You’re probably never going to make enough money to live in the richest counties in South Carolina.
The median household income in Beaufort County, the richest county in South Carolina is $81,260, significantly higher than the US median of $74,580, which means based purely on math most people never make enough to live there.
And that’s okay because it’s still fun to look at the people living in the lap of luxury.
So we used Saturday Night Science and the most recent Census to rank home prices and incomes for all 46 counties in the Palmetto State. Let’s star gaze together.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Table | Summary
The 10 Richest Counties In South Carolina For 2024
What is the richest county in South Carolina? The richest county in South Carolina is Beaufort County. In contrast, the poorest county in state is Allendale County, according to the Census data.
Now you know exactly where to move in South Carolina. Keep on reading for more about the top ten and a detailed methodology.
Or, check out the best places to live in South Carolina and the cheapest places to live in South Carolina.
The Richest Counties In South Carolina For 2024
1. Beaufort County
Biggest Place: Hilton Head Island
Population: 189,071
Median Income: $81,260 (highest)
Median Home Price: $532,221 (2nd highest)
More on Beaufort County: Data
2. Charleston County
Biggest Place: Charleston
Population: 409,840
Median Income: $78,795 (3rd highest)
Median Home Price: $554,952 (highest)
More on Charleston County: Data
3. York County
Biggest Place: Rock Hill
Population: 282,987
Median Income: $80,158 (2nd highest)
Median Home Price: $368,531 (6th highest)
More on York County: Data
4. Lancaster County
Biggest Place: Lancaster
Population: 97,611
Median Income: $72,186 (6th highest)
Median Home Price: $369,244 (5th highest)
More on Lancaster County: Data
5. Berkeley County
Biggest Place: Charleston
Population: 231,419
Median Income: $77,874 (4th highest)
Median Home Price: $358,791 (7th highest)
More on Berkeley County: Data
6. Dorchester County
Biggest Place: North Charleston
Population: 162,139
Median Income: $73,686 (5th highest)
Median Home Price: $344,571 (8th highest)
More on Dorchester County: Data
7. Jasper County
Biggest Place: Hardeeville
Population: 29,444
Median Income: $60,452 (13th highest)
Median Home Price: $380,738 (4th highest)
More on Jasper County: Data
8. Greenville County
Biggest Place: Greenville
Population: 528,251
Median Income: $71,328 (7th highest)
Median Home Price: $310,985 (11th highest)
More on Greenville County: Data
9. Georgetown County
Biggest Place: Murrells Inlet
Population: 63,594
Median Income: $59,782 (17th highest)
Median Home Price: $381,218 (3rd highest)
More on Georgetown County: Data
10. Anderson County
Biggest Place: Anderson
Population: 204,592
Median Income: $62,347 (10th highest)
Median Home Price: $263,768 (13th highest)
More on Anderson County: Data
Methodology: How do you determine which South Carolina county is the richest?
To determine the richest county in South Carolina, we have to look at a handful of metrics that correlate with how rich people are. To do that, we made assumptions about what makes a county rich. For reference, we are trying to make the kind of argument you’d make at a bar using facts, Saturday Night Science.
With that in mind, we went to the American Community Survey data and Zillow for the most recent reporting period for data on the following:
- Average Home Price
- Median Income
We then ranked each county in South Carolina for each of the criteria from one to 46, with one being the richest.
Taking the average rank across the two criteria, we created a Rich Score with the county posting the lowest overall score being the “Richest County In South Carolina.”
The result is some of the places with the most expensive real estate and highest earners in the Palmetto State.
We updated this article for 2024. This report is our first time ranking the richest counties to live in South Carolina. We have also ranked the richest states and richest cities in the United States.
Summary: The Richest Counties In South Carolina For 2024
Living in South Carolina can vary from one part of the state to the next, with pretty extreme variance in home prices and incomes across counties.
The richest counties in South Carolina are Beaufort County, Charleston County, York County, Lancaster County, Berkeley County, Dorchester County, Jasper County, Greenville County, Georgetown County, and Anderson County.
