Demographics of South Carolina

The U.S. state of South Carolina is located in the Southern United States. It is the 23rd largest state by population, with a population of 5,118,425 according to 2020 United States Census estimates.^[1]

Columbus Street, Charleston, South Carolina

Demographics

See also: Demographics of the United States and African Americans in South Carolina

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1790	249,073		—
1800	345,591		38.8%
1810	415,115		20.1%
1820	502,741		21.1%
1830	581,185		15.6%
1840	594,398		2.3%
1850	668,507		12.5%
1860	703,708		5.3%
1870	705,606		0.3%
1880	995,577		41.1%
1890	1,151,149		15.6%
1900	1,340,316		16.4%
1910	1,515,400		13.1%
1920	1,683,724		11.1%
1930	1,738,765		3.3%
1940	1,899,804		9.3%
1950	2,117,027		11.4%
1960	2,382,594		12.5%
1970	2,590,516		8.7%
1980	3,121,820		20.5%
1990	3,486,703		11.7%
2000	4,012,012		15.1%
2010	4,625,384		15.3%
2020	5,118,425		10.7%
Source: 1910–2020[2]

South Carolina's center of population is 2.4 mi (3.9 km) north of the State House in the city of Columbia.^[3]

According to the United States Census Bureau, as of 2020, South Carolina had an estimated population of 5,118,425, which is an increase of 493,041, or 10.7%, since the year 2010.

According to the University of South Carolina's Arnold School of Public Health, Consortium for Latino Immigration Studies, South Carolina's foreign-born population grew faster than any other state between 2000 and 2005.^[4] The Consortium reports that the number of Hispanics in South Carolina is greatly undercounted by census enumerators and may be more than 400,000.^[4][5]

Demographics of South Carolina (csv)

By race	White	Black	AIAN*	Asian	NHPI*
2000 (total population)	68.88%	30.01%	0.69%	1.13%	0.10%
2000 (Hispanic only)	2.05%	0.26%	0.05%	0.03%	0.02%
2005 (total population)	69.12%	29.68%	0.69%	1.31%	0.10%
2005 (Hispanic only)	2.95%	0.27%	0.06%	0.04%	0.02%
Growth 2000–05 (total population)	6.43%	4.89%	6.09%	23.49%	13.76%
Growth 2000–05 (non-Hispanic only)	5.01%	4.87%	4.61%	23.16%	10.36%
Growth 2000–05 (Hispanic only)	52.78%	7.64%	23.97%	34.25%	26.89%
* AIAN is American Indian or Alaskan Native; NHPI is Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander

South Carolina’s population increased by 15.4 percent between 1990 and 2000 and by another 7.4 percent between 2000 and 2005; 11.6 percent of that increase has been attributed to immigration, primarily from Mexico and Latin America. Most work in the construction industry, with another proportion in agriculture, in addition to processing factories. The Latino population has increased considerably faster in South Carolina and the Southeast than for the United States as a whole.^[6]

The five largest ancestry groups in South Carolina identified by respondents to the US census are African American (29.5%), American (13.9%), English (8.4%), German (8.4%), and Irish (7.9%) (thus a total of more than 39% from northern Europe).^[7]

From 1720 until 1920, African slaves and their descendants made up a majority of the state's population. (See census data below.) Whites became a majority in the state after that date, following the migration of tens of thousands of blacks to northern industrial cities in the Great Migration. In the 21st century, most of the African-American population in the state lives in the Lowcountry and the Midlands areas, historically areas of their greatest concentrations of population.^[8]

Birth data

Note: Births in table do not add up, because Hispanics are counted both by their ethnicity and by their race, giving a higher overall number.

