Pickens County, SC

County

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2024 Population

134,629

US Senator

Lindsey Graham

Republican Party

US Senator

Tim Scott

Republican Party

2024 Poverty Rate

17.2%

0.396% 1-year decrease

2024 Median Household Income

$61,064

2.78% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$231,900

7.36% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

61,823

0.43% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in Pickens 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.

97.6% of the residents in Pickens County, SC are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Pickens County, SC are Clemson University (7,790 degrees awarded in 2023) and Southern Wesleyan University (305 degrees).

In 2024, the median property value in Pickens County, SC was $231,900, and the homeownership rate was 70.9%.

Most people in Pickens County, SC drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 26.4 minutes. The average car ownership in Pickens County, SC was 2 cars per household.

Pickens County, SC borders Transylvania County, NC, Anderson County, SC, Greenville County, SC, and Oconee County, SC.

United States South Carolina Greenville-Anderson-Mauldin, SC

Population & Diversity

Pickens County, SC is home to a population of 135k people, from which 97.6% are citizens. As of 2024, 3.55% of Pickens County, SC residents were born outside of the country (4.78k people).

In 2024, there were 14.5 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (111k people) in Pickens County, SC than any other race or ethnicity. There were 7.69k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 4.31k Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

97.6%

2024 Citizenship

97.6%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 97.6% of Pickens County, SC residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Pickens County, SC was 97.6%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Pickens County, SC

White (Non-Hispanic)
111k ± 518
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
7.69k ± 439
Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
4.31k ± 493

5.37%

Hispanic Population

7.24k people

5.37% of the people in Pickens County, SC are hispanic (7.24k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Pickens 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

3.55%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

4.78k people

3.71%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

4.92k people

As of 2024, 3.55% of Pickens County, SC residents (4.78k 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 Pickens County, SC was 3.71%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
2,315 ± 315
Gulf War (2001-)
1,511 ± 266
Gulf War (1990s)
1,004 ± 244

Pickens County, SC has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.53 times greater than any other conflict.

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

Economy

The economy of Pickens County, SC employs 61.8k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Pickens County, SC were Manufacturing (8,892 people), Educational Services (8,504 people), and Health Care & Social Assistance (7,464 people), and the highest paying industries were Utilities ($79,932), Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($64,721), and Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($61,003).

Employment

Occupations

61.8k

2024 Value

± 2,148

0.43%

1 Year growth

± 5.01%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Pickens County, SC grew at a rate of 0.43%, from 61.6k employees to 61.8k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Pickens County, SC, are Management Occupations (6,459 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (6,007 people), and Sales & Related Occupations (5,651 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Pickens 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

61.8k

2024 Value

± 2,148

0.43%

1 Year growth

± 5.01%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Pickens County, SC grew at a rate of 0.43%, from 61.6k employees to 61.8k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Pickens County, SC, are Manufacturing (8,892 people), Educational Services (8,504 people), and Health Care & Social Assistance (7,464 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Pickens County, SC, though some of these residents may live in Pickens County, SC and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$46,816

Median earning men ± $1,511

$34,348

Median earning women ± $1,757

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($70,602), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($62,188), and Manufacturing ($60,180).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Information ($55,435), Wholesale Trade ($50,688), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($45,055).

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

194
Construction
179
Other Services (except Public Administration)
158
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

$281k
Manufacturing
$182k
Retail Trade
$171k
Health Care and Social Assistance

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

Education

In 2023, universities in Pickens County, SC awarded 8,095 degrees. The student population of Pickens County, SC in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 13,898 male students and 16,037 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Pickens County, SC are White (6,170 and 80.4%), Hispanic or Latino (483 and 6.29%), Black or African American (445 and 5.8%), and Two or More Races (287 and 3.74%).

The largest universities in Pickens County, SC by number of degrees awarded are Clemson University (7,790 and 96.2%) and Southern Wesleyan University (305 and 3.77%).

