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Which counties in South Carolina have the lowest unemployment?

Charleston County (3.6%), Lexington County (3.8%) and Dorchester County (3.9%) had the lowest unemployment in South Carolina in 2025.

Data as of 2025 · updated

All 46 ranked South Carolina counties

South Carolina counties ranked by lowest unemployment rate
RankCountyRate 2025Change since 2019Residents
1Charleston County3.6%+1.4 pts436,200
2Lexington County3.8%+1.4 pts317,588
3Dorchester County3.9%+1.5 pts178,397
4Edgefield County3.9%+1.3 pts29,808
5Greenville County3.9%+1.6 pts583,125
6Saluda County3.9%+1.4 pts19,680
7Berkeley County4.0%+1.6 pts274,666
8Anderson County4.1%+1.5 pts219,930
9Beaufort County4.2%+1.8 pts204,433
10Oconee County4.2%+1.5 pts83,775
11Aiken County4.3%+1.5 pts181,515
12Pickens County4.3%+1.7 pts139,198
13Hampton County4.4%+1.6 pts18,174
14Jasper County4.4%+1.9 pts38,533
15Kershaw County4.4%+1.6 pts73,166
16Newberry County4.4%+1.7 pts39,561
17York County4.5%+1.8 pts306,887
18Calhoun County4.6%+1.1 pts14,188
19Richland County4.6%+1.9 pts434,956
20Spartanburg County4.6%+2.1 pts380,857
21Lancaster County4.7%+1.5 pts114,296
22Abbeville County4.8%+1.5 pts24,836
23Florence County4.8%+1.7 pts138,504
24Laurens County4.8%+1.9 pts71,848
25Darlington County5.0%+1.5 pts62,888
26Chesterfield County5.1%+2.0 pts44,740
27Colleton County5.2%+1.9 pts39,382
28Horry County5.2%+1.8 pts427,551
29Fairfield County5.3%+1.2 pts20,340
30McCormick County5.3%+2.0 pts10,215
31Greenwood County5.4%+2.2 pts70,379
32Sumter County5.4%+2.1 pts105,067
33Georgetown County5.5%+1.9 pts65,912
34Chester County5.7%+1.8 pts33,001
35Barnwell County5.8%+1.9 pts20,653
36Cherokee County5.8%+2.8 pts58,275
37Bamberg County5.9%+1.0 pts12,796
38Union County5.9%+2.4 pts26,799
39Allendale County6.0%+1.1 pts7,355
40Dillon County6.0%+1.8 pts27,458
41Lee County6.0%+1.6 pts15,730
42Clarendon County6.1%+2.3 pts31,043
43Marion County6.2%+1.6 pts28,242
44Orangeburg County6.4%+1.9 pts83,177
45Marlboro County7.3%+2.7 pts25,488
46Williamsburg County7.7%+3.4 pts29,662

How this is ranked

The annual average unemployment rate for 2025 (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics). Lowest first. Counties with fewer than 1,000 residents, or without a figure for the same period as the others, are not ranked.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics. Figures come from public federal statistics and are informational only, not investment advice. Check the source before relying on a number. Methodology: how ranks and figures are built. More on every layer: data sources and licences.

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Questions

Which county in South Carolina has the lowest unemployment rate?

Charleston County: 3.6%, ahead of Lexington County (3.8%) and Dorchester County (3.9%), of 46 South Carolina counties ranked.

How is this ranking calculated?

The annual average unemployment rate for 2025 (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics). Lowest first. Counties with fewer than 1,000 residents, or without a figure for the same period as the others, are not ranked.

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