Live Births by Single Race/Ethnicity of Mother

Race	2013[9]	2014[10]	2015[11]	2016[12]	2017[13]	2018[14]	2019[15]	2020[16]	2021[17]	2022[18]
White (NH)	33,085 (58.2%)	33,639 (58.4%)	33,927 (58.4%)	32,929 (57.4%)	32,283 (56.6%)	31,890 (56.3%)	31,660 (55.5%)	30,465 (54.7%)	31,841 (55.7%)	32,323 (55.9%)
Black	18,591 (32.7%)	18,598 (32.3%)	18,577 (32.0%)	16,527 (28.8%)	16,851 (29.5%)	16,681 (29.4%)	16,802 (29.5%)	16,309 (29.3%)	16,009 (28.0%)	15,333 (26.5%)
Asian	1,235 (2.2%)	1,293 (2.2%)	1,289 (2.2%)	1,134 (2.0%)	1,125 (2.0%)	1,172 (2.1%)	1,155 (2.0%)	1,148 (2.1%)	1,167 (2.0%)	1,176 (2.0%)
American Indian	201 (0.3%)	193 (0.3%)	217 (0.4%)	151 (0.3%)	183 (0.3%)	156 (0.3%)	176 (0.3%)	106 (0.2%)	122 (0.2%)	198 (0.3%)
Hispanic (of Native American race)	4,411 (7.8%)	4,646 (8.1%)	4,942 (8.5%)	5,135 (8.9%)	5,221 (9.2%)	5,255 (9.3%)	5,741 (10.1%)	5,993 (10.7%)	6,386 (11.2%)	7,073 (12.2%)
Total South Carolina	56,795 (100%)	57,627 (100%)	58,139 (100%)	57,342 (100%)	57,029 (100%)	56,669 (100%)	57,038 (100%)	55,704 (100%)	57,185 (100%)	57,820 (100%)

• Since 2016, data for births of White Hispanic origin are not collected, but included in one Hispanic group; persons of Hispanic origin may be of any race.
• NH = Non-hispanic

Center of population

South Carolina Population Density in 2010.

Most populous counties

See also: List of South Carolina counties

County	Seat	2000 Population	2010 Population	2017 Population
Greenville	Greenville	379,616	451,225	506,837
Richland	Columbia	320,667	384,504	411,592
Charleston	Charleston	309,969	350,209	401,438
Horry	Conway	196,629	269,291	333,268
Spartanburg	Spartanburg	253,431	284,307	306,854
Lexington	Lexington	216,014	254,920	290,642
York	York	164,614	229,073	266,439
Berkeley	Moncks Corner	142,651	177,843	217,937
Anderson	Anderson	165,740	187,126	198,759
Beaufort	Beaufort	120,937	162,233	186,844

Cities and towns

Main article: List of cities and towns in South Carolina

• 
  Charleston – Columbus Street
• 
  Charleston – Atlantic Street at E. Battery Street
• 
  Columbia – USC Horseshoe – listed on National Register of Historic Places
• 
  Columbia – Skyline from Arsenal Hill
• 
  Spartanburg – Historical buildings on West Main
• 
  Greenville – Skyline by night
• 
  Greenville – Falls in Downtown area.
• 
  Hilton Head Island – Harbour Town
• 
  North Charleston – City Hall
• 
  Myrtle Beach

Largest municipalities

Population estimates as of 2010.

• Columbia – 129,272
• Charleston – 120,083
• North Charleston – 97,471
• Mount Pleasant – 67,843
• Rock Hill – 66,154
• Greenville – 58,409
• Summerville – 43,392
• Sumter- 40,524
• Hilton Head Island – 37,099
• Florence – 37,056
• Spartanburg – 37,013
• Goose Creek – 35,938
• Aiken – 29,524
• Myrtle Beach – 27,109
• Anderson – 26,686
• Greer – 25,515
• Greenwood – 23,222
• Mauldin – 22,889
• North Augusta – 21,348
• Easley – 19,993

City and MSAs

South Carolina's metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) are much larger than their central city population counts suggest. South Carolina law makes it difficult for municipalities to annex unincorporated areas, so city proper populations look smaller than is reflected in the total metropolitan populations.

For example, Myrtle Beach has a municipal population of less than 50,000 persons, but its MSA has more than 200,000 persons. Anderson's municipal population is smaller than Sumter's, but the Anderson MSA is larger, as seen below.

Columbia, Charleston, and Greenville all have urbanized area populations between 400,000 and 550,000, while their metropolitan statistical area (MSA) populations are each more than 600,000. The Greenville-Spartanburg-Anderson MSA population consists of approximately 1.4 million people, making it the largest in the state and third largest in the Carolinas.

