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PantryPath Research · Child Poverty Atlas

Child Poverty in
South Carolina

South Carolina's child poverty rate is 18.8% across 46 counties, meaning 211K children under 18 live in households below the federal poverty line. Use the interactive map below to see how poverty varies within the state.

18.8%

Child poverty rate (0–17)

211K

Children in poverty

13.9%

All-ages poverty

$67,988

Median income

South Carolina by county

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Toggle between five SAIPE metrics to see how poverty varies within South Carolina. Hover a county for its exact rate.

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Lower
Higher

South Carolina at a glance

Children in poverty

211K

Ages 0–17

Child poverty rate

18.8%

Ages 0–17

5–17 poverty rate

18.1%

Title I allocator

All-ages poverty

13.9%

Entire population

Concentration

1.35×

Child ÷ all-ages

Median income

$67,988

Inflation-adjusted

County-level hotspots

Five-county rankings across 46 counties in South Carolina.

Highest child poverty

Ages 0–17, rate

  1. 1 Barnwell County 45.8%
  2. 2 Allendale County 44.6%
  3. 3 Bamberg County 36.3%
  4. 4 Marion County 35.9%
  5. 5 Marlboro County 35.6%

Lowest child poverty

Ages 0–17, rate

  1. 1 York County 12.0%
  2. 2 Berkeley County 12.6%
  3. 3 Dorchester County 12.8%
  4. 4 Lancaster County 13.7%
  5. 5 Beaufort County 14.0%

Most children in poverty

Absolute count, ages 0–17

  1. 1 Greenville County 18K
  2. 2 Richland County 18K
  3. 3 Spartanburg County 16K
  4. 4 Horry County 13K
  5. 5 Charleston County 11K

Every county in South Carolina

All 46 counties across the five SAIPE metrics plus median income.

County Children 0–17 Ages 5–17 All ages Concentration Child count Median income
Abbeville County 22.0% 21.6% 15.3% 1.44× 1,033 $51,580
Aiken County 17.7% 17.9% 14.1% 1.26× 6,616 $67,769
Allendale County 44.6% 44.0% 32.6% 1.37× 582 $35,477
Anderson County 18.4% 17.7% 13.5% 1.36× 8,642 $64,813
Bamberg County 36.3% 36.2% 27.7% 1.31× 862 $41,555
Barnwell County 45.8% 45.9% 27.2% 1.68× 2,193 $46,482
Beaufort County 14.0% 13.9% 9.5% 1.47× 4,674 $82,199
Berkeley County 12.6% 12.7% 9.8% 1.29× 7,364 $82,414
Calhoun County 24.3% 23.8% 14.6% 1.66× 629 $58,916
Charleston County 14.2% 13.9% 11.0% 1.29× 11,376 $88,111
Cherokee County 23.5% 22.3% 16.8% 1.40× 2,976 $57,768
Chester County 30.8% 29.1% 20.1% 1.53× 2,149 $51,383
Chesterfield County 30.0% 29.6% 20.3% 1.48× 2,873 $50,962
Clarendon County 29.7% 31.0% 20.0% 1.49× 1,582 $47,675
Colleton County 33.6% 30.1% 23.0% 1.46× 2,936 $48,504
Darlington County 30.1% 30.4% 22.3% 1.35× 4,117 $46,249
Dillon County 34.6% 36.2% 24.4% 1.42× 2,379 $45,269
Dorchester County 12.8% 12.0% 10.2% 1.25× 5,089 $78,329
Edgefield County 22.4% 22.5% 16.8% 1.33× 1,005 $62,851
Fairfield County 33.1% 33.2% 20.7% 1.60× 1,191 $48,123
Florence County 28.0% 26.2% 18.8% 1.49× 8,909 $56,144
Georgetown County 22.8% 23.0% 13.8% 1.65× 2,431 $69,379
Greenville County 14.6% 14.9% 11.3% 1.29× 18,233 $76,281
Greenwood County 23.7% 23.1% 16.9% 1.40× 3,593 $56,726
Hampton County 32.1% 30.6% 24.2% 1.33× 1,158 $44,774
Horry County 19.8% 18.8% 12.9% 1.53× 12,886 $68,684
Jasper County 29.2% 28.3% 16.2% 1.80× 1,722 $61,816
Kershaw County 17.8% 16.5% 12.6% 1.41× 2,841 $69,277
Lancaster County 13.7% 13.8% 10.8% 1.27× 3,140 $74,417
Laurens County 24.0% 22.8% 16.7% 1.44× 3,513 $56,237
Lee County 33.8% 33.4% 24.5% 1.38× 1,004 $46,256
Lexington County 14.4% 14.0% 11.2% 1.29× 10,034 $76,559
Marion County 35.9% 34.9% 25.4% 1.41× 2,209 $40,171
Marlboro County 35.6% 34.8% 27.2% 1.31× 1,814 $42,308
McCormick County 32.6% 32.5% 17.6% 1.85× 324 $58,475
Newberry County 28.3% 24.0% 17.5% 1.62× 2,305 $57,325
Oconee County 20.1% 18.2% 14.6% 1.38× 2,999 $67,161
Orangeburg County 29.1% 27.7% 21.7% 1.34× 5,024 $50,959
Pickens County 17.6% 16.0% 16.8% 1.05× 4,298 $58,480
Richland County 19.9% 18.8% 15.9% 1.25× 17,758 $61,508
Saluda County 24.4% 24.5% 16.1% 1.52× 1,008 $60,220
Spartanburg County 19.7% 18.3% 14.0% 1.41× 16,104 $64,649
Sumter County 23.9% 22.9% 17.5% 1.37× 5,777 $55,481
Union County 34.8% 29.1% 23.4% 1.49× 1,863 $40,008
Williamsburg County 31.6% 32.2% 24.8% 1.27× 1,760 $43,711
York County 12.0% 10.6% 9.6% 1.25× 8,251 $82,495

Help for families in South Carolina

Free meals, WIC, SNAP, and nutrition help for children in low-income households.

Families & children guide

South Carolina SNAP benefits

State-by-state SNAP eligibility, apply online, benefit amounts, and coverage gaps.

South Carolina SNAP guide

Find a food pantry

Search South Carolina's verified pantries — by ZIP, city, or county.

South Carolina food pantries