The most popular majors in Pickens County, SC are General Business Administration & Management (771 and 9.52%), General Biological Sciences (401 and 4.95%), and General Marketing & Marketing Management (385 and 4.76%).

The median tuition costs in Pickens County, SC are $26,520 for private four year colleges, and $14,038 and $37,982 respectively, for public four year colleges for in-state students and out-of-state students.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2023 in Pickens County, SC, the percentage of applicants admitted was 38.5%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 19.9%. The number of students enrolled in 2023 was 29,935 (46.4% men and 53.6% 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 29,935 students enrolled in Pickens County, SC, 46.4% men and 53.6% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 21,577 records, of which 54.6% were women and 45.4% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

General Business Administration & Management
502 degrees awarded
General Psychology
364 degrees awarded
General Marketing & Marketing Management
361 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Pickens County, SC was General Business Administration & Management with 502 degrees awarded.

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

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

Clemson University
7,790 degrees awarded
Southern Wesleyan University
305 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Clemson University with 7,790 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2023, 3,804 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Pickens County, SC, which is 0.887 times less than the 4,291 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 6,170 degrees mean that there were 12.8 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Hispanic or Latino, with 483 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 ($26,520) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Public, 4-year or above ($1,516) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Public, 4-year or above ($1,388) 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 Pickens County, SC was $231,900 in 2024, which is 0.697 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $216,000 to $231,900, a 7.36% increase. The homeownership rate in Pickens County, SC is 70.9%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Pickens County, SC have an average commute time of 26.4 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Pickens County, SC is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

In 2025, 16% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Pickens County, SC. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator grew 1.53%.

Housing

Property

$231,900

Median Property Value 2024

±$4,875

$37,159

Median Property Taxes

±$1,410

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

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

Rent vs Own

70.9%

Homeownership

2024

67.6%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 70.9% of the housing units in Pickens County, SC were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 70.5%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Pickens 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.

$61,064

Median Household Income

± $1,855

52.4k

Number of Households

± 1,951

In 2024, the median household income of the 52.4k households in Pickens County, SC grew to $61,064 from the previous year's value of $59,411.

The following chart displays the households in Pickens 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 Pickens 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 (78.6%)
Worked At Home (10.1%)
Carpooled (7.75%)

In 2024, 78.6% of workers in Pickens County, SC drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (10.1%) and those who carpooled to work (7.75%).

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

26.4 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Pickens County, SC have a shorter commute time (26.4 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 1.76% of the workforce in Pickens County, SC have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 16% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Pickens County, SC. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator grew 1.53%.

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

Poverty & Diversity

17.2% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Pickens County, SC (21.6k out of 126k 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 Males 18 - 24, followed by Females 18 - 24 and then Females 35 - 44.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Pickens County, SC is White, followed by Black 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, 17.6% of the children was living in poverty in Pickens County, SC. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 3.2%.

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 342 in Pickens County, SC. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator grew 2.17 per 100,000 population.

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

Health

91.4% of the population of Pickens County, SC has health coverage, with 46.6% on employee plans, 14.8% on Medicaid, 13.5% on Medicare, 15% on non-group plans, and 1.46% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Pickens County, SC see 1,695 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,695 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1963 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 681 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.9% were men and 50.1% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

1,695 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Pickens County, SC

Primary care physicians in Pickens County, SC see an average of 1,695 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,695 patients).

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

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 22.3% under 18 years, 26.6% between 18 and 34 years, 33.9% between 35 and 64 years, and 17.1% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.9% were men and 50.1% were women.

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

Uninsured People

8.64%

Uninsured

46.6%

Employer Coverage

14.8%

Medicaid

13.5%

Medicare

15%

Non-Group

1.46%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Pickens County, SC declined by 3.43% from 8.94% to 8.64%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Pickens 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 49.5 in Pickens County, SC.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Pickens 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 36.8% in Pickens County, SC.

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