Laurens County, SC

County

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2024 Population

68,666

US Senator

Lindsey Graham

Republican Party

US Senator

Tim Scott

Republican Party

2024 Poverty Rate

18.1%

2.77% 1-year increase

2024 Median Household Income

$57,623

3.79% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$170,600

11.1% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

30,364

2.85% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in Laurens 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.

97.2% of the residents in Laurens County, SC are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Laurens County, SC are Presbyterian College (312 degrees awarded in 2023).

In 2024, the median property value in Laurens County, SC was $170,600, and the homeownership rate was 71.5%.

Most people in Laurens County, SC drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 25.2 minutes. The average car ownership in Laurens County, SC was 2 cars per household.

Laurens County, SC borders Abbeville County, SC, Anderson County, SC, Greenville County, SC, Greenwood County, SC, Newberry County, SC, Spartanburg County, SC, and Union County, SC.

United States South Carolina Greenville-Anderson-Mauldin, SC

Population & Diversity

Laurens County, SC is home to a population of 68.7k people, from which 97.2% are citizens. As of 2024, 3.82% of Laurens County, SC residents were born outside of the country (2.63k people).

In 2024, there were 2.87 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (45.2k people) in Laurens County, SC than any other race or ethnicity. There were 15.7k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 1.83k Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

97.2%

2024 Citizenship

97%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 97.2% of Laurens County, SC residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Laurens County, SC was 97%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Laurens County, SC

White (Non-Hispanic)
45.2k ± 363
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
15.7k ± 423
Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
1.83k ± 420

6.72%

Hispanic Population

4.61k people

6.72% of the people in Laurens County, SC are hispanic (4.61k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Laurens 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

3.82%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

2.63k people

3.93%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

2.67k people

As of 2024, 3.82% of Laurens County, SC residents (2.63k 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 Laurens County, SC was 3.93%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
1,514 ± 209
Gulf War (1990s)
597 ± 186
Gulf War (2001-)
560 ± 200

Laurens County, SC has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 2.54 times greater than any other conflict.

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

Economy

The economy of Laurens County, SC employs 30.4k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Laurens County, SC were Manufacturing (6,449 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (3,978 people), and Retail Trade (3,523 people), and the highest paying industries were Utilities ($64,643), Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($56,706), and Transportation & Warehousing ($55,801).

Employment

Occupations

30.4k

2024 Value

± 1,412

2.85%

1 Year growth

± 6.51%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Laurens County, SC grew at a rate of 2.85%, from 29.5k employees to 30.4k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Laurens County, SC, are Production Occupations (4,114 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (3,174 people), and Management Occupations (2,820 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Laurens 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

30.4k

2024 Value

± 1,412

2.85%

1 Year growth

± 6.51%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Laurens County, SC grew at a rate of 2.85%, from 29.5k employees to 30.4k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Laurens County, SC, are Manufacturing (6,449 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (3,978 people), and Retail Trade (3,523 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Laurens County, SC, though some of these residents may live in Laurens County, SC and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$44,061

Median earning men ± $2,328

$32,425

Median earning women ± $1,620

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($57,167), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($54,007), and Wholesale Trade ($51,739).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($56,496), Wholesale Trade ($53,705), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($47,797).

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

102
Retail Trade
99
Other Services (except Public Administration)
51
Construction

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

$427k
Manufacturing
$77.3k
Health Care and Social Assistance
$55.1k
Transportation and Warehousing

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

Education

In 2023, universities in Laurens County, SC awarded 312 degrees. The student population of Laurens County, SC in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 504 male students and 632 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Laurens County, SC are White (234 and 77.2%), Black or African American (44 and 14.5%), Hispanic or Latino (13 and 4.29%), and Two or More Races (10 and 3.3%).

The largest universities in Laurens County, SC by number of degrees awarded are Presbyterian College (312 and 100%).

The most popular majors in Laurens County, SC are General Psychology (47 and 15.1%), General Business Administration & Management (43 and 13.8%), and Pharmacy (41 and 13.1%).

The median tuition cost in Laurens County, SC for private four year colleges is $40,200.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2023 in Laurens County, SC, the percentage of applicants admitted was 72.3%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 10.9%. The number of students enrolled in 2023 was 1,136 (44.4% men and 55.6% 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 1,136 students enrolled in Laurens County, SC, 44.4% men and 55.6% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 722 records, of which 61.1% were women and 38.9% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

General Psychology
47 degrees awarded
General Business Administration & Management
43 degrees awarded
General Biological Sciences
34 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Laurens County, SC was General Psychology with 47 degrees awarded.

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

Universities

Gender

Race

Presbyterian College

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

312 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Presbyterian College with 312 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2023, 114 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Laurens County, SC, which is 0.576 times less than the 198 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 234 degrees mean that there were 5.32 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Black or African American, with 44 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 ($40,200) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($3,100) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($1,500) 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 Laurens County, SC was $170,600 in 2024, which is 0.513 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $153,500 to $170,600, a 11.1% increase. The homeownership rate in Laurens County, SC is 71.5%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Laurens County, SC have an average commute time of 25.2 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Laurens County, SC is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

In 2025, 15.4% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Laurens County, SC. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator grew 2.17%.

Housing

Property

$170,600

Median Property Value 2024

±$8,330

$19,269

Median Property Taxes

±$1,079

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

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

Rent vs Own

71.5%

Homeownership

2024

68.1%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 71.5% of the housing units in Laurens County, SC were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 70.7%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Laurens 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.

$57,623

Median Household Income

± $2,977

27k

Number of Households

± 1,315

In 2024, the median household income of the 27k households in Laurens County, SC grew to $57,623 from the previous year's value of $55,517.

The following chart displays the households in Laurens 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 Laurens 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 (81.8%)
Carpooled (10.7%)
Worked At Home (5.39%)

In 2024, 81.8% of workers in Laurens County, SC drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (10.7%) and those who worked at home (5.39%).

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

25.2 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Laurens County, SC have a shorter commute time (25.2 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 1.04% of the workforce in Laurens County, SC have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 15.4% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Laurens County, SC. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator grew 2.17%.

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

Poverty & Diversity

18.1% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Laurens County, SC (12.1k out of 66.8k 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 Males 6 - 11 and then Females 6 - 11.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Laurens County, SC is White, followed by Black and Two Or More.

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, 24% of the children was living in poverty in Laurens County, SC. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 11%.

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 551 in Laurens County, SC. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator declined 208 per 100,000 population.

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

Health

87.6% of the population of Laurens County, SC has health coverage, with 38.2% on employee plans, 21.6% on Medicaid, 15.1% on Medicare, 11% on non-group plans, and 1.74% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Laurens County, SC see 1,994 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,994 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 3577 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 1148 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.7% were men and 51.3% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

1,994 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Laurens County, SC

Primary care physicians in Laurens County, SC see an average of 1,994 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,994 patients).

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

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 23.2% under 18 years, 20% between 18 and 34 years, 38.2% between 35 and 64 years, and 18.5% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.7% were men and 51.3% were women.

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

Uninsured People

12.4%

Uninsured

38.2%

Employer Coverage

21.6%

Medicaid

15.1%

Medicare

11%

Non-Group

1.74%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Laurens County, SC declined by 2.74% from 12.7% to 12.4%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Laurens 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 71.3 in Laurens County, SC.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Laurens 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 41% in Laurens County, SC.

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