Urban Area Population

As of 2010:^[19]

• Columbia – 549,777
• Charleston/North Charleston - 548,404
• Greenville – 400,492
• Myrtle Beach – 215,304
• Spartanburg – 180,786
• Mauldin/Simpsonville - 120,577
• Rock Hill – 104,996
• Florence – 89,557
• Anderson – 75,702
• Sumter – 73,107
• Hilton Head Island - 68,998

Religion

St. Matthew's German Evangelical Lutheran Church in Charleston is the tallest house of worship in the state. Its spire rises 255 feet.

South Carolina residents are majority Protestant Christian, with a lower percentage of people claiming no religious affiliation than the national average. The religious affiliations of the people of South Carolina are as follows:

• Christian: 78%
  • Protestant: 65%
    • Evangelical (e.g., Southern Baptist Convention): 35%
    • Mainline Protestant (e.g., United Methodist Church): 15%
    • Historically Black (e.g., African Methodist Episcopal Church):^{[clarification needed]} 15%
  • Roman Catholic: 10%
  • Other Christian: 3%
• Other Religions: 3%
• Non-Religious: 19%^[20]

Sephardic Jews have lived in the state for more than 300 years,^[21][22][23] especially in and around Charleston. Many came from London, where they were merchants.^[24] Until about 1830, South Carolina had the largest population of Jews in North America, most in Charleston. Some have married and assimilated into Christian society; in the 21st century, less than 1% of the total religiously affiliated people are Jewish. The proportion of Roman Catholics in the state has been increasing given migrants from the North and immigration from Latin America.

Historical demographics

Beginning in 1790, the United States Census Bureau collected the population statistics of South Carolina. The years listed prior to that are estimates and exclude the Native American population. From 1790 until 1860, the designated demographic classifications were   white,   black slave and   free black.

Following the Civil War, the racial groupings were   white,   black and   other.

The following is a list of census data for the state of South Carolina:^[25]