Now you know the parts of the state where Goodwill will have the best goodies, and that’s what you came here to learn at the end of the day.
You are welcome.
Here’s a look at the poorest counties in South Carolina according to the data:
- Allendale County
- Marion County
- Marlboro County
For more South Carolina reading, check out:
- Best Counties To Live In South Carolina
- Best Places To Live In South Carolina
- Cheapest Places To Live In South Carolina
- Safest Places In South Carolina
Detailed List Of The Richest Counties In South Carolina
| Rank | County | Population | Median Income | Average Home Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Beaufort County | 189,071 | $81,260 | $532,221 |
| 2 | Charleston County | 409,840 | $78,795 | $554,952 |
| 3 | York County | 282,987 | $80,158 | $368,531 |
| 4 | Lancaster County | 97,611 | $72,186 | $369,244 |
| 5 | Berkeley County | 231,419 | $77,874 | $358,791 |
| 6 | Dorchester County | 162,139 | $73,686 | $344,571 |
| 7 | Jasper County | 29,444 | $60,452 | $380,738 |
| 8 | Greenville County | 528,251 | $71,328 | $310,985 |
| 9 | Georgetown County | 63,594 | $59,782 | $381,218 |
| 10 | Anderson County | 204,592 | $62,347 | $263,768 |
| 11 | Lexington County | 295,934 | $71,280 | $255,394 |
| 12 | Horry County | 356,578 | $59,880 | $312,082 |
| 13 | Spartanburg County | 330,119 | $61,955 | $255,419 |
| 14 | Pickens County | 131,106 | $57,628 | $275,052 |
| 15 | Edgefield County | 26,181 | $60,033 | $250,166 |
| 16 | Kershaw County | 65,779 | $61,343 | $226,753 |
| 17 | Mccormick County | 9,612 | $55,569 | $336,500 |
| 18 | Aiken County | 169,865 | $63,212 | $205,224 |
| 19 | Oconee County | 78,775 | $56,710 | $261,576 |
| 20 | Richland County | 416,161 | $59,850 | $239,531 |
| 21 | Newberry County | 37,918 | $56,706 | $219,241 |
| 22 | Calhoun County | 14,145 | $55,550 | $207,446 |
| 23 | Florence County | 137,015 | $56,088 | $186,431 |
| 24 | Chester County | 32,171 | $50,022 | $204,443 |
| 25 | Colleton County | 38,561 | $46,795 | $219,798 |
| 26 | Sumter County | 105,199 | $53,970 | $177,218 |
| 27 | Abbeville County | 24,368 | $49,759 | $188,348 |
| 28 | Saluda County | 18,952 | $51,041 | $178,038 |
| 29 | Laurens County | 67,456 | $52,077 | $152,434 |
| 30 | Clarendon County | 31,163 | $48,677 | $169,707 |
| 31 | Cherokee County | 56,200 | $47,011 | $158,881 |
| 32 | Greenwood County | 69,309 | $47,553 | $152,270 |
| 33 | Chesterfield County | 43,536 | $46,326 | $150,979 |
| 34 | Darlington County | 63,025 | $44,317 | $140,100 |
| 35 | Fairfield County | 20,942 | $44,521 | $134,034 |
| 36 | Orangeburg County | 84,159 | $41,020 | $141,105 |
| 37 | Barnwell County | 20,653 | $42,470 | $130,349 |
| 38 | Hampton County | 18,890 | $40,157 | $140,881 |
| 39 | Bamberg County | 13,311 | $43,920 | $83,460 |
| 40 | Union County | 27,158 | $42,305 | $103,550 |
| 41 | Lee County | 16,557 | $39,099 | $135,762 |
| 42 | Dillon County | 28,255 | $42,454 | $89,042 |
| 43 | Williamsburg County | 30,879 | $40,848 | $111,814 |
| 44 | Marlboro County | 26,585 | $34,275 | $82,122 |
| 45 | Marion County | 29,212 | $35,972 | $80,421 |
| 46 | Allendale County | 8,073 | $37,096 | $63,614 |