew at a rate of 1.2%, from 15.3k employees to 15.5k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Colleton County, SC, are Manufacturing (1,968 people), Construction (1,953 people), and Health Care & Social Assistance (1,831 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Colleton County, SC, though some of these residents may live in Colleton County, SC and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$48,504

Median earning men ± $1,576

$36,380

Median earning women ± $2,818

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Wholesale Trade ($80,809), Information ($77,888), and Public Administration ($68,313).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Public Administration ($57,315), Construction ($53,015), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($52,740).

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

54
Construction
52
Other Services (except Public Administration)
49
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

$66.8k
Health Care and Social Assistance
$41.9k
Retail Trade
$30.5k
Accommodation and Food Services

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

Education

In 2018, universities in Colleton County, SC awarded 13 degrees. The student population of Colleton County, SC in 2018 is skewed towards women, with 0 male students and 15 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Colleton County, SC are White (10 and 76.9%) and Black or African American (3 and 23.1%).

The largest universities in Colleton County, SC by number of degrees awarded are Cosmetic Arts Institute (13 and 100%).

The most popular majors in Colleton County, SC are General Cosmetology (13 and 100%).

Admissions & Enrollments

Enrollments by Gender and Races

In 2018 there were 15 students enrolled in Colleton County, SC, 0% men and 100% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 8 records, of which 100% were women and 0% men.

Completions

Concentrations

General Cosmetology

Most Common

13 degrees awarded

In 2018, the most common concentation for 1 to 2 Year Postsecondary Certificate recipients in Colleton County, SC was General Cosmetology with 13 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a 1 to 2 Year Postsecondary Certificate from schools in Colleton County, SC according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Cosmetic Arts Institute

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

13 degrees awarded

In 2018, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Cosmetic Arts Institute with 13 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

In 2018, 1 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Colleton County, SC, which is 0.0833 times less than the 12 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2018, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 10 degrees mean that there were 3.33 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Black or African American, with 3 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.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Colleton County, SC was $162,500 in 2024, which is 0.488 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $145,900 to $162,500, a 11.4% increase. The homeownership rate in Colleton County, SC is 73.3%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Colleton County, SC have an average commute time of 34.9 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Colleton County, SC is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

In 2025, 12.7% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Colleton County, SC. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 5.22%.

Housing

Property

$162,500

Median Property Value 2024

±$8,694

$12,026

Median Property Taxes

±$835

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 Colleton County, SC the largest share of households pay taxes in the < $800 range.

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

Rent vs Own

73.3%

Homeownership

2024

65.5%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 73.3% of the housing units in Colleton County, SC were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 73.1%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Colleton 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.

$51,114

Median Household Income

± $2,869

16.4k

Number of Households

± 1,038

In 2024, the median household income of the 16.4k households in Colleton County, SC grew to $51,114 from the previous year's value of $48,779.

The following chart displays the households in Colleton 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 Colleton 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 (78.9%)
Carpooled (11.6%)
Worked At Home (6.33%)

In 2024, 78.9% of workers in Colleton County, SC drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (11.6%) and those who worked at home (6.33%).

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

34.9 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Colleton County, SC have a longer commute time (34.9 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 6.06% of the workforce in Colleton County, SC have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Colleton 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 Colleton County, SC distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Colleton County, SC have 2 cars.

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 12.7% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Colleton County, SC. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 5.22%.

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

Poverty & Diversity

19.6% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Colleton County, SC (7.46k out of 38.1k 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 25 - 34, followed by Females 55 - 64 and then Females 6 - 11.

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

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, 33.6% of the children was living in poverty in Colleton County, SC. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 2.1%.

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 808 in Colleton County, SC. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator grew 54.2 per 100,000 population.

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

Health

85% of the population of Colleton County, SC has health coverage, with 29.9% on employee plans, 26.1% on Medicaid, 13.1% on Medicare, 14.1% on non-group plans, and 1.75% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Colleton County, SC see 2,404 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (2,404 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 2757 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 659 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 47.2% were men and 52.8% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

2,404 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Colleton County, SC

Primary care physicians in Colleton County, SC see an average of 2,404 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (2,404 patients).

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

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 23.9% under 18 years, 18.5% between 18 and 34 years, 38% between 35 and 64 years, and 19.7% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 47.2% were men and 52.8% were women.

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

Uninsured People

15%

Uninsured

29.9%

Employer Coverage

26.1%

Medicaid

13.1%

Medicare

14.1%

Non-Group

1.75%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Colleton County, SC declined by 3.22% from 15.5% to 15%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Colleton 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 123 in Colleton County, SC.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Colleton 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 44.8% in Colleton County, SC.

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