Census Year	Demographic	Population	% of Pop.	% Growth
1670	White	140	90.3%	–
	Slave	15	9.7%	–
	Total	155	100%	-
1680	White	1,000	83.3%	+614.3%
	Slave	200	16.7%	+1233.3%
	Total	1,200	100%	+674.2%
1700	White	3,100	56.4%	+210.0%
	Slave	2,400	43.6%	+1100.0%
	Total	5,500	100%	+358.3%
1708	White	4,080	42.6%	+31.6%
	Black Slaves	4,100	42.8%	–
	Indian Slaves	1,400	14.6%	–
	Total	9,580	100%	+74.2%
1720	White	6,500	35.1%	+59.3%
	Slave	12,000	64.9%	+118.2%
	Total	18,500	100%	+93.1%
1730	White	10,000	33.3%	+53.9%
	Slave	20,000	66.7%	+66.7%
	Total	30,000	100%	+62.2%
1740	White	20,000	33.3%	+100.0%
	Slave	40,000	66.7%	+100.0%
	Total	60,000	100%	+100.0%
1750	White	21,667	33.3%	+8.3%
	Slave	43,333	66.7%	+8.3%
	Total	65,000	100%	+8.3%
1760	White	32,000	38.1%	+47.7%
	Slave	52,000	61.9%	+20.0%
	Total	84,000	100%	+29.2%
1770	White	50,000	38.5%	+56.3%
	Slave	80,000	61.5%	+53.9%
	Total	130,000	100%	+54.7%
1780	White	83,000	46.1%	+66.0%
	Slave	97,000	53.9%	+21.3%
	Total	180,000	100%	+38.5%
1790	White	140,178	56.3%	+68.9%
	Slave	107,094	43.0%	+10.4%
	Free Black	1,801	0.7%	–
	Total	249,073	100%	+38.4%
1800	White	196,255	56.8%	+40.0%
	Slave	146,151	42.3%	+36.5%
	Free Black	3,185	0.9%	+76.9%
	Total	345,591	100%	+38.8%
1810	White	214,196	51.6%	+9.1%
	Slave	196,365	47.3%	+34.4%
	Free Black	4,554	1.1%	+42.9%
	Total	415,115	100%	+20.1%
1820	White	237,440	47.2%	+10.9%
	Slave	258,475	51.4%	+31.6%
	Free Black	6,826	1.4%	+49.9%
	Total	502,741	100%	+21.1%
1830	White	257,863	44.4%	+8.6%
	Slave	323,322	55.6%	+25.1%
	Total	581,185	100%	+15.6%
1840	White	259,084	43.6%	+0.5%
	Slave	327,038	55.0%	+1.2%
	Free Black	8,276	1.4%	+21.2%
	Total	594,398	100%	+2.3%
1850	White	274,563	41.1%	+6.0%
	Slave	393,944	58.9%	+20.5%
	Total	668,507	100%	+12.5%
1860	White	271,300	41.4%	+6.1%
	Slave	487,406	57.2%	+2.2%
	Free Black	9,914	1.4%	+19.8%
	Other	88	0.0%	–
	Total	703,708	100%	+5.3%
1870	White	289,667	41.1%	-0.6%
	Black	465,814	58.9%	+3.3%
	Other	125	0.0%	+42.1%
	Total	705,606	100%	+0.3%
1880	White	391,105	39.3%	+35.0%
	Black	604,332	60.7%	+45.3%
	Other	140	0.0%	+12.0%
	Total	995,577	100%	+41.1%
1890	White	462,008	40.1%	+18.1%
	Black	728,934	59.9%	+14.0%
	Other	207	0.0%	+47.9%
	Total	1,151,149	100%	+15.6%
1900	White	547,807	41.6%	+20.7%
	Black	789,321	58.4%	+13.6%
	Other	188	0.0%	-9.2%
	Total	1,340,316	100%	+16.4%
1910	White	679,161	44.9%	+21.8%
	Black	833,843	55.1%	+6.6%
	Other	396	0.0%	+110.6%
	Total	1,515,400	100%	+13.1%
1920	White	878,538	51.4%	+20.5%
	Black	864,719	48.6%	+3.7%
	Other	467	0.0%	+17.9%
	Total	1,683,724	100%	+11.1%
1930	White	994,049	54.3%	+15.3%
	Black	693,681	45.6%	-8.2%
	Other	1,035	0.1%	+121.6%
	Total	1,738,765	100%	+3.3%
1940	White	1,084,308	57.1%	+14.9%
	Black	714,164	42.9%	+2.6%
	Other	1,332	0.1%	+28.7%
	Total	1,899,804	100%	+9.3%
1950	White	1,293,405	61.1%	+19.3%
	Black	722,077	38.8%	+1.0%
	Other	1,545	0.1%	+16.0%
	Total	2,117,027	100%	+11.4%
1960	White	1,551,022	65.1%	+19.9%
	Black	829,291	34.8%	+0.9%
	Other	2,281	0.1%	+47.6%
	Total	2,382,594	100%	+12.5%
1970	White	1,794,430	69.3%	+15.7%
	Black	789,041	30.4%	-4.9%
	Other	7,045	0.3%	+208.9%
	Total	2,590,516	100%	+8.7%
1980	White	2,147,224	68.8%	+19.7%
	Black	948,623	30.4%	+20.2%
	Other	25,973	0.8%	+268.7%
	Total	3,121,820	100%	+20.5%
1990	White	2,406,974	69.0%	+12.1%
	Black	1,039,884	29.8%	+9.6%
	Other	39,845	1.2%	+53.4%
	Total	3,486,703	100%	+11.7%
2000	White	2,695,560	67.2%	+12.0%
	Black	1,185,216	29.5%	+14.0%
	Other	131,236	3.3%	+229.4%
	Total	4,012,012	100%	+15.1%
2010	White	3,062,000	66.2%	+13.6%
	Black	1,290,684	27.9%	+8.9%
	Other	274,680	5.9%	+109.3%
	Total	4,625,364	100%	+15.3%

References

1. "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved May 6, 2024.
2. "Historical Population Change Data (1910–2020)". Census.gov. United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on April 29, 2021. Retrieved May 1, 2021.
3. "Population and Population Centers by State: 2000". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on May 8, 2013. Retrieved December 6, 2008.
4. "The Economic and Social Implications of the Growing Latino Population in South Carolina: A Study for the South Carolina Commission for Minority Affairs" (PDF). The Consortium for Latino Immigration Studies, University of South Carolina. August 2007. Archived (PDF) from the original on June 24, 2008. Retrieved June 4, 2008.
5. "Mexican Immigrants: The New Face of the South Carolina Labor Force" (PDF). Moore School of Business, Division of Research, IMBA Globilization Project, University of South Carolina. March 2006. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 1, 2008.
6. Darien Blair Sutton; Doug Woodward, Ph.D. (June 2009). "Latino Immigration: Implications for Business" (PDF). Darla Moore School of Business, University of South Carolina. pp. 3–5. Archived (PDF) from the original on June 11, 2010. Retrieved May 1, 2015.
7. "Reporting single ancestry - Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved October 12, 2024.
8. "AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORIC PLACES IN SOUTH CAROLINA" (PDF). scdah.sc.gov.
9. "Births: Final Data for 2013" (PDF). National Vital Statistics Reports. 64 (1). National Center for Health Statistics. January 15, 2015. Retrieved February 26, 2024.
10. "Births: Final Data for 2014" (PDF). National Vital Statistics Reports. 64 (12). National Center for Health Statistics. December 23, 2015. Retrieved February 26, 2024.
11. "Births: Final Data for 2015" (PDF). National Vital Statistics Reports. 66 (1). National Center for Health Statistics. January 5, 2017. Retrieved February 26, 2024.
12. Martin, Joyce A.; Hamilton, Brady E.; Osterman, Michelle J.K.; Driscoll, Anne K.; Drake, Patrick (January 31, 2018). "Births: Final Data for 2016" (PDF). National Vital Statistics Reports. 67 (1). National Center for Health Statistics: 1–55. PMID 29775434.
13. "Births: Final Data for 2017" (PDF). National Vital Statistics Reports. 67 (8). National Center for Health Statistics. November 7, 2018. Retrieved February 26, 2024.
14. "Births: Final Data for 2018" (PDF). National Vital Statistics Reports. 68 (13). National Center for Health Statistics. November 27, 2019. Retrieved February 26, 2024.
15. "Births: Final Data for 2019" (PDF). National Vital Statistics Reports. 70 (2). National Center for Health Statistics. March 23, 2021. Retrieved February 26, 2024.
16. "Births: Final Data for 2020" (PDF). National Vital Statistics Reports. 70 (17). National Center for Health Statistics. February 7, 2022. Retrieved February 26, 2024.
17. "Births: Final Data for 2021" (PDF). National Vital Statistics Reports. 72 (1). National Center for Health Statistics. January 31, 2023. Retrieved February 26, 2024.
18. "Data" (PDF). www.cdc.gov. Retrieved April 5, 2024.
19. "America's Urban Population: Patterns & Characteristics". Proximity. Retrieved February 26, 2024.
20. "A "Religion in South Carolina" | Pew Research 2014". Pew Research. 2014. Retrieved February 26, 2024.
21. Keri Howell wrote (April 5, 2010). "A "portion of the People" | Harvard Magazine Jan–Feb 2003". Harvardmagazine.com. Archived from the original on December 1, 2008. Retrieved July 31, 2010.
22. David Banks (March 25, 2002). "300 Years of Jewish History in South Carolina". NPR. Archived from the original on October 29, 2013. Retrieved July 31, 2010.
23. "A Portion of the People: Three Hundred Years of Southern Jewish Life Entrance to Website". Lib.unc.edu. August 18, 2006. Archived from the original on April 19, 2014. Retrieved July 31, 2010.
24. "A Portion of the People: Three Hundred Years of Southern Jewish Life". Sc.edu. Retrieved July 3, 2011.
25. Rogers Jr., George C. and C. James Taylor (1994). A South Carolina Chronology 1497–1992. University of South Carolina Press. ISBN 0-87249-971-5.

External links

• U.S. Census website – 2010 Census data
• 2000 South Carolina Census Data